Writing is a huge part of who and why I am. I have been telling stories for as long as I can remember, and have shared my written work online since tweenhood. It can be challenging to keep going at times, but I always look for ways to carry on telling the stories I wish to tell.

My work is a reflection of my own values, beliefs, and emotions. Like everyone else, I have my own perception of the world and how it works, or how it should work. It is easiest to write when I can freely express my personal thoughts and emotions, or share messages that matter to me. It offers purpose and meaning, which spurs me to find a way to continue a story.

There is no greater joy than giving life to characters and the universe they live in. I extensively daydream about my characters’ lives, such as their childhoods, personal preferences and little quirks. These musings often birth sketches of the characters, their important belongings or specific scenes from their stories. The more I visualise them and invest in their development, the more committed I am to completing the stories they live within.

But even with messages to share and characters to enthuse about, there are occasions when inspiration evades me. Rather than forcing myself to continue writing, I give myself a break to experience new things or explore other directions of thought. With a fresh perspective, ideas tend to come along more easily. It doesn’t matter how long or short that break is, be it a few hours or even months, as long as I return to my waiting stories and their characters with reignited passion.