| Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire |

I started out writing fanfiction stories when I was 11, writing for every fandom from Harry Potter to Supernatural, Sherlock to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Teen Titans. 

At the same time, I had stories of my own in the works - but they never got very far. Who would want to read my original stories? How could what my imagination came up even begin to compare with that of J.K Rowling, Rick Riordan, James Patterson, Marissa Meyer - and countless other authors who lined my childhood bookshelves? How could I possibly hope to publish a book when I'd be competing with thousands of other hopeful authors? 

I've finally decided to stop trying to compete. Publishing a book someday would be a dream come true - but for now I'll take the joy that comes with knowing that even just one person reads my stories and finds them to be compelling enough to read to the end.