Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Alyse.
Hi Megan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When people ask what I do, I tell them: I’m a poet, a writer, and a developmental editor.
But what I really want to say is this — being a poet means you learn how to hustle. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
My professional journey began over a decade ago at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. What started as a few one-off publications quickly evolved into a deep immersion within a vibrant literary community, nurtured by the university’s English Department. I eventually served as Editor-in-Chief of *Metaphor*, WSU’s undergraduate literary journal — a role that opened the door to editorial internships and freelance opportunities with presses and companies like Binary Press, Jollyfish Press, and Friendemic.
Since earning my BA in English in 2018, I’ve balanced a life between editing, writing, and working in higher education, carving out spaces at writing residencies whenever I could. Hungry to deepen my craft, I pursued an MFA in Poetry at the prestigious Warren Wilson College Program for Writers — a rigorous experience that challenged and transformed me. During those three years, I published over 20 poems, earned a Pushcart Prize nomination, and wrote my first book, *BONE | FISH | GIRL*, released by Game Over Books in September 2024.
Life, of course, has its plot twists.
In my final semester of graduate school, I got divorced, sold nearly everything I owned, and moved across the country — from Northern Utah to Savannah, Georgia. I didn’t know a single person there. I had never even visited.
What brought me here? A gut feeling. A whisper that said, *this is where you’ll finish your next chapters.*
Savannah welcomed me like an old friend. Its lush, restless energy seeps into everything I write. Today, I split my time between being a Bid Writer for a tech company and running Juniper Creative, LLC — my editing and creative consultation business where I help writers of all genres find and hone their voice. Whether it’s poetry, memoir, or even song lyrics, I believe every story deserves careful, compassionate attention.
I’m thrilled to announce that my second book, *GO HOME, YOU’RE DRUNK*, is forthcoming with Purple Ink Press in 2026. This collection captures the wild, intoxicating magic of falling in love with Savannah — and, yes, sometimes with the bartenders, too. It’s a love letter, a hangover, a celebration.
As I look ahead, I’m deep into writing my third book — one that I hope will weave together poetry, prose, and my visual art into something entirely new.
If poetry taught me anything, it’s that you have to trust the gut feeling. And when you do, the stories find their way to you.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been smooth. Toward the end of my MFA, I got divorced, sold almost everything I owned, and moved across the country to Savannah — a city I had never even visited. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have a job lined up. I just had a gut feeling I needed to be there.
Starting over like that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It’s lonely. It’s exhausting. Some days, you question everything — your decisions, your work, even your worth.
At the same time, I was sending out my first book and getting rejection after rejection. And it wasn’t just the book being rejected — it felt personal, like I was being told *you’re not good enough*. It wears on you. It would’ve been easy to quit, to take a safer path, but I couldn’t. I kept writing. I kept showing up.
It’s never been easy, but the hard parts made me sharper, more stubborn, and more sure of what I’m here to do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a poet, a teaching artist, and the founder of Juniper Creative, LLC, where I offer Creative Consultations for writers who are serious about leveling up their work. I specialize in developmental editing — real, honest feedback that cuts through the noise and gets writers closer to the work they actually want to make. I don’t do cookie-cutter edits. Every project deserves its own shape, its own fire.
Alongside writing, I also create visual art, mostly collage — another way of stitching together scraps, memories, and the beautiful mess of being human.
I’m known for my poetry collections — *BONE | FISH | GIRL* (Game Over Books, 2024) and the upcoming *GO HOME, YOU’RE DRUNK* (Purple Ink Press, 2026) — and for bringing a mix of grit, humor, and heartbreak to the page. My work lives in the tension between grief and wild hope, and I’m always chasing that raw, electric middle space.
What I’m most proud of is that I built this life myself. I moved across the country alone. I bet on my own work when no one else was. I kept going after the rejections piled up. I stayed stubborn. I stayed in the game.
What sets me apart is that I meet writers where they are — no ego, no formulas — and help them make the most honest, fierce version of their art. Whether it’s a poem, a memoir, or a collage of ripped-up dreams, I’m here for the work that doesn’t play it safe — and for the artists brave enough to make it.
Any big plans?
Right now, I’m excited about building more spaces for writers, both in Savannah and beyond. I’m planning to start offering workshops that focus not just on generating new work, but also on editing it and finding pathways to publication. I want to create the kind of workshop spaces I always wished existed — places where writers feel energized, not intimidated, and where the real work of shaping a creative life is honored.
Savannah has such a rich and beautiful community of artists, and I hope to keep growing my roots here. I love the creative energy of this city — it’s in the air, in the streets, in the way strangers talk to you like old friends. But I’ve also noticed gaps, like the fact that the Savannah Book Festival doesn’t currently have a poetry category. Poetry deserves a seat at that table, and I’m committed to doing what I can to help make that happen.
Personally, I’m deep into writing my third book, which I hope will weave together poetry, collage, and erasure work. Lately, collage has become a big part of my creative process — not just as visual art, but as a way of thinking about poetry. Cutting, rearranging, letting unexpected connections surface — it mirrors how poems come together for me. It keeps me playful, curious, awake to surprise.
And of course, there’s the biggest creative work of all: mothering a teenager. Being a single mom shapes everything I do. It’s humbling, grounding, and full of a kind of day-to-day inventiveness that feeds my writing life too. It’s its own wild, beautiful art form — and it reminds me constantly why I fight to keep creating.
The future feels wide open right now, and for the first time in a long time, I feel ready to step into it fully.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://meganalyse.com
- Instagram: @megsalyse
