Like many in my field, I've been writing for as long as I can remember. It all started with a journal when I was young. I wrote about love and friendship and fear -- the normal angst of growing up. (I still have that journal in my attic somewhere.)

When I was a teenager, I wrote songs for a friend that played guitar and sang in a not-so-famous band. I realize now that they weren't very good, but still, it was part of what helped build the writer I am today.

I married at twenty and began having my family. I put writing aside although I never lost the desire completely. Every once in a while I'd write a poem about one of my children or attempt a story -- just enough writing that I felt sated and then I'd put it away again.

As my boys got older, I went to work. I created new jobs for myself like trying to improve training by writing new and better training manuals for bookkeepers, cashiers and baggers. I wrote a structured plan for a new  focus committee that became the company standard. I did many projects for other managers and manager trainees. What I didn't see then was that I was once again feeding that desire to write.

In 2001, I left my job to stay at home. The writing bug hit again and this time I recognized it. I enrolled in The Institute of Children's Literature and in three months I sold my first piece of writing - a magazine article to Hopscotch for Girls. I graduated from ICL and have continued to write for all kinds of markets. 

I was one of the original founder members of BOOST, the largest online critique community for children's writers at its time. I am a member of SCBWI and their critique group contact person for the Columbia, SC area.

In Feb 2009, I became ill and was subsequently diagnosed with cervical cancer. I had to set writing aside for most of the year. But I'm happy to report that I'm well now and excited about writing again. I'm bursting with so many new ideas that I hope to complete several new projects in the upcoming months. Feel free to contact me.
 
Contact Info
Kelley Hunsicker
KLHunsicker@sc.rr.com.