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Spark Your Story is a deeply personal and powerfully candid memoir-essay hybrid that follows the journey of a young, autistic, biracial teenage girl navigating creativity, identity, and self-worth in a world that doesn’t always make room for people like her. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote Spark Your Story because God inspired me. A young teenager like me couldn’t do this alone. I feel like I’m doing the Lord’s work with every book published. Writing is a very fulfilling mission as well. I know that people are blessed with each word. Maybe even more teenagers will be touched by my story. Perhaps this will inspire a new generation of young authors.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
It was less about lessons and teachings and more about giving the world a piece of myself. I wanted to be seen, and I thought if people saw me, they’d be inspired. Think of this book as a gift to you and everyone who desires it.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?
The most challenging part was the section on bullying. It wasn’t because of the prose or the skill required to write, but because it reached into a vulnerable part of myself. Those pages were stained with tears. I may be a fifteen-year-old author, but I’m not perfect. I’m hurt too. And writing that was like cleansing the wound. It may have stung, but crafting it was a significant part of my healing. It helped me rise above the teasing I experienced.
The most rewarding part would have to be the amount of people touched by my words. My heart goes to those who smile at the colorful pages, scribble notes in the margins, and go on to write books of their own. Readers like those are some of the greatest blessings of being an author.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
I hope readers learn that you’re never too young or too inexperienced to achieve. Hard work and intellectual skills can be developed at any age. You can do it. You can write a book. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you are willing to put in the time and effort, you too could become an author or intellectual.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Spark Your Story: Musings of the Teenage Author
L.A. Thigpen’s Spark Your Story is a deeply personal and powerfully candid memoir-essay hybrid that follows the journey of a young, autistic, biracial teenage girl navigating creativity, identity, and self-worth in a world that doesn’t always make room for people like her. Through lyrical prose, diary-like reflections, and bursts of poetic insight, Thigpen charts her transformation from a shy dreamer into a published author, wrestling with schoolyard cruelty, internal conflict, and the heady pride of achievement. The book swings between narrative storytelling and heartfelt advice, tackling themes of bullying, neurodiversity, minority representation, and the relentless pursuit of creativity.
Reading this book felt like sitting down with someone raw and real—someone who isn’t afraid to spill their soul. What struck me the most was the voice. It’s urgent. It’s poetic. It’s completely unfiltered in the best way. Some pages sing with metaphor and beauty. Others slice through with blunt emotion. There were moments that felt like I was reading the words of a seasoned author, and then others where her teenage fire and vulnerability shone clearly. That inconsistency was honest. It made the book feel alive. The mix of prose, journal entries, rants, affirmations, and analogies (the wren motif especially) stitched together a voice that’s wholly unique.
Parts of the book felt tangled. There were times I wanted to stay longer with one idea. It’s chaotic. But maybe that’s the point. Thigpen isn’t trying to hand you a neat memoir with a tidy bow. She’s showing the mess of coming-of-age, the war between self-love and self-doubt, the push-pull of wanting to belong and choosing to stand out. The unfiltered format might not be for everyone. But for me, the emotional bursts and creative zigzags were what made the book engaging and relatable.
Spark Your Story is a love letter to outsiders. A manifesto for young creators. It would resonate with anyone who’s ever felt out of place, especially young women, neurodivergent teens, and aspiring writers. It’s also a reminder to the rest of us that genius doesn’t come with age—it comes with truth. I’d hand this to every middle schooler feeling invisible, to every dreamer who’s been told “no,” and to every adult who forgot what that fire felt like.
Pages: 111 | ASIN : B0DKDBDK8C
LITERARY TITAN 