Award-winning novelist Mindy McGinnis returned to MCHS and talked to students on Sep.17 in the Upper Campus auditorium.

Sophomores got the chance to listen to McGinnis talk about her journey to becoming a successful writer and hear some insight into her life.

McGinnis grew up in Ohio and has always wanted to be a writer. She has written many books of various genres and keeps busy with events to share her story and inspire others.

“I will go anywhere and do just about anything,” McGinnis says, “I remember being at MCHS last year, and I keep contact information of every place I’ve been. Since I knew that I was going to be back in Illinois, I contacted your librarian to come see everyone, and here I am.”

McGinnis shared how she gets ideas for her novels from real life experiences. She also mentions her own struggles with mental illness and how it can create new perspectives. Sometimes her personal life reflects on her characters and their story.

“When you’re a writer, you watch people.” McGinnis says, “It’s important to be observant.”

Usually writing a book takes her around 3-6 months to write not including her initial research. She typically is writing around 4 or 5 books at once, along with temporary ghostwriting jobs. Her first book took around 10 years just to get published.

Two of her books, “Not A Drop to Drink” and “In A Handful of Dust” have been used in classrooms across the country to further teach students about climate change. Topics in the book are closely aligned with teaching materials.

“Listening to Mindy McGinnis talk was definitely interesting,” sophomore Rudy Culbert says, “It was fun to listen to.”