name/year/major: Molly Oas / Junior / Professional and Creative Writing (minor: English)
What activities are you involved with on campus? I am involved with The BV as Features Assignment Editor and The Laurel Prose Chair.
How have those activities shaped your Bonaventure experience? I’ve found that my peers at The BV are very helpful we all want to see one another do our best work. It’s rewarding to look back on all of the hours and hard work you dedicated at the end of the week in print. The Laurel is rewarding because creative writers from any and all majors can submit their work and showcase the skills that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to.
What are some of your favorite things to write about? It’s always very difficult to pin down one answer to the “favorite things to write about” question. More often than not, I’ll find myself writing some sort of mystery. I use the term mystery loosely. Sometimes its an affair, sometimes its the death of a character… Anything can inspire my imagination and I try to run with whatever little ideas I get.
How has writing over your life changed? When I first started writing in high school, I had little to absolutely no creativity in my writing. I thought that my best voice was my reporting voice, so I tried out JMC. That didn’t satisfy. After an elective English Literature written before 1865 class that I knew I belonged in the English / Writing world. I started blogging and writing for The Odyssey Online. That writing included more of lifestyle based articles– I grew bored of that very quick. After I took my first creative writing class in the fall, I started to explore my writing and see how far I can push myself. I’m still playing around with different styles and ideas in my writing, but it’s been a meaningful growth process.
Whats your process for writing a prose or poetry piece? When I sit down to write a prose piece I just start thinking. I might be on Tumblr, Instagram, or Twitter and a post might make me think of a plot line. I’ll search a scene on Google Images and try to make my own characters from random people. Anything can send me into a creative frenzy. // Poetry is different. I just recently got into writing poetry and it’s a work in progress, but I’m coming to enjoy it. The key with my poems is trying to lock down an image that I want my readers to see, a feeling I want my readers to feel, a meaning I want my readers to understand. I’m early on and still learning with my poetry process.
What are some of your other interests besides writing? Besides writing, I keep up on my reading. Reading is one way to become a better writer. More importantly, I like to spend as much time as I can with my dog Gina. She’s a Boston Terrier nearing 2 years. She keeps me busy with playing, naps, walks, hikes, and lots of love.