Ethan’s Path to Publishing

Ethan is one of our talented Year 12 students who has immersed himself in the world of creative writing. Ethan’s short story was selected to be published on “Good Reading,” a popular website that showcases the best in literature and storytelling. Ethan’s story was featured in the Young Adult April/May issue.

When did you start creative writing and what do love about writing?

I started creative writing during Senior School at HVGS. I love writing stories because they can serve as a creative outlet for any stresses or anxieties I may be feeling.

What are your favourite fictional books and why?

I have a few favourites including, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” for the tone and mood of the book, as well as Dostoevsky’s portrayal of an unreliable narrator’s slow descend into mental anguish. I also really enjoy the absurdity and peculiarity of Franz

Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” . I also really like the world-building of “Dune” , and how Frank Herbert explores the power of religion and belief.

What does it mean to you to have your story published in Good Reading Magazine?

I am so grateful to have my story published and I am excited to see how I can further pursue creative writing in the future.

Do you have any tips for students wishing to get into creative writing?

The key way to improve in writing is to be curious and actively read. As a learner, I still have so much that I am yet to read, understand and learn. Even if I do not pursue writing in the future, I would like to continue learning, growing, and improving. When I write, I am almost in a perpetual state of procrastination. I am constantly questioning if what I am writing is good or not. This often limits me because I am more focused on that than on my writing. I am trying to break this bad habit.

My second tip is that it is better to write something bad than nothing at all because practice will make you improve.