Melissa Donovan

Melissa Donovan

Born and raised in California, Melissa inherited a love of literature from her mom, who taught her to read by age four. At thirteen, Melissa started penning poetry and song lyrics. Shortly thereafter, journaling became a daily habit, and a writer was born.

Melissa earned a BA in English with a concentration in creative writing from Sonoma State University. Since then, she has worked as a technical writer, business writer, professional blogger, copywriter, and author.

Her poetry has appeared in convergence: an online poetry of journal and art, and her debut novel, Engineered Underground, was released in March 2015.

Melissa is the founder and editor of Writing Forward, a blog packed with creative writing tips and ideas. She has written several books on the craft of writing that are packed with tools and techniques, writing exercises, prompts, and best practices for writers.

Other Work and Interests

By day, Melissa is a website consultant for small businesses and independent professionals via Buzz Pro Studio.

As an advocate for animal welfare, Melissa supports the No Kill movement, which seeks to end the practice of killing homeless animals in shelters. She is also an anti-censorship activist supporting free speech for writers and artists and working to maintain an open and free internet.