Abu Dhabi: A high school project has paved the way for 17-year-old Jashan Singh to get her own book published.
Titled A Teenager’s Ultimate Guide to Success, the self-help book, released on July 13, includes anecdotes based on the girl’s personal experiences besides tips for teenagers to cruise through the wonder years.
“I just want to spread the word (to my peers) that as teenagers our lives don’t have to be as hard as we make them seem,” said Jashan.
The spark
Jashan discovered her love for writing at the age of 14 after one of her poems -- My Mommy Gave Birth To Me -- was published in a local magazine.
Last year, as a 10th grader at Raha International School, Abu Dhabi, she worked on an English class project on “teenager’s guide to success”. It was when appraising her work that her teacher John McDonald suggested she take it to a bigger audience.
In print
Taking heed, Jashan and her mother Shivani Singh soon began working towards turning the class project into a book.
“The writing took three months and the logistics took another three,” recalled Jashan, now a student of the Universal American School in Dubai.
“Being an avid reader, writing comes naturally to her. The essence of her skill lies in the way she connects with people. She runs a successful blog called Equipoise which is about things that inspire her. Her YouTube account focuses on teenage issues and how to deal with them,” said Shivani.
“The speed and ease with which she wrote the book just proves that any kid can achieve his/her dream if they are given a push in the right direction,” she added
Jashan, who will be in Grade 12 in September, plans to write more books aimed at teenagers. “I want to convey positive messages in a simple way,” she said.
The 80-page book is available at amazon.com. Price: $8.99
