A behind-the-scenes look at an author’s writing journey paired with learning about the real-life inspiration behind the novel gave Jordan High’s Book Club members a rare opportunity.

Utah Valley author Erin Stewart, author of “The Words We Keep” and “Every Borrowed Beat,” spoke candidly about her path to becoming a published author and the themes of resilience, identity and community that run through her book, “Scars Like Wings.”

In the early 2002, while working as a journalist for the Deseret News, Stewart realized she missed creative writing. She traded in her quick reporter’s deadlines for the fiction world that included extensive research and hours of writing and revising. 

She told students the novel, “Scars Like Wings” was inspired by several burn victims, including Marius Woodward, a Romanian burn survivor she met years before she started writing fiction. After a boiler explosion in his home killed his parents and left him with burns on more than 75% of his body, he became not only a lasting inspiration, but a source for Stewart’s writing.

“The idea just stayed with me” until she was ready to write a story about a teenage girl navigating a similar journey of recovery and self-acceptance. “Marius helped me understand this journey—physical, mental and emotional—and the story has some of him in it.”

Stewart researched not just Marius’ journey, but other burn victims and their doctors.

“Many felt the story was ‘spot on,’” she said. “I wanted to make sure it was accurate, but also that it was told with respect and care. In fiction, most of the time we're writing outside our experience, and it's scary because you don't want to do a disservice to anyone.”

Stewart did take the liberty to name some characters based on the “Wizard of Oz” because “it’s fun and I like to entertain myself while I’m writing”—and created the main character to be a female since she could relate better.

“The final draft that got published was pretty close to what I submitted to the publisher. I did revise some things they wanted me to go deeper,” she said, which was different from “Words We Keep,” which had a major overhaul. “That was an intense one as it's much more based on my own experience with mental health.”

Through sharing the story, Stewart said she wanted students “to take away that they can do hard things and there's hope” such as with the main character, Ava, her friend, Piper, her family and others. 

“All of my books have this undertone, ‘we need each other.’ I didn't do it on purpose. It has revealed itself as I write my books that there’s a theme in my life I am learning and putting it into my books, where we need people and people heal people. Particularly in this one, they discover you are enough, just the way you are with all your scars and flaws,” she said. 

Stewart told students even though “Scars Like Wings” took her 18 months to write, it was more than that.

“It took me four years to write another book that didn't get published; it was terrible. So, I needed to write it to learn how to write a book before I wrote this one,” she said.

Her words resonated with students, many of whom, such as senior McKeltie Smith, are aspiring writers themselves.

“I thought her book was really good,” Smith said. “The characters speak a way she speaks and it showed a lot of realistic emotions and traits. I mean, Piper isn’t perfect, but a good person, and that was carefully constructed and how Ava struggles not only with her appearance, but also with her own survival.”

Stewart’s visit was part of Jordan High Book Club, a monthly program organized by school librarian Michelle Hakkarinen. The club meets throughout the school year, exploring a different genre every month.

“Most of these students are involved in multiple clubs and sports so this is the ‘relaxing one’ because they ‘just’ get to read with no assignment at the end, except to share their thoughts and experience with the book,” she said.  

Visits with authors, who signed the books they receive as part of book club, are a highlight of the year.

“This is a really nice chance for students to see someone who was successful and learn that they may not be all that different—so anything really is possible for those who put in the work,” Hakkarinen said.