Queen Media Collective

When I started writing for QMC two years ago I came in hot in heavy, writing an article about Oral Sex. You would have thought I was some kind of sex expert or big time freak, which I am not…an expert & I’m light on the freak these days. I realized that through my writing there is a lot you may assume about me but there is little that you may know, besides that fact that I enjoy writing and I’m a mother who at times has a bit of drama in the love department. You can read more about that at another time.

Today I want to give you all more of an introduction into who I really am, where I’m from and more. Look at this as an interview with myself.

Name: Sydney Renee

(but if you read my articles or are reading this one I hope you know that)

Age: 29

Birthday: May 14, 1990

And with that said it looks like I’ll be spending my 30th in quarantine instead of in LA at a concert, eating and bar hopping with my friend. It wasn’t like I was going to have this big party for the 30th but it would I been nice to get away. Guess I’ll drink wine and eat whatever I want.

Birthplace: Oakland, CA

But I have never lived there a day in my life so It’s not a place I claim even though it’s where my father is from. Actually, I don’t claim much of anywhere because in every place I’ve lived I stayed there an equal amount of time for the most part. I lived in Berkeley until about the 3rd or 4th grade and then we made our way to Pinole. After Pinole, I spent 8th-11th grade in Elk Grove and after that I ended up in Richmond (hilltop area) for like ever, except when I was in college, I lived in San Jose. I’ve also lived in Vallejo and for now my permanent place of residency is seeming like Fairfield.

Educational Background: Bachelor’s of Science

I went to San Jose State University where I majored in Journalism with an emphasis in magazine. I used to want to start my own lifestyle magazine when I was younger and blogging has always been a hobby of mine. I probably should have took some creative writing classes seeing I ended up being an author. I also majored in Child & Adolescent Development because I always thought in the future I’d open up my own center or go on to be a teacher.

Professional Background: Customer Service & Data Analyst

Believe it or not I didn’t get my first job until I turned 19 and I quit that faster than I was hired. It was a retail job at Abercrombie Kids that didn’t have a set schedule. Basically they just called me when they needed me, which was rarely, so I quit. I worked at Forever 21 in the Hilltop Mall until they closed it down like they do everything in that mall and then I went on to many retail jobs after that, my favorite being Nike Running but after having my son I never went back. I actually took over a year off and then I ended up in tech working on numerous projects at Google as a contractor. Right now I’m an analyst that helps with creating chat-bots.

Favorite Color: Lavender

For the longest it was red. Funny story; I used to wear red so much my mom always would hint at me being in a gang but to me it represented love & at a young age I was pretty much obsessed with the idea of it.

Favorite Food: Can you really have just one?

My first choice though is pizza. I love love love pizza. It has to have a good amount of red sauce and be super cheesy. During my pregnancy it was actually one of the foods my baby didn’t like but of course I still tried to eat it. I say nachos comes heavy in second place and I love me some enchiladas. I’ve been trying to stay away from all of that since I’m living this healthy lifestyle.

Favorite Hobby: Writing

No matter how long it takes me to create an article, write a poem, or finish up a book; writing will always be my first love. It’s been my way to escape the world I sometimes don’t want to be in. It’s been my go to when I need to release my pain in order to heal. It’s also helped me reach people I never thought I would. Sometimes it may not seem like it but it’s definitely my passion. For those who do not know, I’ve released two poetry books and two urban novels. I currently have more in the works but it’s taking a little longer than I thought. You can find my work by looking at my author’s page. FYI my favorite book that I’ve written so far in Let’s Be Friends and I’m currently finishing up a part two.

Another hobby of mine is doing puzzles (on my phone) I’m obsessed and always have to do one before I fall asleep. I occasionally do puzzles (real ones) with my son, which he is really good at. I guess I can always add working out to my list of hobbies. Even on my rest days I feel the urge to get a workout in, especially during this quarantine. It’s not like I have anything else to do.

When Did I First Start Writing: 2007

I want to say I first started to write out how I felt during the summer of 2007 when I went to spend my summer in Fresno with my great aunt. It could be the year before but honestly I’d have to find my diary. If anyone was to open my diary during that time they would know all about the guys I dated, how in love I felt and then how they played the hell out of me LOL.

BUT it really wasn’t until 2008 that I started to get creative with my writing. I would use the notes section on Facebook to post poems. I started a blog that was music & celebrity based because that’s what I was into at the time. I wanted to create a platform that showcased local & upcoming artist. I also wanted to report more on the positive things celebrities were doing because all the blog sites out there liked to focus so much on the negative, as they still do today. It wasn’t until 2013 or so that I started to write my first novel In Love With an Oakland Hot Boy and I just release that book last year.

Creative Goals:

Writing is always my main focus so I will forever give you all something to look at but I will make sure I become more consistent in that. In order for me to keep that consistency I will start pulling out my journals and doing more brainstorming when it comes to topics I want to write about. By doing this I will have something to look back on once my writer’s block kicks back in, which happens a lot.

Publishing more books since being an author has been a long time dream of mine. I don’t want to be one of those author’s who puts out a few pieces of work and then give up my passion for creating and I damn sure don’t want to be one of those author’s who rushes and releases projects that aren’t made of quality. I dream of one day being a bestselling author with a number of writing genres under my belt.

I also have a podcast, called The Diary of She, which you can find on Apple Podcast or PodBean. My last podcast was in January of 2019 and after my laptop broke I never got back to recording episodes. So another goal of mine is to get back to creating. I’ll have to brainstorm on some topics but I have a mic now so the sound quality will be so much better.

Advice For Fellow Writers: It won’t always be easy

Being a writer isn’t always easy. There will be times when you go weeks, months or even years without writing a word but don’t let that be a reason you give up. Let your surroundings inspire you and do your best to write down anything that comes to mind. You can always go back and revise it. But the most important advice I have is to stay true to yourself.

Quote I Live By: “Don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing”

& I say that with all my chest. I keep to myself & I’m an extremely loving person. Sometimes my kindness gets taken for weakness & people try to use that to hurt me and take advantage. Once you come for me it’s a whole different person you are going to see & she comes to break every part of you. Don’t come for me & I won’t have to end you LOL. But seriously I stay in my lane as long as people know how to stay in their’s.

I also use this when it comes to my career and dreams as well. If I never start or go after what I want there will be nothing to show in the end.