ME
Hi everyone, my name's Caighlan Smith. Ever since I started school people have been mispronouncing my name, with good reason. I've gotten Kaglin, Caitlin, Collin-- once someone even called me Charlie. Mostly teachers, usually substitutes, would reach my name on the attendance list and pause for a very long time, at which point I'd tentatively raise my hand and tell them how to say my name. Throughout school, I was painfully shy, but this call-to-attention that came from my pig-Latin name, I got used to it. My mom always told me my name was taken from "girl" in one language, "warrior" in another. Which I liked, considering I am a girl, and what fantasy reader to-be fantasy novelist doesn't want her name to mean warrior? Still, I was shallowly upset at the fact searching my own name online resulted in nothing, except a little squiggly red line underneath it and an auto correct. Did you mean Caitlin Smith? It still does that, but now when I search myself I get results that actually correspond with the correct spelling of my name; results about my books. It's kind of worth it in that way, to have this ridiculous name for so long, so now when I search it the first hit I get is what I'm most proud of in my life, my novel.
The Novel
I say "The Novel" when inwardly I still think "My Novel." I can't help it. Even when so many people own a part of it now-- my publisher, editor, all the people who helped make it happen-- it's still my baby, still a piece of me that instinctively turns me possessive. It's weird. I feel like it's mine and I never want anyone to take it from me, but at the same time I want to give it away. I want people to love it and my upcoming novels as much as I do; so much that they become as instinctively possessive as me. Because as much as I write for myself, I write for other people. I want to give my readers what writers give me; a new reality, a new piece of myself, a new love. I want to share my writing and whatever it may give with everyone.
That Wasn't Really About The Novel, Was It?
At least, not the facts about the novel itself, the really juicy stuff. I didn't even tell you the title. It's called Hallow Hour and, to be honest, when it first came out I was embarrassed when people asked me the title. I was a jumbled mess of shyness, pride, and social awkwardness whenever my book was brought up. I wasn't used to talking about my stories, let alone stories that could now be acquired at the local Chapters, read or skimmed, and brutally criticized. The whole thing terrified me. Then I started going into schools and reading to different grade levels from my book, with question periods after the reading. That knocked the embarrassment and shyness right out of me. These students, they actually liked my book. I couldn't believe it! I'd stop reading, right after a monster had attacked, or when a mysterious new character arrived, and they'd want me to continue! Of course I wouldn't, because I'm a writer, and don't we have this nasty tendency towards cliff-hangers? (Don't worry, I never left off at too painful a spot. I'm not that mean.) Point is, after all of this-- of actually seeing, in person, the excited, glowing reactions I have to a book on someone else about my book-- well, let's just say I don't mind telling people the title of my novel anymore. Hallow Hour. Or the sequel. New Year. That one's going to be released mid-May, right before The Emerging Writers' Festival, and oh boy can you bet I'm excited!
Festival Excitement
If I'm ready to burst into happy beams of rainbows and sparkles at the thought of my next novel coming out, then a glorious iridescent unicorn will probably hop out of my stomach at the idea of attending this Festival immediately after New Year's release. As mentioned, it's called The Emerging Writers' Festival, held in Melbourne, Australia. Australia. As a youngster, I traveled around with my mom a bit, due to her job, but never have I gotten close to Australia. You know the Travel List, the one everyone has of places they want to see, at least once? For me, Australia is way, way up on that list. As in top three. Of course, I can't tell you which slot it takes, because that would be an early reveal, cutting the suspense. (I just can't turn off this writer business, see? It doesn't help that I'm also an English Major.) So the fact this Festival I've been invited to attend as a guest author is in Australia is one, huge thing, but the fact I'm being invited to attend as a guest author? I'm pretty sure this is one of those opportunities of a life-time that I've employed in past stories. (Or, you know, that I've heard of people getting in actual real life.) So to sum it all up-- hopefully eloquently, considering my chosen profession-- I, Caighlan Smith, 19 year old English Major at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who will soon have two novels out in a YA Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Adventure series, has started this campaign in hopes of going on her own fantasy adventure (I'll leave the post-apocalyptic for now, thanks.) I want to do this, more than anything. I want to share my novels with people all over the world, to bring them joy, excitement, entertainment, happiness-- whatever my novels, the novels, their novels, can bring.
So that's me, the campaign, the novel; or, at least, some of each. If it so behooves you, check out my website:
http://www.caighlansmith.com/ (this is the first hit when I search my name!!!!) and if you want to know more about The Emerging Writers' Festival in general, check out other authors attending and such, just give it a search! I can guarantee no sassy search engine's going to correct you on this one!
