I was born on November 16, 1982 in Washington, D.C. My father was an elevator mechanic who worked on the district’s metro stations; while my mother worked as an administrative coordinator for mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
I always knew that I wanted to write. As a young girl, I’d sit in my basement and write for hours, producing more unfinished drafts than anything. But the thrill of writing enveloped me so much that I knew if I didn’t write for a living, I would have wasted good talent. So my mission has been to step from behind my 16+ diaries and write publicly. To date, I’ve authored dozens of short stories and literary fiction.
My last poem was written in 2001 for a course I took at Bowie State University. I’m not sure why I stopped writing poetry, it seems like God gave me another avenue by which I should express myself. So from 2002 – 2005 I wrote blog posts on social networking sites BlackPlanet and Myspace. My friends and close family were the only few that could read them, but it helped me cross over into new territory. My posts were emotional, but the feedback I received encouraged me to continue my craft.
I got married in 2006 and that was the same time I began writing Diaries of an Emotional Prostitute. I was nervous to stand behind such a strong title so I decided to write under the alias Young Akilah. The first entry was written as I listened to Jill Scott sing Cross My Mind. Her song made me think of my first love (who I still crushed on even after my marriage). That entry can be read in my novel if you have a copy. It’s the piece entitled Addiction.
At any rate, at the time I began writing, I worked as a 8th grade Reading Language Arts teacher for Prince George’s County Public Schools. The job gave me a lot of room to write during the day. I would write before school, after school, between classes, and during my planning period. The positive feedback I’d received in years prior gave me a big head. I thought that my writing was great and untouchable. But my world tumbled when I sought the advice of a Canadian editor, a former literary agent, who suggested the manuscript undergo drastic rewrites. That’s when I decided to put an end to my writing career…at least temporarily.
It wasn’t until 2008 that I decided to dust myself off and revise the script. The editor’s words weren’t far behind as I made sure to address each criticism. By that time I was working for Fannie Mae and filing for divorce. My manager’s frequent travel, and my built up anxiety, allowed me to write for extended amounts of time. I must admit that the novel went through several major rewrites. At times, I deleted entire chapters and started over. If I hadn’t made any changes, the story would’ve taken place in Paris and the characters’ love triangle would’ve closely mirrored my life in previous years.
I’m glad that things happened the way they did. I gained industry experience during the time I rewrote my novel. I had a few close friends who were starting businesses at the time. They allowed me to serve as their online consultant. In addition, I published a variety of short stories that touched on sexuality, self-esteem, and society for blogs entitled MindPlay, Confessions of a Fat Girl, and Road to Recovery.
Now my parents were a bit skeptical at first that I could pull this off. My father especially wasn’t too particular about the title of the book. But I followed my vision despite the obstacles and proved them wrong. I published in November 2010 under my birth name. My parents are now intrigued by my accomplishment and often ask “How is your book doing?” My mother is much more supportive and is probably my biggest fan. She loves reading my short stories and loves providing editorial suggestions in the interim.
My best friend, Journei, and I came together in early 2011 to produce Uncover2Discover, a series of videos that engage our audience in what we called “girl talk.” We had a great following, and the feedback was more than welcomed, but we ended the series so that Journei could finish her degree and I can work on other projects. We may get back together in the future but the fate of that project is still unclear.
I hoped to tell you more, but the future hasn’t arrived yet. So until then, thanks for checking in.
