Sporting an intelligent mind and a flamboyant personality, critically acclaimed author Nic Stone signed hundreds of one-dollar copies of her novel “Dear Martin.”

“For me, all of my stories are about me, trying to get my eyes open, and since I’m doing this as the writer, hopefully, the reader will do the same,” Stone said.

Nic Stone has risen to fame over the past year after writing the down-to-earth novel “Dear Martin.” The book follows a young boy that is arrested solely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is quickly forced to open his eyes to the injustices that form the society around him, however, he struggles to cope with them.

“This is a book is about a kid who is trying to do everything right and has bought into the idea that if he does those thing he will get ahead and nobody will ever mess with him,” Stone said. “It was unfortunate but important for him to discover that he was wrong.”

Taking many different inspirations for her writings, Stone was predominantly influenced by both the works of Martin Luther King Jr. and a book by the name of “Invisible Man.” Stone used these works as guides to help her find and show the injustice that still remain for many people of color in American society. Not only did Stone take literary inspirations, but she also found that writing something can help people deal with the adversity that they might face based on their race.

“I just wanted to write something that I could hand to my children when they have to face bias,” Stone said.

After writing the books, Stone was invited to a school that was facing many issues that are described in this novel. It was here that Stone discovered a passion for both speaking to and guiding young adults.

“Being in front of a group of kids who are so focused on what I am saying and asking these intense questions, that is the highest delight for me,” Stone said.

During her time helping students, Stone has found that many of them were unsure of what it was that they wanted to pursue as a profession. Before becoming an author, Stone herself was unsure where her own work would take her, bouncing around jobs. However, it was the act of experiencing and exploring these new opportunities that shaped Stone into the author she is now.

“I would say if you know [what you want to do], fantastic; if you don’t do a bunch of stuff…I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to do until I stumbled into it, and I think that is a perfectly fine way to figure yourself out and figure out your path.”

Stone has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember and having written such an influential book, Stone is often questioned on the tactics that lead her to success.

“Read a lot, and also eavesdrop a lot,” Stone said. “Listening to how other people talk will give you insight on human experience in a way nothing else can…I [also] always tell people to read like a writer and to write like a reader, so that when you’re writing you can know that your readers are going to be engaged because you’re engaged, and when you’re reading, you become a better writer.”