Mikaela Jovellanos shares how her ever-growing passion for fantasy writing became her personal escape and creative outlet, allowing her to step away from the pressures of daily life and immerse herself in worlds of her own making.
Jovellanos has loved fantasy for as long as she can remember. Growing up, she read Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, sparking an early fascination with the genre. “Those are my top two favorite series,” Jovellanos said. She understands that our world is imperfect and that writing gives her the freedom to reimagine it without limits. In the sense of writing, she is able to create the world she wants for herself. “Writing fantasy can be an escape from this world,” Jovellanos exclaimed.
For Jovellanos, the heart of writing is world-building. She loves that she is able to create from scratch, making her world as diverse as she’d like, with cultures of her own, and unique characters who interact in ways she designed. “It’s like a blank slate,” she explained. “You can just think of it and make it come to life.” Jovellanos sees fantasy not just as storytelling, but as a way to give life to her imagination.
During her writing process, the environment plays a crucial role. Jovellanos writes best in her room, secluded from everyone and everything as she feels more comfortable, safe, and undisturbed. “If I really want to be serious, writing in my room is the best option,” Jovellanos stated. And although she has never written outdoors, she stated how writing in a beautiful garden would be a refreshing change.
Unlike speaking, which she finds nerve-racking as an introvert, writing gives her freedom of her expression. “I write way better than I speak,” Jovellanos explicitly admitted. “In writing, there’s no judgement. You can just put your thoughts on paper.”
While she doesn’t plan on pursuing writing as a full-time career in the future, she wants to keep it as a lifelong passion. Aware of the impracticality of living life as a writer and how little they get paid, she instead wants to pursue her talents in math. Still, the thought about publishing one day both excites and intimidates her in equal measure. Having gone viral on TikTok anonymously before, she understands the presence of an audience and would want to use a pen name to remain private. “It’s really intimidating,” Jovellanos said, “but at the same, I would love it because knowing that I made an impact would make me really happy.”
For now, Jovellanos is content with filling her notebooks with stories that belong only to her. She may not pursue writing as a career, but she keeps it dear in her heart with passion – a personal escape and as a way to create the fantasy world she loves.
