Thoughts:
(with a little insanity thrown in to spice it up a little bit)
School takes a lot of my time. I have to study for PSAT. I have play practice. I have a job. I'm trying to edit it through one more time before January. January is going to determine my life.
What does that mean, you ask?
Lovely question.
If I win this writing contest, it solidifies my future as something with writing. If I don't win anything . . . it will probably make me pursue a career in Law or Medicine.
I really want to win. Writing is what I love. It's what I do when I'm sad and it makes me happy again. It makes me cry, laugh, and live. I get to be whoever I want to be with words. I can create and be free in my writing. I want to be good so bad. I want others to realize how precious writing is - I want to teach children the magic of it. I want them to be able to live and be brave enough to put themselves in a book. I want them to love it as much as I do.
If I don't win, it will crush me.
So I'm determined to win. I'm gonna try my best.
With that said, I am trying to get as much feedback as possible. I gave a copy to my friend Ryan. He read it and gave me a ton of comments. My cousin Maria read it (she's in either 7th or 8th grade, I can't recall) and she really liked it. My friends have read it -particularly Alli, she's gotten me through so much with my book - but sometimes I want to know if kids will read it. My friends love me and I know they want to help, but if it sucks I need somebody to be like 'it made me puke'. I really hope it doesn't make anyone ever puke.
So, in an act of either insanity or bravery, I gave it to one of my favorite teachers who said she'd read it to her 7th grade class. Goodness. I am terrified.
I got the first emails from the class today:
'The book Riley girl that Mrs. Herridge is reading us is good and exciting I think you did a really good job on it'
'i think your book is very interesting, i dont understand why one of the rileys is being friendly to Liam. i like your book, how it tells so many stories of different people and who those people meet. i like how liam is so independent. chapter one is a lot in one chapter, but it still is a good and put together so that it makes sense chapter.'
'My teacher Mrs. Herridge is reading your book Riley Girl to my class. At first, I was kind of confused with it. But then, I started to concentrate on it more, and I started to understand it better. We just got onto Chapter 2. I'm starting to like the book a lot better than I did when we first started reading it.'
'I really like this book, though I was a little confused at the beginning of the story, but I understand it now. I wish it had come out last year so I could've read it, it would've been an AWESOME A.R. book, also it is an interesting book because it seems to always keeps you guessing and that's exactly what I love in a book, this book reminds me of The Hunger Games series, I really hope this will be a series, because I will read this series and we're only on chapter one!'
'I think the book is really good so far.'
'I was a little confused at first, but it is better know. It is better now though. I think this is a good book,but the first of the book was confusing though, but that could just be me ,though. This book reminds me of back then when the blacks were though like the Riley's,a treated. Also I am wondering how old she is? I am confused about how her father died,but I tells how but I am still confused.'
'I liked the story but, at first I didn't really care for it but as we read more I really am starting to enjoy it!'
'What year does this book take place? How long did it take you to make this book. I LIKE THIS BOOK A LOT.★★★★★:-)'
This one is hilarious:
'I think it is a good story and I like the cops.'
These emails were really encouraging. I felt honored. One girl even wrote that it inspired her to write her own story. She sent me it and I read it. It was actually pretty good. I was impressed. She has real potential. I wish I could've written like her when I was in 7th grade.
History of Riley Girl
I started to write when I was about 5 or 6, I think.
My first story was about Teardrops and Hearts. I don't know where the copy of it is right now but it was something like the following:
I was an odd child.
Anyway, my first longish story was when I was 8. It was called Best Friends. It was about me. In the story, my mom was getting married so my friends and I went to LA or somewhere and we got kidnapped. It was about 50 pages. I deleted it because I thought it was stupid.
I got in sooo much trouble. My mom still holds a grudge about it to this day.
I started writing Riley Girl when I was about 12 years old. I have no idea where it started, to be honest. One day I just noticed I had 50 pages of a story that I really liked so I kept writing. And then it was 100 pages. And then 150. And then I was 14 years old and determined to finish something. I had started dozens of different stories by then and at least 20 poems (don't get me started on the poems - they're embarrassing). I gave myself one year to finish Riley Girl, with no plot or idea of how it was going to end.
I made it all up as I went along.
My short stories teacher would've shot me.
I did eventually make a plot-ish thing in my head and wrote the end before I was even through writing the middle.
A few days after my 15th birthday I finished my first novel. It was 368 pages and had taken 3 years to complete.
For the next year I edited it. And rewrote and deleted, keeping it at about 360 pages. My mom printed it off at her work (the first picture of the post) and I gave it to my friend Alli. Then Katie. (Actually, those two read the first 100 pages before it was completed). And then I gave it to my friend Emily. I mentioned to my parents I wanted to get it published, but I felt like they didn't really care.
But then, it was my 16th birthday.
My whole family was there and 12 of my closest friends. We had a great time - eating cake, going on a huge scavenger hunt around town, watching scary movies, and running around like chickens with out heads cut off.
My parents had gotten me one gift, I knew. It had to be something awesome, but I had to clue what it was. I took the small box and shook it, smiling and joking about what it could be.
I wanted a puppy.
I started the chant 'puppy - puppy - PUPPY-" but then stopped when I realized what I was holding in my hands. The word 'puppy' died on my lips as I saw my book for the first time.
I cried.
And cried some more.
My mom went through an online publisher at createaspace.com, I'm pretty sure. It's copyrighted and mine. It can go up for sale anytime.
She made the cover customized! It started with my huge manila folder I had carted around:
Into this.
It was always my dream to get my story into a book. When I saw it for the first time I was so confused. I thought my parents had found another book called Riley Girl. I thought it was a joke, but then I looked down at my name.
It took about 4 seconds for my to comprehend. And then I was like 'NO WAY HOLY CRAP NUH-UH'
and then I just burst into tears.
It felt like all my hard work had paid off. It felt like I had something I'd always wanted. Holding my books in my hands was an unexplainable feeling, and to this day, I cannot put into words how much this gift has meant to me.
I would like to make a shout out to some specific people who helped make Riley Girl what it is today:
Katie C. and Emily Y. - you guys were the first to read it for me.
Ryan L. and Quintanya - you two have helped me so much. Ryan helped me work out many-a plot flaws.
Alli - this girl edited the crud out of Riley Girl. She's read it more than anyone else (besides me, of course :) and given up so much time to help me with my dream.
Mrs. Peterson - the first adult to read it. She edited so much. Riley Girl benefited so much from her.
My teachers - they taught me - and not just English, Math, and Science - but showed me how I want to be when I grow up.
My family - they've raised me successfully and always supported me.
My friends - they have loved me and given me so much.
God - He made everything possible and has given me so many great people in my life. Without Him, I would literally be no where.
All these people made me who I am today and Riley Girl would be nowhere without them.
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