tl;dr: My book is a thing! It’s a thing you’re gonna get to read! Celebrate with me!

Long version: When I was six, I decided I wanted to be an author. Not much has changed.

Ahh, youth.

When I was fourteen, I finished my first full length book. There were dragons and a lot of unintentional sexual innuendo.

When I was seventeen, I applied to Stanford with an application that said, more or less: “Sup I know you have a lot of CS applicants but I think YA books are the shit and I’m gonna write some so maybe let me into your school maybe?”

(I know. I’m still surprised they accepted me, too.)

When I was eighteen, I queried a literary agent for the first time.

When I was twenty-one, I signed with a literary agent.

When I was twenty-one and a half, I got a book deal.

I am still shocked—nay, awed—nay, flabbergasted—that I am so lucky. I always had a distant sort of dream that I would have a book deal as I was graduating college. The fact that I do is impossible to wrap my head around.

I’ve actually known about the deal for about a month, and waiting to announce the news has been a really “fun” exercise in patience. The circumstances of the deal are also rather exciting, since I was taking calls from my superhuman agent and all-around delightful person, Danielle, and various editors during spring break. Which I spent in Vietnam. Which is, uh, a few time zones away from New York.

Look at these cool traveling companions! They were very patient with me as I said things like, “I think this editor really understands the emotional core of the book!” and “I have to take a call at midnight with the editor of Graceling. Have you read Graceling? Okay, I’m gonna tell you about Graceling.”

Danielle ended up negotiating the deal during my first week of spring quarter, and I accepted (with the aforementioned incredible editor) in an auction. The fact that not just one, but multiple fantastic editors wanted to work with me and my writing, is still fairly astonishing. All of them would have done awesome things with my book.

But I am beyond excited to be working with Kathy Dawson. Kathy has edited/championed some of my favorite books in the whole world (go read Graceling and Chime, please and thank you and you’re welcome).

So what now?

Now I edit my book. Edit and edit and edit! (Good thing I like editing.)

And since (this is also still crazy exciting) that note in the announcement says two standalone fantasies, it means I get to work on a companion novel.

So that’s where I’m at. Writing. Editing. Pinching myself at regular intervals.

I owe a huge thanks for all the friends who put up with my long ramblings about the publishing industry and an even huger thanks to all the parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who supported this dream, told me I could do it, and most of all, just really love books. There is genuinely nothing that inspires me more than seeing someone I care about reading voraciously.

I’m going to start posting on this site more regularly to update everyone on the status of me/my writing/this book. I am so grateful for all of your support—I can’t wait for the next few crazy years.