by Kaia Patty
With the start of a new school year comes exciting opportunities for all, and for senior LJ Gagné, it was the publication of her first novel.
At the end of June, LJ released her debut novel, The Otherworldly Hollow. The book follows two teenage girls on Halloween night as they venture into a haunted house, where they are spelled into cats by the wicked witch that lives there. Seeking escape from the house and hoping to return to their original form, they band together with their classmates to defeat the witch. The book is heartfelt and genuine, a reflection of the hard work that LJ has put into it over the past eight years, LJ stating, “My original goal was to be a published author.”
With its long production history, there were bound to be bumps in the road when committing to publication. When asked about her thoughts and potential fears regarding being a published author, she reflected, “Most of my fears came from people’s judgement and not knowing if anyone would even like it.” LJ shares that, after a year of sharing work and ideas in Pilgrim’s Creative Writing Club, she began to gain confidence in herself and her ability to publish her work, stating, “Something we like to instill in the Creative Writing Club is that the work you do to tell a story doesn’t need to be perfect, we’re only human after all!”
Along with her worries regarding being a published author came a more positive emotion as well: hope. One of LJ’s biggest goals when releasing her book was to make a difference for young readers and writers, sharing, “I hope I can inspire at least one kid to love to read or write their own story.” LJ goes on to discuss her newfound attitude surrounding writing and publishing, expressing that she now publishes for herself and no one else. LJ leaves her audience with a nugget of wisdom, particularly aimed towards the aspiring writers, expressing “Anyone can be a writer, all they need is motivation and a pencil.”
You can purchase the Otherworldy Hollow HERE
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