Tag Archives: fantasy

Ben Grange

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I’m a writer, an amateur composer, a husband and father, and I’m an English Major.

Ben Grange

Me and my wife on the Provo River trail.

I decided to be an English major to help my writing. I love to write young adult contemporary fiction and fantasy. As an English major, I’ve explored many other avenues of writing, and I’ve come across many inspirational texts that have generated thousands of ideas in my mind. As a creative person, completing a major which is highly analytic has molded my brain to be a critic of my own work. This analytical mind set has transferred to multiple facets of my life, some of which include my career path, my music composition, my writing, my artwork, and my family. It’s made me a rounder individual, more dimensional, and more intellectual.

I’ve been an English major for the last two years. My career path changed from “”I don’t know what I want to do,”” to “”I want to go into children’s and young adult book publishing”” in that time. Through opportunities opened to me through the school, I’ve done four internships in the publishing world, which has prepared me to go on after graduation and get a job in a competitive field. Becoming an English Major was the best thing I could have done, and I’m so glad I did it.

One of my favorite books is Harry Potter.

Links:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie-T7Ttchjs&list=UUXqN-BQSOQ_QBAlSnhGMP8w

Instagram: http://instagram.com/ben_l_grange

Hi, I’m Aubrey Milligan

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I’m a percussionist, a hiker, an optimist, and a poetry-lover. And I’m an English major.

Aubrey Milligan

Aubrey (right)

To talk about myself is difficult, but here goes (I’ll try not to bore you to tears). Like the rest of you I am an English major, and perhaps unlike some of you I also want to be a book editor. I get a nerdy excitement when I read good poetry or decipher some kind of meaning from and abstract text. I want to write a novel someday; I already have some ideas floating around in my head. Now I just need to give them some attention. I’m very interested in psychology and understanding what it means to be human, and that’s something I want to bring into my own writing. For recreational reading I’ve always been partial to fantasy, but I’m open to anything with a good plot and amazing characters. Thanks to my amazing AP Lit teacher I am now in love with poetry and classic novels and I can’t wait to expand my mental library!

One of my favorite books is Eoin Colfer’s Airman.

Hi, I’m Madeline Olsen

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I’m a chocolate connoisseur, a David Bowie lover, and a fantasy novel junkie. And I’m an English major.

Maddie Olsen

Moi

My love for books was a sudden development. I can see my kindergarten self struggling over We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, wondering what on earth my teacher meant by “sound out the words,” and frankly hating the concept of reading in general. I wanted to give up and probably would have had my mom not insisted I continue. She forced me through picture book after picture book, and with each one I declared that I would never like reading on my own. One day, however, something changed. I opened up a book and the strange marks that decorated the pages weren’t just strange marks anymore–they were words. A new world was unlocked to me, and, in that instant, what had been hatred turned into a deep, unfailing love. That love, though it wasn’t love at first sight, is still burning today, getting stronger with each book I read and story I write.

One of my favorite works of literature is Kate Chopin’s The Awakening.

 

Hello, I’m Boo Ludlow

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I’m a face in the rain, a dead poet, a fantasy reader, and an actor. And I’m an English major.

Boo Ludlow

From a performance of The Importance of Being Earnest

I love books. I love reading books so much that I eventually figured I should probably start the long road to writing a few, although I’m at the very beginning. My favorite authors are Brandon Sanderson and Orson Scott Card, my favorite genres fantasy and sci-fi. It amazes me how well literature can connect distant, awkward human beings throughout the ages. Some of my best friends were discovered by finding out we enjoyed the same books. I enjoy memorizing pieces of old or modern poetry to casually insert into everyday life… Nobody knows how to romance like Shakespeare, so why not let him help me out? “How like a winter hath my absence been from thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year…” Big, fat novels with tiny print prove a fatal attraction, and if I’m not carrying one around with me at all times, then there’s a very good reason for it. Finally, I just love the blending of fascinating and unique ideas that proves timeless and infinitely shareable found in paper and ink. Books change and illuminate lives. I slowly wring out short stories, scripts, and poems for practice and fun every day, but my real baby is still in the works, an fantasy epic that I hope will delight everyone that reads it!

One of my favorite books is Brandon Sanderson’s Words of Radiance.

 

Hello, I’m Emily Strong

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I’m a lover of fantasy, Batman, and Disney; I’m a doodler, and a professional movie quoter… And I’m an English major!

Emily Strong

Please enjoy this picture of my face.

Ever since I was young, I have loved to read and write. I read so much that my mom had to ground me from it! I started writing stories when I was elementary school, but I just need to work on finishing them. Someday I hope to be a published author, and I am also investigating the possibility of going into editing and publishing. This being my first semester here at BYU, I am considered a freshman. However, I was able to attend a community college during high school (In Tri-Cities, Washington) for dual credit, so I already have my Associates Degree. I am excited to be able to jump right into my major with the hope of being able to keep up with all the seasoned writers!

Some of my favorite literature is Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s Wheel of Time series

Find me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Hi, I’m Rachael Rackley

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I’m a violist, lover of chocolate, and optimist of life. And I’m an English Major.

Rachael Rackley

My viola and I

For as long as I can remember I have always been reading and creating new stories. While other kids wanted to play sports, I wanted to run to the library or book store and read a new book. While other kids spent hours playing Webkinz online, I spent hours typing out ideas on Microsoft Word for potential future novels. My mind has never stopped running with new ideas for stories, and neither has my dream for becoming a great writer one day.

As a brand new freshman at BYU I will work hard to not only evolve as a writer, but also as a person. I strongly believe that until I achieve both of these goals, my dream of becoming a great writer will never be accomplished.

Writing to me is not busy work; it is my passion and joy in this life. As I work to achieve my goals I hope I can inspire other people to follow their own dreams as well. After all, I have found that the greatest joys in this life are simply by helping other people. And if I can do that through my writing, even if it is for one person, then I know I have succeeded.

One of my favorite books is Lois Lowry’s The Giver.

I’m Adam Burton

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I am a bibliophile, a cartoonist, a biker and aspiring author. And I’m an English major.

My graphite incarnation.

My graphite incarnation.

All my life I have embraced language and literature as a second nature. (I was even chastised in elementary school for “reading too much.”) My love of stories has often inspired me to create my own stories, whether through novel-writing — especially NaNoWriMo — or through my own crazy style of cartooning. I enjoy learning about and experiencing many subjects, including biology, music, history and biking, but I always turn back to the study of literature because it tells us so much about the human experience and empowers us to see meaning in the world.

One of my favorite books is Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth.

Adam is the official cartoonist for the English Society blog. Watch for his humorous art in posts to come…