Dani's Writing Journey

While getting my MFA (a master’s in fine arts) with a focus in poetry, I had the chance on multiple occasions to get out of my comfort zone and write outside of my comfort zone. For me, writing out of my comfort zone is writing fiction; it is and never was my strong suit. I love writing stories, that’s not the problem. I struggle to come up with realistic and non-cheesy pieces that don’t detract from the story.

When I say I struggle with dialogue, I mean it. It is my kryptonite and one of the reasons I don’t love writing fiction. One of the reasons I despise dialogue is that I am too harsh on myself, and the dialogue is either too cliché or not strong enough. I know I am just being harsh on myself, and I can go in and edit any weaker pieces of dialogue, but I get in my own head. Since I am now in my second year of my master’s, I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone and write pieces of fiction. Although I am still not completely comfortable with it still, I am starting to enjoy the process.