![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/84770f_3ae959ed8ff54fec89d7bd0574b7bf04.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_89,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/84770f_3ae959ed8ff54fec89d7bd0574b7bf04.jpg)
![Mel's Virtual Writing Nook.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f56a74_d629e6fb0fd049838673f5f0ee7c960d~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_949,h_540,al_c,q_85,enc_auto/Mel's%20Virtual%20Writing%20Nook.jpg)
I was first drawn to writing stories at the age of 10. I remember keeping a small notebook and writing a ton of short stories about young girls on adventures (I was very inspired by Little House on the Prairie, Nancy Drew, and Anne of Green Gables back then). When I was in Grade 10 I was obsessed with poetry, Shakespeare, and all things a teen writer's world revolves around (teen romance, angst, insecurity, etc). Perhaps that's why I have an incredible love for YA fiction.
In high school I had the honour of having Gary Hyland as an English teacher. He taught me that there was a network of authors I could connect with and told me to keep on writing. It wasn't until fifteen years later when I reconnected with him just before his passing that he told me it was never too late to be a writer. I never forgot that.
​
"Writing fiction is fascinating work but it is work and it can be learned." - Gary Hyland
I believe in perfecting the craft of writing, and blog about it on my website. Stretch your boundaries. Push your limits. Work hard. Write better. You can teach yourself.
I am a member of the Sask Writer's Guild, CANSCAIP, and SCWBI. In the past I have been Vice-President of the Prairie Pens, and was the co-founder MJ Night Writers. I am a supporter of local writing festivals such as, Festival of Words and When Words Collide.
Classes Offered In:
Young Adult Fiction
Teen Fiction Writing
Indie Author Support
Building an Online Platform
Self Publishing for Newbies
![Author-Headshot-Melanie.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f56a74_c70feba4ebab4b768fc5f2f984922eda~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_339,h_339,al_c,lg_1,q_80,enc_auto/Author-Headshot-Melanie.jpg)