A project manager takes on writing. Is this Waterfall or Agile?

I do strategic program management for a living, following an extensive career as an industrial engineer. Think Tom Hanks in Cast Away, but I would have drowned. And opened the last package.

There are graphs, PowerPoint decks, and Kanban boards. I unironically use terms like “circle back” and “remaining curious.” I have a whole site for that side of my brain.

It is a pretty sweet gig for a geek girl like me, but it has very little to do with writing outside the occasional awesome, graph-filled slide.  It had been twenty years since my last formal education in any sort of writing, but that hadn’t stopped me from nursing a novel idea for most of that time. In October 2017, I made a goal to finish that novel in one year.

If I have a goal, I am unstoppable.  There was just one small problem: I didn’t know how to write a novel.  Minor details!  I set about writing, learning, and more writing.  I took classes, went on a cruise, watched a lot of YouTube, and read a bunch of books.  Somewhere along the way, I also received an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future Contest for a short story, so I feel like my writing improved.

In October 2018, I accomplished my goal of writing a novel! It was readable! Not quite publishable, though. I’ve been working on improving ever since, and I’m currently working on my third novel with a fourth novel on deck.

Aside from slide decks and writing, I also enjoy walking, reading, lifting weights, hiking, and playing with my two dogs (Sabine and Ezra) and the cat (Aragorn).  I have a 3d printer and cannot be stopped. I adore all manner of space wizards with laser swords in Star Wars. My zealot barbarian will either feed you or destroy you in Dungeons and Dragons. 

I am a proud board member for the Callum Cares Foundation, named after my late great-nephew, Callum

The goal is to self-publish novel three, Our Sister’s Mage, in 2027. Stick around for updates!

Disclaimer: This site represents only my views.  It does not represent the views or opinions of current or former employers, organizations, or groups I’ve been involved with at any point.