Hello folks! I am so excited to announce that I am starting up a weekly blog on my website. Welcome to Behind The Page! This is where I plan to talk about all things writing and what inspires my stories. I thought this would be a great way to expand on my passions for those who are interested in learning more about me as an author and what makes my head tick. Consider this a “behind the scenes” where I pull back the veil to go deeper into the writing process.
I’m no stranger to blogging. I began writing columns when I was 16 years old for my local newspaper. It was my after school job when I was 15 and after a year of proving myself with my camera skills, my editor decided to give me a platform to write whatever I wanted. I tried not to abuse the power that was given to me. I wrote about the things I cared about – often times frivolous things that only a teenage girl would care about, but it was a space for my voice to be heard.
I continued to work in journalism for 12 years and loved writing human interest stories and continuing my column when space in the newspaper allowed it. I also ran my own blog, Life Is A Jess, for a couple years before I dismantled it. It felt like a way to connect and engage with the world that was safe for an introvert like me.
It’s something I’ve missed, and as I have grown in my writing and discovered where my passions and purpose in life lie, I wanted to bring back the blogging aspect of my life. I wanted to create a space to share all of the ideas in my head and to give my work more room to live and breathe. As I’ve talked more and more about the projects I am working on, I’ve been delighted to discover just how many people are interested in learning about how the sausage gets made. So let’s dive into what exactly Behind The Page represents!
Every Wednesday I will be posting a new entry in this blog where I will talk about various aspects of my creative process: a deep dive into how I come up with ideas, the process of putting those ideas into words, where I find inspiration, character profiles, music that plays a role in my stories, lessons I’ve learned as an indie author, and so much more! I am so excited for people to get to know who I am behind the pen name.
This post serves as a basic introduction, an opportunity to say hello and welcome! I’m so happy that you are here! I’d like to tell you a little about myself before I begin infodumping about books and the crazy people who love writing them.
I’m Jess, and I’m about to be 33 in April. I feel like I am still just a 25 year old teenager, but I no longer get carded so I guess my youth is fleeting. I feel young at heart though which is what matters.
I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember. In the third grade, we had these story assignments where we would write and illustrate our own stories and bind them in colorful construction paper. That was my favorite assignment I had that year. Throughout school, I loved every chance I had to tell stories in some form or fashion. At times it meant being able to write pieces of fiction or poetry. Other times it meant scripting a video with my friends. One time it even meant improvising a story of a character I created for a science project in ninth grade. It didn’t matter the format. I just loved to tell stories! When I started working for the community newspaper, I had the aforementioned opportunity to write columns and get my voice out there. In college, I had the opportunity to craft stories through my research, even winning second place at my college’s Annual Research Conference in 2017 for a research paper I wrote about women’s makeup trends during 1960s counterculture movements in the United States. After college, I continued in journalism and began writing more human interest and feature stories. I truly loved getting to meet some amazing people and being able to put their stories into the community.
Eventually in 2020, I was ready for a career change. The pandemic was shifting the energy, and I felt like it was time to step away from journalism and get back into refueling my passion for telling my own stories. I spent the summer of 2020 drafting the first draft of my memoir (which I aim to publish in 2027). In November, I finished writing the first draft of my first ever novel, a story idea I had since I was 17. The victory made me feel alive for the first time in years. I never thought it was possible for me to write an actual 50,000 word novel – and here I had managed to write one that was 83,000 words!
The desire to write short stories and novels has intensified over the last few years as I’ve shifted my life goals. I’ve realized that being a storyteller is my calling, and I feel like my best self when I am creating. The process might make me want to pull my hair out at times, but it’s a labor of love that keeps me inspired. I truly love what I do. I like writing stories that can make the reader feel something. To have that impact on another soul feels like magic. This idea that the thoughts jumbled in my brain can be so carefully crafted on a piece of paper that it brings someone to tears or a deep laugh they didn’t know they needed. It’s magic. It’s a gift. It’s a blessing.
I feel incredibly grateful to be in a position in my life where I can use my free time for telling stories, the stories I want to tell. To finally have the stability and structure to hone my craft brings me so much joy. I’ve jumped in head first into self publishing and I’m learning so much about the industry as I continue on this journey. I can’t wait to share with you all the lessons I’ve learned!
When I’m not writing, I enjoy reading. Let’s face it. To be a good writer, you probably need to be a reader. I wish I had more time to read. I feel so jealous of the BookTok girlies who are able to read multiple books a month. By the end of the year, they’ve read over 100 books, and oh how I admire them! I wish I could read as much as they do in the year. My time is split between a full time job, going to my gym classes at least four times a week, and spending my evenings working on any of the numerous projects on my plate. By the time I finally have a moment to read, it’s usually right before bed. I’m lucky if I can get an hour of reading before I crash and burn. That just means what I am able to read, I have to savor it. It becomes a little self care ritual to light a candle, turn on some ambient music, and enjoying my hour of reading time. Sometimes it’s about being grateful for what I am able to do instead of regretting the things I am not able to do. One day my hope is that I will have enough time to read all of the books on my TBR list, and I will be so happy when that day finally comes!
Beyond reading, I really do love strength training in the gym and building muscle. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how important it is to have muscle mass to help alleviate my joint pain. It makes me feel strong when I can lift heavier than I did the week before. It’s a great outlet for my stress and a needed escape from the computer screen during my days. I also love playing Dungeons & Dragons with my friends. I can’t deny it. I am a massive nerd! I love getting into the roleplay and worldbuilding of D&D. It’s basically just a big group project in collective storytelling. It’s improv. We build our characters and discover who they are as we go. It’s fun not knowing what’s going to happen next!
I’m looking forward to having a space to continue exploring and talking about stories and how we craft them. I have so many big ideas for topics I want to discuss. As I work on new projects, I want to use this space to talk about my writing goals, progress, brainstorming, introducing characters, worldbuilding, and the ups and downs of being a writer. It’s a wild ride, and I am loving every minute of it.
Welcome to the chaos! I hope you like it here.
