This is my last Odyssey article...

... and it's pretty hard to swallow. Finding a platform where I've been able to share some thoughts, elaborate on all things TCU, and even be a straight up goober is just wonderful. As a writing major, Odyssey has been a wonderful start in this workforce.

The Past

I never thought I'd be in the writing workforce until seventh grade. Writing was simply a hobby; writing stories on post-it notes wasn't going to get me anywhere, right? Wrong. Wanting to simply be famous was getting me nowhere. I've never heard of a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Pop Star.

But there is a such thing as a creative writing degree. The new plan was to major in that at LSU. I wanted to be a novelist. I could be famous... but not to the point where I couldn't run out to Walmart or Sonic without wearing a wig.

Five years later, I found myself on an airplane during my college road trip. I had found my dream in TCU. But there was a slight issue. TCU's degree programs are English and Writing. Creative Writing is just a minor. However, I couldn't just not choose TCU over that one reason. Plus, writing is similar enough, and it's actually a less specific field of study.

I can honestly say that majoring in writing and not creative writing was probably one of my better life decisions.

The Present

Pre-TCU, I solely wanted to write fiction novels. I still do. I want to publish at least one book, even if it's more of a shrimpy packet, before I die. However, I also learned to love nonfiction, both creative and technical. I also fell in love with journalism - not only do I write but I also learn about what's going on around me.

Thanks to writing, I've been able to create several portfolios that display a variety of works, all of which were labored on for hours straight. In grade school, the only viewer was the teacher. Now, other students see them during peer reviews. I show them to job interviewers. I publish them on my website. I can put my name out there.

Thanks to writing, I have been working as a copy editor for the TCU Student Media since September, working on my AP Style knowledge while learning more about my school, the zip code around it, and even politics.

Thanks to writing, I have had five articles published in two hometown magazines. I have also had online articles published for Fort Worth Magazine, where I am working this semester. Some of these articles even pop up on the first page of results after googling "Olivia Heinen."

The Future

Loving fiction, nonfiction, and journalism actually stressed me out for a while. I felt like I should choose: be creative or be newsworthy. It took me months to realize that variety is a good thing. I can do both. So what are my future goals? Write for a magazine or newspaper full-time while doing creative works on the side. Maybe even become an editor later on. That would be great :)

So, to the TCU chapter of The Odyssey Online, this past year has been a real pleasure.