Molly Bovett has found a way to incorporate her love of writing into all facets of her life. Molly, who has a passion for learning new languages, has banded together with a group of fellow “polyglots” to start an online linguistics magazine. And when she’s not preparing for the magazine’s upcoming launch, she’s working on an urban fantasy novel. But, above all, Molly hopes her writing will inspire others to join her in enacting social change. Read on to learn how Molly plans to improve the world around her through writing.
You’re in the process of starting an online language magazine for fellow “linguistics enthusiasts”. Can you tell us more about how and why you decided to start this project?
The project was started by someone who wrote a blog post about a month ago inviting writers and language-lovers to work together on an online magazine on the topic of global communication and the importance of foreign languages. I got involved to produce poetry, photography, and articles for the magazine. And while the project has only launched this final week of October, the entire team is excited to work on this publication together. Our goal is to offer information and to show people the importance of cultures and languages different than your own. The first edition should be out sometime in the New Year.
What advice do you have for someone who is interested in starting their own online magazine or blog?
First of all, make sure that it’s definitely something you have time and patience for before you begin work on it. I’m already blown back by how much hard work and time we’ve all set aside for this! You might be in charge of a team of editors, writers, artists and designers so you’ll need to exercise your leadership skills to make sure everyone is on task. Secondly, advertise as best you can. The blogger leading my project has a huge following, so finding people who are interested in the project was not difficult. One of the things we’re going to focus on over the course of the next few weeks is setting up social media pages to advertise the magazine.
You mention in your bio that you’re eager to use your writing as a tool for social change. In what ways? Why is this important to you?
The writer I always give as an example when asked about writing for change is the marvelously talented Lin-Manuel Miranda—writer of the Broadway hit, Hamilton. The song ‘Almost Like Praying’ has drawn attention to the crisis in Puerto Rico and given a voice to people on the island who feel unheard by the world. When I say writing for social change and spreading a message, this is what I mean. Songs and poetry can connect to people in ways no other media can, and the right words in the right order can work miracles.
Encouraging social change is especially important to me because every day there is a new problem in the world and every day there are people who ignore it—either because they don’t think it affects them or they don’t think they can help. I want to write to show them they’re wrong. I don’t want to be powerless in the face of injustice and if being a skilled writer is my blessing, I will find a way to use it to the best of my ability.
In the "Message From Writer” section of your profile, you have a word count for Blackbird, a novel you’re working on. Can you tell us more about this?
Blackbird is an urban fantasy novel I’ve been working on since the start of the summer. To summarize, it’s about a girl raised to be a criminal who, upon realizing the errors of her ways, runs away from home to try and escape her dangerous lifestyle. Unfortunately for all involved, this backfires horribly and she winds up in more trouble than before. Her new problems force her to choose between rejecting her violent ways entirely or embracing them to salvage what little she has to live for.
If you could insert yourself in the world of any fictional novel, which one would it be and why?
I’d insert myself in the world of Welcome To Night Vale. Yes, it’s a podcast, but there is also a published stand-alone novel about it. It’s true that someone mysteriously vanishes or dies every other day, but being bored would be completely impossible. I’d love to be part of the Night Vale community and get involved with the murderous librarians, the giant glow cloud, and the hooded figures in the dog park.
What are three things our readers might not know about living in England?
First, the school holiday system is a pain. I have almost no holiday time whatsoever this year and when I finish school I have a fourteen week summer. Who needs that much holiday time? What am I supposed to do with myself? I’m going to run out of things to do by mid-July. Optimum holiday time is four weeks, but that unfortunately never happens. Secondly, just because England is a comparatively small country, it doesn’t mean it’s easy to get from one place to another. I once read an American crime novel where the protagonist traveled from London to Newcastle in one hour. You drive for an hour in London, and you don’t leave London. The book was rather old (1950s, I think?) and a bit of an extreme example, but still, it takes far longer to get around the country than people seem to think. Finally, the Brits have queuing down to a fine art. If you come to England and you mess up the delicate process of lining up to buy things in the supermarket, someone will make you very aware of it before you even realize you’ve done something wrong. I once crossed through a long queue to get to my bus at the other end of the station and a woman started yelling at me for cutting in line. I wasn’t even getting the same bus as her.
About Molly
My name is Molly Bovett and I come from a small market town in the middle of the English countryside. I’m in my final year of secondary school and recently, writing has turned from a relaxing pastime into a sort of coping mechanism to get me through the exam seasons. Writing—poetry in particular—is something I’ve always devoted time to. I’m fascinated by how powerful words can be. They help us express our emotions and thoughts in a way that no other method can. I aspire to master the craft of using my poems as catalysts for change. If I could help even one person with my writing, I will have satisfied myself. Beyond poetry and exams, my time is devoted to art, activism, and the study of foreign languages. I love doing watercolor paintings and when I have time, I’d like to produce paintings that are personal to me, such as artwork for the local Pride parades. The languages I currently study are French, German, and my beloved Swedish. All of my passions are presently being combined into one awesome project—I have just started working on a yet-to-be-published online language magazine alongside fellow polyglots and linguistics enthusiasts.
