Many people come to North to share their life, careers and skills. On September 20, author Mindy McGinnis shared how her interest for writing began at a young age. McGinnis also speaks to the importance of picking a career based on what one would find enjoyable.

   “I’ve always liked dark books since I was young so much so that it wasn’t even a conscious thought. It’s kind of just always been there. So I’ve basically only written fiction, it’s what I enjoy and what comes easiest. But interestingly enough I’ve never had any training in writing, I pretty much learned from reading and went from there. Something I find interesting though only 1% of writers make a living through writing, so the smart move is to find something else that you want to do for the rest of your life to make a living, and then write on the side. I couldn’t afford to leave my full time job until my 7th novel was released, and even then, it was still a struggle,” McGinnis said.   

   One of the librarians at North, Katie Fisher who organized this event, spoke about a few things on how this event came to be at North.

  “We hosted a visiting author named Mindy McGinnis. We had the opportunity to invite McGinnis because she was in the area for LitUp, which is a YA literature festival that MidContinent Public Library is holding. So thankfully we were available to have her come to North,” Fisher said.

   McGinnis was brought to North because the librarians felt she would connect well with the young audience that makes up the school.

   “She’s amazing at holding her audience’s interest because she was so comfortable with the students. They felt like they could see themselves in her which is why we brought her in, to keep the young interested and get a chance to know the voice behind the books,” librarian Connie   King said.