Rissa Borders

Writer and Editor

I've always been an avid reader. My 11 siblings and I were the reason our local library put a limit on the number of books that can be rented at once. We ransacked those shelves and returned everything in a day or two only to do it again. There were never enough new books and never enough staff to keep the shelves stocked. 

Naturally, I sought a degree in writing and ended up in Bemidji, 4 hours north of my small Minnesota home town. At Bemidji State University, I learned two things: I was not made for the northern winters, and I wanted to be a novelist. They coincide I suppose, as winter keeps me indoors and at my desk, writing. 

During school, I had an internship as the head editor of an online academic journal, and I worked as a tutor/ writing consultant in the writing resource center. I also began my editing business and specialized in proofreading thesis and dissertations. 

After graduating with my BFA in Creative and Professional Writing, I started work as a business writer for a local property management company and am still going strong as their marketing and communications specialist. 

In my free time (when I'm not hunched over my laptop writing) I sew cosplay costumes, practice archery, and hike Minnesota's forests with my husband, our two daughters, and our jaunty Shepweiler, Jasper.