I used to write stories as a child (until I was about 13 or 14). I cannot exactly remember why I stopped, but I think it might have had something to do with an educational psychologist and a couple of teachers telling me that there is no way that I would ever become a writer. (The psychologist was especially convinced of my lack of ability and said that I would probably become a cashier. Yeah, he literally said that.).

I kept reading, but put the idea of becoming a writer out of my mind. Years later I went to university to study Psychology (major) and Criminology (minor). I ended up specialising in research psychology. A career in psychological research appealed to me because it seemed more interesting than being a therapist (more variety of topics to study and explore). Plus being a researcher involves a lot of reading and writing which I obviously love doing.

After finishing my PhD degree in 2022 it felt like I suddenly had a lot of free time on my hands. While visiting my parents in 2023 my mother reminded me of how I used to write when I was younger and that I originally wanted to be a writer when I grew up. Up until that point I had given up on writing fiction, because of the bad feedback I received in the past, and because I had spent so much time writing research reports and articles that I did not think that I had it in me to write fiction. But the extra free time and the subtle encouragement from my mother nudged me towards giving writing another go.

I decided to start writing short stories because they would give me the opportunity to learn the craft of writing and storytelling. The fact that you are limited to only a few hundred or thousand words means that you have to learn how to be economical with your words and learn how to write a compelling story (with a proper beginning, middle and end). I also decided that I need to send my stories out from day one so that I can get feedback from others and not end up in a little cocoon of my own.

This blog serves as a way for me to chronicle my journey as a “young” writer. Thank you for reading this and visiting my blog!