Nicole Steiner, a 16-year-old junior at Legend High School, recently returned home from the Disney Dreamers Academy, a mentoring program that gives advice and tools to teens to help them achieve success in their desired career field.
Steiner was one of 100 teens chosen out of 10,000 applicants nationwide to attend the four-day, all-expenses paid program at Walt Disney World. Her dream is to be an author and she was able to network with successful writers, and will continue to be mentored by professionals as she pursues her dream.
Along with three other teens, Steiner also wrote and recorded a song in the Disney recording studio about having big dreams.
The Parker Chronicle caught up with the aspiring young author for a question-and-answer session.
What specifically has influenced you to pursue a career as an author?
Once I learned how to write, the transfer from playthings to pencil came naturally. My parents gave me notebooks and a library card. In the third grade my teacher told me not to write so much… and I listened. My fifth grade teacher, however, encouraged me, so I entered and won my first writing contest. I have used both teachers as motivation. Truly, I want my readers to feel as I do while reading; baggy-eyed late at nights, sipping coffee, begging myself to stay awake through another page.
Which genre do you prefer to write?
Anything fiction! Lately science fiction and dystopian novels have been my fixation, but generally young adult fiction is my go-to. Crafting new worlds and fabricating societies is really fun because there are no limits. I also focus a lot on the interactions between my characters and their ever-changing relationships. As I like to say, characters are my co-workers, not my creations. They lead the story in the direction it is meant to go!
In what way will your experiences at the academy help you in achieving your dream?
DDA gave me two key factors for success: connections and inspiration. I’ve been privileged to network with authors and celebrities, including my new mentor, (author and corporate leader) Sonia Jackson Myles. These connections are designed to provide a career jumpstart for the teenagers who were chosen to attend DDA. The inspiring speakers taught me that the glamour of achievement is easy to see, but the sacrifices and hard work required are what make those achievements possible: “The dream is free but the hustle is sold separately."
