About me!

Hi, and welcome to Pens to Palms! My name is Emily Pedroza, a junior in the Bay Area. 

My life has always revolved around literature. But as a child, hopping from country to country and culture to culture, I struggled with self-identity. Looking back, I realize how draining those past years of exploration were. It didn’t help that all the literature I was exposed to lacked diversity—and this reflected in my writing. At first, I tried to replicate the stories I read. My stories were filled with white characters and I felt myself aimlessly wandering through pieces I had no connection to because I thought that there was only one way to write a “successful” story.  

In my freshman year, I decided to apply to my school’s literary journal. I learned from my upperclassmen and peers, exposed to new writing forms and diverse authors. From their guidance, I grew tremendously, not only in skill but also in perspective. I learned that writing was so much broader than I believed. 

However, creative writing can seem daunting and complex, especially to young minds. With so many writing forms (poetry, novels, short stories, etc.), exploring these options can seem overwhelming. 

I created ‘Pens to Palms’ to guide young writers toward solidifying their writing processes through advice from other authors. This guidance is collected from a range of authors specializing in different forms: specifically how they’ve channeled their experiences, ideas, and diverse voices into writing. Instead of teaching future writers to assimilate or change their voices to ‘fit in,’ I hope to show them how fluid and flexible writing is, and aid them in their creative processes.