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Chicklet, obviously not her real name, just a precaution for the internet, is a typical 12 twelve year old girl. She collects beanie babies, and likes playing with her dog Kattie; she babysits, is a fabulous tennis player, and did I forget to mention she is a young writer? Yes, she was been writing "just because" since first grade, beginning with a short story called "The Giant" which yellowed with time on her grandmother's refrigerator. "My words weren't exactly spelled right," she remembers, "but Grandma knew what I meant." Since then, she has been writing works geared mostly for grade school and middle school audiences.

When asked where she gets her inspiration, she says she just uses her imagination, pointing out that, "writing can let you use your imagination to the limit," and writes "when a thought hits me." She does draw from her real life, writing about animals, kids, sometimes tennis, and her favorite piece is a special tribute to her grandmother. Her favorite authors are Shel Silverstein and Sharon Creech. She sometimes tries illustrating her works, but admits, "my brother is the artist," and they do collaborate.

Chicklet was published in the Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans, a respected achievement. The first time she was selected, she didn't even know her teacher had submitted some of her works for her. "I didn't know why she wanted them [some poems], so I just wrote them and gave them to her," she explains. "[I] guess she didn't want me to be disappointed."

She wasn't disappointed. In fact, after going to Pittsburg, Kansas to compete with about 800 other young writers, she was selected as one of the fifteen to be included in the 1997 publication. "The first time it was scary, but the second time I loved it." That's right, she did it twice. Woohoo! Way to go!

Her teachers and family support her literary pursuits. "Mom is always here if I need help," she says, and "when I have to write a story for school, the teachers usually ask for one page, but they know I will usually have 5 or 6 pages." Although she is too old for Young Writers now, she admits, "someday I want to write a book for myself." She advises all young writers to "take your time, and never get discouraged...just keep trying."

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