Young writer has work published in magazine

Ashlyn Williams has wanted to be a writer since she was 8. Now at the age of 13, her dream became a reality when she won a national writing competition in American Girl magazine, where her story was published. She was among 1,500 applicants in the competition.

Williams has been reading American Girl magazines for five years, and has entered the competition four times. She wrote her story, “Sweet Rose,” when she was 12, drawing from her personal experience.

The story is about a girlwho finds a horse while visiting her grandparents. Williams was learning about horses when she wrote her story and had just gotten her own horse, Copper.

Williams is in seventh grade and is home-schooled. She maintains straight-A grades.

Besides writing, she also enjoys taking care of her many animals. Her family has six horses, two cats, a dog and 15 chickens.

“I love to ride horses, and I’ve trained my cat to sit,” Williams said.

She enjoys going to football games, and used to play soccer. Williams said that she’s also an artist.

“Maybe someday I’ll write a book and be the illustrator, too. I want to write children’s books.”

She said that her goals are to go to college at the University of Southern California and to be an author.

Williams is the daughter of Steven and Jennifer Williams of Valleyford. She has two brothers and a sister.