Charlottesville High School has many talented students, this week we focus on senior Kaymin Hester who is in the middle of writing a book. In the interview Kaymin answers questions about her book and will hopefully spark an interest in CHS to check it out when it’s done.

Q: What is your book called, and what is it about?

A:  I actually don’t have a title yet! Hopefully, it will come to me soon. But the book itself is a fantasy reimagining of a real historical event: what would the Val Camonica witch trials in the early sixteenth century be if witches actually existed? The book follows Catalina de Rossi, an Italian noble who harbors a life-threatening secret: she is a witch. Though she initially tries to keep her head down and her magic concealed, she is eventually discovered by Piero, her fiancé, best friend, and unbeknownst to her, a member of a merciless witch-hunting group called the Order of Exodus. While on the run, she meets Nicolo, who blackmails her into joining his plot to assassinate the Bishop Inquisitor Peter Durante; Durante doubles as the head of the Order, so Catalina embraces this opportunity to end the organization once and for all. However, Piero is still hunting her, though he has his own religious and moral reckoning to contend with. As Catalina, Piero, and Nicolo grapple with their tumultuous pasts and uncertain futures, each must decide what defines the bounds of morality, and what actions are excusable by intention alone. 

Q: How far along are you in writing?

A: I have 14 completed chapters, around 51,000 words, and would estimate that I’m about 1/3 of the way through. For context, fantasy novels are generally between 50,000-150,000 words and YA fantasy (which is what I’m writing) is around 90,000-100,000. However, though my word count may indicate I’m over halfway through, I feel like there’s so much left to explore with my characters that I might actually have to cut some things when I come back to revise! 

Q: When is the release date of your book?

A: Keep in mind I don’t have an agent or even a publishing deal yet, so as of right now I have zero answers about release dates and availability. 

Q: What advice would you give students who are interested in writing their own books?

A: Plan, plan, plan! Don’t micromanage your plot; it will change while you’re writing, that’s almost certain. Instead, plan your characters. Get to know them. Plan your universe before you write a single word; know where you are, find a home there, and then write your story. I also suggest having what I call a goal chart: each character has a goal, an inhibitor (something that gets in the way of that goal), and a response. The response will dictate their next goal, which will follow the same pattern. If you encounter writer’s block, put on some loud music that matches the vibe of your book and take a shower or go for a drive. What would you do if you were in the situation yourself? What would you like to read if your book was something you bought at the store? And my last tip is to write something every day. I’m saying this hypocritically because I definitely struggle to do that, but even if it sucks, make time to write something. It doesn’t matter if you hate it; it could easily become a great draft for something later down the road and it will keep your story moving. 

Q: How long have you been working on your book?

A: I technically started my book last March. I say technically because I started worldbuilding in early March and didn’t start the first chapter until mid-April. It seems like a long time to spend worldbuilding and planning, but it was incredibly useful to me. My worldbuilding document is 7.5 pages long and I’m still adding to it regularly.

Q: What inspired you to start writing your book?

A: Honestly, TikTok. When I started this book, I’d already been writing something else, but it wasn’t well planned out at all. I was struggling to move forward with it because the lack of planning meant there were a lot of plot holes. So, I was on BookTok (book TikTok) and I was thinking about how badly I wanted to read a book about enemies to lovers, magic, dangerous women, and quippy men. I had so many ideas for all of those tropes I’d seen on TikTok. And so, I decided to write that book. 

Q: Do you hope to continue your writing career in the future?

A: Ideally, yes! I want to pursue a different career, but writing is amazing because it’s something I never have to give up, no matter what my day job is. I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a poetry workshop led by Irene Mathieu, who is both a published poet and a pediatrician. She’s absolutely incredible and I hope to follow in her footsteps one day, especially since my career aspirations are in the medical field as well. 

Q: Do you plan on writing other books in the future?

A: Yep! I already have another idea in mind: more magic, but entirely fantasy this time, with a world I’d love to live in myself.