Storytellers Series: Inspiring Young Authors
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The following story is part of our #FriesenPress10 series examining the past, present, and future of self-publishing.
As we continue to celebrate our first decade in business, we want to shine a spotlight on the inspiring authors who brought us here. Today, we’re ceding the stage to some of the youngest FriesenPress authors who, by the act of pursuing their passions, motivate other young writers to do the same.
Think about yourself at sixteen. For many of us, those years were spent navigating the awkward stages of teenage-hood. As many parents can attest, it's a time when our senses of 'focus' and 'persistence' aren't as developed as they will later become. But there are exceptions to every rule, and here at FriesenPress we've been lucky enough to work with some extremely talented young authors.
We spoke with a few of those writers in Alessia Dickson, Alianna Rempel, and Leah Denbok – discussing their books, their inspirations, and their paths to publishing:
Alessia Dickson | The Crystal Chronicles Series
Alessia has been writing since she was ten years old and was only fifteen when she published her first book: The Crystal Chronicles. Her journey to become a successful young author, led her to share this experience through speaking engagements at schools across southern Ontario.
What or who inspired you to write The Crystal Chronicles and its follow-up, The Lost Temple?
I would walk away so inspired by the books of Rick Riordan and Cassandra Clare – their complex fantasy worlds and characters made me want to create my own book series that kids could love just as much. I’d like to think that’s exactly what I did!
What were the biggest challenges for you in writing your first book?
I first started writing The Crystal Chronicles at ten years old and it wasn’t released until I was sixteen. Over those six years, I saw a noticeable change in my writing! The writing on page one sounded very different from the writing on the last page. As a result, I constantly had to rewrite content and make sure the voice was consistent throughout the whole book. That’s why it took me so long!
What did it feel like to hold your finished book in your hands for the first time?
That day changed me forever. I left school to pick up the shipment and when I first laid my hands on it, I cried. I was so proud of myself for working on a project for so long; it had finally paid off. I felt like I was on top of the world, and I’ll never forget it.
What led you to start your motivational speaking and writing workshops? What advice do you give to aspiring young authors?
When my book came out in 2016, many of my peers asked me how I had achieved my dream of publishing a book, and I realized that I had a unique story to tell as a successful young novelist.
Firstly, I say to read a lot and write a lot – that’s where you’ll learn to create characters, plots, and what makes good writing. It’s also necessary that writers are disciplined, so they should strive to write each day – even just for thirty minutes. Above all, it’s a passion for the story that makes a good writer and what creates good books!
Now that you've just released your second title, how did publishing your first book change your process of writing this time around?
I learned so much about improving my writing process, but most importantly I learned the importance of editing. A manuscript must be thoroughly examined and be extremely polished before it is ever sent in to publishing.
However, I also learned that you’ll always find little things you want to change, and at a certain point you have to stop, acknowledge you did a great job, and hand your book over for editing, otherwise it’ll never be published!
Do you have plans for future books?
The Crystal Chronicles is actually a five-book series! I am currently working on the third book in the series and I am super excited for it. For publishing updates on my book series, visit my website at alessiadickson.com.
Check out Alessia on – Facebook: @alessiadicksonbooks | Twitter: @alessiadickson
Alliana Rempel | One
Alliana is an artist, philanthropist, and author, whose first book was published when she was just ten years old. She found her inspiration in Malala Yousafzai after reading the autobiographical book I Am Malala. It was this brave girl on the other side of the world that became the driving force behind publishing her first book, titled One.
What made you want to write a book as a way to contribute to the Malala Fund? Is it something you've always wanted to do?
When I was ten, I decided that I wanted to contribute in a bigger way than I'd done in the past. I had the idea of building an entire school in an area of need. It was this big, challenging goal, but I knew that raising the money would take a long time selling just my art. My Grade 5 teacher was really passionate about inspiring creativity in writing, and that got me thinking: “What better way to raise money for education than to show what a good education can do?”
I understand you both wrote and illustrated your book. That's a lot of work. What did it feel like to hold your finished book in your hands the first time?
It was a lot of work. A lot more than I had thought initially! I did a lot of edits and spent many hours redrawing my illustrations to get them perfect. It felt pretty incredible to finally hold that finished product!
What was the biggest challenge for you in writing a book for the first time?
The biggest challenge for me has been in promoting the book. I like the writing and drawing part, but promoting it is hard – whether it’s social media or presenting to stores or speaking at events. Even though I’ve spoken in front of huge groups of people before, I still get nervous every time.
What was the experience like to publish with FriesenPress?
Working with FriesenPress was awesome! Everybody was very helpful and encouraging of me reaching my goal.
What advice would you give to young aspiring authors?
I would advise them to pursue their dream! It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it to get to the other side and realize what you can accomplish.
How far have you progressed in your goal of building the school?
I actually reached my goal of raising money to build the school this past June! My goal was $10,000 through the sales of my book and through speaking engagements and I hit that in June. It took me ten months from my book launch until I reached my goal.
You’ve already done so much, but do you have any particular plans for further charity work or maybe another book?
I have other dreams for pursuing my charity work with Battle The Bad With Beauty, and will definitely will not stop using beauty and creativity to make the world a better place.
This past summer I went to Ecuador with WE charities. As I get older, I’ll continue to find new places where I can make a difference.
Check out Alliana on – Facebook: @battlethebadwithbeauty | Twitter: @btbwithbeauty
Leah Denbok | Nowhere to Call Home Series
Leah has long been enamoured with photography – inspired by the work of British photographer Lee Jeffries and mentored since the age of twelve by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. Her Nowhere to Call Home project seeks to humanize people experiencing homelessness and shine a light on their struggles.
What inspired you to seek out and share these stories of the homeless?
When I was fifteen, Joel told me that in his experience all successful photographers focus on one genre, and encouraged me to concentrate my efforts on portraiture, believing that was my greatest strength. My dad then suggested I begin photographing people experiencing homelessness. I was also influenced to do this, in part, by the fact that my mother was once homeless herself. At the age of three, she was saved from the streets of Kolkata, India by Mother Teresa.
Did you have particular goals for these books?
With my books I am trying to accomplish two goals. First, I am trying to humanize people experiencing homeless, because they’re so often looked at as subhuman. Second, I am attempting to shed light on the problem of homelessness. I also donate 100% of the profits from the sale of my books (and photographs) to homeless shelters.
Has your approach changed since completing your first book?
When I first began photographing people experiencing homelessness, I did so for purely artistic reasons. However, as I listened to their stories, my sense of empathy for them began to grow. So much so that I now see myself as a social activist and not simply an artist.
What did it feel like to hold your finished book in your hands for the first time?
Holding my first book was very exciting—a dream come true! I remember excitedly showing it to all of my friends, family, and teachers at high school.
What was your publishing experience like with FriesenPress?
First of all, I highly recommend FriesenPress – the work they did on my first two books was first-rate, and the people there were always helpful and friendly. I have very fond memories of the two-or-so years that I was involved with the staff at FriesenPress.
Although I have since moved on to a traditional publisher—the third volume in my series is being published by Austin Macauley Publishers, and is due out later this year—FriesenPress is a great company for aspiring young authors to develop their place in the industry.
What are you currently working on? What are your plans for future books?
I’m currently working on volume five of my Nowhere to Call Home series. I will continue to put out these volumes until I can no longer do so. That means that some day there may be a Nowhere to Call Home, Volume Fifty—which is a little hard to wrap my mind around!
Check out Leah on – Instagram: @humanizing_the_homeless | Twitter: @LdenBok
If you or a family member have a story to tell, drop us a line about how FriesenPress can help make it happen!
