Name: Adia Wideman
School: Alto Elementary School
Passion: Writing realistic fiction and fantasy
Lowell — There are a lot of stories going on in Adia Wideman’s head.
She’s got seven books in process right now, several with well-developed plotlines, such as the story of a girl named Ceci who finds confidence and her passion by riding horses, and the tale of a girl named Bronwen who steps into a magical land filled with adventure.
Adia often curls up on a beanbag in front of her family’s fireplace with her Chromebook and brings her characters to life.
“I love my characters. They are some of my best friends,” said the fifth-grader, noting that she becomes inspired by her characters’ bravery and growth, and that writing about overcoming struggles helps her develop confidence.
‘My stories are my own separate world. Half the time I’m not even here on Earth.’
— fifth-grader Adia Wideman
I hear you are working on a writing project. What’s the story there? Adia is writing a children’s book for her aunt and uncle, Aaron and Renee Dekrow, to sell at their coffee shop in Midland, Michigan.
“They had given me a writing booster journal for my birthday,” Adia explains, “and I was showing them some of the little blurbs I’ve written in there, and they were like ‘Oh, my gosh.’”
They invited her to write a book for their shop, and she’s been busy working on it.
“I have my first draft done. My grandma is my editor.”
The book, titled “Love Oak”, is about a girl named Marie who has a large oak tree in her front yard, Adia said.
“It’s where she prays, where she sings, where she does everything, and it’s her only friend until there’s a new girl at school, and she invites her over and they end up sharing the love of Jesus and the special spot together.
“I plan to make it as honest to my writing and as beautiful as I can make it. I’m really, really excited to get it published.”
When did you become interested in writing, and how did you develop your passion for it? As third-graders, Adia and her best friend, Simone Wrobleski, created a story called “Runaways” while playing in the woods and started writing it together. It has developed into a trilogy.
“That was my first true novel. Obviously, I was in third grade so it was very horrible, but I’ve been revising it and I have lots of other stories. It’s been really great.
“Simone is my partner in crime. We do collab stories where our characters will meet in the stories. She has been a huge part of my writing journey.”
Said Simone: “We combine our ideas with everything. We help each other out when we are writing. It makes our stories a lot better than if we did it ourselves.”
Tell me more about what you write. “For the most part, I write realistic fiction. I have one or two fantasies. … I have, like, seven different stories right now that I just have fun with. One I have started is called Mysticalia. It’s about this girl … who lives in an old cottage with her single dad and she doesn’t know her mother is the queen of Mysticalia, a magical land beyond the horizon.”
What do you love about writing? “Just the idea of making the ideas that flow through my brain a reality, and that maybe someday it could be a real, published book — that’s so amazing to me. My stories are my own separate world. Half the time I’m not even here on Earth.”
How did you learn to write fiction? “It just kind of came naturally to me. I’ve been really getting into writing stories for about three years and being able to go into my own world and be me through my characters. That’s really helped me keep going and get into it even more.”
What do you like to read? Adia cited author Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories books and author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.
The first few paragraphs of Chapter One of Mysticalia, by Adia Wideman
I stare wistfully out the window, watching the world go past. Oh, how I wish Father would let me go out of the house more often. Sure, our cottage is cozy, but the outside world is so bustling and alive.
The only places outside the cottage Father will let me go are the library and the park, both of which I love. But if I could be completely free, even for one day, it would be just lovely.
I peek over my book at Father as he naps before I bury myself back into its pages. Even though I do want to see the outside world, I would miss Father terribly if I did. He’s all I’ve got.
Unlike other children, I don’t have any friends. It looks quite fun, though. I like to watch the kids laugh and play from the window, or from the porch.
I stare at the words of A Wrinkle in Time, absorbing the knowledge it’s giving me. Suddenly, Father stirs and sits up straight, flattening his graying brown hair. I bury myself deeper into my book. Often, Father is irritable and distant with me. One minute, we are talking, the next, he’s whisking away, frowning about something or other. I think that’s because of my mother.
Just after I was born, my mother disappeared. Most claimed she died. There wasn’t a drop of evidence, but that’s the only conclusion folks could come too. I often wonder about my mother, and if she really died. I mean, you just never know.
“I really like fantasy and realistic fiction – the stuff I write is what I read. I love connecting with characters whether it’s someone else’s book or my book or my best friend’s book. It’s such a relief to me to get out of my own world for a little bit.
“I feel like all books have little bits and pieces that help me be stronger and be who I am. Books make me so happy.
“I also love reading out loud to my little siblings. They are almost 9 and 6. I am currently reading them “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen.
Who has helped you in your writing? Adia said her parents, Matthew and Amanda Wideman, have supported her and cheered her on.
And fifth-grade teacher Dan Wright has led her to write essays, tall tales and realistic fiction.
“Mr. Wright is really cool. He’s really taught me a lot because he’s not scared to be a critic, and that’s a good thing. I like being critiqued on my work because it lets me know what I need to fix and work on, but it also gives me a confidence boost, like ‘I’m not doing everything wrong!’ He’s been really amazing.”
Do you plan to pursue this professionally? Envision yourself 10/20 years from now. “I do envision myself becoming a published novel author. Probably something else too.
“Also, this is kind of a childhood dream – I would love to teach horseback lessons. I’m a horseback rider, and I love kids.”
What are some of your other hobbies and interests: “I love drawing and baking — “As long as I’ve got a recipe and a messy bun I can go in the kitchen and do what I’ve got to do — and just being social. I love being around people.”
Read more from Lowell:
• Into the wild: young adventurers test survival skills
• Fifth-graders pull details from book to build dioramas
