Victoria Shockley, a sophomore in English, was recently named CHASS student of the month for January, thanks not only to her dedication and workload, but for reaching a goal that many other English students hope to achieve one day: publishing her first novella.
Shockley originally wrote the novella, tentatively titled The Elevator, in her high school creative writing class. When she began working at Wandering in the Words Press, she anonymously submitted her novel for evaluation.
“When I got the job with Wandering in the Words, [my boss] had just started it and was looking for submissions,” Shockley said. “I didn’t put a name on it because I expected a rejection. She ended up emailing me back.”
Shockley said she had never expected to actually become a published author but is glad to have been given the opportunity. The novella itself is based on the model of classic fairy tales and takes place in a magical world.
“My novella is a fairy tale aimed at children,” Shockley said. “It’s about a gnome that works in an elevator and three businessmen get stuck in there.”
Shockley said that she thinks the story itself is rather quirky and weird. The Elevator features a breakfast theme, with characters such as Queen Hamalot inhabiting the world.
While the novella was aiming for a release in early February, Shockley said that they are currently planning for an April release, which will provide time for more edits and revision. This will also include a possible title change.
“I called it The Elevator because that’s what I titled it in high school,” Shockley said. “It’s not really an eye-catching title.”
Wandering in the Words currently aims to make the novella available in book stores around the Triangle, as well as on Amazon.
While Shockley has a rough idea of her goals after college, she is using the next few years to experience a broad range of opportunities. Alongside her work at Wandering in the Words Press, Shockley is an intern with the College of Engineering and a virtual assistant for a public relations firm. Shockley is also on track to graduate early and has plans to go for her Master’s degree.
Shockley said that while the novella was a surprise, she remains more interested in technical writing. As a writer, Shockley is more comfortable dealing with hard facts and a sense of structure to work within. Technical writing also lets Shockley explore her interest in science without having to deal with the mathematical side of it.
“I’m definitely drawn to it because I’m drawn to science,” Shockley said. “I definitely think it would be cool to work with NASA, and I’ve talked to some of their technical writers [online]. I chose to veer away from the science sort of major.”
Shockley plans to continue building her network and preparing for life after graduation. Anyone interested in learning more about The Elevator or following the novella’s release schedule can learn more at wanderinginthewordspress.com
