A Writer’s Story

A Writers Story

Whitney Young has had a long history of talented alumni, spanning from academics to sports to the arts. One of these talented students is April Gonzales ‘17.  April started high school with no plans on what she was going to do in her future. Of course, few freshmen have a definite plan for their future. When she was halfway through her sophomore year, she decided she was going to write a book. By August of 2016, she had self-published her first book. Tales of Broken Mages was something she took from her emotions and life experiences. April couldn’t describe how excited she was to publish the story.

 

What is the story about?

 

Tales of Broken Mages is about a girl named Aeslin. She is from a kingdom called Artem, owned by king and antagonist, Aiden. The kingdom is a place where nature is sadly outlawed. Aeslin runs away after discovering her earth powers. She runs away to a cabin in the forest and meets four girls there: Myrna, Zarya and Jinx. While there, they all agree that Aiden is a tyrant and they must defeat him. They grow to accept their problems and work to stop his power.

 

What was the inspiration behind the book?

 

Well, during my sophomore year, I went through a lot of friend issues and other life problems that brought me to a very low point. I developed depression and decided to take therapy. I was in group therapy one day with three girls (there’s a reason why there’s four main characters). We talked about what would happen if we lived in a fairytale. We claimed our roles and talked about talking down a king, that king being depression. The same time I was in therapy, I took up writing to cope with my anxiety. Putting these together, it influenced me to write Tales of Broken Mages.

 

When did you decide you wanted to write a book?

 

To be very honest, I wanted a book published when I was little. I became more realistic about having one done once I started writing Tales of Broken Mages. I really wanted to write a book ever since I was little but I never pictured myself taking action.

 

What type of help did you get with the publishing of this book?

 

I got both help from my teacher and the internet! The internet does some very interesting things! My newspaper teacher, Mr. Jay Rehak was the first teacher I told about my finished work. We sat down and talked about what I should do. He said I should be the “teen that writes a book and publishes it” rather than the “teen who writes a book and doesn’t publish the book.” He introduced me to a website called Createspace. The website contributes to helping publish the book on Amazon and Kindle and gives you the option of selling in bookstores and libraries.

 

I’m sure a lot of readers are curious whether they have what’s needed to write a book. Do you think everyone has it in them to write a book?

 

Of course! For me it took a good idea and some emotion. Everyone has that in them. I have friends that have written great pieces and I always want them to keep writing. My only struggle would be marketing because I’m only one person trying to sell a book to a numerous amount of people.

 

For anyone thinking about writing a book, or a story even, do you have any words of encouragement for them?

 

No matter how bad you think it will be, keep writing. Don’t lock up your creativity and act like it was never meant to go up on the internet and bookstores. Ask for suggestions and ask everyone where to publish it. It won’t be easy, but life isn’t supposed to be easy for a writer; it’s filled with conflict and adventure!

 

If you need another set of good motivation, read the ending to my book, Tales of Broken Mages.

 

So do you have any other big projects coming up?

 

Yes, actually! I just published a book called Behind the Writer’s Eyes. It’s a set of poems and journal entries I had written throughout my high school life. Now that I’ve self-published two books, I’m planning on writing a sequel to Tales of Broken Mages and a book about my dad’s side of the family.

 

Anything else you want to say to young writers inside and outside of school.

 

  1. Don’t die.
  2. Market. Market. Market! It may be a pain, but it is the only way to get noticed!
  3. I’m also a Youtuber, so you can find my shenanigans there. I’m know as IAmAeslin on there.
  4. Keep writing! If anyone tells you not to or tries to hurt your feelings, write about them. It’s a good inspiration!