Young writer considers a book deal

For many people, writing is an unpleasant task that is only done for school. Even the thought of having to write at all is burdensome to some, but for junior Claire Ikekhide writing is a passion and a hobby.

“I’ve always loved to write,” said Ikekhide.

Ikekhide is an up-and-coming author who will publish a book soon. She began writing her novel when she was 14 after being inspired by a dream her brother had.

Her book, “The Girl They Forgot to Take,” is a coming-of-age story that shows the struggles the protagonist faces internally and externally with herself. The protagonist wakes up one day to discover that everyone around her is gone and tries to find clues to reunite with her family again. Throughout the book, she learns to stay true to herself and to choose between difficult decisions.

Shannon Messenger, the New York Times bestselling author of “The Sky Fall Trilogy” and the “Keeper of Lost Cities” series, is one of the authors Ikekhide admires and feels inspired by.

“Something I used to struggle with before reading her books was trying to make my characters two-dimensional so they have depth to them,” said Ikekhide.

Through reading her books, Ikekhide was able to create characters with personality and quirks making them more relatable to readers.

For many writers, getting published is one of the biggest struggles they could face. Many authors face multiple rejections before being accepted by a publishing company that is right for them.

Ikekhide’s uncle encouraged her to send samples of her story out to different companies to see if any of them would be interested in publishing her story. After four months, her efforts paid off.

“I got an email two months ago from a man who works with the agency saying they would like to meet to discuss the process of publishing the book,” said Ikekhide.

The publishing company, Xlibris, was interested in her novel and reached out to her.

“I felt fortunate because a lot of people wait a while before they can get published,” said Ikekhide.

In early January or late February, Ikekhide will fly to New York to further discuss the future of her novel.