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Abstract


Name: Emily Ketchum

Advisor: Carrie Jo Vincent

Focused Program of Study: Arts and Communication

Topic: Fiction Writing

Essential Question: What is the process for writing and publishing a fictional young adult novel?

Reason for Selecting Topic:
I would like to write and publish a novel later on in my life. Young adult is currently my favorite genre to read so it made sense to pick that genre of literature to write in. Since I was a little girl with too much time on her hands, writing has been my passion and I would like to turn that passion into a writing career.

What I Did:
I wrote a 34,000 word book in 90 hours over the course of three months. The amount of pages depends on the size of paper: on letter sized paper it is equal to 61 pages, on A5 sized paper it is 144 pages. Throughout this process, I researched the steps a writer could take to try and become published. My community consultant assisted me by reading the first few chapters and by giving me feedback on some ways I could improve. She also explained some parts of the publishing process. We communicated over email.

Product:
I wrote a short book through the first person perspective which told the story of a struggling teenage girl. In my story I explored themes of emotional dependency, love, teenage pregnancy and eventually independence.

Community Consultant:
Christa Deitrick, Librarian
Los Angeles Public Library