Young Author – and Our Former Intern – from North Kingstown Prepares for the Spotlight

“Writing is a soul calling that I always knew was there. I always wanted to do something more creative,” says Maia Correll. “I never felt like I was sitting down to write a book. I would get this wave of inspiring energy, almost like you’re channeling, and take a pen and the words would start pouring out of me.”

Correll was destined to be a writer. Even while she was studying international business and Spanish at Bryant University and interning virtually at So Rhode Island during the early days of the pandemic, she was busy drafting the outline of what would become her first book, the science fiction tale, Stargazer: The Vedana Saga Book 1. After graduating in 2021, she worked at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products doing marketing analytics; all the while stories and ideas were building inside of her.

Despite being on a career track at Disney, Correll left the company to follow her bliss and finish Stargazer. Not only did she complete her first manuscript, but she also mapped out an entire series of five books, telling the story of Nadya, a foster child whose role in the universe is much larger than anything she or anyone else expected.

“It’s really a book about identity discovery,” explains Correll. “It’s science fiction but it’s really a story about someone breaking free from the mold that is placed on them to find who they are truly meant to be.”

Along the way, she wrote a second manuscript in a completely different style: romantic comedy travel story Dare to Au Pair.

Both books were optioned by publishers in a very short time. Stargazer was released into the world this summer and Dare to Au Pair will be on shelves in the summer of 2024. Publishing is big business and Correll’s educational background has been invaluable in her decision making. “I love that I’m able to follow my passion but I also know how the business world works, which helps when we get down to the nitty gritty of contracts and negotiations,” she says.

Correll is so comfortable with the business side of publishing that she casually mentions, “shopping the book around in Hollywood” when she talks about the potential for a film version of Dare to Au Pair; she’s already been involved in casting narrators for the audiobook version. But she remains modest about her success. “Every day it sinks in deeper and deeper that this is what I do. This is what works for me.” Follow her blossoming career at MaiaCorrell.com