With his first novel published and his third one underway, Brayden Hirsch is not your average teenager.
Hirsch says that as a child he was always trying to entertain people, telling stories. Now, the Abbotsford local is an author.
His book, Shadow Catalyst includes five thriller short stories that have a paranormal twist. It took him only 10 months to write.
In addition to his regular class load at Abbotsford Christian Secondary School, Hirsch writes a minimum of two hours a day.
This winter, he will be teaching two workshops on suspenseful writing on Washington’s Whidbey Island.
“I’m fairly normal outside of my writing life,” Hirsch said, laughing.
His stories delve into subjects that are mysterious and dark, and are always set in places that Hirsch has lived or visited.
His imagination takes care of the rest.
“It’s what Stephen King calls the boys in the basement. The ideas are always there.”
After placing in a few short story contests held by Steward House Publishers, the agency approached Hirsch and asked him to write a novel.
The company, based out of the Puget Sound region, took him out to lunch and Hirsch signed his first contract.
He sees writing as a job that he could have one day, and therefore treats it that way.
Sitting down to write for hours is not the most enjoyable thing, Hirsch says, but seeing the finished product is worth the effort.
He dedicated his book to his grandfather, a man who Hirsch calls a captivating storyteller.
Hirsch hopes to have a few more books published before heading to college or university.
“I’m not someone who wrote a book. I’m a writer.”
Hirsch will be signing books Nov. 5, at Hemingway Books, 33765 Essendene Ave.