ARATRIKA PAL (10): I wrote a book called The Magic Jar. It’s more of a children’s book, and essentially a fantasy story about two girls. In the story, there are demons and vampires who are hostile toward each other, and these two girls are the daughters of a demon and a vampire, who live during a time when there’s a whole war going on. They try to solve this while also trying to find their parents and figure out who they are.

I mostly wrote it because I wanted to. I used to enjoy writing short stories, so I wanted to try writing something bigger that I could share with a wider audience. Back then, I shared my stories with my friends and classmates, and they really liked them, so I wanted to see if I could reach more people.

The main part of the process was drafting the whole book. There were a lot of points where I got stuck or didn’t know where the plot should go next, which slowed down the process. After finishing the draft, I went back to edit it, filled in any plot holes, checked for spelling and grammar issues, and then published it.

The most difficult part was figuring out how to end the story. As you get closer to the ending, there are so many different directions the plot can take, and you have to decide where you actually want it to go.

I self-published the book because it was easier than finding an outside publisher. I published it on Amazon, and it’s available as both an eBook and a paperback.

I think what I learned is that it’s better to plan things out before you start writing. I began writing as soon as I had the idea, which caused me to stop many times and even take months-long breaks because I got lost in the middle. It’s important to plan the beginning, middle, and end first, and then fill in the details as you go.

I hope readers get entertainment from the book and can use it as a way to relax and escape from the outside world. I also hope it resonates with people who may not feel at home, since it includes themes of finding yourself and your family.

I was inspired to start writing in second grade through a young authors writing contest that my teacher introduced to me. I submitted my work and made it to the district level, which encouraged me to keep writing.

I might write more books in the future. I have some ideas, but I haven’t had time due to school and other responsibilities. I’m planning to start a new one over the summer.

I would definitely recommend that others try writing books. If you enjoy reading and want to create stories for others, it’s a really fun and rewarding thing to do.