The power of writing
THE 2011 death of Redwall series author Brian Jacques was a turning point for Matthew Newman: It made him realize that he wanted to be an author.
Matthew, a recent graduate of Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina, was introduced to Jacques’ work when he began reading the Redwall fantasy (奇幻) novels in the fifth grade. “I fell in love with it. Brian Jacques is my hero.”
At that time, Matthew was having a hard time making friends, and the books were a comfort. Even after he developed a group of friends, Matthew always appreciated how the stories got him through a hard time, and they became a big influence on his own writing.
As a freshman (新生) in high school, he was surprised how upset he was to hear of the author’s death. “I burst into tears,” Matthew recalls. At that point, he had already published his first novel, and Jacques’ death made him think about his future.
“If this man I’d never met had this impact on me – by writing words on a page – imagine the impact I could have if I could do that and make the world a better place. My life would be completely fulfilled (的).”
And so Matthew, now 18, has written two novels and is enthusiastic about a
lifetime of writing. He eagerly talks about writing and his passion for it, and about his desire to learn and improve.
“I’ve got this kid who is so exuberant (非凡的), but not in a kind of, ‘Oh, I know this,’ way,” said Eric Whiteside, who taught him creative writing at Hough and now teaches English at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“He’s like, ‘Teach me, I want to learn to be a better writer’.”
Matthew practices his craft (技巧) daily, at least for an hour. “I have a need to write every day as I have a need to breathe every second,” he said. “I can’t imagine life without it.”
That wasn’t always the case. Matthew loved to read, but he hadn’t considered writing a book until the fifth grade, when his dad suggested it.
He came up with an idea for a five-part fantasy series and finished the first book, The Castle in the Wishing Well, in the eighth grade. “It’s very ‘Lord of the Rings’-esque (《指环王》式的),” he said.
Matthew has decided he wants to begin his career from a business standpoint and get into the administrative (管理的) side of the publishing field, then work on publishing his own books.
Matthew said he’s using his experience with self-publishing – which involved
illustrators (插图画家), editors and graphic and internal designers – to learn how the industry works. He’s also a proponent (支持者) of self-publishing. He believes it’s the future of publishing and likes it because authors get to keep the rights to their content.
But profits from writing, Matthew said, aren’t his main objective (目标). “I want my writing to be about reaching out to people and helping other people.”
By Lindsay Ruebens
Word building
novel n. 小说
Dickens wrote many novels.
comfort n. 安慰，慰藉
Whenever he was upset, he would turn to his mother for comfort and advice.
publish vt. 出版，发行
Her book was published last year.
enthusiastic adj. 热心的，满腔热情的
He is enthusiastic about helping others.
breathe vi. 呼吸, 喘气
He stood there breathing deeply.
involve vt. 包括，涉及
These changes will involve everyone in the company.
profit n. 利润
This new invention will bring him great profits.
Reading check
Read the article carefully and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. The death of the writer Brian Jacques made Matthew Newman realize that he wanted to be an author. ( )
2. Jacques’ book comforted Matthew when he was having trouble making friends. ( )
3. Matthew wants to write books in order to make the world a better place. ( )
4. It was Brian Jacques who encouraged Matthew to write his first book The Castle in the Wishing Well. ( )
5. Matthew has a passion for writing and has decided to make it a lifetime thing. ( )
6. Matthew first decided to write a book in fifth grade, and finished his first one the following year. ( )
7. Eric Whiteside thinks that Matthew is a talented and modest boy. ( )
8. Matthew likes self-publishing because he thinks it will bring him big profits. ( )
答案：TTTF TFTF
