The Grey Butterfly {H.S}

Thank You

Hey everyone. I wanted to write something to all of you, so here goes.....before I wrote The Grey Butterfly or even thought of the idea I knew that I wanted to be an author. I loved to read and I love to write but I didn't always used to love it to be quite honest I hated reading. The only books I owned where the ones my grandparent got me every christmas that I  knew I would never read but a couple year back, maybe more something caught my attention Twilight caught my attention. This was the first book I ever read and what I loved most about it is that it was mine, no one would even see it or read it the way I did, it was as if I lived the story. I cried through the sad moments and laughed through the funny ones and from then on I knew that reading was my passion but writing at that point I hadn't found in myself...yet. I always had silly storys from my english class that I didn't take seriously until a teacher at my school as she put it 'saw something in me' she told me about a poetry competition for wateraid, I had to write a poem about water. At this point in my life I had never even picked up a book of poetry or read a piece without it being school work so naturally I was confused as to why me of all people she gave it to. Anyway long story short, I missed the deadline and never got to enter the competition but I had nothing to enter anyway. I threw the leaflet to the bottom of my junk drawer but weeks later I came across it again and made myself write it and a week or so later and like five paragraphs written I had finished it and honestly I loved it, I loved the freedom and the power I had when I wrote because It could be about anything. No body can tell me what to write.

So a couple months had passed, I no longer had the same English teacher but I still continued with writing poetry. But the thing about my poetry is I can only write about sad things, I don't think I have ever been able to write a poem about something that has made me happy. I had one piece and I called it fearless it's about bullying. I've been bullied before so I felt that it was one of the easiest pieces I've ever written and I put it into a weekly poetry competition try thing, honestly I don't even know what it was but I submitted it knowing that nothing would ever come of it. I would say around 5-6 months later I got something though the post saying they wanted to use my poem in a teen poetry book! Me, something I had written, I was now officially a published author and I was only 14 I then from that got a personally award for my school.

I continued writing, It's what I did when I was sad, when I was happy. It was how I expressed my feelings but I mainly kept it to myself.

It was now April 2015 and I had another English teacher..again little did I know at that point she was one of the best people that walked into my life. She was tall and towered over everyone in my class and from a distance I do admitt she scared me, she looked like one of those strict teachers that you would say nothing to make no personaly connection with, all they would do is help you pass the class that was it but I was wrong.
I had to have a creative writing piece in my folio and at that point we were studying Romeo and Juliet and were told to pick the topic of love, death or conflict but me being me I obviously chose Love. I had so many ideas, she helped me after classes, I knew she knew I loved writting so so much but eventually though some stuggle I can up with the basic story line of The Grey Butterfly. She helped me a lot and through a whole week 6 hours every single day I wrote and I wrote. My mother though I was crazy and my brother knew I would bite him if he disturbed me but eventually I finished it. I handed it in and I got amazing, amazing feedback. From there I used that as my plan to write the whole story. She is no longer my English teacher and I think I cried for a week when I found out I wouldn't be getting her this year but even still she has helped me. She askes me how I'm enjoying my new class (she put me up for our highest english class) and when I had to do my individual talk in front of a room full of people she came to me and she told me things that I have heard before but coming for her I think I actually believed her and because of her I did my talk and because of her I wrote The Grey Butterfly. She is the most amazing English teacher, no she's the most amazing teacher I have every had because she has shown me who I really am.

I know that The Grey Butterfly had come to an end but I don't think I can express how grateful and happy I am that so many people have loved it. I never ever thought that people would think it would be even worth 8.1k because In the three months I've had this uploaded that's how many people took the time to read it and just from reading comment and Private messages I never know you would love this story and much as you all do. It really is amazing.

I don't know how many of you will actually read this but I wanted to write it even if it's just for me. I wanted to thank you and I also wanted to ask if you would share your story with me, tell me a bit more about yourselves because I would love to thank you all individually. Once again thank you and don't cry because there is still more to come of Mariana and Harry....

Love Laura xx