Berneta L. Haynes, Founding Editor
Growing up in the swampy backwoods of Arkansas, Berneta began writing stories and exploring visual art from the moment she could pick up a pencil and put it to paper. By the time she was eleven, she had written her first “chapter book” and had a sketch book full of drawings. Writing and visual art have lived on in her ever since.
At Drury University, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English, Writing, and Psychology in 2006, she never stopped writing. Meanwhile, her visual art interests led her to photography and web page design. During all this artistic exploration in her twenties, she obtained a Master of Arts in English and a JD from the University of Iowa. Afterward, she got a “real job” but never abandoned her creative passions.
Her previous short story publication credits include Bonfire, a literary magazine published through Drury University, and The Bangalore Review. Additionally, she has published articles in Out on the Town Magazine, Inside Higher Ed, and the Iowa Press-Citizen. She released her debut novel, Landrien Moriset, in 2015. Since then, she has released two more novels as a duology: Eve and the Faders in 2021, and Aya and the Alphas in 2022.
An attorney, author, and versatile creative, Berneta is the Founding Editor of Waking Writer. She launched this site as a side project initially to help spotlight other writers, offer helpful writing and publishing advice, and to indulge her own writerly and artsy passions. She finds joy in discovering and sharing work from new, emerging creatives and writers and has a particular interest in science fiction and adult fantasy, photography, and visual art.
Want to connect with Berneta?
Instagram: @beelhaynes
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