Jessica
Burkhart is a good example both of and for our next generation of writers. She’s also a great example of sticking to
one’s writing dreams. Fifteen years ago, as an 8th grader, and while
recuperating from a major surgical procedure, she decided to start writing to
fill her hours and because she was convinced that she could produce articles
that were at least as good as those she had been reading in magazines
and journals brought to entertain her.
At
first she tried writing what she thought those magazines wanted. That led to a couple years' worth of
rejections. So she turned to writing
about what she knew – in her case a love of animals and her volunteer work with
the Humane Society – a formula that more often than not leads to success. It was a good choice, indeed.
By
age 18, she had over 100 published articles in everything from Girls’ Life to The Writer. At age 19, she
signed up for the annual National Novel Writing Month, a challenge to write a
50,000 word (or longer) novel in 30 days. Again, she chose to write what she knew and
loved – horseback riding.
Jessica “Burkhart” Ashley
Burkhart,
who turns 28 today and whose real last name is Ashley, now has had a dozen
novels published in several genres and is still going strong. She’s a testament to “stick-to-it-tiveness” and
writing what you know … and taking writers’ moments and turning those dreams
into reality. Happy writing!
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