When did you start writing?

I remember in second grade; we were writing poems and short stories for class. At first, it was a competition between myself and one of my friends (her name was Emma) to see who could write more words on our page before the end of class. At the time, it certainly wasn’t about the content I was writing, just word count. I loved beating Emma in the length of my pages and that was enough gratification for me until one day, my teacher said, “Ella, you should be a writer! This is a really good poem!”

Of course, I hadn’t written it to be good, just long. But it was in that moment that I realized, not only do the words to write come rather naturally to me, but also, I really enjoy composing those words into something good, true, and beautiful. From that moment on, I would write poems about all things I found to be all three of those things. I wrote about my friends, the Colorado mountains, my mom, St. Francis, and creation, among other things. I guess from then on, I never really stopped!

Where did the inspiration to write a book every November come from? How long have you been doing it?

My aunt was the one who introduced me to NaNoWriMo November. NaNoWriMo is the name of the website where anyone who wants to write a Novel in November can track their progress for free! It is where my aunt had written her first November Novel a year prior. She showed me what she had written. I was impressed by the intricacy of her story. I was impressed that it was possible, and I was motivated by the creative skills doing such a thing would require. I thought, ‘No, I won’t, it’s too much work,’ but, mid-October that year, I found myself creating a writing plan for my first November Novel. That was in 2022, and I’ve been doing it ever since.

Why did you choose to write about the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe?

My very first November Novel was a murder mystery, my second novel was a fictional romance, and my most recent novel was a fictional recreation of the life of Maximilian Kolbe. My previous novels I had written for fun and just to see if I was capable of writing a novel, let alone during just one month out of the year. And while those accomplishments were amazing and very fun, there was something missing from them. I had written those novels to see if I could do it; so that I could have fun at it.

As I got older, had a massive conversion, and saw writing from a new perspective, I began to wonder, ‘Where is God in all this?’ I realized I had been writing for me. I wondered what it would be like to write something that was not just ‘fun’ and ‘challenging,’ but also for the greater glory of God and the good of my soul. Who gives greater glory to God and inspiration to me better than the saints? I had recently been thinking about St. Maximilian Kolbe a lot previously, and he is dear to me, so I began to write about him.

Who is your patron saint? Why did you choose them?

My patron saint is Saint Francis of Assisi. I chose him because when I was in sixth grade and we were all choosing our confirmation saints, all the girls were choosing the girl saints who were known for being pretty in their lifetime or ones who shared their name. I wasn’t particularly interested in calling a saint my patron because she was pretty, nor did any saint share my name (I checked many times for a Saint Ella to no avail). I wanted to be different. At the time, I wanted to be a veterinarian (I do not anymore). Saint Francis was associated with animals, he was not a woman, he was not known for being ‘pretty,’ and he did not share my name. It was perfect!

Since then, he has followed me throughout my life. I got older and became particularly interested in saints who had the stigmata (the wounds of Christ). I did not know all this time that St. Francis had these wounds! I became very close to Francis. When I went far from Christ in a rough part of my life, I know Francis remained close. He does his job very well and he always points me in the same direction—up. If God ever feels far away from me as He tests my love, Francis’ presence is never so distant. He keeps me strong.

In prayer once, I asked why Francis had cared for me so much and why he had been so faithful. I heard him respond, “My way will always lead back to Him. I will never leave your side. Jesus has assigned me to you. I will guide and protect you as long as you are on earth. If you stray, I will always lead you back, as you have seen.” [Excerpt from my personal prayer journal]. St. Francis is my dearest friend and bravest defender, and he will be until we are reunited in Heaven.

Do you have plans for the future of your writing?

No, I do not have any plans for my future writing. I intend to continue writing November Novels and if any further inspiration comes my way, I will follow it. But as for right now, I just do what the Lord tells me to the best of my shabby capability.