Growing up, my parents expected me to chase after the “American Dream” by going to college straight after high school, graduate and have a 9-5, married with kids, etc, etc. However, being a black queer kid in the south (and having religious parents), I knew I wouldn’t meet their expectations. One of the main issues I ran into (with my parents) was my queerness. It was freshman year of high school. I was coming to terms with my sexuality and started crushing on a girl in her junior year. At that point, I’d already asked all of my friends for advice, but felt like I was making no progress. Heck, I didn’t even know what the girl’s personality was like. So, as a last resort, I asked my mom. She seemed baffled when I told her and kept repeating the phrase “it’s a girl?" like a broken record. When she finally understood what I was asking, all she had to say was “maybe you just like the qualities of this person in a friendly way or you want those same qualities.” All I did was nod along with her, not wanting to start an argument between us. When it comes to my sexuality (in the present), my parents seem to be on the fence about it. I couldn’t tell you how they'd react if I married a woman, but only time will tell. My passion for writing comes from my love of anime. I discovered it when I was in elementary school, but didn’t get into it until 6th grade. Stories of giant robots fighting evil, magical girls sparring in cute outfits, characters finding a place where they are loved and welcomed, it resonated with me. I was a bit hesitant to write at first. I didn’t read a lot of books and my grammar was messy. However, I knew that my first ever work didn’t have to be perfect, so I started writing pencil to paper and never looked back. Writing became my entire world in middle school. I’d write at school, on the bus ride home, family gatherings, it was never ending. However, due to me being so hyperfocused on it (and undiagnosed ADHD), my grades began to slip. My parents took notice of this and decided the best solution for me was to send me to a high school with a stricter grading system. The sudden change caused me to neglect my passion and my dream of being an author began to slowly fade away. That was until my junior year of high school. That year my school offered a creative writing class and I decided to take it on a whim. I didn’t think much of it, just thought it’d be nice to pick up the hobby again. I did have my doubts going into the class. “It’s been so long since I’ve written anything” “I’ve lost my spark. I’m not in middle school anymore” However, those thoughts left my mind when I entered that classroom. I was creating new characters left and right, asking my teacher to critique my work, enjoying my classmates’ stories and the worlds they built around them. I was having fun. I forgot how fun writing could be. Often I tell people the main reason I write is because I want to tell stories about people who look like me, but I think I’m starting to realize that’s not true. I enjoy creating characters and their backstories. I enjoy giving my characters trials they need to overcome. I enjoy worldbuilding and explaining how they work. Writing is fun. Plain and simple.