Writing Portfolio
- meowolds
- Mar 25, 2021
- 10 min read
Updated: Jun 27
Novels
the Inditers
This 114-page novel tells the story of a farm girl named Holly and a prince named Zane who escape from their differing confined lives within the same kingdom to a forest and then a lakehouse with their friends Matt and Athena. But Athena has a secret: she knows why the kingdom that Holly and Zane came from burned to the ground, and she’s scared of whatever it is that caused it. So as the four friends try to build a new life together, the most difficult reality to face will be that secrets, especially dangerous ones, hardly ever stay secrets forever.
Find out what Athena's is in my debut novel, the Inditers!
Wither
This 199-page novel tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl named Cartney who is confused about what love truly is and decides that the only way to figure this out is to be kissed. Unfortunately, the young man that she picks for such an exploration ends up tricking her, as he is actually a murderer who uses magic to possess her heart. So now that she is being controlled by him and is being made to fulfill his horrifying missions, will she ever find an escape? Will she ever find healing and truth? And will she ever figure out how to stop hating the moody boy who can see right through her, Mato?
Find out in the spell-binding novel Wither!
*BONUS CONTENT (Online Only!) "Some New Notes on Wither" is a 7-page document containing a Q&A about further information on the characters, concepts, and worldbuilding of Wither, a couple more thoughts from the author (yours truly) on some content inclusions, and an excerpt from the short-story sequel, "Smothered," which is now included in my anthology This Is For You. I hope that you will enjoy it!
the Passion Tree
This 202-page novel tells the story of a boy named Kristjan who has been escaping his sisters' bad choices and grief from losing one of his best friends for three years and a girl named Piper who has been escaping memories of a sexual assault and losing her father for just as long. When a reunion with an old friend takes Kristjan to the café that Piper works at, it's love at first sight. But Piper has a hard time trusting Kristjan, and Kristjan has a hard time opening up to Piper. With these issues, and with their pasts constantly threatening to catch up with them, will they be able to find love, peace, and even God before it's too late?
Find out in the heartwarming novel the Passion Tree!
Glow
This 554-page novel tells the story of a college-age boy named Derby who is working at a job he doesn't like with a coworker he doesn't like in a town he doesn't like. Plus, he's trying to get over his ex-girlfriend Fallicia, who now worms her way back into his life, and he starts to fall for another girl around that time: a pretty and sweet local named Star. Eventually, Fallicia becomes too much for Derby, and Fallicia's brother Cyan breaks Star's heart. So Derby and Star decide to take a road trip across the country to stay with Derby's older brother Barry for a while. But it turns out that Fallicia and Cyan are planning something much bigger than just breaking a couple of their lovers' hearts. And it all ties back to Derby's extraterrestrial sister-in-law Morgan somehow...
Find out how in the raw, relatable novel Glow!
Sweethearts
This 204-page novel tells the story of two best friends since middle school—gaming YouTuber Milo and math genius Nicole—who realize their feelings for each other at different times. Milo doesn't realize his until Nicole has already given up on him and is considering permanence with an ambitious Britisher named Dominic. Milo has always known Dominic isn't a good guy. Can Milo and Nicole bridge their challenges and misunderstandings into the love that they’ve always wanted?
Find out in the poignant, contemporary novel Sweethearts!
Grace Under Fire
This 285-page novel tells the story of the story of Simone, a recent escapee of juvenile detention with anger issues who transforms into a star and joins a group of supervillains. Simone thinks that she wants to get revenge on the world, to embrace her identity as a villain, and to date her fellow Colluder, David. But then she falls in love with a police officer, Justin…and suddenly, she’s questioning everything. Can she change and find peace? Can she find what she truly wants and show grace under pressure?
Find out in the fast-paced, intense novel Grace Under Fire!
Bhakti
This 231-page novel tells the story of Lakshmi and Rasheed, who belong to a fictional, matriarchal version of India called Tehswati and whose fantasy world is built around familiars. When they fall in love, they think that the most they'll have to deal with is extinguishing a Shadow outbreak once in a while. But when a Mohallan princess possessed by the Shadow turns Rasheed into a ghost and threatens to destroy Tehswati, Lakshmi’s Hindu faith is pushed to its limits. Can faith overcome darkness, and love stand the test of time?
Find out in the ethereal novel Bhakti!
Free
This 217-page novels tells the story of Francesca, a dutiful immigrant orphan who gets accepted to a magic school alongside her best friend Noah. Many adventures await her, including a falling-out with Noah and a falling-in with some new friends and a boy named Ryan as she discovers who she truly is. But with obstacles in her way like her sensitive emotions and the fact that she's made out of glass, can Francesca show the world that nature and empathy triumph over anti-magic?
Collections of Poems
Kaleidoscope Pinwheel
This 352-page collection is partially autobiographical, partially theoretical and fictional, containing 190 poems and having been compiled and refined ever since I was in middle school. Themes of faith, romance, mental health, and more are explored in a variety of poetic forms. My hope for it is that there is a little something for everyone in it as optimism, resilience, and dreams are promoted. Check it out today!
No Longer in Parentheses
This 275-page collection is again mostly autobiographical with just a touch of fiction. It contains 190 poems and was written in the time period between Kaleidoscope Pinwheel's publication and its own publication (about two years). It is largely about mental health and making it through difficult times but also includes themes such as empathy, feminism, and faith. The hope is that everyone will feel encouraged to take back their difficult times and their feelings with their voices. Check it out today!
Anthologies of Short Stories
This Is For You
This 359-page anthology contains 22 short stories and covers a variety of topics, genres, and characters. The stories were originally written anywhere between my being in middle school and finishing college. They have been refined over time by creative writing classes, experience, and feedback. Some are sequels or companions to my novels Wither and the Passion Tree, some are contemporary romances about the Brigham Young University–Idaho experience or moving to Hawaii, and others are fantasies about healing from supernatural powers. All in all, they are meant to inspire, entertain, and buoy readers. Check This Is For You out today!
Never Too Late
This 398-page anthology contains 22 short stories and covers mainly the genres of religious (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), contemporary, and fantasy. A few short stories are sequels to my novels the Passion Tree and Glow, some delineate what the LGBTQ+ or online dating experiences of Brigham Young University students might be like, and others draw on a combined Flannery O’Connor and Emily Dickinson fandom or depict a fairy tale of a boy from a stained glass piece saving his love from being cursed as a paper doll. All in all, they are meant to inspire readers to endure, to love, and to have hope. Check out Never Too Late today!
Coming Home to Me
This 493-page anthology contains 22 short stories and covers a variety of topics, genres, and characters. Some are sequels, companions, or prequels to my novels and my previous short stories, some explore social justice or turn popular literary tropes on their heads, and some are just plain fun. All in all, they are meant to inspire, entertain, and buoy readers. Check out Coming Home to Me today!
*BONUS CONTENT (Online Only!)
"Behestian Prologue" is a 1-page document containing a parody of “Dirty Paws” by Of Monsters and Men, which delineates the origin story of the Empire from my novel Wither and includes a lot of lore from my novel the Inditers. Please enjoy it!
Travel Pamphlets
ABC's of Boise & The Treasure Valley (with Bonnie Bair)
This 38-page booklet is mainly the project of my good friend Bonnie, but she asked me to help write it and do research for it, and we're both super happy with how it turned out! It is full of all the great sights and hidden gems that one should look forward to if they are planning on visiting Idaho's capital city, Boise. Idaho rocks!
You can go check out this booklet—and also Bonnie's others on Spokane (Washington), Vancouver (Washington), and Sacramento (California)—at bonniebair@yahoo.com. She would definitely appreciate it and also has more to come!
Online-Only Fanfiction/Parody Flash Fiction Pieces
"Not So Frozen"
Written for National Novel Writing Month in 2017, this short fanfiction sequel to Frozen is a little silly but takes on the voice and potential perspective of Hans by speaking of possible empathy for his situation (even if what he did was still wrong) and spinning hope into his future based on Elsa's kindness.
"White Clouds, Broken Earth"
Written sometime after my first college semester in which I read Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King, this flash fiction piece is an imitation of the creation stories which appear in the actual novel, meant to be humourous (as Thomas King's also are) but also meant to point at a possibility of something deeper, even if that's just the mechanisms and "why" behind storytelling.
Book Rationales
This 37-page document provides the logistics of—and ethical explanations, alternative resources, and persuasive writing for—the value of my above-listed novels, collections of poems, and anthologies of short stories. Inspired by educational resources, and based upon creative freedom, content warnings, personal beliefs, and reviews that I have received, this document is an attempt to justify my books the way that they are written and to further invite people to read them.
Song Parodies
This 86-page document (not including the table of contents/the title page) contains 39 song parodies—most of them silly, but a few of them containing some more serious topics—and then a handful of partial parodies. They're basically just me expressing my humour, my creativity, and my love for music. I've had a lot fun writing them over years but just never had a good purpose for them before other than entertaining my family and friends once in a while. I don't even sing them, as you can see from "Everything Is Awkward”! So I hope that they will go to enjoyment here.
I’ve also realized that basically any song would be hilarious if it were rewritten in Yodaspeak.
(Bonus: A 3-page compilation of mondegreen—also known as the scientific term for misheard lyrics—memes, some of which were made by me and some of which were made by others on the internet. They were brought here because I really appreciated them.)
Creative Nonfiction Essays
Spiritually Sustained in the Gardens
Originally written for a writing contest at my college which I never heard back from, this 2-page essay recounts my experiences over my entire college experience with what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints like to call "the other side of the veil" in Brigham Young University–Idaho's Ricks Gardens. It has been sweet to connect with people over it since then.
Senior Paper
Redefining Goodness: Flannery O'Connor's Redemption for the Hypocrites
This 19-page, MLA-formatted literary analysis paper delves deeply into Flannery O'Connor's stories "A Good Man Is Hard To Find," "Revelation," and "Good Country People" and demonstrates how hypocrisy, an inevitability of redemption, and a redefining of the term "goodness" can be found in each of them. Parallels are also drawn to the author's own life and time period and to critical articles. This senior paper demonstrates my seasoned writing, reading, and research abilities as a soon-to-graduate English major. It functions as the capstone to my bachelor's degree.
Research Papers
A Narrative Analysis of Once I Was a Beehive
This 8-page, MLA-formatted research paper was told to me by my professor at the time that it was so good, I could have submitted it at my college's pre-professional conference during the following semester. Unfortunately, however, I moved away from my college's campus, and therefore, I could not enter it like I had planned to. I am still publishing it here, though, in the hope that it will go to good use.
This paper explores the movie Once I Was a Beehive under the narrative branch of rhetoric, mainly using Wayne C. Booth's and Deanna Sellnow's theories. It draws out the film's messages of imperfection and showcases its compatibility with general American societal values, highlighting my ability to analyze rhetorical messages critically and to perform academic, researched writing.
Creative Freedom for Latter-day Saints
This 9-page, MLA-formatted research paper explores the balance that Latter-day Saint authors need between creative freedom and creative constraint in order to enjoy an optimal level of success while still protecting their integrity. It highlights my ability to research and to write academically.
Emily Dickinson's Profound Optimism Toward Death
This 10-page, MLA-formatted research paper explores Emily Dickinson's fascination with death and how she saw it as mysterious, funny, painful, optimistic, and godlike all at the same time, especially using her poems “This World is not Conclusion.” and “Because I could not stop for Death—." It demonstrates my ability to research, to critically analyze literature, and to write academically.
Ineffective Yet Empathetic Types of Madness in Shakespeare's Hamlet
This 9-page, MLA-formatted research paper explores the fact that Shakespeare's character Hamlet was always ineffective in taking his revenge, yet different perspectives from which to view the play, such as mental illness, toxic masculinity, and collective madness, prove him to still be an empathetic hero. It demonstrates my ability to research, to critically analyze literature, and to write academically.
The Significance of Numbers in Lahiri's "The Third and Final Continent"
This 8-page, MLA-formatted research paper explores how the numbers 3, 5, 6, and 9 stand out as being clear symbols in Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Third and Final Continent" that indicate meanings of completeness, incompleteness, self-realization, absolute consciousness, and distances. It demonstrates my ability to research, to critically analyze literature, and to write academically.
Research Proposals
Creative Freedom for Latter-day Saints
This 1,347-word document outlines my skill in proposing a topic for a 9-page, MLA-formatted research paper.
Presentations
Creative Freedom for Latter-day Saints
This 12-slide, MLA-formatted PowerPoint presentation accompanies my "Creative Freedom for Latter-day Saints" research paper, highlights my ability to adapt information to a visual medium, and demonstrates my skill in tech adaptability.
LinkedIn Articles
Creative Freedom and Religion Balanced
This 557-word article adapts "Creative Freedom for Latter-day Saints" to all religious-writer audiences and also demonstrates my ability to conform to varying rhetorical situations and paper lengths.
Censorship Studies
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
This 8-page, Young Adult Literature censorship study breaks down the content warnings and literary merits of Unwind by Neal Shusterman to ultimately contend for its worth in the bookish community. It demonstrates my ability to critically analyze literature and to write persuasively.
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