Many are familiar with the phenomenon that is ‘Twilight’ and the author of the series, Stephenie Meyer. In the last few years, she has achieved success in the literary and film world. This year, she added another element to her repertoire when she became the producer of ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1′ (in theaters Nov 18). Yet few realize the amazing journey that led to the creation of the four book franchise. When Meyer sat down to write the books, not only was she far from a published author but she had never written so much as a short story. One evening in 2003, Meyer had a dream in which two teenagers, a vampire and an ordinary human, were arguing. In order not to forget the striking vision, she sat down to write what would become chapter 13 of Twilight. She later revealed; “I had been bottling up who I was for so long. I needed an expression.”

She was able to complete the novel by focusing on enjoying the process rather than concerning herself with the reactions of others. “If I stopped to think about what someone else thought…I wouldn’t be able to get a word on the page”. She was determined to create a world that was uniquely her own. With three children all under the age of five, Meyer went days without sleep as the story poured out of her. One of her main goals was presenting Bella, an ordinary girl that many could relate to. The clumsy teenager faces awkwardness, isolation, and feelings of inferiority. This would prove to be a large reason for the book’s success. More after the jump…

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