By Trenisha Wiggins
The Birmingham Times
Jade Stewart is persistent. The Irondale native spent almost a year searching for a literary agent to help secure a publisher for her debut novel.
“I got rejected by 33 literary agents,” she recalled.
Stewart then took matters into her own hands. After doing extensive research, she found Amazon’s CreateSpace, a program that provides tools for self-publishing and distribution of creative materials.
“I basically created my book from that site,” said Stewart, 23, whose first novel, “FATE,” was self-published Feb. 23, 2016.
Stewart, who currently lives in New York, will be in Birmingham on June 23 at 10 a.m. for a Meet the Author event at the Irondale Public Library. She is a 2012 graduate of Jefferson County International Baccalaureate (JCIB) High School, where she began her writing career.
Bullies
“FATE” is a young-adult fantasy story about a girl named Ophelia St. Cloud, who moves from the Bronx, N.Y., to Buffalo, N.Y., to attend a new high school in her junior year. She deals with everyday problems of high school, like bullies, as well as the supernatural.
“Growing up, I was always interested in the supernatural,” said Stewart.
One of her favorite shows was “Sailor Moon,” a series about a group of supernatural girls who fight to defend their kingdom: “I always though Sailor Moon was a cool kid—her and the sailor scouts.”
Stewart said her book is inspired by “Sailor Moon,” pop culture, and even many of her own experiences. In the novel, the lead protagonist, Ophelia, comes face to face with a bully, a situation that was familiar to Stewart.
“It’s very loosely based on the different things I faced when was in school,” she said.
Stewart remembered an incident when a girl asked her to do her work for her: “I told her no, and she kept bothering me because I was much smaller than she was. I did not have the courage to verbally tell my teacher, but I ended up writing a letter and put it on her desk to let her know this was happening. The reason I include the bully in [the book] is because I know these things happen, and they can happen to anybody.”
‘Very Strong Girl’
Reading novels in high school helped shape Stewart as a writer.
“Different books [written for] my age group had female protagonists that were either damsels in distress or started off as strong characters and ended up getting sidelined by the male protagonist,” she said. “I wanted my story to be about a girl who is very strong but also very kind and doesn’t let anybody push her around.”
In her sophomore year, Stewart wrote short stories, one of which was so inspiring that she had to continue.
“I felt pretty confident in wanting to be a writer the minute I started writing,” she said. “It’s one of the best choices I’ve ever made.”
After graduating from JCIB, Stewart attended Loyola University New Orleans, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Writing; she minored in French. She is currently working toward a Master of Arts degree in Writing at New York’s Columbia University.
Big City
Moving from Irondale to New York was an adjustment, Stewart said.
“I thought it was culture shock when I moved from Irondale to New Orleans, but moving from Irondale to New York is a huge difference. My first couple of days on my own, I did not have central air conditioning in my apartment,” she said. “I dealt with weird people. People are still out and cars are still being driven at four in the morning—I mean its New York, the city that never sleeps.
“After that first month in New York, I finally got acclimated to living there. I love walking, taking the subway to different places like Washington Square and Times Square. It’s been a great experience for me so far.”
Though she considered returning home, Stewart can’t see leaving the Big Apple because of “the writing mecca” that is New York: “There are different publishing houses, and there’s a large literary pull.”
Whether she becomes an editor at a publishing house or embarks on a career as a full-time writer, Stewart wants to continue her current journey. She has already written sequels to “FATE” and wishes to continue Ophelia’s story as a series into her adulthood with the “St. Cloud Chronicles.”
Stewart encourages young writers to be persistent.
“Never stop writing because you never know where it is going to lead you,” she said.
To order Jade Stewart’s “FATE,” visit www.amazon.com/Fate-St-Cloud-Chronicles-1/dp/1530535190.
