Blog
From Hesitant to Published: How Ebonya Lia Found Her Voice
by Writing Workshops Staff
A month ago
When Ebonya Lia first stepped into a WritingWorkshops.com class, she was hesitant and fearful in her creative nonfiction. Today, she's celebrating a landmark achievement: her debut novel, I Can Feel It All Over, has sold to Amistad Books, one of the most prestigious publishers championing Black voices in literature.
Amistad, the oldest trade imprint centering Black stories, has been home to literary giants like Zora Neale Hurston, Edward P. Jones, and Jacqueline Woodson. Now, Ebonya joins this distinguished roster with her novel exploring illness, identity, and isolation, set to publish in spring 2027.
Finding the Courage to Write About Herself
Ebonya's transformation as a writer didn't happen overnight. "Before taking the workshop, I was hesitant and fearful in my creative nonfiction," she recalls. "Now I bring more of myself to the page."
This shift was crucial for her current project: a memoir-in-essays about art, illness, and family. "Until this project, I never dared to write about me," Ebonya shares. The deeply personal nature of this work represents a radical departure from her earlier writing, where she kept herself at arm's length from the page.
A Pivotal Moment with Instructor Blaise Allysen Kearsley
One breakthrough moment continues to shape Ebonya's writing life today. During one of her classes, instructor Blaise Allysen Kearsley posed a simple question: Did they think they were writers? The class shook their heads no. Blaise was shocked. She believed that they wrote; therefore, they were writers.
That moment of validation opened something fundamental in Ebonya. "The writing community is so welcoming," she reflects. Under Blaise's guidance, she went from writing an essay grudgingly in the second person to owning her story in the first person. When she showed her collection of essays to Blaise, her instructor recognized that they cohered as the start of a collection—the memoir-in-essays that has become her main project.
Building a Practice Through Community
Over her time with WritingWorkshops.com, Ebonya took an impressive array of classes: Advanced Personal Essay, Big Bylines, Understanding the Book Deal, Elevator Pitch, Flash Memoir, Perfect Your Pitch, Pitching Personal Essays, How to Build a Platform for Writers who Shudder at the Thought, Publishing in Literary Magazines, and Writing Sex Scenes.
What did she enjoy most? "Being in community with other writers," Ebonya says without hesitation. For her, this sense of community has been invaluable, and she encourages others on the fence about joining to remember that "although writing is a solo activity, there is so much to be gained in terms of craft and encouragement by coming together in community."
The Power of Routine
When writing gets tough, Ebonya has a secret weapon: consistency. "I sit down at a regular writing time (which I recognize is a privilege)," she explains. "This has taught my brain when to show up with the ideas and the courage." This disciplined approach has helped her push through the challenges that come with writing about difficult personal subjects.
Recent Publications and What's Next
Beyond her forthcoming novel, Ebonya's creative nonfiction has found a home in publications like How I Learned, where her piece "The Lingering Scent of Black Butter" explores memory, identity, and healing with the same unflinching honesty she's cultivated through her workshops.
A 2023 Kweli Fellow, Ebonya lives in Brooklyn with her plant, Chris, who is also thankful to finally be under the care of a compassionate physician—a detail that reveals the warm humor woven through her work.
Join Our Writing Community
Ebonya's journey from hesitant writer to published author illustrates the transformative power of skilled instruction and supportive community. Whether you're working on your first essay or preparing to pitch your novel, WritingWorkshops.com offers online creative writing workshops that meet you where you are and help you grow into the writer you want to become.
Ready to bring more of yourself to the page? Join us and discover what's possible when you find your voice.
Connect with Ebonya on Instagram: @ebonya.lia
