A sprinkle of inspiration, a dash of music, and a boatload of writing; these were the main ingredients that drove the self-publication of my debut novel, The Uncommon, at 18 years old.
The Uncommon combines my two lifelong passions—music and writing. The coming-of-age novel follows five high school musicians from New Jersey who form a rock band and realize that they all have one thing in common: they’re all uncommon from the rest of society.
Each of the characters have different backstories that make them unique, and they’re able to form everlasting friendships with one another through the power of music. The thematic combination of friendship, growth, aspiration, and music holds a very special place in my heart as it reflects upon my own life and virtues.
I wrote The Uncommon to inspire readers that being uncommon is an idea that should be embraced. So many young adults struggle with fitting in, but these five characters show that being different from society should be valued because it’s what brought them together in the first place.
They show that individuality is a wonderful thing, since it has the power to teach you about your true self, and help you understand exactly who you want to become. Without being true to themselves, their journey would never happen.
A book is more than just words on pages. Books send messages to their readers with the power to change lives, while transporting them into captivating worlds.
“[The story] is very different. It’s not predictable. The turn of events make you feel like, ‘wow, I didn’t expect that.’ My favorite part was the beginning; the way the characters are introduced is very unique and spontaneous,” said sophomore English student, Laura Pacelli.
What this huge writing milestone has taught not only myself, but also my readers, is that no dream is too big. As soon as I developed a passion for the craft of creative writing in the second grade, I knew I wanted to become an author. But I never would have thought I would have my first book published before the end of my first year in college.
The Uncommon became available to the public on Amazon, on April 23 of this year. As a self-published author, my responsibility of editing entirely on my own showed myself that I am capable of more than I realized. My brother, Justin Badamo, a senior health studies student, created a cover for the book that perfectly displays the combination of themes and characters.
The overall process of writing, editing, and publishing wasn’t an easy project, considering the roadblocks called “lack of time” and “lost inspiration.” Writing a novel is not a small task, but John Morano, Professor of Journalism, offered his outlook on the process.
“My rule is: start it, finish it. One completed novel is worth a dozen partially written stories. I try to focus on the project at hand and not allow myself to get distracted by other stories. As an environmental writer, that can be challenging. There are just so many important stories that need to be told,” said Morano.
As writing is my undying passion, I will continue to produce novels in the future, regardless of any obstacle that may come my way. As I work on my upcoming projects, which include a science fiction novel, a fantasy novel, and a collection of short stories, I will constantly be reminded of how magical inspiration can be.
Individual accomplishments never cease to inspire, whether they’re big or small. It is inevitable to have doubts every now and then, not only as a writer, but also as a Monmouth student.
As you work toward your biggest aspiration, not only will you inspire yourself along the way, but you will also inspire others. The positive feedback from The Uncommon verified that my endless devotion to this project was worth it in every way, since its powerful message will continue to influence readers all around the world.
“You can take [the message] in many ways. You learn not only about music, but togetherness and how people change through experience. It’s really interesting. It’s a very promising piece. I very much enjoyed it, and I think other readers will too,” Pacelli continued.
Not only have so many readers resonated with the message of The Uncommon, but they also formed a connection with the five main characters: Violet Oakes, Troy O’Donnell, Meili Tolman, Ashton Tyler, and Naomi Wing. Although they are entirely fictional, they have come to exemplify everyone’s individual ability to achieve their own goals. The characters’ true test of friendship appears on their journey to Los Angeles, representing the very real obstacles we have to face in order to grow and succeed.
Although our brain tends to automatically switch to the “giving up” setting when things get too difficult, nothing is more gratifying than reaching your goal and completing your work of perfection. The hours and hours of constant writing paid off in the end, and the moments of inevitable discouragement have only made me stronger, while reminding me exactly why I fell in love with the craft of writing.
If you have nothing but passion toward your goal, it’s only a matter of time before your inner-motivation will catapult you straight to success, just as I exemplified with the publication of my novel.
PHOTO TAKEN by Melissa Badamo
