Magnolia North, a student here at Sequoia Grove, has become a self-published author at just sixteen years old. After months of hard work writing, editing, and drawing, Magnolia— better known as “Nolie”— finished her book Absurd the Bird, which is now available on Amazon and Kindle Publishing.

Self-publishing is a long and taxing process that requires passion, self-belief, and a large amount of endurance. At just sixteen, Nolie carried herself with an excited confidence as she spoke with me, answering each question with a wide smile and quick laugh.

The North family has been with Sequoia Grove Charter Alliance for almost three years. Sporting homemade beaded bracelets, Nolie explains that she has been homeschooled since she can remember, but transferred to our charter because of the high school program we offer. Her mother, once a public school teacher, became a full-time teacher to her four children—Nolie being the oldest.

Her family played an important role in Magnolia’s ability to complete such a demanding project. The inspiration for her book was first sparked by her younger siblings: “Often, if I get stuck on something, I’ll just call out to them and ask them to choose something random. It really helps me not get stuck.”
Her work holds a playful sense of humor, and she often works together with her siblings to come up with ideas for her stories.

Homeschooling gave Nolie the time and freedom to follow her passions;

“I realized that because I am homeschooled, this really could be more of a now-thing, rather than a later-thing.” 

“You actually have time to do the things you are passionate about.” Her mother added. The flexibility and supportive environment allow Magnolia to manage her time and put her projects first. Her schedule gives her the room to challenge herself in new ways as she explores her creativity.

Of course, the journey wasn’t easy. Her book took about eight months to create, with the illustrations taking up the most amount of time. Using Procreate on her iPad, she researched shape language for her characters and added those skills into her designs.

She had created twelve different versions of her manuscript, deciding margins, page size, and other design elements. Through trial and error, she developed strong problem-solving skills while teaching herself the technical aspects of self-publishing. In moments of hardship, her mother reminded her, “You don’t have to wait until you’re graduated to start living your life.”

When asked what advice she would give to other students who feel too young to publish their work, she replied:

“The best thing to do is start where you are and go for it. You’ll get better along the way. It’s never too early to start, and as long as you’re determined, you’ll do something really cool.”

Looking ahead, Magnolia hopes to write many more books, using her digital illustrations. “Middle-grade fantasy novels are kind of my thing,” she said brightly. “I’m definitely considering making a series out of this one too, using all of the characters.”

In the meantime, she plans to focus on her favorite Minecraft YouTubers and other art projects.

For Nolie, this is just the beginning to her writing journey.