How It All Began

I’ve been fascinated with mythology, symbolism, and literature my entire life. I was a voracious reader of Goosebumps books by six years old, and I especially loved the Choose Your Own Adventure volumes. That is the beauty of reading! You can choose what worlds to dive into, what wisdom to absorb, and what words are simply not for you.

I spent much of my young life writing stories to escape the traumatic situations I encountered. I used storytelling as a way to process complex feelings no one understood or asked me about. I used it to give a voice to the terrified parts of me and to explore how I felt about my trauma.

The act of writing was alchemy for me. Through getting words out and onto a screen or page, I transformed the shadows I felt I couldn’t share. My darkest secrets bloomed into stories, novels, and poems, bringing me an anchor in a storm of uncertainty.

In truth, writing saved me many times over.

Education & Background

After a tumultuous and rocky start with college, I declared myself an English major. The idea of helping teach others to express themselves through writing prevailed over art, counseling, or politics. During my education at the University of Maryland, I studied Arthurian legend, Greek mythology, Shakespeare, feminist science fiction, LGBTQIA+ lit, young adult novels, and the history and structure of the English language.

My love of words continued. I wrote in my spare time and landed a few gigs as a ghostwriter, video game columnist, and fiction manuscript editor.

Then, my career as a public school English teacher began. I drowned in work. Grading papers became my everyday life, and I rarely had time to come up for air. My manuscripts, some already finished in second draft form, were printed and buried under piles of books and notes, or else lost in some dark corner of my Google Drive. Not forgotten, but left behind.

As I transitioned from teaching in public schools to providing therapy at both a non-profit agency and in private practice, I still had no significant energy left to write. But, I didn’t entirely give up on my dream of writing. Somehow, between large caseloads and a complete overhaul of my life, I managed to draft three messy manuscripts: a memoir told in a month, a poetry book about my late father, and a novel about pregnancy loss. But while continuing to be a full-time clinical counselor, I didn’t have the energy or spark needed to polish my work, figure out the publishing process, or do anything actually required to get my work into the hands of readers.

That is why, in 2023, I decided to take the ultimate leap of faith. I left my career as a full-time therapist to pursue my lifelong dream of being an author above all else.

My Written Work

I love exploring how the written word can change a perspective, open a new door, or communicate a feeling.

Assigning my written work to one genre or even a handful is impossible. I’ve written poetry, blogs, short stories, flash fiction, sprawling science-fiction novels, nonfiction articles, and self-help.

To date, I have published in a number of best-selling multi-authored books, a short story anthology, Bumble Bees & White Balloons, and have two poetry books on the way.

In the near future, I hope to publish many books:
- my science-fantasy epic series set in the Milky Way thousands of years in the future
- an alternative historical Earth featuring Elves
- an eco-lit trilogy about a mass awakening during modern environmental crisis
- a young adult series exploring magic and tarot symbolism

Want to ask questions about my writing? Email me at Author@Safrianna.com, and I might just record a podcast episode featuring your questions!