Debut young adult fantasy novel “Flight of an Orphan Thief”
Embark on an enchanting journey with our alumna Shahnaz Radjy's debut young adult fantasy novel, "Flight of an Orphan Thief" (LGB, 2000).
Reflecting on her influences, Shahnaz Radjy shares, "Two of my greatest influences growing up were my older brother, who introduced me to Dungeons & Dragons and the world of fantasy, and going to Ecolint. Corny, but true. Both contributed to the foundations that led me to self-publishing my debut young adult fantasy novel, Flight of an Orphan Thief earlier this year".
Below, delve into her heartfelt appreciation for Ecolint and its profound impact on her journey.
How Ecolint enabled me to become a writer
In third grade, I remember negotiating with my teacher to take five books home. It was the eve of a holiday, and while she wasn’t sure I would use my day off to read, I was on the contrary wondering whether I should be bolder. Five books wouldn’t last at all, holiday or not!
One of the greatest gifts Ecolint gave me - other than introducing me to some of my closest friends - was the sense that I could do anything I set my mind to (or at least give it my best shot). No idea was shut down; I was given free rein to explore and figure out what worked for me and what didn’t. Without this empowering sentiment, I’m not sure I would have embraced my life philosophy: to always aim for the stars and go for my dreams, and compromise only if I fell short and landed on the moon.
Combined with the problem-solving skills and creativity I developed by first listening to and then participating in epic Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) quests, it’s perhaps no wonder that I ended up writing a young adult fantasy novel.
My debut young adult fantasy novel
Flight of an Orphan Thief is the backstory of one of my favorite D&D characters set in a world of my own creation. Ayla is young, angry, determined, and has very
few friends or people she trusts - and while she doesn’t quite know where she’s from or who her family is, she keeps telling herself she doesn’t really care. When she’s framed, her life as she knows it is over. Given a second chance, she gets ensnared in a web of intrigue between two merchant houses, and ends up in more trouble than she could ever have imagined.
It’s a story about coming of age and discovering things about yourself that you maybe should have known, but never saw coming.
If you’re not into fantasy, this might be a good place to start if you’re curious - it’s not a world that’s so full of magic and dragons that you’ll get dizzy before you even finish the first chapter.
The choice to self-publish
After doing research, I decided that it was more important to me to get Ayla’s story out into the world than it was to do it with the support (and recognition) of an agent and publishing house.
As such, rather than spend years querying agents, I preferred putting that same energy into getting my book published. Plus, if I was going to have to do most of my own marketing, I figured I may as well retain decision making rights for the cover design, interior design, and everything else - not to mention getting a larger share of the royalties. (If you want to know more, I share insights about my self-publishing experience on my author website.)
Then again, writing is something I do because I love it, and if I didn’t put pen to paper, my brain would be so full of stories that I wouldn’t be able to see straight.
If you have any questions about my author journey or Flight of an Orphan Thief, look me up! I’m on Instagram under @smradjyauthor and my website is www.sradjy.com.