Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies
CULTURE

Humans of Oxford: Megan Mooney: A Writer's Life for Me

By Kelly Burns, Staff Writer

Growing up, many girls dream of being a Disney princess.

But Megan Mooney doesn't want to be a Disney character. She wants to create them.

"The dream is to be a screenwriter for Disney or Pixar," Megan said. "That is the dream, if everything would fall into place."

The junior English major has written tons of short stories. When she's bored in class, she'll often just start writing in her notebooks. They're random -- she might write a kids' story or something more along the lines of Young Adult fiction.

Megan has had ideas for full-length novels, too, but like most college students, she has little free time.

"Novels are hard because you have to keep writing, and I'm not good at that," she said with a laugh.

It's not about what form her writing takes. It's about the stories and how they will affect the people who experience them.

"I've always liked stories growing up," Megan said. "I think everyone can connect to them in one way or another, and I'd like to do that for kids one day."

Megan found her connection to stories early in her life. Whenever her life was tough, she would escape into books, television, any story that she could find. It was her coping mechanism.

Her childhood played a large role in her wanting to write for Pixar.

"Pixar is wonderful and makes dreams come true," she said with a huge smile on her face. "Kids watch them and are like 'Oh my gosh, it's great.'"

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

That happiness and escape from reality, which Megan found in stories, is what she wants to pass on. Her stories could give people the opportunity to cope with whatever life deals them.

"I want to write something that would give kids, or minorities, or anyone who wants to be anything, hope," Megan said.

Read More

A comprehensive guide to off-campus housing

By Liam Miller | March 8, 2024

College is a pivotal moment in a person’s life. As students start to become more independent, many choose to live off campus. However, the process can be overwhelming for those who have never had to look for housing before. The two primary off-campus housing options in Oxford are to either rent an apartment or rent a house. 

Trending