Fueled by a long-time love of fantasy and free time between classes, senior kinesiology major Claire Banschbach wrote and had her first novel published.
Since the publishing of “The Rise of Aredor” in March 2014, Banschbach has been promoting the novel while encouraging fellow students to take the same literary leap. Sweet Eugene’s House of Java hosted Banschbach’s latest book signing Saturday.
The novel details the journey of Corin, who is kidnapped when he is a young boy and taken to a foreign land as a slave in the house of a lord. After he is freed, Corin returns home to try and find his family after his country, the titular Aredor, had been invaded. Banschbach said she gained inspiration for “The Rise of Aredor” from the large assortment of fantasy books she read as a child and teenager growing up in Midland, Texas.
“I read the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ and pretty much any fantasy I could get my hands on when I was little,” Banschbach said. “That’s why I started writing. I just wanted to make my own story.”
While always having been enamored with storytelling, Banschbach said she didn’t start writing until she was 17. Banschbach said that writing started off as a pastime, and that she submitted what became her book to a publisher on an impulse.
“It became a hobby that I am very fond of now,” Banschbach said. “It started off just kind of writing it in my spare time. I’d keep a notebook around, as well as a bunch of pens. I typed it all up and my sister, who’s an English major, edited it. I submitted it to a publisher on a whim. I found Tate publishing on a whim. They had a spot for submitting a manuscript online. They got back to me within a few weeks and offered me a contract.”
As a college student, Banschbach said balancing writing with her academic pursuits was difficult and she had to quickly organize her priorities.
“It’s difficult because obviously you have to put education first,” Banschbach said. “It was kind of a struggle, trying to balance everything. I wanted to keep writing, but I also wanted to focus on school at the same time.”
When asked what her advice was for aspiring writers, Banschbach said to make sure to persevere and continue writing, and to make sure to surround yourself with people who can help you.
“Keep writing, find people with similar interests,” Banschbach said. “Find people who like the same sort of stuff you do. Get as much feedback as you can.”
Banschbach’s next scheduled signing is May 24 at Hastings in Bryan.