Teen writer is already an author
AUTHOR: Ana Gilligan with Koda
PHOTO / PAUL BROOKS
At 17, Whanganui High School student Ana Gilligan is an author, and that's all she's ever wanted to be.
"I've wanted to be an author since I was seven," she says. "I've been working on a collection of short stories, and it suddenly occurred to me that I could have them published. So, at about 10 [o'clock] one night I put them all together and sent it to a bunch of publishing houses. I heard back from one and I didn't like it. About three months after I'd sent it, one came in the mail last week - an actual publishing contract."
The acceptance letter was from Austin Macauley Publishers, a reputable firm with offices in the UK, US and Australia.
"They said with optimistic views they think it could sell and they thought it was delightful and insightful," says Ana. "Such a compliment!"
Her stories are written with teenagers and young adults in mind.
"I really like to experiment with what I can do, so most of them are out of my genre. They're romance, and I typically wouldn't write that, and they're all based on the idea of soulmates. I'm very fond of them but it's not something I would pick up and read myself.
"I had the idea and thought, I'm going to write it, and it kept happening."
Ana has decided to publish her short stories under a secret pseudonym.
Getting her stories published doesn't come for free.
"I have to pay $4000 to get them published," says Ana, but Austin Macauley will do everything else, including marketing the book of stories.
The company has said in the contract that if Ana wants to publish anything else, they'd like first rights.
Ana is also writing a novel she hopes to publish under her own name. It's about the writing, but it's also about being a published author.
"I want people to fall in love with my characters and get to know them like I do," she says. "They're all very special to me."
Ana still intends to go ahead and study biology at university, with a possible career in the field of genetics ... or she may find that her writing takes off.
Ana's mum, Dionne, says her daughter has been a reader from an early age, picking up the Million Words trophy at Mosston School in year 6. Her reading is broad and varied, but she likes to be challenged. While she likes a good story, she can be critical of writing styles.
"I don't like reading from first person ... I don't like reading through someone else's eyes, I want to see everything, not just this person's perspective. Like reading The Hunger Games was very narrow, and while you got lots of opinions there wasn't a lot to see." And don't expect to see a lot of romance in her novel.
"I go to a bookstore and I pick up a book .. it's dystopian, apocalyptic, and then ... she's looking for a man! Or there's a love triangle involved. I cannot stand it!"
Ana is an equal opportunities writer - her characters are from a variety of races, cultures and gender perspectives. But first Ana needs to get her short stories published. She is looking at various funding ideas and has set up a funding page on-line.
Ana's Give a Little page is givealittle.co.nz/project/aspiringauthorana
By Paul Brooks
Wanganui Midweek 28/6/17