Phoenix Whytock had her first novel published at age 17.
French class gives Phoenix Whytock, 17, a headache. She loves dancing and playing the guitar. Her favorite reads include everything by Jane Austin and W.E.B Griffin. But unlike most kids her age, Whytock is a published author of a book of short stories.
“The Good, Bad and Everything In Between” in print since August 2011, contains stories ranging from romance to heartbreak, from life to loss. But this novel was not planned from the beginning. Instead, “The Good, Bad, and Everything Inbetween” was almost an accident.
“I didn’t plan on writing a book of short stories,” Whytock said. “But I kept writing them for people.”
Whytock also wrote short stories to combat writer’s block encountered when working on her two current full-length novels, “24” and “The Black Forrest”, stories about mystical worlds and fantasy. But with a pile of short stories laying around, many soon suggested that Whytock take this collection of odds-and-ends short stories and put them into a novel.
“I want people to take away a sense of inspiration and a feeling of something accomplished,” Whytock said, “feelings of adventure and that you can go on.”
“The Good, Bad, and Everything Inbetween” contains stories that cover the whole gambit. The short story “Never Let Me Go” even had the author in tears through choices that had to be made with characters she loved, particularly the ones that had to die.
“I was bawling my eyes out!” Whytock said. “But I end up killing my characters all the time.”
Throughout her writing career, though, it’s been Whytock’s family that has inspired her writing. In fact, the name Whytock means “the family of scribes” in Scottish. But it wasn’t just the name that inspired Whytock’s love of stories and storytelling.
“My dad told me sea stories instead of fairy tales,” Whytock said.
Whytock’s advice for the aspiring writer stems from words of wisdom her mother gave to her when she was just beginning to write.
“Read everything, even if you don’t like it or think that it’s boring,” Whytock said. “Don’t make a cliché plot. (Your book) doesn’t need to be grammar-correct either. It just needs to be yours.”
Reading all sorts of literature, Whytock explained, is the only way to get a good grasp on language. But you don’t have to be an English wizard to write a good book.
“Spell check and I are secret lovers,” said Whytock, who writes every Saturday as a part of her author’s schedule. “I write no matter what.”
“No matter what” includes working through writer’s block as well, the reason that many of her short stories were created. Sometimes, though, Whytock just needs a break to collect her thoughts before going back to write.
“I’ll step away from the computer,” Whytock said. “A lot of authors don’t to that. But I write the scene in my head and come back later. Sometimes, I’ll play a song over and over to help me write a chapter.”
