Anna Butts

Why I Started Writing:

I began writing my freshman year of high school during the fall of 2020. I remember wishing that I had someone to look up to who could help guide me through high school. I hoped to find a mentor or book that could give me guidance and encouragement during that season of my life. One day after school, I sat down at my computer and started writing out my story. I sat down that day to show others that they are not alone. I wanted to be the older sister that I wished I could have had. I saw an opportunity to be vulnerable and show other teenagers, especially young girls, that they are not alone and that they can live on purpose every day by looking on the bright side of life with Jesus.

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

Throughout my high school experience, I read similar books like Live Fearless by Sadie Robertson, who spoke so openly about her life, but throughout the entire book, she rooted it in Scripture and pointed her experiences back to glorifying the Lord. Her book reflected similar ideas that I wanted to incorporate throughout my own, such as weaving Scripture throughout it and giving the reader a call to action. I loved how she guided the reader through the book, something that I wanted to incorporate into my own.

Books I Have Written:

I have written my first book, Be the Light: Walking with God in High School, which is a reflective piece of my experiences throughout high school, my testimony, and how I learned to walk with the Lord in an open and vulnerable way. Currently, I am working on the college-focused sequel as I am in my sophomore year of college at Auburn University. It will follow a similar layout but cover the vulnerable parts, transitions, and seasons I have walked through in college. Since I have already shared how I met the Lord in my first book, this will be an approach to how He is growing me in my faith and an inspiration to others on how they can avoid growing complacent and seek the Lord every day in college amidst what the world says.