We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle P. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Is there a lesson you learned in school that’s stuck with you and has meaningfully impacted your journey?

I was 16 years old in high school 10th grade. We had to read all types of books for English class so I became very interested in writing. And I told my English teacher that I wanted to be a writer. He told me I wouldn’t make a good writer because I wrote how I spoke. That crushed me & kept me from writing for four years.

I then tried short poems. My 1st one called, Life, was published in the local paper when I was 20. A week later, a teacher from a H.S. in a neighboring town called me & asked for permission to copy it for his entire class; he said it was so good & left an impact. I was so happy & told him he had my permission.

What a whirlwind and counting for my publishing & writing journey. From undergrad being mediocre in writing according to the grades on research papers/projects;. It was so discouraged at times; I didn’t know if I had lost my writing ability or was just in a slump. I took time off from writing wanting to concentrate on real money & getting countless dead-end jobs to survive, to that writing desire never leaving me..

So I’m almost finished with my 4 year degree & this college professor was handing me back my paper that he had graded; I saw an A grade & couldn’t believe it. He then asked me if I was going to go to Graduate school. I said I didn’t know, to him handing me a card with a friend’s number in charge of a graduate program, to the professor encouraging me to go. He states that my paper was one of the best ones he had read. Wow!!! Talking about a 360!

I did continue to write some, but then continued to get menial jobs to feed my kid and have a place to stay. I yearned to write for a living, but had no ideal how to get there. Long story short, after many trials & tribulations, I published my 1st book of poems entitled, “Not sugar coated: keepin’’ it real”. I also publish recently my funniest book called, “The dating game: how to lose a potential made after the 1st date”. It’s for single women over 40. As my writing journey continues, I’m awaiting a phone call from Tyler Perry or Kim Kardashian or Shonda Rhimes etc…. lol, I’m open to all possibilities.

One thing I would like to say, is NEVER give up. Always get your Hope back & renew your faith CONSTANTLY.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a simple brown-skinned girl from Racine, WI that was gifted with a writing ability that has taken me years to hone & even longer to be recognized for. When people told me who they thought I was, I made sure to defy them. Their negativity encouraged me. Even when my undergrad advisor told me I was not graduate material. He pushed me with his negativity to attend graduate school. That had been the furthest thing from my mind, even after being encouraged by my college professor at the University of MN.

I am a writer, author & a phenomenal woman who is proud of her skin & past experiences.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Yeah, I just did on the previous pages. Never give up OR, believe someone’s negative connotation about who they think you are or degrade you for being uniquely you, in the skin that you’re in. Lastly, NEVER allow corporate America to change you to conform & “act” how they think you should.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes, that writers could make money & that I should have majored in something I was passionate about, not what I listened to that would make money.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.write2educate.com
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