Meet Nicholas Gray
THE STORY THAT REFUSED TO STAY SMALL
The earliest version of Model Citizens began more than two decades ago as a story Nick developed with his son. As time went on, new characters appeared, friendships grew and The Model Citizens story grew.
Every time the story seemed to have found its boundaries, Nick’s imagination pushed past them into an epic adventure about five young friends, an unforgettable group of salty retired veterans and what happens when two generations discover just how much they can accomplish together.
Now, the story is a well-rounded, full blown adventure book – Model Citizens: The Wings of Change.
Nick has a simple philosophy about storytelling – it should be fun, attention grabbing and a page turner.
A SONGWRITER’S APPROACH TO STORYTELLING
Long before Model Citizens became a novel, Nick was writing songs.
Songwriting and storytelling come from much the same place for him: finding an idea, creating a feeling and turning it into something another person can experience.
A song needs edges to give it texture. So does a story.
There needs to be rhythm, surprise, emotion and momentum.
That creative instinct helped shape the world of Model Citizens: colorful characters, humor, action, unexpected turns and an adventure that keeps getting bigger.
Model Citizens is a world that lived in Nick’s imagination for years, changing and expanding until it finally became the adventure it was meant to be.
And if there’s one thing Nick hopes readers feel when they reach the final page, it’s simple:
That was a great story. I can’t wait for the sequel!
IMAGINATION WAS ALWAYS THERE
Growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia, Nick struggled with reading and writing in school without understanding why. He wouldn’t discover the reason until adulthood. But while getting words onto a page could be difficult, coming up with them never was.
Nick’s imagination was always running and still does.
Dyslexia may have influenced the way Nick learned, but it never limited the way he imagined. If anything, it helped reinforce something that appears throughout Model Citizens: There is more than one way to think. More than one way to solve a problem…and definitely more than one way to tell a great story.
When Storytelling Became Something More
Nick’s mother recognized his gift for storytelling when he was about thirteen and family or friends were visiting; she would call him into the room and ask him to tell everyone a story. So he did.
People listened. They laughed. They reacted.
Nick realized he could hold a room with a story. And when people responded, he kept going—adding another detail, another character, another twist, making the story bigger and seeing where his imagination could take them next.
Those early experiences taught him something he never forgot:
“It’s important to tell a story the right way and finish it on the right note.
HEAR ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORYTELLER
Nick’s storytelling doesn’t stop with books. As a songwriter, he has written original music that can be heard on The Jersey Flyboys YouTube channel.