GREENE – A 14-year-old girl from Greene is off to a reassuring start as an aspiring writer, preparing for a local book signing and celebrating the publication of her first novel, “Witch Wars.”
Megan Brown said her novel has been in the works since she was 12. As an avid reader of fantasy literature, Brown said she originally sought to become like her favorite authors, J.K. Rowling (author of the “Harry Potter” series) and P.C. Cast (author of the “House of Night” series) but in the writing process, she adopted her own themes, giving her work a unique voice and perspective.
“It originally started as a summer project,” said Brown. “I wanted to know if I could make characters and plot lines.” She explained that she has written short stories as school projects prior but rarely adjusted them to her liking. Because of school, sports and homework, “I would have trouble. I couldn’t fit the ending I want with the short stories ... I never really took the time to write them out at home,” she said.
As a reader of fantasy, Brown chose the genre as the dominant theme of her first novel. Brown said the story is about a girl named Shay Lana who – along with the typical trials of adolescence – discovers she is a witch on her 15th birthday. The girl is attacked by witches in her school and finds refuge with her boyfriend in Salem, where she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and finds she has a prophecy to fulfill.
“Originally, I wanted to send it to a publisher to get feedback,” Brown said. Her mother, Linda Brown, found Open Door Publishers in Malta, NY and worked with Brown to develop the 18 chapter, 136 page novel and it finally hit book shelves in October.
“Everyone’s been really supportive,” said Brown, adding that her sister designed the cover of the book. “They wonder how I have the time to do something like this.” Brown went on to say that though all her teachers don’t know she is a published author, the ones that do are “kind of amazed.”
“This is something that took us by surprise,” said Brown’s mother. “She worked hard to find a publisher and once they offered her a contract, she was offered by another one ... the book is well written and that’s when we knew it was worth publishing,” she said. “We’re very proud of the work she’s done.”
Brown – currently in ninth grade and active in extracurriculars including athletics, band and Odyssey of the Mind – said she hopes her days of published writing are just beginning. She said she wants to continue writing in the future, be it in fiction or journalism.
“I want to write for a living,” she said. Regarding her first publication, she said “I don’t think it will ever really sink in. I just take it day by day and whatever comes, comes.”
Brown will be signing copies of her novel from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the First Edition Book Store on 13 S. Broad St. in Norwich.