Montgomery County Native Pens Dystopian Novel About…Montgomery County
Eight-year-old Amy Ginsburg fell passionately in love with writing after scribbling a story about her favorite stuffed animal in a spiral notebook.
Things have changed drastically since those spiral notebook days. Ginsburg has now independently published her first novel, “The After Days,” through Amazon. The book is available beginning today.
Born and raised in Montgomery County, she decided to set her story in the Pike District of North Bethesda.
“I was tired of reading dystopian novels that featured sullen teenage girls or men with super powers saving the world. … I grew up, raised my children, and now live within a mile or so of the Pike District, though it was called Rockville and North Bethesda back then. It’s a wonderful place full of wonderful people, and I knew instantly it was the perfect setting for ‘The After Days,’” Ginsburg told MCM.
Not only is Ginsburg a passionate novelist; she also works as the executive director of Friends of White Flint, a nonprofit composed of residents, businesses and property owners working to transform the Pike District and with Capacity Partners, helping nonprofits share what makes them great.
“The After Days” idea started three years ago with several different drafts, but Ginsburg never gave up on her dream. In the book, the characters deal with a lack of power, working together to survive.
“It may take many decades, but career dreams can come true … because the end result is absolutely worth all the hard work. Sharing my writing with friends and strangers was scary, but now that I’ve done it, those fears have disappeared. Also, I’ve worked my way around the novel learning curve with The After Days, so perhaps next time, there will be only 10 drafts, not 20,” Ginsburg said.
Ginsburg hopes to produce a sequel for “The After Days.”
“I genuinely love to write. Sometimes it almost feels god-like, since I get to decide who lives and who dies, who falls in love, who gets hurt, who survives, and the characters are real, living people to me,” Ginsburg said.
Engage us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Tweets by @mymcmedia