Voice & Viewpoint News Wire
While even the most strategic writers often find it hard to complete their first book, 13-year-old Angela Content, a talented young writer from Mill Basin, Brooklyn, is the published author of two books.
With a last name like “Content” do you suppose being a writer was in the stars for this teen?
In a report by CBS 2’s Cindy Hsu, Angela’s mother said she knew her ambitious daughter wanted to share her stories with the world.
“At first she said, ‘Mommy, I’m going to write a book. I’m writing my own book.’ I said, ‘OK.’ She said, ‘I’m going to publish it.’ I said, ‘OK,’” recalled Marie Content.
But Angela’s mother was shocked when it actually happened.
“And then finally one day she said: ‘Mommy, my book is going to publish. I already transmitted everything — it’s going to take 24 hours, they’re going to review it. I said, ‘OK,’” Marie Content said, still treating her daughter’s determination rather nonchalantly.
“And then the next day, I heard it’s on Amazon. I’m like, ‘Oh my God!’”
Through the website CreateSpace, the determined eighth grader published two books – her sci-fi fantasy “Awake and Alive,” and her romance novel “Shattered.” They are now on sale on several sites, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
“I was just excited,” Angela said. “I was like, ‘I’m so glad it’s over with.’ It was really, really hard.”
It takes Angela about three months to finish a book. Her latest work is more than 200 pages – and she always writes by hand because she says it helps her stories to flow.
“Whatever pops in my head, I just continue writing it,” Angela said. “It just flows on paper. On the computer, I just kind of get stuck.
The strict house rules laid down by Angela’s mother of very limited TV watching and Internet surfing helped her daughter fall in love with books and writing.
“I wish all the parents can do the same — keep the electronic stuff away from the kids and talk to them more; hear what they have to say,” Marie Content said.
And Angela has advice for other kids.
“Continue to follow your dreams,” she said. “You’re going to feel great once you actually accomplish what you set your mind to.”
Already, Angela is working on two more books, which she hopes to have published by this summer.
While Angela plans to keep writing, she has another goal to become a financial planner – as a backup.
So far, Angela said she has made a few hundred dollars from book sales, and that money goes straight to her college fund.
