Have you ever wanted to chase a dream but let the fear of the unknown hold you back? Danyelle Butler, Bradley’s resident student author, spoke about conquering that fear during the first panel event hosted by Write House Ink.
Write House Ink., a student organization made of both routine and aspiring writers that meet to provide a support system for each other, hosted the event in the Cullom-Davis Library on Oct. 2. Butler, a junior English major with a concentration in creative writing, discussed the process of writing and publishing her first two books, “Melanin” and “Queens Like Me,” as well as her lifelong passion for writing.
“I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil,” Butler joked.
Both of Butler’s books follow the story of a young girl named Jade facing the horrors of police brutality firsthand. Butler said she saw how people became desensitized towards this trauma because of social media, and that her goal in writing the books was to bring back a lens of empathy for these victims.
Something Butler wanted to stress to those aspiring to publish their own works is discipline. She stated that even when she was tired or overwhelmed with life, she would sit down for an hour to work on her writing every single day. Whether she spent the hour brainstorming, writing a first draft or editing, as long as it was something she could put on paper, she was happy.
The event also included a Q&A section where students were able to ask Butler about topics including what it’s like to hire a professional editor, how it feels to be rejected by publishers and what the process for designing cover art is like.
Butler’s talk at the event was her first time speaking in public about her work, to which she said the experience was very humbling and hoped that sharing her experiences with the writing and publishing process would inspire people who don’t think they have what it takes.
In the future, Butler wants to go to law school in order to hone her critical thinking skills. Outside of writing, she also expects to pursue many creative endeavors. Music is tied with writing for Butler’s first love, and the music industry is the next place Butler hopes to break through.
Write House Ink. was thrilled to have her speak, and is planning similar events like this one for the future. They meet every Sunday at 2:30 p.m. to go through the brainstorming, writing, peer reviewing and editing stages of their work.
“It’s for the artists who feel like they need the environment with other artists,” English creative writing major Alyssa Pagan, a member of Write House Ink., said about the organization. “Maybe they’re in a non-art major and want a community, or something like that. It’s important.”
Butler recognizes her gift, and hopes that others will put their own gifts into the world.
“If you really put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything,” Butler said.
