As a middle and high school teacher, though, I found myself feeling increasingly disconnected from myself.

Four years in, I was at a crossroads. I wanted to carve my own path as I worked with young people, earned a comfortable living, and followed my dream of writing—but I wasn’t sure how to do it all.

The abyss is not specific to professional writers—students experience it, too, often getting stuck before they’ve even started a writing assignment.

I tell students that in writing, voice includes details and perspective of our lived experiences, and the meaning we make from them.