Aurora Hurd
I’m Aurora (they/them), a Vermont writer who loves to write across genres from science fiction, fantasy, romance, historical fiction, and have begun dabbling in mystery, primarily novels, novellas, short stories, and flash fiction for Adult and Young Adult audiences. What drives me is the belief that everyone can write and that only you can tell the story within you. Demystifying writing to make it an achievable and empowering process is what brings me the most joy when working with other writers. I received my MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, which connected me with a writing community across genres and types of writing. Some of the most inspiring parts of the program were the conversations outside the classroom with faculty and my fellow students, solidifying my belief that community is as key as reading and writing to the aspiring author.
As part of my MFA, I ran an Intro to Creative Writing class for all levels though the Vermont Pride Center and presented master’s level workshops at Goddard College. I have taught for the last several years with the creative writing nonprofit SCRiB LAB, offering workshops on speculative fiction and character crafting. On top of that, I was one of the Municipal Liaisons for Vermont’s NaNoWriMo for six years because I love bringing people together around writing. I have also served as an elected official on my local City Council, because I believe in uplifting voices that have been historically marginalized in politics as well as in writing. I have most recently worked as a diversity, equity, and inclusion professional and am invigorated by interrogating systems of power. Writing is a powerful tool to do so, as well as also being a chance to take a breath and find joy. Whichever type of writing you’re bringing, I look forward to helping plot the course.
Why I write:
I want to see myself in stories and help others do the same.
You’ll never find me writing without:
Music - preferably a playlist for my WIP.
Some of my favorite authors are:
Octavia Butler, Ursula K. le Guin, Nghi Vo, P. Djèlí Clark, Nnedi Okorafor, Ann Leckie, Martha Wells, Cat Sebastian, Courtney Milan, Anna-Marie McLemore, N.D. Stevenson, Ngozi Ukazu
What People are Saying
“Aurora Hurd has supported me with my writing for the last eight years. From brainstorming to editing and serving as an accountability buddy, their support has been invaluable in my personal, academic, and professional writing projects. I can attest from my experience that they will provide the best assistance you could ever receive.
Not only are they adept at brainstorming, writing, and editing, but their respect for human identities and lived experiences, cross-cultural understanding, and commitment to uplifting marginalized voices through writing is truly commendable.”
Indra J. Acharya, activist & educator
“…Along the way Aurora was tremendous. They performed proof and copy reading, helped with formatting, and offered advice on some of the more esoteric points of punctuation. Just as importantly for me was their insightful commentary on the broader story arc and plot-line. They guided me toward clarity in the underlying ideas I was trying to express. For me, as a first-time author, Aurora’s assistance was invaluable and difficult to quantify.”
Joseph Covais, author of the Psychotherapy with Ghost series