Teen Writes Book To Distract Himself from Video Games

A 16-year-old recognized he was spending too much time playing video games and decided to distract himself. Dylan Brennan had always dreamed of writing a novel and started writing Noble: Betrayed in April 2020. The lockdown gave him the perfect opportunity to knock out the first full draft in 9 months. The final copy was released in October 2022.

The London high schooler self-published the fantasy novel that’s now selling as far away as Australia. The tale revolves around the main character Lord Simon Pargion visiting the court of close friend King Emannar Woodgairrd before uncovering a plot to kill him. It combines elements of fantasy with the sense of community and atmosphere of living in London. Some of the characters are named after his teachers at St. George’s Catholic School, in Maida Vale.

The book was inspired by Dylan’s favorite authors: George R. R. Martin, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Andrzej Sapkowski. “It’s amazing! It’s a dream I’ve always had and I’m so pleased with it but I can’t stop here, I’m already working on the next one. I love fantasy, it’s just my genre” Dylan said. His book has sold over 150 copies and the average number for self published books is 250 so he’s well on his way.

“There’s so much technology you can use to publish for yourself now which takes a few steps, and publishers always have their own direction they want you to take” he said. Dylan plans to study to become a lawyer but wants to keep writing as a side hustle, adding he’s aiming for a crime novel next.