Author Paige Agnew Tells GMO How Novel Starless Sky Came to Be

Wednesday, 05 January 2011 09:55 Written by  Administrator
GMO Staff

 Paige Agnew penned her first novel, Starless Sky, at the young age of 15. The novel, published in January of 2010, is about a young girl’s struggles dealing with the loss of a friend. Here, she tells GlossMagazineOnline how she came to write Starless Sky.

 

When she wrote Starless Sky

It was Halloween. I remember that day clearly in my head. I remember coming home and immediately going into search for my dog but finding him gone. Forever. Trying to sort out my feelings and make sense of situation that didn’t, I started writing. Nothing serious. Nothing, really that I even finished. The first line of it stuck with me, though. He was gone, without my permission, or consent, just gone. Forever. Those words, in a nutshell, seemed to sum up everything I was feeling. Those words are the same words that begin Starless Sky.

 

A writer is always a reader …

I am a proud bookworm. My room’s overflowing with literature of all kinds, and I think any avid reader thinks to themselves, at some point or another, about creating their own story, whether they execute it or not. Well, what I wanted to do was create a story that could tackle a serious subject without being too sad. A good cry is nice every once in awhile, but I’d rather enjoy a book with a smile than have a box of tissues next to me while I sob. When I started writing Starless Sky over a year past the death of my pet, I thought that I could incorporate some of the feelings of loss and grief that I had felt before, but present it in a way that was more hopeful than sad.

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Main themes …

One of the main focuses of the book is the metaphor of the earthquake and the aftershock. Starless Sky takes place during the aftershock. It’s the moments after the initial tragedy. Death, the earthquake, is the easy part. It’s the aftershock, the learning process of living without that loved one in your life, that’s the hardest. It’s an everyday struggle. Starless Sky isn’t about death. It’s about moving on from it and realizing that you need help along the way.

 

Inspiration …

My inspiration for writing Starless Sky, beyond desperately wanting to write a book of my own, was to create a story that could shed some light and a topic that’s usually dark. More than anything else, I think it is a journey, a coming of age perhaps. [The main character] grows a lot through the course of the story, and I hope audiences will take away something as well.

 

To learn more about Paige and her upcoming novel Seven, go to website: http://paigeagnew.com/.

 

 

 

Have you read Starless Sky? If so head over to the GMO Blog to let us know your thoughts! Look for a review from GMO to come!

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