Dawson Jollie
Looking forward to another productive spring, the CVWG is thrilled to introduce UW-Eau Claire student Elaina Myers, our newest intern. Working with a full plate, Elaina studies journalism, creative writing, and multimedia communications, in addition to seeking a certificate in sign language. As a native of Chippewa Falls, Elaina’s initial interest in UWEC was due to its close proximity to home, but her love for the campus and its reputation for journalism helped seal the deal. Hoping to find a future career in writing, she wishes to spend time traveling, possibly building experience as a freelance writer.
As a new intern myself, I recently chatted with Elaina about a few of her literary interests that drew her to the CVWG, as well as her desire to bring her writing to life.
Dawson Jollie: Do you have any genre or style of writing you feel is your favorite, or perhaps "strongest?"
Elaina Myers: I feel my strongest and favorite style of writing is prose/realistic fiction. I have always loved writing short stories, even when I was a kid, so I have gotten a lot of practice with it. I also find creating characters that could be real and are dealing with things that people can relate to is the best way for me to express myself.
DJ: What themes/motifs do you admire most in literature, be it fiction/nonfiction?
EM: I think my favorite motif in fiction writing is dishonest or unreliable main characters because as a reader it is then your job to decide whether or not you can trust the things they are saying. An example of this is found in one of my favorite books Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. You can tell the main character is jealous and envious, so a lot of the things she says have to be taken with a grain of salt.
DJ: Was there a particular author you looked up to when you were younger? If so, who was it and why?
EM: Believe it or not, I was reading classical books like Pride and Prejudice and Emma when I was in fourth grade, so I would say Jane Austen was probably my favorite author growing up. I think it is pretty obvious why so many people, especially women, are drawn to Austen’s work simply because she is so talented. As a kid, I always loved reading about romance in the 19th century because there was something so genuine and passionate about it, and romance is still my favorite genre to this day to read.
DJ: If you could put yourself into any fictional literary world, what would it be? What kind of role would you play in that setting?
EM: If I could choose to be a part of any fictional world it would have to be Lord of the Rings, which is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. I can’t decide if I’d want to be a hobbit and travel with Frodo Baggins—because he always had something going on—or if I would want to be Arwen, since she was a Queen and my favorite character growing up.