Morgan Hughley wrote a 155-page young adult novel titled A Time For Everything as her senior project. She chose writing a novel because she has always loved stories and dreams of being a published author. Hughley outlined her story, wrote the novel over many hours, and worked with an editor to revise her draft. After designing a cover and formatting the book, she published both print and e-book versions. Though the project was challenging, Hughley is proud of her accomplishment and believes the experience prepared her for a future career in writing or publishing.

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Morgan Hughley
Ms. Tillery
AP Literature
April 18, 2012
Senior Project Speech: A Time For Everything
[Recite excerpt from novel] This is the storyline I created. My name is Morgan Hughley,
author of the young adult novel A Time For Everything, which I present to you today as my
senior project.
I created A Time For Everything as my product in both printed and electronic form. I
brought a copy of each for your enjoyment. Please feel free to look through both.
I chose writing a book for my senior project because I dream of someday becoming a
published author. Since I was little I have always had a vivid imagination. This led me to
experimenting with storylines and character development at a very early age. The list shown only
consists of a handful of topics that I have come up with. Numerous book ideas flow through my
mind on a daily basis so it would only make sense that I write these ideas down and share them
with the rest of the world. Personally, I get great enjoyment out of sitting down and reading a
meaningful book. Due to this love of reading, I want to take my writing ability, mix it with
dedication and a powerful storyline, and bring the joy of reading to other individuals as well.
Once I knew what I wanted to do for my senior project, it was time to start researching.
The topic of censorship interested me because it is a major problem that a lot of writers face. Just
recently, a mother in Gwinnet County tried to ban the Harry Potter books, arguably one of the

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most famous series in the world, because of its relation to the Wicca religion. While this certain
mother did not win her case, the situation showed me that no matter how good a book is, there
will always be somebody who does not like it. Although this research did not help me in the
completion of my actual novel, it did prepare me for the future. I am going into the field of
writing with the mindset that I will never be able to please everybody. This allows me to write a
story for me instead of trying to focus on the likes of the rest of the world.
After my research, I started the outlining process. I bought a journal to write down any
new ideas that came to me and I brought this journal with me everywhere, not knowing when
inspiration would strike. [Show journal] Putting my ideas on paper helped me to create a
complete storyline. I was able to make an outline of the main events of my novel which
definitely helped me in the writing process. Being able to write down my ideas at any point of
time made creating my senior project easier and more enjoyable.
My favorite part of the process was the actual writing of my book. I would sit down at
my laptop for hours at a time and just write, creating a whole new world from just the ideas in
my head. To help inspire me, I would listen to classical music and read different types of poetry.
As well, I researched and found information in my Bible that helped support my character,
Jonah, and his belief in a higher power. I loved sitting down to my music, all my resources in
arms’ reach, and crafting a storyline filled with drama, faith, and romance. Writing my book
gave me a way to express my beliefs on paper and share those beliefs with those around me.
However, once I completed writing all 155 pages of my novel, my work was nowhere
near done. Elspeth Male, another student here at Creekview, edited my book for her senior
project. Once I was finished writing a chapter, I would send it to her and she would give it back

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to me with her edits and thoughts on my storyline. I would then make the necessary corrections
to my writing, sometimes changing whole chapters and ideas around. This was a process that,
although I did not at time enjoy, was necessary.
With revising my novel completed, it was time for me to focus on the layout and design. I
needed a cover photo to make my product complete. I, along with my editor and another friend
that I used as model, took pictures on a railroad track for my cover and back display. Once the
pictures were taken, they were then edited and uploaded to the computer, where I designed the
layout. This was a process that only took a few hours.
My last step in creating my novel was to have it printed and published. I brought a copy
of my book to Kinko’s, where they bound it with a spiral. I then uploaded my book to Kindle
Direct Publishing, filling out a few questions about my novel. From that point, it took twelve
hours and then my book was available for purchase to anybody owning a Kindle with ninety-
nine cents to spare.
However, I would not have been able to create my product without help from my advisor.
Farris Yawn, of Yawn’s Books & More in downtown Canton, was my project facilitator. I chose
him to preside over my work because of his knowledge in publishing and his expertise in dealing
with writers. We had meetings on the first Wednesday of every month where he would bring in
published authors to teach me new skills and share their experiences with me.
On the other hand, even with good advisement, there were still many challenges to
writing a full length novel: creating a setting and characters, learning to manage time effectively,
and carrying out a complete storyline to name a few. With this said, there were two main
problems that outweighed the rest. Even though I have written other stories, I have never worked

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with an editor before the Senior Project. It was difficult for me to adjust to another person’s
deadlines and it was even harder for me to hand over my work for critique. I take my writing
personally, my very stories coming straight from the heart, so when I’m told to change
something about it, I take that personally as well. However, I knew the editing was for my best
interest so I simply had to put my feelings aside and work diligently to create a great finished
product. My other problem was something I assumed was just a myth or an excuse used for
unmotivated writers. However, I was soon proved wrong when writer’s block struck me too.
About halfway through the novel, I was completely stuck. While I had an idea of where I wanted
the story to go, the journey getting there was a lot harder than I anticipated. To overcome this, I
made a full and detailed outline starting at chapter fourteen and ending at my epilogue. This
made it easier to write and allowed me to defeat my writer’s block.
I did not need to make many changes to my novel other than the necessary revisions
given to me by my editor. I did, however, have trouble picking a title. Throughout almost the
entire process my book was titled Collision, but at the end I found that this title did not correlate
with my storyline. I chose the title A Time For Everything, based off a verse in the Bible, literally
the day I uploaded my book for publishing.
Writing a book is hard work, but it’s hard work that I love to do. The Senior Project gave
me experience in dealing with deadlines and showed me how to handle a heavy workload. This
process also taught me that not only do I like to write, but it is something I would love to pursue
in the future as well. In the fall, I will be attending the University of Georgia and majoring in
English with an emphasis in creative writing. My goal is to become a publisher or an editor. I
will also continue my writing in the hopes of one day becoming a published author.

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While at moments the senior project was stressful, I believe the end result was worth it. I
have grown as a person because of this experience and I have learned the dedication a writer
needs in order to have a professional finished product. The Senior Project was an outlet for me to
tell one of my stories and I cannot wait to share this story with the rest of the world.
Thank you for your time and attention. At this point, I will now answer any of your
questions to the best of my ability.