Carrie Doussou, junior legal studies major, is an active leader on campus. She is the president of the Haitian Student Association as well as the treasurer for the Society of Astronomers and the Journal Club. Carrie also has a passion for writing. She is in the process of finishing a novel called “Elites” and she has competed in various poetry contests.
One of the many things I enjoy is self-reflecting. Writing helps me to stay in tune with myself, and it keeps my thinking as clear as possible. There are times that I have feelings so deep inside of me that the only way to express them is to place them gently on a blank sheet of paper. When the urge to get that thought out of my head and onto a paper invades me, I give in every time.
You might wonder, “When does a writer write?” Well, there isn’t a simple answer to that question. I write when I am really busy or when I am experiencing strong emotions. In these times, writing simply relieves some of the burden that I accumulate from my daily troubles.
My typical day begins at 5:45 a.m. when I wake up and an hour later I am out the door to make it to work on time. After work, I have classes from 1 p.m. to about 4:15 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After classes, I usually meet with the organizations that I am involved with on campus and plan events or projects.
During my break, I usually take a quick power nap in the library for about 30 minutes and then I head to practice for my piano course. I lose myself in the sweet melody played on the piano and I fall into my own thoughts. Then, it is there and I can’t stop it. My hands find their way to a pen and a paper. Suddenly, I start to write and my mind simply pours ideas down like raindrops falling from the sky on a stormy day.
I must say that not all my writing moments are as good as these. Sometimes, I really can’t write. When that happens, I put down my work and tackle homework instead. When I am in the zone, I can write for hours, but when I am not, I leave it for later.
As the day ends and I drive home, I find myself reflecting about my day and the people that I have encountered. When I get home, I make my way to my bedroom and take a few minutes to give in into my urge to write all my thoughts down. At times, school consumes my time and makes it difficult to write.
Before I go to bed, I like to spend time working on my pride and joy, “Elites.” “Elites” is a novel that I have been working on for quite some time and expresses my feelings and my heart clearly. I imagine that many authors feel this way about their literary pieces, but sometimes I get sensitive about my work. I think that’s a good thing to feel as a writer. I want people to appreciate my work, so I care for what I write.
“Elites” is the story of four royal children: Kisera, Jordan, Ananda and Seth. They are heirs to two of the most powerful empires on the planet, and are wonderfully gifted as well as spoiled beyond belief. Their awaited destiny is supposed to justify all the privileges and spoiling that they receive, but it doesn’t.
The issues that I talk about in the book are how easy life is for some wealthy people and how accountability is often not exercised. Also, how corruption lives in the government and in us. Lastly, I focus on common sexist stereotypes and how the world would be if these stereotypes were reversed.
When I write poetic pieces and “thought essays” I feel differently about other people’s opinions. Maybe because I feel that this type of work cannot be criticized as much, since they are my feelings and no one else’s. My writing to me is simply self-expression.
