A young Filipino student has made her mark in Dubai’s bustling creative industry as she has successfully published her own book “The Magical Friendship Bracelet” at the age of nine years old!
Rafael Daniella “Rafa” Gabinete, a Year 5 student from Kings School Al Barsha, shares that she first discovered that she had a knack for writing when she was around six to seven years of age as she wrote simple poems and songs. As she progressed, she then began writing short stories.
The young author shares in an exclusive interview with The Filipino Times that “The Magical Friendship Bracelet” came from her vivid imagination – with a twist. “To be honest, I just came up with this book from my imagination. But the two main characters (Daniella and Yuna) are based on me and my bestfriend. Daniella is my second name and Yuna is my best friend’s second name. The story is about a magical adventure of two best friends in an action- packed journey with lots of twists and turns,” said Rafa.
Honing Young Talent.
Rafa’s parents, Rheo and Delia Gabinete shares that it’s Rafa’s love for reading and their constant support for their child that boosted her confidence to continue writing her story. “We are supportive parents to Rafa, our only child. Every endeavor she takes, we try to encourage her more. Whatever potential she is showing as long as she shows passion in it, we always let her be. We do not push her to the edge, we just let her enjoy and see her potential into fruition. We let her buy all the books that she wants. Her love for reading inspired her to become an author herself,” shares Delia.
In her journey to become an author, she also attended the Young Author Academy Writing Workshop Programme during mid 2019 where she created and compiled her story “The Magical Friendship Bracelet.”
Annemieke, Founder and Managing Director at the Young Author Academy, saw the spark of creativity that Rafa had in her eyes which she nurtured through workshops and creative tasks. “Rafa joined the Young Author Academy workshops with existing creative ideas. She had already contemplated and started her story at this point. During the workshops, she refined and enhanced her story with immense flair all whilst always considering the possibilities and endless plot twists and turns that her story could take,” sahres Annemieke.
Resilience in Writing
However, similar to many writers across all ages, Rafa shares that she also encountered a ‘writer’s block’ but she managed to get over such phases through a simple yet effective technique: “Sometimes I would get stuck and my mind would just go blank. Brainstorming ideas on a piece of paper helped me overcome this.”
Rafa’s parents also continued to assist her as they observed Rafa from afar and provided her with the ample motivation when she needs it most. “My parents helped me by giving me lots of encouragement and motivation. They have always been very supportive of my passion and hobbies,” said Rafa.
With the success of her first book, Rafa’s parents hope that she continues to ignite her passion in writing as they aim to stay by her side to support her in her endeavors. “We are so proud of you, our Rafa. You are our happiness. We are always here to support you and help you reach your goals. We are your number 1 fan in everything that you do. We love you so much!” said Rheo.
Rafa shares that the only secret to writing stories is to be patient and resilient with the goal of finishing your story to share with millions of people around the world: “Never give up and always keep trying, sometimes it might be difficult and you might just want to give up, but no, do not ever give up. Always think about the end reward, at the end all the hard work will pay off.”
Rafa’s book “The Magical Friendship Bracelet” is now available in Dubai by order or in Amazon. You can also catch Rafa on Instagram at RafaTheYoungAuthor.
