Bar Harbor Eighth Grader Publishes Debut Novel
BAR HARBOR—For a lot of people, writing a novel and publishing it is a dream that requires time, persistence, and effort wrapped up with creativity. It can take years or months. And for some writers, it feels? Impossible.
Impossible isn’t a word in Shreya Hosur’s vocabulary.
No. Scratch that.
Impossible isn’t a word in the Conners-Emerson eighth grader’s personality.
This December Shreya published on Amazon, her first novel: Suspect #1. She uses the pen name Shreya Sanvi.
“Seeing it on Amazon was a great moment. It made the whole project feel a little more real,” Shreya said about the December 30 premiere of her murder mystery.
“It took me around three to four months to write, and another month or two for editing,” she said of the 183-page novel.
Murder mysteries are her favorite genre.
“So naturally when I sat down to write my own novel, the first thing that came to mind was murder mystery,” she said.
And, without spoilers, she explained the plot.
“It follows the perspective of two characters, Zoe, and Benny. Zoe is a quiet, intelligent, high school senior, who feels as though she doesn’t fit in well with the more privileged kids at Evermore High. Benny, on the other hand, is an easygoing sports star,” she said. “The two main characters, joined by some friends along the way, uncover the truth behind Blake’s murder. As they begin to piece together clues and crack codes, they quickly realize that the case is much more complicated than they originally thought. There are secrets hiding all around them, and the deeper they dig, the more they uncover about the people they thought they knew. Ultimately, it’s not just about solving Blake’s murder—it’s also about learning who they can really trust, and confronting some of their own personal struggles along the way.”
Shreya Hosur also isn’t about to stop writing now that her debut novel is out there in the world.
“Writing is something I do for fun, so the idea of sharing my work with others is super exciting. Personally I am always looking for ways to improve, and the process of publishing makes me feel like I’m taking my writing to the next level,” she said.
THE INTERVIEW
We were lucky enough to be able to interview Shreya and we wanted to present that in her own words because for a writer—and a human—words and having your own voice is important.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
A little bit of both honestly, because writing is something that I am very passionate about. I used to write a lot when I was younger, but I never really finished much. I’d start stories with all these big ideas, but I’d often get distracted or lose focus before finishing. It wasn’t until recently that I started pushing myself to actually complete a project. I think now I’ve learned how to stay focused and keep going, even when the process gets tough.
What was the hardest part about writing your book?
The hardest part was definitely editing. I printed out the draft several times and went through it, highlighting and making edits, then repeating the process. Print, read, highlight, edit—it felt like it would never end. While writing the novel took about a month or two longer than the editing, I was much more invested in the writing portion. The editing, although crucial, was a lot more time-consuming and challenging for me, but in the end, it was totally worth it.
What’s your favorite thing about telling stories?
My favorite thing about telling stories is seeing the reaction on people's faces, especially with a murder mystery like mine. It’s so exciting to watch someone get absorbed in the twists and turns of the plot. Afterward, I love talking with them about whether they guessed the ending or not. It’s really fun to hear their theories and see how they piece everything together, or if they were completely surprised by the reveal.
Do you think a big ego helps or hurts writers?
I believe having a big ego can really hurt not just writers, but anyone. It’s fine to be proud of your work, but there’s a big difference between that and letting your ego take over. If you go into writing your next novel thinking, “my first one was amazing,” it can shift your mindset from “I’m going to write the best I can” to “whatever I write is great.” And that can lower the quality of your work. It’s important to stay grounded and continue striving to improve with every project.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
I’d say my kryptonite is probably balancing the pacing of the story. I’ve noticed that sometimes the plot can either move too quickly or slow down in spots, especially with all the clues and mysteries I’m working into the story. It’s tricky to make sure the tension stays high without overwhelming the reader or losing their interest. I’m always trying to find that balance between keeping the story moving and giving enough time for important moments to breathe.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block? When finishing a book was just so hard?
I’ve noticed that some books I can finish in just a day or two, while others might take me a month to get through. Nonfiction, in particular, tends to challenge me more. I think it’s because the pacing and structure of nonfiction are different—there’s more focus on information than story, and sometimes it’s harder to stay engaged.
Do you want to call out your parents or any siblings or teachers for being cool or inspiring or helpful?
I definitely want to thank my parents. They helped me out a lot with editing, even though the process was pretty intense. But they didn’t just help with the editing—they also challenged me at the start to actually write and finish a novel or story. I’d never done that before, and they pushed me to follow through. Their support and encouragement really made all the difference, especially when it felt like the project would never be finished. I would also like to give a shoutout to all my teachers and friends at Conners Emerson!
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Acadia Brochures of Maine.
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I think this is the coolest thing ever. Go Shreya!