I was in middle school when I first decided I wanted to be a writer—but only to write novels. Short stories were too hard, you see. I had tried a few for my school literary magazine, but… well, let’s just say people left out the “constructive” part of their criticism. The message I got was to stop entirely, not try to get better. So that’s what I did for a while—until I went to college, chose to minor in creative writing, and had to write short stories for a grade.

That brings us to a new series I’ll be posting in the following weeks: the Legacy Collection. These stories were the first steps I took toward trying to be a real writer with a capital W.

What the Legacy Collection Is

The Legacy Collection includes the short stories I wrote for my college writing classes, plus updated reflections on the critiques they received. Together, they represent a capsule collection of my early experiments with finding a character’s voice, crafting an engaging story, and learning how to navigate the critique process.

They’re also a relic of my first clash with what happens when the kinds of writing you want to do are different than what others consider “real” or “good” writing (ahem, genre fiction).

The stories you’ll see in this collection are:

1. Blood for Blood
2. Jailbird
3. The Second Story on Her Arms
4. An Act of Charity
5. Splinter
6. A Sleepless Night
7. A Rose of Success
8. Authority

Why I’m Publishing Them Now

When I first wrote these stories, I had dreams of submitting them for publication—but no budget for submission fees. I held on to them for years. When I finally looked back to see what I had so I could try to find publications for them, I could see they needed some work.

But I had to ask myself: “Do I want to keep revising my old writing, or do I want to write new things with all the ideas in my head?”

Of course I want to write new things! I’ve been playing around with so many ideas lately—things I can’t wait to share. Part of why I started this blog so long ago was to share my writing.

With that in mind, I wanted to show where my writing began. No revisions. No hiding.

Release Schedule

The Legacy Collection will be shared in two parts each week starting on September 22nd. On Mondays, I’ll post a reflective essay on the upcoming story, revisit the critique it received, and offer some insight into how I see it now with fresh eyes. The stories will go live on Wednesdays.

Thanks For Being Here

Whether you’ve been reading since the early days and remember when I first posted my critique comments or you’re new here, I’m glad you’re with us. I’m excited—and a wee bit nervous—to dust off this part of the archive and let you in.

Feel free to share your own first story memories or creative beginnings in the comments or by replying directly. The Legacy Collection is as much about growth and vulnerability as it is about nostalgia, and I hope it sparks some good conversations.

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🖤

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