Laura Muto is not your average teenager. Publishing three books by the age of 18, Muto explores the issues and adversities teens face today. The successful Girl With a Dream trilogy fuses her Italian-Canadian heritage and passion for music.
Muto wanted to pursue writing from a young age. She adored reading, asking for books for Christmas as a child.
Teacher encouragement
At the age of 15, Muto took her first leap into becoming a published author with some help from her high school journalism teacher Mireille Orlady.
Orlady was impressed by Muto, helping her refine her skills as a writer, but notes that Muto’s success came through her own efforts.
“She did most of the work on her own,” Orlady said.
The teacher’s support came from answering Muto’s questions and purchasing her books once published.
Seeing the books as finished products was “very exciting,” Orlady said.
Publishing journey
Muto self-published her first book, “Girl With A Dream,” with Amazon. She says self-publishing was the most affordable option available, and also a way to help the young author get her name out.
Her stories are meant to spotlight issues bothering teenagers in today’s age. Muto digs into the problems of mental and physical health and prides herself in making the characters sound authentic to their age.
“It really shines a light on teenage issues that aren’t always necessarily talked about that I know people struggle with, and I just want to help people feel heard,” says Muto.
The self-publishing journey hasn’t always been easy. Once she published her first book, Muto was disappointed with the sales. She only sold about 50 copies, and she questioned her future as an author. But she was determined to validate her passion for writing, not only to herself but also to her family.
“When you tell people what you want to do with your life, and you just say, ‘I want to be an author,’ they’re like, ‘oh, that’s nice, sweetie. That’s just a hobby,’” she said. “So I guess I wanted to prove that it could actually be something.”
Finding success
Determined to make things work, Muto leaned into her creativity to promote her work using social media. The young author started creating content based on her book and her personal life.
The idea worked.
She now has over 10,000 followers on TikTok and over 1,000 on Instagram. The momentum on social media has translated into over 1,000 books sold.
Muto followed Girl With A Dream with her second book, On The Road, in 2022 and finished the trilogy with The Next Chapter in 2023.
Over 50 per cent of her reviews on Amazon were five stars and she was nominated for Amazon “Read of the Month” in January 2024. Her books are now sold worldwide and in major bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Indigo.
Personal connection
Another key to her success has been making the characters authentic to her personal experiences.
As a proud member of the Italian-Canadian community, Muto wanted to represent her heritage. Her trilogy features a girl of Italian descent who plans to pursue a career as a singer.
Muto adores music, playing an important role in her life. The author sees music as a way to describe how she is feeling, and loves listening to artists such as Eminem and Bruce Springsteen.
Muto does Italian folk dance and works as an instructor. She started Italian folk dance to connect with her grandparents, as they would listen to the songs Muto would dance to.
“My grandmas… they loved me with their whole heart, but they also loved music as well. So, listening to Italian music and just speaking Italian, it’s a way for me to stay connected” says Muto.
Muto would go on to perform on Broadway stages and Times Square in New York with her Italian folk dance group in the summer of 2023. She is now in her third year of teaching the dance style to younger members in her community.
“That’s all I’ve known my whole life. Every Sunday, it’s like a big, stereotypical Italian Sunday dinner, and I’m very proud of it,” mentions Muto.
Anna Reidel, a friend of Muto’s, has a deep understanding and respect of what Muto’s Italian-Canadian heritage means to her. They met at St Mary’s University orientation and have been close ever since.
“She’s very interconnected with her community,” mentions Reidel. “I think it’s really important to be connected with your culture in that way. She’s just a prime example of somebody who gives back to their community.”
Future writing
Muto plans to continue writing and publishing books. Her next book will be a tribute to her Italian heritage, this time focusing on her grandmother. The fictional story will follow Muto’s grandmother’s journey to Canada from Italy and her trials and tribulations as a newcomer.
Muto currently attends St. Mary’s University and plans to continue writing with the goal of one day hitting the New York Times bestsellers list. She hopes her stories can inspire future authors across the world to pursue their dreams like she did.
“The point of these stories is to show that no matter your age, whether you’re young or you’re old, if you really put your mind to it, if you really work hard and are dedicated to it, you can achieve anything.”