Makaiya Williams, an Author in the Making

In the summer of 2022, in the middle of the pandemic, 19-year-old Makaiya Williams decided she wanted to write a book. She liked putting her ideas into writing. Now, living with her mom on Long Island and stuck indoors she had time to make her dream happen.

“I always wanted to be an author,” says Williams, a 21-year-old City College Advertising and Public Relations major. “I like making my own little worlds. I like to create, might as well write them down to get paid.”

Her book, “Death’s Spear: The Cost of Kingdoms,” explores the role the government plays in society. It follows two main characters, a soldier coming back from war and a princess ready to challenge society’s roles for women. “Do you exist for the government, or does the government exist for you? What a monarchy, government, and what role it has in society and what responsibilities it holds,” she says, mulling over the concepts that interest her. “The idea of war and what it does to a person and what war is.”

Despite being motivated, juggling school and work at Walgreens, Williams struggles to balance her life with writing. “I am a full-time student, and then I work part-time,” she says. “It’s hard to find time for it.”

Also, creativity and “putting it out there” takes courage. “For a long time, I was scared to share my writing,” Williams admits. “I’ve gotten over that over time, but it’s still hard to think that my writing is good.”

Kristine Mantilla, a close friend of Williams’, describes her writing as a way to express herself. “I think what makes Makaiya such a great writer is her outlook on the world,” says Mantilla, a student at City College. “I’ve seen firsthand how she handles people with differing opinions, taking their arguments with consideration, while in turn offering her point of view.”

“I think her mastery of understanding spills into her writing, creating complex scenarios and developing characters,” Mantilla, adds.

Williams says she hopes to finish her book by Spring 2026.  But she has a backup plan. “If I don’t become a published and successful author able to live off her own writing,” she says jokingly. “I am going to write till I’m 30 and marry a rich man and become a housewife.”