- Sierra Burchby is already a published author at 11 years old.
- She's currently working on the third novel in her debut book series, and her first two books are about to hit library shelves in the Fox Valley area.
- Watch the video to learn more about Sierra, and what future projects she has planned.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"I'm really, I'm kind of proud of it. And I'm excited to keep writing for my new series."
Sierra Burchby is 11 years old. She is a student at Horizons Elementary School in Appleton, and as of August of this year, she is also a published author.
It all started with a school assignment.
"The assignment was to write a narrative about something that you liked. And I like Minecraft, and I like writing. So, I put them together."
But she didn't write just one book.
"This is the first one, and this is the second one. They're called The Games, and The Griefers of the Three Dimensions."
Sierra has completed two novels set in a world based on a game called Minecraft. She says her books are partly inspired by a series called "The Hunger Games."
Her third book is already soon to follow.
"I'm maybe three-quarters of the way through writing it. And I have a plot for the last few chapters and how I'm gonna wrap it up."
Sierra's mom says that seeing her daughter follow through on this dream has been a joy — albeit a somewhat unexpected one.
"This was totally her. We didn't even suggest it – solely her the whole way."
She says her daughter's passion led the whole family to develop new skills.
"We had to do some research and talk to different people, and I say we've had some help from, from friends and from her editor to kind of help us along the way. But this is all new to us. We were learning with her."
Sierra says that her fans can expect much more from her after this series is completed.
"I have a notes page on my phone of some ideas that I have."
And her ideas are consistently fantastical.
"Well, my next series is going to be about the, like, mystical beasts that nobody hears about anymore."
And her love for reptiles might find its way into the next book. She has a 5-foot ball python named Severus Snake!
And some school libraries and public libraries, like the ones in Menasha, Neenah, Kaukauna, and Kimberly, will be carrying her books as soon as their orders come in — likely within a few weeks.
You can also order Sierra's books on Amazon for $7.
Sierra's imagination and determination prove that the place where fiction meets reality in the middle... is on the pages of a book.
