Hi everyone!
I'm Ashley W. Slaughter, and I'm an aspiring author in the process of publishing my debut novel. I have always loved creative writing, and I had a very active imagination as a young girl. I'm sure my mom still has a manila folder full of my short stories stowed away somewhere!
However, under the impression that STEM provided more job security, I decided to pursue another interest of mine: wildlife biology. I received my Bachelors degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and I worked as a wildlife biologist for one year with an amazing company called Quail Forever (look them up--they do awesome work!). I unfortunately had to move on from Quail Forever upon getting married and moving to Guam with my husband. Finding a job during the pandemic has proven to be a struggle, so, with the never-ending support of my amazing husband, I took the plunge and dove head-first into writing once again.
As I am writing, I feel that I am doing what I'm meant to do. Sure, it has its own set of challenges, but I enjoy it so immensely that the difficulty feels oh so worth it.
I started a project back in high school, the first forty pages of a novel. So, this year, I got re-acquainted with that storyline, fell in love with the characters once more, and took off running! I hope to get it out for the world to see soon!
I love to use Reedsy Prompts to exercise those creative muscles that I've suppressed for so long. The prompts help to sharpen my writing, as well as to challenge myself to create stories about topics I'd normally never consider. I've also learned that writing a short story is VERY different from writing a novel! You have to fit an engaging plot, developed characters, and complex emotions in such a short prose. I am very much still honing those skills, so please, provide constructive criticism where you see fit!
Thank you for being a community of fellow authors just trying to build each other up while perfecting our craft!
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