Hi, I’m Melissa! Writer of children’s picture books, poetry, and adult fiction.
Writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, I started writing poems about experiences that blew my mind, like watching fireworks on bonfire night, and the breathtaking sight of a starry night sky.
Aged 8, I started writing spooky stories inspired by a collection of ghost stories for children that a relative gave to me. Mum said my story was too creepy for an eight-year-old to be writing and wanted me to stop…luckily, that didn’t deter me from writing!
I have always felt a deep connection to nature, finding solace in the hushed embrace of a forest, or the primal roar of the ocean, so it’s hardly surprising that the natural world and its creatures feature frequently in my stories.
Though my children’s stories are often fun and humourous, my poetry and adult fiction deals with darker themes, exploring the swampy depths of human emotions, familial ties, and the shadows that exist within us all.
That’s not to say my children’s stories lack depth or shy away from difficult emotions. I believe that it’s important for children to see their own big (and often scary!) emotions reflected in stories; in doing so, it helps them to better understand and process heavy feelings in a safe space.
Now you’ve heard about my writing, I’ll finish with a bit about me and my life…
I count myself very lucky to live in the stunning Cotswolds with my husband, two kids, and our cockapoo Molly. By day, I’m a freelance copywriter, copyeditor, and social media manager; by night, I’m a pyjama-wearing, book-devouring, paintbrush-wielding, Netflix-bingeing, herbal-tea-drinker who plays netball (minus the PJs!).
Some of my favourite authors are Stephen King, C J Cooke, Catriona Ward, Matt Haig, Liane Moriarty, and Blake Crouch. The last book that made me cry was Fairy Tale, by Stephen King. My favourite children’s books include Funny Bones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, and the Meg & Mog books by Helen Nicoll. Growing up, I also loved Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, and pretty much anything by Malorie Blackman!
On a final note, I always have a book (or two!) on the go as well as an ever-expanding To Be Read pile that I have no plans to stop adding to…Bookish people, IYKYK!
Words of Wisdom
If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.
Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.
Philip Pullman
Melissa Brannlund 