Student publishes novel

PEA RIDGE — By age 14, seventh-grader Disney Humphrey will have a full-length novel published and in the hands of readers.

The novel, the first of five in a series called Tales of 9-11 Runaways, is titled “Meeting the General.”

Humphrey, daughter of Les and Kathy Humphrey of Garfield, is originally from Rogers and has been a student at Pea Ridge for four years. She plays softball, a little bit of guitar and enjoys hanging out with her friends. She also is one of the editors of the Pea Ridge Middle School weekly newspaper,The Blackhawk Banter.

“I have always liked writing. Since second grade I wanted to be a writer,” she said. “Usually I write at school, pull out my notebook when I get an idea. The best thing about snow days is I would get to work on my manuscript.”

Humphrey’s novel was 10 months in the making. She began with thoughts of the main characters, Zach and Danielle, floating in her head and said somehow everything just fell into place. She first wrote the beginning, hit a major case of writer’s block, wrote the last three chapters and then filled in the rest.

Humphrey has accomplished at a very young age what some only dream of.

Tate Publishing, which accepts less than five percent of the manuscripts submitted for publication, will showcase this talented new author, introducing her work to theworld. Donna Chumley, who first read Humphrey’s manuscript, said, “What impressed me about Humphrey’s work is her ability to show the reader what is going on. This is something even accomplished authors struggle todo, and here is a young writer who instinctively connects with her readers.”

“Looking up information was the hardest part, mainly the stuff about 9/11 and what actually happened that day,” Humphrey said. She turned 5-years-old the day after that tragic day in 2001 - the day others will never forget but may never be able to put into words.

The series is expected to be five novels, taking place in five different states. Humphrey has already started getting ideas together for the next book. She said the characters in the novel are completely made-up, but their friend, Kiki, is based on a real-life friend of hers.

“Some of the events (in the book) I’ve heard from other people, they start telling me something and I’m already forming it in my head, clicking everything,putting pieces together,” she said.

The publishing process began when Humphrey’s father read about a teacher in Rogers getting her work published with Tate. One week later, she sent in the first chapter and waited.

A month and a half later, her father got the call.

“I was at school when I found out,” Humphrey said.

“We were in the fish bowl (computer lab) and Ms. Terry came over intercom and said ‘Attention teachers and students ... According to my English teacher, I turned 15 shades of red.”

The editing process includes a month to look at grammar, three months for character development, time for the cover design and layout and the last two months for marketing.

“It’s kind of scary. I love J.K. Rowling but her firstHarry Potter book took something like 17 tries,” Humphrey said.

She doesn’t have to wait that long.

Kathy sees this as only positive for her daughter’s future, in which Disney saidshe is definitely going to college.

“Since the announcement, she’s come home and said so and so’s writing, it’s inspired kids,” Kathy said. “What I really want for her is to use this as a positive influence.”