While most might spend their free time relaxing or catching up on Netflix, Niles’ Natalie True, 18, spends most of her time working on her third novel.
After publishing “Remembrance” and “Decrepitude” last year, True is working on the next part of “Remembrance.”
Despite her success as an author True recalls a time as a child, when she did not find much enjoyment in reading.
“I was not a big reader, actually,” True said. “It took a lot to get me to read.”
It turns out, though, she only had to pick up the right book to discover her passion for reading, which would eventually encourage her to become a writer.
True hoped to share that passion with Ballard Elementary students Thursday, as she visited the class to read one of her favorite books, “The Dork Diaries” by Rachel Russell.
“It is one that I really enjoyed growing up,” True said. “I really enjoyed it, because it is kind of like a girl’s perspective on the whole thing. I thought it would be something for them to enjoy.”
The book is in similar fashion to the popular “Whimpy Kid Diaries” by Jeff Kinney.
True said her love for reading began around the seventh grade when she was being homeschooled. At the time, True said she did not have many friends or a hobby to occupy her time, so she started reading more.
“Reading became a giant part of my life,” True said. “You get to escape into these different worlds and you get to be someone else for a while, so I just love it. I hope that I can inspire others to find the light of reading, too.”
As she read aloud to Joann Ripley’s third-grade class, students listened attentively as the story was told. The main character is a young student, easily identifiable to the children she read to.
For True, inspiration can take any form. She said she encouraged young writers to think of any idea and try and flesh it out.
“Write anything,” True said. “It does not matter what anyone says, what anyone thinks. Get an idea, write it down and run with it.”
For True, inspiration for her book “Decrepitude” came during a conversation from her brother, who was talking about a day in his class, where a professor theorized what would happen if zombies and vampires were pitted against one another.
Another useful tool to become a better writer is simply to write, True said.
The young author first discovered her knack for writing during a writing contest in the sixth grade. True said she wanted to be an actor when she grew up, so for the contest she began writing a script. But after finishing the script, True said she realized there was more to say, so her mom suggested she write a book. That script soon became her book, “Remembrance.” The book is about two siblings in foster care named Veronica and Tyler. When Tyler is kidnapped, Veronica sets out on a quest to find him. The second part of the book is expected to come out this summer, True said.
When she writes, True said she writes something that as a child she would have enjoyed reading.
Additionally, True participates in National Novel Writing Month, where writers are challenged to write 50,000 words from the beginning of November to the end of November.