I can't believe that my dreams are going to come true in just 7 days. Starting in middle school, I dreamt of writing my own story. A book that would be all mine. I started to write stories and I would always get frustrated because as I got older, I learned new grammar techniques and I had to fix my mistakes. I vowed I would wait until I was out of school to write a novel and finish it. Then last year in January, a writing friend inspired me to take a chance and write again.
I had always written poems when I was sad or had a diary in high school, but this was different. This was creating a whole world and characters that were all my own design. I created what will actually be my second novel (The Fall Changes) in six months. I caught the bug. I wrote 3 short stories, which were published in my anthology Christmas Magic. After that I set my eyes on writing a true YA Romance, something I devoured as a young reader. I would pick up every Sarah Dessen novel I could get my hands on. That is how The Many Faces of Charlotte Barnes was born. I had an idea. What happened if my main character had parents who owned a food truck? What if when she had to drive it up the East Coast, she met different boys who pushed her? Who intrigued her. Who challenged her to find who she really is. Who would she become?
The novel went through many months and finally I had a manuscript I sent to betas. I received feedback and made changes, then sent it to an editor. And now, I have SEVEN days until it's published. It's surreal. I hope it means as much to those who read it as it does to me. At the end of the day, I have something I can call mine. I can hold it in my hands and I am proud of what I did. I can't wait for you all to see it too.
Always,
Marie McGrath
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