My journey as a writer has taken shape through various avenues, before landing in the wonderful world of children’s stories! As a kid I would make comic books to plot out adventures for my action figures to play out. My drawings were horrible, and they still are, but I loved coming up with small stories to go along with the sketches. In second grade, my friend and I started writing song lyrics and poetry. This grew into a deeper connection with words that followed me to my teens, where I joined one of the few Hip Hop groups in Barbados. In my early twenties, I worked as a production assistant on music videos and movies for many of today’s leading artists and actors. Experiencing the ins and outs of film production sparked an interest in writing screenplays but my current favorite format to create stories through is children’s books for ages 4-12.
What inspires you to write? A love for seeing the ideas in my heart and head come to life on paper (or computer screen); fuels me to share my craft with the world. When my children arrived, I was enamored by the contentment and excitement they experienced reading a new book or having one read and re-read to them. Witnessing their glee inspires me to create imaginative stories for them and other children to enjoy.
Could you share some of your challenges as a writer? I find I spend too much time polishing and re-polishing individual scenes of a book before even being near completion of the story. I want to train myself to “beginning-to-end” a tale, then move on to one or two other works in my head. At least start to get them going, before using a fresher pair of eyes to edit the initial project.
What are your current/future projects? I’m revising my first go at a middle-grade afro-fantasy mystery novel!
Do you have a routine to follow when writing? With four kids currently in our household, their jokes, inventive dances, boo-boos, and bliss take precedence over setting a specific time dedicated to writing. However, I squeeze in the time to write whenever the day permits it- after putting the littlest one down to sleep, or in between the scores of feedings throughout the day.
Do you have any advice for any aspiring writers
Do not be afraid to share your work with any and everybody, for fear of being critiqued or the idea being stolen. Nothing new under the sun, but your spirit brings with it your own unique perspective waiting to be heard.
