I’ve had a bit of a break over the summer holiday but what an amazing post I have for you at the start of this new academic year!
I am delighted to be featuring one of the youngest (if not the youngest) authors to date on Childtastic – 12-year-old Elara Vilar, who has written and published her first novel, The Dragon’s Lair: Quest for Freedom.
I knew Elara from when she attended St Michael’s CofE Primary School. From a very young age, it was obvious that she was and incredibly talented writer. Her creative writing was exciting and unique, and the comic series she created called Blibbety Blob about a hilariously evil villain has become a firm favourite in the Library – with fans throughout all years. Elara also wrote one of the best nonsense poems I’ve ever read, rivalling Charles Dickens and Edward Lear in originality, so I never had any doubt that she would become a successful author if she decided to follow that path.
Elara left St Michael’s to go to secondary school and, to my utter joy, carried on writing. You can imagine my excitement when I heard that she had written a full-length novel – a great achievement for anyone of any age, but for someone so young, at school full time, an extraordinary feat.
Today, I am delighted to introduce you to Elara – a future bestselling author in the making.
1. What made you want to write a book in the first place?
So, there I was, reading a book about a dragon that somebody had recommended to me. But honestly, I didn’t enjoy it. So, I said, “I could do a better job!” Then, out of the blue, my dad comes up with his laptop and plops it right in front of me. His reply was: “If you think you can do it better, why not give it a shot?” I didn’t expect that at all, but it got me thinking.
I started imagining how I’d write my own dragon story. And guess what? I started typing the first words of my very own adventure. At first, the idea of my story being an actual book felt very distant, like a dream I might have, something that might happen or might not.
But as I kept writing and we began looking for people to help with making the book all polished and shiny (editors, formatters, cover designers), my confidence started growing and I started realising that this whole idea of getting my book published was becoming more than just a daydream. It was like a tiny light that might turn into a big, bright reality.
And you know what? It’s been an exciting journey so far. My adventure story took shape, and it became a real book that people can read! It’s like the beginning of a big, amazing adventure of its own.
2. What was the inspiration for your story?
I was inspired by several different things that gave me a boost to start writing. First, there was this story called “The Dragon’s Treasure” that I didn’t really like. And, of course, my dad putting his laptop right in front of me, saying, “If you think you’re better, show it!”
Then, there’s Mrs. Pope. She wrote this great book, “The Haunting of Lindy Pennyworth,” and it made me see that if you put in the work and have the talent you can make a good book.
My time at St. Michael’s Primary School was a big part of it. Teachers there were all about creativity and boosting people’s potential. I even went to this “Creative Writing” after school club, and it was really inspiring. The teachers were showing me new things and giving me and the other kids a big boost of confidence towards writing.
People always said I had a knack for writing, and that really pumped me up. Having my parents and teachers cheering me on gave me the guts to write a whole book, and I’m really thankful for them.
I cannot forget that my first year at Swan School was amazing too. The teachers there helped me get even better and more confident. They made my creative side burst out in full colour. As you can see, a combination of amazing things got me into this writing adventure!
3. Briefly, what is the book about?
It’s about a girl called Alice, who gets kidnapped by a dragon, and her two best friends, Dylan and Paul, who go to her rescue. They are assisted by an explorer called Woody, who is on a mission to destroy the dragon.
Their journey is filled with adventures. Along the way, they discover the true meaning of bravery and friendship and learn to harness their strengths and overcome their fears.
4. Why did you choose fantasy as the genre rather than another type of book (eg comedy, ghost story, etc)?
I find that I prefer writing fantasy in general, because the story can be as strange and full of nonsense as I want it to be. If I want to make the characters have magic powers, I do. If I want to throw a few ogres or witches into the story, nothing is stopping me from doing so. I like it because it lets your imagination go free and there is no limit to your imagination. There are no rules to how the story has to go.
The best part is that it lets my imagination go totally bonkers, and there’s no limit to what I can dream up. No rules holding me back!
I have just finished writing another book, this one about Roman mythology, and I am starting work on a guidebook about a famous city. For these two I have to dedicate lots of time to do research about the subjects, and I have to make sure that all the information is very precise.
Another advantage of writing fantasy is that I don’t have to worry so much about copyright, because your imagination is unique; if I am writing a non-fiction book, I have to make sure that there are no books with the same wording or the same information as mine.
5. Was it hard writing the story? How long did it take you? And how did you find the time, with all your schoolwork and other activities?
Yes, at the start, it was tough. I had to figure out the characters, like who they were and how they’d all fit together. The plot was another puzzle – how the story would wrap up. But honestly, in the beginning, I didn’t have answers to any of these questions. So, getting going with writing was hard.
Starting a new chapter was often a struggle. But once the characters started taking shape in my head and their adventures started forming, things got smoother. Sitting down to type out my ideas became like second nature.
I was writing nearly every day and it took me around four months to finish the whole story. Finding time to write was tricky since most of it happened during school term. I was writing after classes in the evenings. Sometimes, I’d rush through dinner and dash to the laptop to dive into writing. Sometimes, I was late for dinner. And, okay, there were moments when I kind of left my homework a bit too late because I got lost in writing. My hair sometimes got ignored for a few days (sorry mum!). But hey, in the end, everything got done, homework included.
After I wrapped up the writing part, I sent it to an editor, then to a formatter, and got the ISBN number from Amazon. I sent it back to the formatter for that final touch. This whole process took about five weeks. Quite the adventure!
6. Have you shown it to your friends? What did they say? I am sure they must be impressed!
I have told most of my friends, and they have been extremely supportive, most of them buying the book straightaway, and sending the links to all their friends and family. They asked me lots of questions as to how I came up with the idea, and why I wanted to write a book.
7. Are you planning on writing any more books – either with the same characters or with new ones?
I have just finished writing an educational story book about Roman mythology for children, and I am starting a new one, a mystery adventure book that is also a tour guide to a well-known city (no spoilers!), and once that is finished, I already have plans for the sequel to The Dragon’s Lair: Quest For Freedom. I am hoping to write many more after that as well.
8. Do you want to be a writer when you have finished your education? If not, what do you want to do?
For a while being an actress has been my dream. I’ve been doing drama classes and performing in pantomimes and shows – it’s so much fun!
Writing books, though, wasn’t really on my radar. But I’ve started liking it, and I want to keep writing, even if I end up becoming a famous actress someday. And if acting doesn’t work out, hey, I’m totally up for making a living by writing books!
9. How did you find someone to do the cover and to design and publish the book?
I needed some serious help with this part.
My dad and I went surfing through freelancer websites (those are places where people get paid for doing different projects), hunting for editors, formatters, and proofreaders. We had to check their experience and skills, and previous projects they had been involved in.
The hardest part was finding a cover designer. Our initial idea was to have my brother, Yago, design a cover, as he is an amazing artist. He drew a great picture of a dragon, but once we started telling him all the other things we wanted him to add, it got too complicated, and we had to find a professional cover designer. We had to tell her exactly how I wanted it to be. This was the scariest part, because I had a clear image in my mind of how I wanted it to be, and it took a couple of weeks to get the image exactly how I had envisioned it. We also chatted about the size, colours, and the font of the letters. We had to work very hard together to bring my idea to life!
10. Do you have any tips for anyone your age wanting to write a book but not knowing where or how to start?
I would honestly say that it can be quite hard to get started. Motivation and inspiration are very important, but once you know what you’re going to write and you have all the ideas you need, discipline and consistency are the key skills you need to have.
If you have a great idea, write it in the moment. You have to envision your success. Sometimes, you just have to sit down and start writing. After that, the inspiration comes to you. It’s no good just sitting and thinking about it, you have to do it if you want to get somewhere.
If you have a talent, you should make the most of it, use it to your advantage. It doesn’t have to be just writing, but any special talent you know you possess, make sure you exploit it!
Thank you so much, Elara, for such an inspirational account of how you took the first huge steps into the world of writing. I am sure all my readers would join me in wishing you luck with the book – not that we need to as I am sure it will be a huge success!
Please head over to amazon to order your copy today and support a young author!
