[0:00] I'm local, so it's nice to get it out [0:02] there in the neighborhood. Like I said, [0:04] it's really fun when I hear people in my [0:06] neighborhood knowing about the story. [0:08] >> Laura Jwick is a local New Brighton [0:11] author with a lifelong passion for [0:13] writing. [0:14] >> I find that writing just I can hours can [0:17] pass. I can just be writing and writing [0:19] and writing and not even realize how [0:20] much time has passed because it just [0:22] feeds my soul and it always has. And my [0:25] journey for writing started a long time [0:27] ago before I could write. I actually [0:30] wrote a poem in my head about a [0:32] bumblebee that I just memorized and [0:36] continued to write poetry my whole life, [0:38] but it wasn't my career choice. [0:40] >> While her career in computer science, [0:42] she has always made time to dedicate [0:44] herself to the craft and develop her [0:46] first book, A Rainbow of Orange. [0:48] >> The Rainbow of Orange book that I wrote, [0:51] that concept was developed a long time [0:53] ago. And every five years ago or so, I [0:56] would pick it back up, look at it, work [0:59] it a little bit, share it with a couple [1:01] people, get some feedback, and file it [1:04] away again. And I just kept doing that. [1:06] And then I decided, I'm going to publish [1:09] this book. And I started down that path. [1:12] And there's a lot to that path. [1:16] >> Laura's journey through color continues [1:18] with the completion of her second book, [1:20] A Rainbow of Green. Oliver was a little [1:22] boy and he had a favorite color. [1:25] >> She finds great joy in writing for [1:27] children and looks forward to sharing [1:29] more stories in the future. [1:30] >> I will write more color books. People [1:33] tell me all the time what color I should [1:34] be doing next. I can't necessarily [1:38] follow what they say, but I'm open to [1:40] it. I do have, you know, an email [1:42] address on my website. So, if people [1:44] want to give me ideas and throw out why [1:47] I should pick that color and what things [1:49] they want it to be, I listen to people. [1:52] But a long time long-term ambition is to [1:56] write [1:57] an adult fiction novel [2:00] or even a memoir, but I'm thinking more [2:04] fiction. [2:05] >> Laura is offering writing classes to [2:07] share her knowledge and help others [2:09] shape their writing and give back to the [2:12] community. So, I have all these [2:14] different pieces of information I've [2:15] pulled together that I'm hoping I can [2:17] share with other people and help them [2:21] because self-publishing is a real thing [2:23] and a real opportunity today that it [2:25] wasn't in the past. [2:26] >> Laura advocates for supporting young [2:28] minds and encourages saving their [2:30] stories. [2:31] >> Save it for them if they're not saving [2:32] it or encourage them to save it because [2:34] you just never know. That could be [2:36] something that feeds into their whole [2:39] life.