Staff Q&As: Abby Wright
Name: Abby Wright
Grade: 11
Position: Editor in Chief
Semesters spent on TCT: 5
1. Why did you decide to join TCT?
“It was advertised in the course catalog for the high school, and it seemed like something super interesting. In addition to that initial interest, I’ve always had a passion for writing and wanted to try out a more journalistic style.”
2. How has TCT helped you grow as a writer and person?
“I really found myself, my interests, and my people through TCT. I went into the class as a really timid freshman who hadn’t really met herself yet, who hadn’t really grown into her skin or her mind yet, and I’m here three years later completely changed. Being with the talented upperclassman my freshman year pushed me outside of my comfort zone—pushed me to talk, to write, to use a voice I didn’t quite know I had. I was surrounded by greatness, and that alone inspired me. But, I think a lot of my growth had to do with just the act of continuing. Making the choice to just go. Making the choice to just be. To pull that senior out of the classroom and interview them even though I was scared out of my mind, to walk into a room full of brilliant upperclassmen who seemed to have their entire lives figured out every single day, to push through my mistakes and bad interviews and my very first Senior Edition. High school changes you, really changes you, and having such a positive catalyst in that growth—TCT—is something I am insanely lucky to have.”
3. If you were a type of cheese, what type of cheese would you be?
“So, I had to take a Buzzfeed quiz for this. The first question asked me to choose a wine, which I thought was an interesting start to a what kind of cheese are you quiz, but I continued anyway. I ended up getting blue cheese, which I wasn’t too happy with, so I know I’m not blue cheese. That’s all I can really say about that.”
4. What is your favorite thing about writing?
“My favorite aspect of writing is the ability to freely create, freely think, freely feel. Writing is my art, and I love creating with all the words at my disposal. ”
5. What’s your funniest story of complications while working on a story?
“I think there always will be an underlying element of pure anxiety when you have to pull someone out of class, no matter how long you’ve been doing it for. It’s just so hard sometimes. When I was a sophomore, especially, I would just walk laps around the hallway for like fifteen minutes trying to hype myself up to say about ten words. But, that’s beside the point. So, last year, we didn’t have a staff photographer, so for the spirit days we each would take turns pulling people out of classes during sixth hour to take pictures. On my day, I had to pull people out of Scobell’s classroom, and I was literally the most nervous I have ever been for anything. I brought Lynlee with me because I was not about to do that alone, and after we hyped ourselves up to do it and practiced what we were going to say and fought over who would knock on the door and who would say it (for some reason, knocking is just as hard as asking if you can borrow someone for an interview), we peered through the window to see if it was okay to knock. Someone was presenting, and everyone was so quiet and intently watching whoever was presenting, and Scobell was obviously intently watching too. But it was really now or never, so we just knocked and cracked the door a little bit. We made eye contact with a group of girls we semi-knew, and we just stood there. We literally just stood silently in the doorway, awkwardly making eye contact with everyone in the room, including Scobell. I will never forget her stare and her chewing her gum and waiting for us to say something. We ended up getting what we needed, but, oh my god, it was terrible.”
6. Who’s your favorite literary character and why?
“The most impactful novel I’ve ever read is The Book Thief—the storyline, the characters, Death as a narrator, the diction, the writing, everything. It was so powerful, and it has really stayed with me ever since I read it in eighth grade. Max Vandenburg, the Jew who took shelter in the Hubberman’s home, is, I think, one of my favorite literary characters. He is just good. The way he treated Liesel in his soft, endearing way, his stories, his artwork, his perseverance. This book was life-changing, really, and Max was a big part of that.”
7. What is your favorite type of story to write and why?
“Profiles have always been one of my favorites, even though I always complain about having to write them. Deep down, I’ve always loved them, and I always will. I just really enjoy the entire process: interviewing really cool people who contain such depth and having the ability to share their stories, their passions, their goals. It’s something really special that I won’t ever take lightly or for granted. It really is the coolest thing being able to sit down and talk to someone about their life and then paint that picture. No matter how much work it is transcribing the sometimes 40-minute interviews and then taking the hours it does to write it, it’s all worth it seeing that finished product. It’s amazing. And, it’s something I can always write, no matter the day or the mood. Columns, another favorite, aren’t nearly as constant—you’re either in the mood or you aren’t. But profiles, for me, are different. There’s just something about them, you know?”
8. What are your aspirations for the upcoming decade?
“I’d really love to live on the East Coast somewhere, whether that be Vermont or Maine or even New York, having graduated from college and hopefully able to support myself with a job that I like. That’s the dream, baby! It’s crazy to think that I’ll be 27 at the end of this decade, living somewhere completely new, having ten more years of experience with me. All I really want is to have a good time and continue to find happiness in all the little things that the world offers. I’m not much of a planner. Planning kind of stresses me out, so I don’t really think too far ahead. Otherwise, I’ll kind of freak out. I hope to continue traveling, continue seeing concerts on school nights, and continue writing.”