Reading and writing are often solitary pastimes, but for Nikki Stampfl, these hobbies helped her build an online community.
Stampfl, a fourth-year English student, started her Instagram account @nikkiswritingjournal two years ago to share her literary passions. She highlights her favorite books alongside the writing process behind her current project, “The Key to the Cupcake Kingdom,” a middle grade fantasy novel that incorporates Filipino representation, Stampfl said.
She posts on a corner of the internet known as Bookstagram and Authorgram – the social media communities for readers and writers, respectively – amassing thousands of views on her posts. Stampfl said she creates a variety of posts about her hobbies such as writing vlogs and dressing up as book characters. Her Instagram account has helped her form a community both online and at UCLA, she added.
Photo caption: Nikki Stampfl, a fourth-year English student, smiles and poses in front of trees. Stampfl shares her literary interests and writing process behind her middle grade fantasy novel, “The Key to the Cupcake Kingdom,” on her Instagram account @nikkiswritingjournal.
Photo courtesy of Nikki Stampfl.