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Student Voice
Posted: 11.01.11
WORLD

Young Author Takes On Literary Challenge


Eva Rayne, age 17
Supreme Court Building
Eva Rayne is one of thousands of students participating in NaNoWriMo, an annual literary marathon that kicks off Nov.1 and ends midnight, Nov. 30. The project, which began in 1991, is open to both national and international writers. Participants are challenged to compose a 175-page or 50,000-word novel in the given period, while managing the responsibilities of daily life.
Why this Student Spoke Out
Eva Rayne is an avid writer who wanted to share her NaNoWriMo experiece with NewsHour Extra. We'll check back with her on November 30th and report her progress.

Tecumseh High School senior Eva Rayne is on a literary mission.

Her goal? To write an original novel within the next 30 days. To many, this feat might seem unfeasible, but the Michigan native said she is determined to make it.

"I’ve wanted to be a novelist ever since I was little, " she said. "I write all the time, but I lose interest ... with NaNoWriMo, I’m forced to keep writing."

This is the teen's seventh year participating in the annual event. As a matter of fact, Eva Rayne participated before she could even "technically" register.

"I started when I was 11, but you have to be 13 to officially join," she said. "So I just wrote. My work couldn’t be verified and I couldn't win, but that was OK, because I wanted to write.

This year, the young author's story tells the tale of identical twins who were switched at birth. The working title is "Who am I?"

Eva Rayne has successfully finished the challenge three times before, and she hopes this year won't be any different.


A bit about this Author

Graduating senior Eva Rayne is a staff member for both her high school newspaper and yearbook. Next fall, she will attend the University of Central Missouri where she will major in journalism with a minor in creative writing. Her favorite book is Blood and Chocolate, and her favorite authors are Norman Mailer and Vivian Vande Velde.


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