The Silence Before the Fall: Finding My Way to My Voice
Atmospheric writer's desk with soft light and muted tones
For a long time, I lived in the spaces between the words. I was a collector of secrets, a watcher of shadows, and a keeper of a silence that felt heavier than the world itself.
If you are reading this, perhaps you know that weight. Perhaps you have also learned how to tuck your truths into the corners of your heart, hoping that if you stay quiet enough, the world won’t ask anything of you that you aren't ready to give. But silence, while a refuge at first, can eventually become a cage.
This journal is the beginning of me stepping outside of that cage. It is a space for us to explore the long road of identity, healing, and courage. It is where I will share the behind-the-scenes moments of my writing life, the quiet reflections of my daily journey, and the heartbeat behind my debut young adult novel, The Fall.
More than anything, this is where I am finally finding my way to my voice.
The Weight of Unspoken Truths
Writing The Fall was not a sudden burst of inspiration. It was a slow, deliberate exhaling of a breath I had been holding for years. The story follows Claire, a girl who has become a master of disappearing in plain sight. She is surviving emotional abuse, the kind that doesn’t leave bruises you can point to, but leaves scars on the soul that are just as deep and just as real.
In the world of young adult literature, we often see characters fighting external monsters or navigating high-stakes romances. But for so many readers, the most terrifying battles are the "quiet battles" fought behind closed doors. They are the battles of fractured trust, hidden truths, and lost self-worth.
When I sat down to write Claire’s story, I wasn't just writing fiction. I was attempting to give shape to the invisible. I wanted to speak to the readers who have ever felt caught between who they were, what you survived, and who you are still becoming.
Close-up of a vintage pen resting on paper
Finding My Way to My Voice
The phrase "finding my way to my voice" is one I return to often. It suggests that a voice isn't something you simply "have." It is something you must journey toward.
For Claire, and perhaps for many of you, finding that voice is a process of unlearning. It is unlearning the lie that your feelings don't matter. It is unlearning the habit of apologizing for your own existence. It is unlearning the belief that your story isn't worth telling.
In my own life, finding my voice meant realizing that my experiences with emotional trauma were not weights intended to pull me under, but lessons that could help me reach out a hand to others. Reclaiming your narrative is a form of rebuilding, surviving, and becoming whole.
I began this journal because I wanted a place to be earnest with you. I wanted to move away from the noise of the world and into a place of quiet gravity. Here, we don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t have to be "fixed" or "finished." We only have to be willing to take the next step on the long road.
The Journey of Claire: A Mirror for the Soul
In The Fall, Claire is forced to drop out of school, a moment where her carefully constructed world finally shatters. It is in that shattering that the truth begins to surface. For many people dealing with mental health challenges or trauma recovery, the "shattering" is the most frightening part. We fear that if we break, we can never be put back together.
But through Claire, I wanted to show that there is a profound beauty in the pieces we become. When the old version of ourselves, the one built on silence and fear, falls away, we are given the chance to rebuild something more authentic, more resilient, and more honest.
Hands holding a book outdoors
Healing is not a destination. It is a series of small, brave choices. It is the choice to speak the truth to one trusted person. It is the choice to believe that you are deserving of safety. It is the choice to keep walking, even when the path is obscured by fog.
What You’ll Find Here
I hope this journal becomes a companion for you. Whether you are a reader of YA books about identity, a survivor of emotional abuse, or someone simply looking for stories of resilience, I want you to feel seen here.
Moving forward, I’ll be sharing:
Reflections on the Writing Process: The struggles and joys of bringing The Fall to life and how fiction can be a powerful tool for trauma recovery.
Quiet Moments from the Mountains: I live in the North Georgia mountains with my husband and our golden retrievers, Marley and Willow. Nature has always been a place of peace for me, and I’ll share how the stillness of the woods helps me find clarity.
Community Conversations: This is a space for us. I want to hear your thoughts on finding your voice and the stories that have helped you on your own long road.
The Long Road Toward Healing
There is a certain rhythm to a life lived with intention. It requires patience, persistence, and peace. As I prepare for the release of The Fall, I am reminded that the "fall" isn't the end of the story, it is the beginning of the transformation.
If you are currently in the middle of your own silence, please know that you are not alone. There is a community of readers and writers who understand the "hidden truths" you carry. We are all, in our own way, finding our way to our voices.
A solitary young woman in a quiet, thoughtful setting sitting at a desk looking out the
Thank you for being here at the start of this journal. I invite you to join my newsletter community for more intimate updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the world of The Fall.
Let’s walk this road together, one word at a time.
With warmth and honesty,