One writer delves in the realm of fantasy. The other writes from first-hand experience as a victim of bullying. Both are now published authors.
The two also are students at Arlington High. Both anticipate continuing to write books after their first accomplishments.
Jaylah Sheree Whittaker, a junior, and senior Amelia Maria Wood have books on the market — Whittaker’s “Bullying Can’t Stop Me!” was released late last year; Wood’s “The Dragon Heir” is set for release this weekend.
Becoming published authors in their teen years can certainly bring a sense of pride to not only the students, but the school and the teachers.
“She is a spectacular writer and had remarkable writing ability at a young age,” Michelle Perrigin said of Wood, to whom she taught creative writing during her freshman year.
Whittaker’s interactive workbook “Bullying Can’t Stop Me!” was released in November. The book, which took about three months to complete, is available at changingthemindset.org and at Whittaker’s Flowpage.
“I am a victim of bullying, and I have been through depression,” Whittaker, 16, said of her experiences for the book. She said that her testimony at her church inspired her to write the book. “It gets you in tune with your inner self and teaches you more about yourself that you didn’t know before.”
Some of her major incidents dealing with bullying came in her elementary and middle school years as she tried to figure out her place in life. She got the idea for the workbook from her mother, and Whittaker hopes the publication can help other students facing the same problems; that they are not alone in facing those situations.
“In order for you to become one with yourself, you do have to face some challenges that you’re going through,” the young author said, later adding: “I’m touching a lot of lives right now, so it’s all been worth it.”
Danette Wright teaches Whittaker 11th-grade English. She acknowledges the student’s book “was a veiled surprise.” The workbook deals in a subject matter students her age face but is sometimes avoided because the student doesn’t want to draw attention to themselves.
Wright thinks Whittaker’s strategies, techniques and approach are phenomenal.
“She is fabulous, talented, gifted and uplifting,” Wright said. “I’m thrilled for her.”
Whittaker’s focus is now on cybersecurity, a field she might go into as a career. She has coded since she was 11 years old and in the sixth grade at Arlington Middle School. With that as a foundation, she is already considering a second book “Technology As My Second Language” on cybersecurity and safety on the Internet.
Wood’s young-adult fantasy novel, “The Dragon Heir,” is set for release Saturday, March 12, and available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon and other major book retailers. Wood’s work takes an entirely different approach from Whittaker’s workbook on bullying.
The 336-page novel focuses on a girl named Ember Ignis, second in power in her country. After her mother and other house members go missing and as clues turn up, she must race against time to find her mother before the consequences turn deadly.
“I’ve always loved creative writing and doing stuff like this, but this is the first project that I’ve fully finished,” said Wood, 17. “I’ve written other novels, but I’ve often stopped them halfway through, but this was the one that I really pushed through and ended up finishing.”
Wood is self-publishing with print-on-demand company IngramSpark. She wrote the book two summers ago and edited it herself until January 2021 before reaching out to a professional freelance editor.
“I did about four rounds of editing just to make sure it was where I needed it to be,” Wood said. Last September, French illustrator/concept artist Thea Magerand, completed the book’s cover, and Wood had the book professionally typeset so everything would look nice.
“I just started ordering proofs and sending out advance reader copies so I can get reviews prior to the release date,” she said.
She credits her time in creative writing during her freshman year at Arlington High as well as her advanced English and Literature courses in helping her get to this point.
Perrigin, one of Wood’s creative writing teachers, only recently learned about her book.
“I remember her writing in class was so poignant and strong, and it really stood out from the rest,” Perrigin said. “Having a freshman come in and write these remarkable pieces, I use a lot of her work as examples for my other classes.”
Wood, like Whittaker, is working on a second novel, this one as part of the fantasy series that likely will cover four books when she is done.
“I’m hoping to publish the second book within a year of this first one coming out,” Wood said.