Where It All Began ✍️

One of the sweetest gifts I've ever received is from my sister. She created this beautiful piece of art with words from the first chapter of the first book I ever wrote.

My novel writing journey began in high school after writing a 600 page dystopian book. I experienced some pretty dark and difficult events when I was sixteen, so the dystopian genre helped me sit in a world that mirrored my own wounds and brokenness. I'm grateful for writing because it was exactly what I needed to begin processing what sixteen-year-olds weren't meant to process.

The book is called Retalion. Its premise involved a resilient girl from an oppressed community falling in love with the playboy, yet tender-hearted leader of the corrupt military in a world established after nuclear bombs destroyed all we know today. Of course, she turned his immature, self-seeking heart into a heart of gold, and they took down the tyrannical government while keeping the ragtag rebels in check. (Classic YA dystopian vibes, right?)

Alas, upon reading the entire book, I realized the backbone of the story achingly resembled The Hunger Games, so I thanked the story for teaching me basic writing skills and laid it to rest on my 2012 MacBook Pro. Not knowing the foundation it would lay for the next series I would create.

Who knows, maybe I'll write another dystopian book after The Astertalla Chronicles? 🤷‍♀️