BookLife Talks with Axi Mok

Mok is 14 years old and the author of The Adventure to the Ancient Iceberg, an elementary grade chapter book. To publish a book at such a young age is an impressive enough feat, but it is also miraculous given that just four years ago, Mok could not read or write due to a rare brain disease called Hashimoto’s encephalopathy. Her recovery and the writing of this book is a tale of perseverance and determination.

 

 

I started writing The Adventure to the Ancient Iceberg when I was 12 years old. During that time, I was struggling with writing and reading due to a brain disease I got when I was in the second grade. It affected my ability to learn and even to write my name. Luckily, I was able to get back what I had lost but it has taken six years. Two years ago, my tutor was trying to find ways to help me with my writing, but nothing was working. I was depressed because I used to create and write stories all the time. But after I got sick, I avoided books. Then, one day, my tutor said, “Axi, why don't you write a short story, just for fun.” In my mind, I never thought I could write another story ever again. She handed me a blank sheet of paper and told me to start writing down ideas. And that is how my book came to life. I based the story on my brother, my two dogs, my tutor's dog, and me.

 

From that moment on, I spent every opportunity I had brainstorming ideas to add to my story, and the more I wrote, the more progress I made. After a couple of months of working on it just for fun, I started taking it seriously. So, I pitched my book idea to my parents, who were 100 percent supportive. I was really lucky because my mother is an author and has published several books, and my dad is a writer and director, so they helped me edit my book. We spent countless hours after school and during the summer editing and proofreading, and all our hard work paid off. 

 

 

School is a major and important part of my life, so balancing time for my academics and my book is challenging. But I never let school stop me from pursuing my passion and career. I used my lunch breaks, passing periods, and time after school to work on my book. I rarely hung out with my friends on the weekends or during the summer break because I was so focused. Luckily, I still managed to succeed in school and received straight A’s.   

 

 

The writing process was both time-consuming and challenging but rewarding. After I finished my first draft, my parents and I devoted hours to editing my book. We did more than 20 passes until it was perfect. We also asked all our family members, friends, teachers, and peers to read my book for the last and final pass. 

 

 

Writing is an amazing and creative way to express emotions, thoughts, and ideas. I feel all kids should  try and experience new things, because you don’t know if you like something until you try it. The only person who is in control of what you do is you. If you have a passion for something and you’re willing to put in the hard work, you can and will succeed.

 

One hundred percent, yes. I am currently working on the second book and hoping to expand The Adventure to the Ancient Iceberg into an adventure series with the same cast of characters. So be prepared for more magical and exciting stories!