Anyhoo, I met Darcy way back when I was a senior in high school, and she was my overnight host for an English major/swimming weekend. That was five years ago, in case you’re counting. While she was a freshman when I met her, nowadays she’s sort of an artist of all trades, with her main passion lying in writing. She will soon be adding published author to the top of her long list of accomplishments. Her young adult novel, Afterglow, is set to be released in late 2015/early 2016.
You
should know from the start that Darcy is a through and through Baltimorian,
raised from birth in the Towson area, her blood running purple from her undying
support of the Ravens.
“I’m
going to always, no matter where I
end up, choose Baltimore because that is where I’m from, and I’m unbelievably
appreciative… Baltimore shaped me into the person I am, the person I will
always be.”
However,
about a year ago, Darcy did what a lot of us like to think we’ll do, but never actually do. She packed her bags and moved
to the Big Apple.
“The
city of New York always interested me, mostly from my many seasons of watching
‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Gossip Girl.’ Two months after I began modeling, I
decided (on a completely impulsive whim) to submit my portfolio and head shot to
a modeling camp in Manhattan during Fashion Week. Less than two days later, I
got a call saying I was in… Modeling was my ultimate reason for moving up to
New York. After a week of over a dozen castings, I signed with two agencies and
moved up here, but my writing and the opportunities New York presents for me is
the sole reason why I stay here.”
In
case you’re rolling your eyes, thinking, “Of course! That’s how she’s funding
her stay in NYC, she’s a freaking model. I could focus on my writing career if I
was a model too,” think again. Darcy works hard for everything she has in this city, from working three different jobs just to make rent, being constantly
rejected in both the publishing and modeling world, and even having hellish moments
like “trucking through two feet of snow in five inch heels just to get to five
minute castings.”
“There
were many times where I second guessed myself and my writing after what seemed
like hundreds of rejections from literary agents, times where I couldn't muster
up the strength in the city any longer and had to return to Baltimore for a
week to regain my mental strength. However, I’m grateful for all those
negativities because I grasped the ability to sift through all the meaningless
junk in my life until I settled on who I really am and what I want to do with
my life.”
Darcy
has recently taken a step back from modeling, which has allowed her writing to
take the forefront of her life. As a writer living in New York, her days start at 6:30 a.m., walking to work on
Fifth Ave and ending her days with editing Afterglow,
a novel she is “infinitely satisfied with." After facing a series of rejections, “almost every day,” and
experiencing a rut so bad she didn't even think about writing for a month, Darcy
has taken a hobby that started when she was five and transformed it into a
career.
“My
favorite part of writing is, most definitely, having the leisure to tell my own
story. I love taking the time to step away from myself to focus on a character
I created and to elaborate on a story that includes their struggles, their
accomplishments, etc. It sounds strange, but my favorite part of writing is the
actual writing. I will never get
bored when I sit at a computer and type until I can’t type any longer.”
"A modern woman should pursue everything in life that makes her happy without any second guesses. She should not allow anyone or anything to make her feel as though she is not good enough."
So,
what advice does she have for all of us dreamers out there as someone who took
her dream and made it a reality?
“Don’t
give up. I know that’s the sort of vague, cliched advice people hear every day,
but really, do not give up on your dreams. If you truly believe you are meant
to do something, find a way to make that happen, but understand that it may not
be your Plan A or your Plan B. Be open to change, whether that means changing
your goals or changing yourself. Don’t deny change because it seems frightening
o unorthodox. Embrace it, and utilize it as a stepping stone towards finding your
calling.”
Look
out for Darcy as Afterglow becomes
available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, and
audio this year! Meanwhile as an official writer living in New York, she will be networking, working on her second novel, and looking towards more travel.
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