About Me — Zaida Marston
Finding my way back to writing for fun.
“We interrupt this broadcast to bring you an important message!”
Just kidding. It's not necessarily important, but entertaining and informative at the very least.
I’m Zaida — pronounced zah-ee-dah, like the musical Aida but with a Z. I was born and raised on the island of O`ahu in Hawai`i but I’m based out of the (slightly more affordable) Pacific Northwest.
My background is in the performing arts. From ages 8 to 24, I was involved in either choir, dance, or theatre. I went to a performing arts college in Hollywood and received my BFA in Acting. Is it a practical degree? No, not at all.
But theatre was and still is my first love, so I don’t regret pursuing an education in the arts.
I actually have acting school to thank for giving me the opportunity to grow as a writer.
I participated in spoken word poetry, wrote and directed two one-act plays, and wrote a short film that was brought to life on screen.
I started to find my voice through my writing. I’m thankful for the mentors I worked with who encouraged my style of poetry and scriptwriting. And I know much of my success was due to the small but mighty support system I had from friends and classmates who always cheered me on.
Since 2016 I’ve written 10 fiction manuscripts, queried one of them to literary agents, and provided spoken word poetry (and voice-overs) to artistic projects— one for a Los Angeles art show and another for a web series. Now, I’m trying my damnedest to make things work as a freelance content writer, writing for a wide range of clients and industries like mental health and B2B SaaS.
Unfortunately, freelance writing hasn’t been as prosperous as I’d hoped. And because of that, in all honesty, it’s drained me of the drive I once had when it came to writing.
Which sucks, you know?
Writing was my creative outlet. It was my anchor for many years.
This is why I’m finally coming back around to Medium, after thinking about joining for nearly two years but never pulling the trigger. This is the open door to write for fun again, to write for me. This is my reminder:
Write for the love of writing.
For me, that’s what it all comes down to.
So. Since I mostly blabbed about writing so far, here’s a lightning round of other (more interesting) things about me:
- Indigenous. I’m extremely proud to be part Native Hawaiian and to have attended Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. (I mua Kamehameha!) I’m also part Japanese and White.
- Perpetually homesick. If I could go home, I would. But it’s just not economically possible. I’ve lived on the mainland since 2011 after getting priced out of paradise, and I’ve never felt “at home” since leaving Hawai`i.
- Swordfighting know-how. Stage combat was my favorite class in acting school, where I learned multiple weapons like single sword rapier, rapier and dagger, and theatrical knife. But broadsword is my favorite weapon — and arguably one of the most badass.
- Cat lady. My family has five cats whom I love unconditionally. But I claim Grizabella (named after a character from Cats the Musical) as mine. She is my best friend, and really, the reason I get up in the morning.
- Former podcaster. I started a podcast back in 2014 with my two friends/roommates before everyone and their grandma’s had one. We were three single actors living in Hollywood sharing random musings of our everyday lives. We called it Spinsterhood, and it was hilarious.
- Play collector. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is my favorite play. I’ve auditioned with Puck’s monologue (act iii, scene ii) for two plays, and worked on it in four different classes at three different schools. Whenever I see a copy of the play at a book sale or thrift store I pick it up. Currently, I own 15 copies.
And that’s the long and short of it. Of me. In a nutshell.
“And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.”
Need a content writer to help share your expertise and connect with your audience? I might know someone who can help. (Me. I’m that someone.)
Or let’s connect on LinkedIn. Let me know if you found me through Medium!
