Shanna.

I am the product of 30 years of stories spun on Southern porches, muggy summers and spending a little too much time with my nose in a book. I swear a little too much and drink more red wine than I should, but other than that I think I am turning out alright.

I fell in love with writing and words at an early age. I began keeping my first journal in third grade. It was a Ramona Quimby themed journal that was divided into twelve sections, one for each month. It had excerpts from the Ramona books and lots of fill in the blanks. What I loved most though, was when I came to those lined pages devoid of any prompt. Then I could really let my mind and pencil run freely. I wrote stories and about the injustices of elementary school life and those pages became my best friends.

I continued writing as I matured. Those little journals also matured into plain notebooks, legal pads, and now a laptop that I tote around more than my wallet.

I have dabbled with different types of writing. I worked for a newspaper for a while doing community interest stories. I was actively involved with the literary journal while I was in college, writing essays and poems that mimicked Thoreau. There was a brief affair with erotica. A few poems have found their way into minor journals, but most of them just find their way into storage crates.

I have found that no matter where I am in this journey, there is always writing. It has been a source of strength for me, something that I could always turn to.

Today I still keep a journal and will occasionally give birth to a poem or a short story. Mostly, I write for my own satisfaction or to entertain my daughters. I stick to writing about things that are close to my heart.

I am also an abuse survivor, never a victim. I have used my writing to help heal my own spirit, and I am currently seeking ways to employ it to educate and comfort other abuse survivors.

I enjoy conversing with other writers and love to hear how the process works for them. It is a different path for everybody, but it is all centered in the same passion. It is amazing to me how we can all be so completely alone, yet completely united.