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Written by Tayla Jean Grossberg
https://taylagrossberg.wixsite.com/website
As I child I thought one day I would tame dragons, ride unicorns, swim with mermaids and dance on rainbows. Unfortunately, I had to grow up and realized that those things are not possible. Fortunately, I can write about them. So, instead of being a dragon rider, I became a writer. And that is why I have written this article.
I have written a young adult paranormal novel, titled: I DON’T BELONG HERE, which is the perfect, spooky read for Halloween. I was inspired to write this novel by the ghost stories that my grandmother, Edith May Grossberg, used to tell me when I was little. I grew up loving her tales so much, that I got inspiration from her for one of the main characters in the book: Grandma May.
The fun times with my grandmother do not begin and end with ghost stories – oh no! – we also have a tea reading session once a week, during which she reads my tea leaves and tells me what will happen in my life. I’ve used these fun times and personal experiences and turned them into a work of fiction.
Another person who greatly inspired me, to write the main character, was my sister, Shani Charlotte Grossberg. The protagonist in my book, Charlotte, looks like my sister – with her long blond hair, blue eyes and petite figure. But there is a catch: she can see ghosts! I used my imagination to create her love interest, Dimitri. I thought to myself: what is Shani’s taste in men? And then I created a tall, mysterious boy with sharp cheekbones and mop-like hair. And, I certainly can’t leave out, my sister’s dog, Litsie Amore, who inspired Amore in my novel.
Although Amore doesn’t play a major role, she is always there to keep my main character company, like Litsie is there for Shani. Charlotte is lonely and lives in Columbus, where I lived for a year, and struggles to figure out what to do with her life.
In this book I covered a wide range of topics including; loneliness, depression, anxiety and secrets. It might sound rough, but I’ve written it in such a way that readers of all ages can enjoy it. I wanted young adults to really connect with Charlotte and root for her throughout the book, especially as things get worse and worse for her.
I wanted to write a ghost story, which wouldn’t simply just scare people, but awaken emotions deep within their hearts. Did I succeed? You’ll have to read the book and let me know!
My writing process is a simple one: I get up before the sun, make myself a cup of coffee and open a blank page in Microsoft Word. And then I begin. I never plan ahead very far and let the words, the story, flow naturally. The further I write, the more I think of the ending. I think about my story before I go sleep at night, and wake up with many great ideas. I certainly lack patience and try to put all of it on paper as soon as possible.
Once I am done with my first draft, I let it sit for a few weeks and try not to think about it. And when I finally do read it again, I give the skeleton of a manuscript a body. I fill in details, improve descriptions and try to bring the characters to life. Ok, now I’ve got a book, but the journey is far from over!
The next step is to hire an editor and a cover designer and try to be as patient as possible as they do their work. Of course, once they are done I needed a proof reader, and who was better to ask than Grandma Edith? The last step of publishing was the easiest – it took me five minutes to upload everything onto amazon KDP.
I DON’T BELONG HERE is my first self-published novel, and one of my greatest achievements so far. But it’s not my only published novel…
The Silver Kingdom Trilogy:
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