Robbinsville High senior publishes novel
Robbinsville – Ask writer Skylar Jerkins what makes a good story, and he will tell you that it takes an unexpected twist.
A senior at Robbinsville High School – and author of the new psychological thriller, Yesteryear – explains, “A story must include a lot of heart, time, effort and a fraction of yourself.”
Jerkins has sure delivered just that in his first novel.
He admits that his main character – James Samuel Dark – has his personality, his thoughts, his fears and opinions and is based on himself: James is his middle name. Samuel is the Angel of Death and Dark is the story’s theme. His characters have common names, but there are hints that allow the reader to discover who the actual angel in each account is.
It is not surprising that Jerkins enjoys a twist in the plot; after all, he has encountered many twists in life to get where he is now.
Life-long adversities
Born with craniosynostosis, he had surgery at seven months to restructure his skull and allow it to grow properly. After surgery, his mother remembers how she had to begin his mental development skills again to allow her son to relearn tasks.
As if that wasn’t enough of a twist, as a teen, he was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.
Asperger is a developmental disorder that affects the ability to effectively socialize and communicate. It is a condition on the autism spectrum that generally involves higher functioning. Most individuals with Asperger syndrome can enjoy life and do things most other people do.
Some will experience a level of difficulty with daily tasks and find socialization a challenge.
The early teen years were a struggle for Jerkins, and he describes himself as being, “different.” He recalls periods of depression and doubt of self-worth.
His mother, Theresa Askew, remembers the trips to hospitals, clinics and therapy sessions. There were times when she felt like just letting it all go and allowing him to break the continuous, tiresome cycle of testing and doctors’ appointments, but she wanted what was best for her son.
She was determined to push him just a little harder each step of the way.
Today, she shares how she refused to allow Asperger to define him or to use it as an excuse to perform at a level below his ability and he gives his mom credit for being his strongest support system. It was actually in counseling that a therapist suggested Jerkins journal about his struggles and how he was feeling at the time.
What began as an exercise to promote healing became a short story for an English assignment.
Concept formed
When Jerkins turned in the short story, he was shocked to discover that the teacher had turned him into the office after feeling that the story was a cry for help.
It was after this incident he realized his interest in a writing career.
Yesteryear was a project that took four years to complete. It is written in first person and looks at angels’ perception of God from various religions. It is a story of mental illness.
His ideas for the book came from conversations with a psychologist and a lot of research into Schizophrenia. He looked for perceptions of Schizophrenia in different religions and how each religion perceived purgatory. His characters are based on ideas of what the different religions perceive as death, angels and God. Jerkins shares his faith as a Christian and thanks God for giving him the talent and providing the opportunity to share his story with others.
He commends his teachers at Robbinsville High School for their encouragement, opinions and edits to help him bring his dream into fruition, as the short story from his sophomore year is now a printed novel.
Future
Today, Jerkins describes himself as “okay.”
Not only has he succeeded at writing his first book by the age of 18; but he also is an accomplished artist and musician. He has received invitations to show his work in the Atlanta Art Expo, the Raleigh Art Expo and he was invited to study at the Chicago Art Institute after showing his artwork. After completing his Senior Project at Robbinsville High, he was nominated to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Boston, Mass. This program was established by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, the Congress of Future Medical Leaders to instill confidence and awareness in high school students who are interested a career in medicine. The attendees hear from Nobel laureates, medical school deans, Ivy League leaders, and top professionals in the medical field.
He is proud of his accomplishments and is determined to succeed at whatever he sets his mind to. For example, he has already started another novel.
“It has a quirky sense of humor, and the level of humor is misplaced,” said Jerkins.
He claims that the second book is more fun-loving, comical and somewhat dark, and it is a love story with a twist.
Always looking ahead, he plans to attend Western Carolina University and major in English Literature and Psychology. He has a strong sense of responsibility to share his experiences with mental illness and help others any way he can.
He has set aside an amount of proceeds from his book that will be used to assist Graham County Schools and the Snowbird Indian Reservation with materials that allow counselors to provide mental health awareness and support.
If you are interested in purchasing Yesteryear, it is available on Amazon and other bookstores.
He will also have a book signing on Wednesday, May 24 at the Cherokee Health Fair at Snowbird.