When I was five, my dad offered to pay me a penny for every correctly-spelled word if I’d write him a story. That was the beginning. Old ladies with shotguns across their laps, man-eating crabs, and families named Finnerin paved my way to Gracie’s, the Five and Dime store where a nickel still bought a Charleston Chew.

Decades later, after working on Wall Street, traveling the world, raising three children, and opening a yoga studio, after divorce, new love, and shocking loss, I’m still writing stories, now drawing on my own experiences to write about it all in Personal Essay, CNF, and Memoir.

On my CV, it says, “finance,” because that’s what I’m trained to do. But when I think of myself, I’m still that kid writing for pennies.

Follow me on Instagram @Kathrynsmithstories, or email me at Kathy@Kathrynsmithstories.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Kathryn Smith is a writer based in New Hampshire. Her essays and stories have appeared in HuffPost Personal, Philadelphia Stories, Apiary, and were twice awarded honorable mention in Glimmer Train. She has two essays forthcoming in HuffPost Personal and is working on a memoir, “Stories of an Uncouth Girl.” 

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