One Good Kid: The Power Of A Teen's Imagination
- Date: 2008-08-13 - Word Count: 581
Share This!
This new century is not kind to teenagers. Increasingly exposed to adult themes, living in a world of melting icecaps and crumbling economic dreams, they still must deal with all the classic adolescent angst. Will I be liked? Will I be loved? Who am I?
Every day, it seems, we see stories of teens self-destructing: falling victim to bullying, acting out in violent ways, desperate for love, escaping through drugs, living in private iPod worlds. And then there's Ketaki Shriram, novelist.
At 16, while caught up in preparing for her senior year in high school and readying her college applications, Ketaki has also managed to publish the fantasy novel she wrote at 13, Sorceress of the Himalayas (Crystallius Press, $17.95).
"Through writing, I have been able to grow as a human being and understand the depth of certain emotions in a more complex manner," she says. "The more I wrote, the more I learned about myself and my world view."
As parents of adolescents know all too well, one of the most difficult things for a teenager to do is to take a long-range view. Teens live in the "now"-deeply feeling the pressures and slights of today and deeply unconvinced that tomorrow can be different. Learning perspective and patience are the keys to maturity.
While Sorceress of the Himalayas has a youthful heroine, the maturity of the storyline comes from just such a perspective. The central character has to deal with such issues as discrimination, bullying, abandonment, lost love and even death, but they aren't the focus of the plot. The heroine rises above them on her quest to save the world and those she loves.
"I have been inspired to write by people and events that have happened around me as I have grown up," Ketaki says. "Writing Sorceress was not only a way for me to teach others to look beyond their daily lives, but also a way for me to teach myself."
Channeling her energies into writing started early. A good student, Ketaki has always enjoyed reading and writing, and completed her first short story, for a local book fair, when she was 8. She finished her first long-form fiction, a fantasy tale, at the age of 10, discovering a passion for fantasy in the process.
While Ketaki has the classic "good kid" profile - student body president, opinion editor on the school paper - she's also a typical teen, confessing "I became (and still remain) involved with my story to the point where I sometimes end up thinking about the characters or setting during a math or chemistry test!"
"What I often found was that the events occurring at a given point in time in my life would influence the kinds of scenes I wrote in the novel, and the way it progressed. This allowed a variety of emotions to seep into my book, sometimes subconsciously inserted as I wrote," she says.
Both the book and its characters are remarkably unselfconscious. Set in Asia in the 1800s, the book is free of both modern pressures and teen angst; the heroine is too busy dealing with an important quest to do more than notice the obstacles of peer pressure and discrimination that sidetrack many teens.
Keeping busy while looking forward is what's driving Ketaki Shriram these days. "I am currently a junior in high school, which means that I don't have much time to write anymore! When I do get the chance, however, I continue to experiment with different plots, characters, and even different universes in my writing."
Every day, it seems, we see stories of teens self-destructing: falling victim to bullying, acting out in violent ways, desperate for love, escaping through drugs, living in private iPod worlds. And then there's Ketaki Shriram, novelist.
At 16, while caught up in preparing for her senior year in high school and readying her college applications, Ketaki has also managed to publish the fantasy novel she wrote at 13, Sorceress of the Himalayas (Crystallius Press, $17.95).
"Through writing, I have been able to grow as a human being and understand the depth of certain emotions in a more complex manner," she says. "The more I wrote, the more I learned about myself and my world view."
As parents of adolescents know all too well, one of the most difficult things for a teenager to do is to take a long-range view. Teens live in the "now"-deeply feeling the pressures and slights of today and deeply unconvinced that tomorrow can be different. Learning perspective and patience are the keys to maturity.
While Sorceress of the Himalayas has a youthful heroine, the maturity of the storyline comes from just such a perspective. The central character has to deal with such issues as discrimination, bullying, abandonment, lost love and even death, but they aren't the focus of the plot. The heroine rises above them on her quest to save the world and those she loves.
"I have been inspired to write by people and events that have happened around me as I have grown up," Ketaki says. "Writing Sorceress was not only a way for me to teach others to look beyond their daily lives, but also a way for me to teach myself."
Channeling her energies into writing started early. A good student, Ketaki has always enjoyed reading and writing, and completed her first short story, for a local book fair, when she was 8. She finished her first long-form fiction, a fantasy tale, at the age of 10, discovering a passion for fantasy in the process.
While Ketaki has the classic "good kid" profile - student body president, opinion editor on the school paper - she's also a typical teen, confessing "I became (and still remain) involved with my story to the point where I sometimes end up thinking about the characters or setting during a math or chemistry test!"
"What I often found was that the events occurring at a given point in time in my life would influence the kinds of scenes I wrote in the novel, and the way it progressed. This allowed a variety of emotions to seep into my book, sometimes subconsciously inserted as I wrote," she says.
Both the book and its characters are remarkably unselfconscious. Set in Asia in the 1800s, the book is free of both modern pressures and teen angst; the heroine is too busy dealing with an important quest to do more than notice the obstacles of peer pressure and discrimination that sidetrack many teens.
Keeping busy while looking forward is what's driving Ketaki Shriram these days. "I am currently a junior in high school, which means that I don't have much time to write anymore! When I do get the chance, however, I continue to experiment with different plots, characters, and even different universes in my writing."
Related Tags: business, meditation, death, imagination, teenager, heroine, discrimination, adolescents, bullying, lost love, abandonment, new book, ketaki shriram, contemporary fiction, sorceress of the himalayas, crystallius press, teen angst, teen writer, teen read
Ketaki Shriram has been crafting compelling stories from the tender age of eight, when she completed her first short story for a local book fair. Over the next few years her love of writing grew so intense that by age 10 she had completed her first long form fictional story. By 13 she had completed her first novel, Sorceress of the Himalayas (Crystallius Press, $17.95), which she is now publishing at age 16. When she is not writing, Ketaki, an outstanding student, is highly active in her high school's student government (as student body president) and is opinion editor on her school newspaper. She is currently working on her next novel. www.sorceressofthehimalayas.com Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Top Riding Toys For 201
Children love the excitement and adventure that can be found by cruising on their own ride on toy. W - Picking the Best Size Bike For Your Child
Bicycling can be a great way for your child to get a little extra exercise. Learning to ride a bike - How to Help Your Kids Through Difficult Events
Even as a child or adolescent we may face challenging times when things seem to be crashing down aro - How to Make Your Home Safe For a Young Child
New parents often spend weeks preparing their home for the arrival of their new baby. While there is - 4 Things to Know Before You Buy a Diaper Bag
Some things to keep in mind before you purchase the diaper bag are the following: material, the cost - Exciting Food Suggestions For Kids
Making kids eat healthy food is a big task every mother goes through. With kids pre-occupied with pl - Add Modern Touches to Your Toddler's Room With Modern Toddler Bedding
Decorating a child's room presents parents with several different challenges simultaneously: Choosin - When Should You Be Concerned About Your Baby's Health?
Your baby's health is one of the most important and delicate things that you have to keep abreast of - Having a Happy and Healthy Baby With the Benefits of Baby Massage
Mothers have known for centuries the benefits of baby massage, the world over. In many Asian countri - Diaper Bags And Their Uses
Parents usually need to take diaper bags along with them if they out on a trip. Especially, if the b
Most viewed articles in this category:
- The Perfect Parent...Who Are We Kidding?
I get the feeling that there are a lot of moms and dads out there that feel they're not measuring up - Partial Breastfeeding - Should I Even Bother?
For some women, feeding a baby with breastmilk alone is not possible. The reasons for this vary. For - Skateboarding In The Eighties To The Present
Skateboarding traces its roots to the seventies but it really reached the peak of its popularity in - How Breastfeeding Benefits A Daddy
You know that breastfeeding is best for mother and child, but what's in it for Dad? Isn't he going t - Child-Appropriate Costumes: Violence, Sexuality, And Insensitivity
So your daughter wants to be Wonder Woman for Hallowe'en, or your son wants to be Batman. They're bo - The Evolution Of Vitamin B5 For Acne
I came across the benefits of Vitamin B5 6 years ago whilst searching for an acne treatment that act - Depression And Teens - Six Signs That Your Child May Be Suffering From Depression
Most people are now aware of the seriousness of depression. This has become much more common and mor - Parenting Teenager - Take Time For Your Teen!
BookWire's "Year in Reviews Magazine," December 2006 issue, lists a review of my book "Help Me With - Why It's Important To Follow A Healthy Diet When Pregnant
Pregnancy is one of the most physically enduring times in our lives, and it is more important than e - Sleep Separation And Your Child
It seems harmless enough, lying down with your child while he goes to sleep, but it could be that sl