Hello!  As you may have gathered, my name is Shawna.  Rather than jump into an official blog post (whatever that may be), I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce myself a little less formally and a little more thoroughly than the website allows for.  I apologize in advance for any repeat information.

I am a writer, curently working on a supernatural YA novel.  I dabble in all genres, but my true love is horror.  Much of my work touches on the darker side of human nature.  I minored in psychology as an undergrad, which was when I developed an attraction towards the stranger psychological disorders.  Even my more fantastical stories tend to draw from such disorders.  I feel that even villains need to be human (not literally, of course), so I try to formulate a diagnosis to work with when creating them, even if it’s never mentioned on paper.  The psychology of different types of characters is something I will be exploring more in future posts.

I admit that I’m not as avid a reader as I should be, but hopefully that will change after I finish my MFA and actually have time to read.  I’m not picky when it comes to books.  I do prefer horror and fantasy and the like, but I’ll try anything once.  Please feel free to send me recommendations!  Occasionally, I will post a review of works that strike me in a particular way.

As far as the rest of my interests go, they are wide and varied.  I love all things Japanese: anime, manga, the food, the culture, etc.  Food and music (in general, not just Japanese) are two of my favorite things in the world.  I enjoy drawing as well.  Movies are fun, especially since I’ve taken a liking to writing screenplays.  Don’t be surprised if you spot a random post about any of these things and more (though I will try to keep them at a minimum and focus on writing related issues).

I think that’s enough about me for now.  Please, introduce yourself!  And look forward to a glimpse into my experience at Stonecoast (my MFA program).  That’s what’s coming up December 15th.