As you may know by now, I am a creative writer. I’m working on my first real novel as we speak and it’s going swell (The Anti Fever, 2020). Us writers are a rare yet unique species. We are few yet many. Weak yet mighty. The Hays creative writing community is small, and disconnected. Sure we may have known a few others, but not a lot. Then, the light from above rained down on us, uniting most of us under one light. Ms. Bounds’s Creative Writing class. We are barley enough to even have a class, but barley enough is good enough. This class is one of the brightest and most fun classes I have ever been a part of. There is a whole diverse cast of people, with everyone supporting each other. It is the only class that feels like a family. Of course there are more writers here at Hays, outside of this class. Many didn’t know this class was a thing nor did they have room in their schedule to join. But don’t worry, they will be recognized here too. Many of these writers are working on their own manuscripts, just like yours truly. And if you do not know, a manuscript is a book before it becomes all edited and fancy like. It is so fascinating to meet other writers and see what they’re working on. It could be the next big. And that is what this feature about. Creative writers at Hays High Schools and their work.

Our first writer on the block is 16 year old, Vivian Goldman. She is the president of the Anime club and a prolific writer. “I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, for probably almost my whole life.” Her favorite genre to write is fantasy books, because it is not bound to the rules of our world. The authors that inspire her the most are J.K Rowling (Harry Potter), Gail Carriger (Soulless), and Jennifer A. Nielson (Ascendance trilogy). Vivian’s writing style is dark and eloquent, similar to these things that inspire her. She is working on a manuscript with her friend, titled: The Keepers of Promise (working title). “Five friends find out they’re the reincarnations of five powerful beings and they have to defeat the sixth, the most powerful of them all, the sixth reincarnation. She is also working on a manuscript by herself called “Galaxies”. The only bit of information she gave me is “it is an alternate universe where whatever you write on your skin is translated to your soulmate’s skin”. She is a perfectionist so her work is hardly ever shown, but when it is, it is always amazing. You can follow her writing journey through her Wattpad accounts FunDipTimes and FunDipLove.

The next writer is Gabriel Valdes, he is 17 years old, and probably one of the funniest writers on the campus. His writing style directly reflects his personality, dark humor. It is so morbid, it works. “I started taking my writing a little seriously pretty recently, probably since eighth grade.” His main inspirations are Edgar Allen Poe and Jhonen Vasquez (the master behind Invader Zim) which makes perfect sense if you have read their works. “I like to write about horror in silly scenarios and vice versa”. His favorite author is Erin Hunter (author of the warrior series) and his favorite books are “The Kite Runner” and “The Scarlet Letter.” Right now he is writing an alternate universe fan-fiction of the show, Total Drama, which will feature characters that didn’t have time to shine in the show. Gabe is easily one of the funniest writers I’ve ever met. Per his request, I will not reveal his social media pages but if you get the chance, read his work. It is magnificent.

Next up we have 17 year old, Roland Keegan. He has been writing ever since the sixth grade. “I love to world build so my favorite genres to write are probably fantasy/ adventure.” His biggest inspiration are his dreams, but mainly all of his vivid nightmares. His other biggest inspiration is Rick Riodrian’s Percy Jackson series, “I’ve never really read books with representation like they have that are directed at kids and teens.” His style is a lot darker than the others and his jokes are a lot more subtle. Every joke doesn’t just feel like a cheap laugh, it is wonderfully crafted comedy. But his biggest strengths are his twists. Roland writes amazing plot twists and twists on plot tropes, it is his biggest strength. “I have more outlines than manuscripts. I don’t have much time anymore.” He is working on a story titled: Time (working title). It is about “a kid accidentally finding that there’s an other worldly organization of fae creatures that function to ensure war doesn’t break out.” You can find Roland on Instagram, @softloserboy, and his old Wattpad account, @TheClownMan, to keep up with his writing journey.

And finally, we have 16 year old Lily Chovanac. She has been writing for about seven years (since she was in the fourth grade). She is heavily inspired by “different takes on mythology and watching the natural world around me. Just being able to observe”. And this really shines in her writing. Every writer has their specialty, and her’s is world building. Her style is depth, detail, and decorated. Everything is by design, she is like a loving and merciless god, creating new worlds just to kill her characters. Her favorite book/ author is “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo. Her current manuscript is titled “Zhenaras’ fall”. When I asked her for a brief synopsis, I received a mile long essay and it was all masterful. To sum it up, Zhenara is a stable and great nation which features five main groups: Humans, spirits, feral, reapers, and angels. There is so much going on, this book is going to be magical. You can follow her on her instagram, @_shion._ .

More and more writers have been joining the community, and they all bring something new to the table. We can all learn a lot from each other. And as this community grows, so does our skills. If you’re an aspiring writer, you’re welcome as a part of our community. If you aren’t you’re still welcome to join the discourse and read all you want. This is an open and loving community. There are so many excellent writers through out this school that also deserve recognition but alas I picked the first four that responded. Creative writing will continue to grow and prosper not just at Hays, but everywhere.