. >> abigail birch, tell me where you are from and why you are here? >> i'm here to be part of the washington media and journalism conference to learn more about writing, politics, media and how it is used in our world today to broadcast and just all the things you could learn about other people who have been successful with journalism to help us understand what we can do with our careers in the future if we go to college and do everything we have been dreaming about because it is possible. i go to school at marshall school in duluth. host: why did you come to this particular conference? guest: i don't know how i was nominated but i received the letter of recommendation to sign up for this. it was about january or so. i wanted to do this because i will be having a novel published in about two years and i want to figure out if i'm doing everything i can to be the best writer that i can. host: who will publish it? guest: little brown. host: that is big. how did you get that? guest: i have been writing since i was little and my english teacher read my fir