Joining the Team; Here’s Krista

Hey guys, I’m here to introduce you to the newest blog member/ editor; me! My name is Krista Sennett, and I’m SO excited to be joining this group of readers, editors, and authors. I’ve lived in Florida since I was six years old, and I love it here.  I love the beaches, the rivers, the hiking trails, the springs. I’m a girl who loves the outdoors. I hike, swim, camp, zip-line- anything to get me outside.  Growing up in Florida meant being able to enjoy the beaches and springs, rivers and campgrounds, hiking trails and zip-line canopy tours. Even when I’m not actively doing something, you can often find me outside, book in hand. Because I’m also a reader.

In elementary school, I always excelled at English. Spelling, vocabulary, writing- it was my thing. I started reading for fun in the fourth grade, when I picked up my first Nancy Drew book on a class trip to the library. After that day, I couldn’t stop. I read anything I could. I flew through middle school at top of the “accelerated reading program,” because I read anything I could get my hands on. When I reached high school, I couldn’t borrow or buy books fast enough. I always sat, reading, in the hallway between classes.  The corner I sat in became known school-wide as “Krista’s Corner.” There was even a sign, proclaiming it to be mine (courtesy of the school office staff). Any spare moment I had, I was there, nose buried in a book.

You may be thinking that doesn’t sound normal. What high school student has enough free time on her hands she can sit out in the hallways, reading? I only went to a “normal” high school my freshman year. After that, I transferred to the Collegiate High school. At collegiate, my classmates and I lived on the college schedule. High school, for me, was college. I actually graduated with my AA degree a couple of days before my high school graduation. Because I graduated high school steps ahead of others my age, I was able to enjoy my four years of “real” college. I took classes in photography, sociology, photography- I even completed all of the nursing pre-requisite courses. I used my time in college to learn everything I could.  Overall though, English has always been most important to me.

I studied creative writing, newspaper and magazine reporting, business writing, as well as all the regular English courses. And through my classes, I gained experience as an editor. While everyone around me was trying to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives- I knew. I wanted to read. I only had one problem- I had nowhere to start. So I helped UWF create it’s internship program for English students. Through that, I became an intern for a child advocacy center in Pensacola Fl.  I also edited for the school’s first ever published issue of our magazine, ArgoVerge.

I love reading fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction- pretty much anything creative.  Give me a book, and I”ll read it. As long as I get to explore a new world, a new life, I’m excited for any reading opportunity I get.  My favorite books range from a dark, descriptive writing style to a style that has the voice of  a sarcastic, witty narrator. I jumped on the vampire bandwagon. I love the world of magic. But I also love the sad tales of fictional war or Titanic or cancer survivors.  Aliens, zombies, wizards, fantastical creatures, or every day people like you and I dealing with life struggles- as long as the writing is good, I love the book.

My love for English, for reading, has been the same since I first started, but as I got older and learned the rules of grammar, I began to notice little mistakes in books. A missing period here, a character whose name changed there, repeating words… Suddenly, I  began to enjoy reading books as much for the story as for my own little challenge.  It was a game: what can I find that they missed?

In school,  editing and helping other writers improve their writing as they, like me, sought to make it in the writing world was something I enjoyed. I learned how I could use my skills, together with my love for reading, to help others. But after school ended, I was lost. Reading was fun, but I didn’t know how my dream of editing, of reading with a purpose, could become real. Then, a couple of weeks ago, Sher came into my life. Now, I’m able to do what I love again. I’m so excited to join the team as both a blogger and editor, and I hope that through my efforts with this team, I too can make a difference.