"I can make my characters do and say anything I want…most of the time."
The Five Things I Love About Writing
1. I have complete control of the characters I create (most of the time). In the real world, the people in my life do whatever the heck they want! I could never make my teacher give me ‘A’s on all my papers. I could make my parents more relaxed about my curfew. But in writing, I get to be the boss. I can make my characters do and say anything I want…most of the time. Sometimes a character will surprise me by gaining un-granted independence until I remember that ultimately I’m in charge!
2. I can live vicariously through my characters. The best part about being in charge of my characters is that I can make them do all the awesome things that I’ve always wanted to do. They can travel the world (or the universe). They can save the day. They can be movie stars, or knights, or ninjas, or anything! And they can do things I would never have the guts to do.
3. Writing is free entertainment. I don’t know about you, but I like to write what I like to read. I’m not saying that I’m that great at it, but I can make myself laugh and entertain myself better than most TV shows out there. And exploring the oddities of my imagination is free of charge. I don’t have to buy a $12 movie ticket to have a good time!
4. I get to spend time with me! A lot of people complain that writing is so solitary, but I love having a little space away from the hustle and bustle of my everyday life. I get to sip coffee (or Red Bull), rock out on my headphones, and escape into my own world for a little while.
5. I can share writing with my friends. I think that there’s nothing more satisfying than exchanging work with friends. I am super lucky to have a ton of super-talented writer friends who care about my work as much as I care about theirs. Feedback from the people you love is the best, and giving it is just as beneficial to your writing process as it is for the people you’re give it to!
Tavia Stewart-Streit, Young Writers Program Director
In 2003, Tavia graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Creative Writing. Shortly after college, having had enough of the traffic in Los Angeles, she packed up and moved to San Francisco in search of a new life in the Bay Area's literary scene. For the first couple years, she waited tables, volunteered at 826 Valencia's creative writing center, and interned for McSweeney's Publishing and ZYZZYVA, a local literary magazine. Never in a million years did she imagine that all her hard work would one day pay off and land her such an amazing job at such an inspiring organization. But it did, and here she is! When she isn't listening to Pandora while working away at her desk at OLL, she practices yoga, writes short fiction and poetry, and enjoys all the delicious meals her chef husband cooks for her.
