Fiction writing was my solace when I was a child. I was heavily bullied for being incredibly shy- though I admit, a bit of a know-it-all as well- and spent many of my lunches and play times in my teacher's classrooms. However, I never felt very alone. Junie B. Jones made wisecracks in my early years, and Darren Shan taught me love, loss, and forgiveness until I was 13. Books I held dear gave me an escape from a school I was unhappy with, and they continue to be a long-time friend through the present. I am studying creative writing because it has been my passion since I learned to spell. I love telling stories as much as I love consuming them. Fantasy laced with politics, and horror stories telling the tales of mental illness, the skill of storytelling is incredible, layered, and ever-expanding. Writing has given me a voice where my social anxiety has kept me restrained. If I cannot speak, I can type or scribble by hand. If others cannot tell their story, I love to give them another medium that can. I want to show that queer works, or feminist works, or works featuring POC characters can and do succeed. I want to create the stories I wish I had had as a young girl. Though my focus in my creative writing program is fiction, I do hope to continue to do work outside of the genre. I hope to write biographies of amazing women that may otherwise have not had their stories told. I hope to write about those that are considered “normal,” or may not draw the eyes of others on the street. I want to tell the stories of queer activists. I want to tell the stories of trans women that have felt punished and ignored by society and supposed “allies.” I hope that I can use my education to speak to and celebrate the differences in our neighbors, friends, and families. I write for myself, as well as others that grew up like me absorbed in words. I want to write for those that struggle, or those that just want to feel understood and heard. I want to share my ideas with the world. If I can create a story that makes just one person feel something new, for even a moment, then I believe all of my efforts will have been worth it.