Writing a book has been anything but forgetful. The process has been difficult, inspiring, challenging, tedious and fulfilling. I am a beginner in many ways, but publishing my first book ended the first phase of a long road ahead of me that I’m very excited about. Spirits: Attack on Argania is an action-adventure fantasy novel inspired by many of the greats from the genre: TV, books and video games (such as The Legend of Zelda and Avatar: The Last Airbender).

While I wasn’t very into reading, I was good at writing. I was inspired, blessed with motivation and creativity, and wanted to make a story that had an impact on the reader. Even if you think you can’t write, if you have an idea so ingrained in your brain and you really understand it, with some effort you can express those thoughts and ideas in words. As my urge to start a business and create something I would really enjoy grew, I finally decided to act. At age eleven I got started on my first book and it felt incredible to make something of my own.

The beginning …

Covid-19 hit the world hard as I started 6th grade. Like millions of others, I had to participate in online school, which I disliked even more than normal school. Thankfully, my friends and I would finish our work quickly so our teacher let us make short stories using the vocabulary of the week. This was the one thing I enjoyed because it brought a sense of community back into school. We shared our unique ideas with each other and I had a lot of practice as I wrote many stories during this period, some with my friends. The more I wrote, the more fun I had. Eventually I decided to make my own story that I would one day publish. I proposed the idea to my brother who later worked with me as an illustrator. From there I would write an hour a day each week as I brought my passion and ideas to life.

Now …

I enjoy spending what little free time I have during high school working on the second edition of the series (I’m starting to read more as well) and I hope to publish it sooner rather than later. There’s much I’ve learned from writing my first novel and much I can improve upon. While I did take some breaks, the writing process took about three years. It’s been fruitful in many, many ways. As I got older, my skills improved, yet I still had to edit and revise several times over. With the help of my parents in editing and publishing, my book finally made its way to Amazon in July of 2023. I invite comments and reviews on Spirits: Attack on Argania (available on Amazon) to help me build an active and healthy community where I can provide more entertainment in the future.

I owe much to my twin brother, Jonas, and to Samantha (Sammy) Placencia. In 6th grade, when I first met her, she was already a very talented and devoted artist. I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else to make the cover art. Whether the book is successful or not, the true joy was using the gifts God gave me to create my own world I could be invested in, just like he has done for us.