Interview with Historical Studies Student, Loridee De Villa
Loridee De Villa is a student of Historical Studies (minoring in History of Religions) who is extremely involved in the department. During the pandemic lockdowns, she wrote and published her first novel, How To Be The Best Third Wheel. We conducted a short interview with Loridee to hear about the inspiration for her book, as well as how she manages her time and what her future publishing plans look like!
What inspired you to write your novel?
I started writing the first draft of this book back in 2017 when I was in grade nine, and it was heavily inspired by my own thoughts and feelings entering high school. HTBTBTW revolves around a teenager whose entire friend group enters into romantic relationships and she is left on the sidelines; I found that when I entered high school, a lot of my classmates started to date and because I didn't have the same experiences, I felt like I was falling behind. As the story grew and I received my publishing deal, the book went under a re-write, where I added another key theme of making decisions about the future and what happens after high school. By this time, I was in my first year at UTM and since I had just gone through the difficult process of applying for university, I felt it would be meaningful to explore the pressure young people face with making decisions that determine their futures. On a whole, my novel was inspired by the anxieties I held about growing up alongside the young adult books and movies I consumed at the time.
How do you juggle all of the activities you are involved in (e.g., academics, clubs, hobbies)?
It is very difficult! Perhaps "challenging" is the better word. I wish I could say I have a perfect schedule but unfortunately, I do not. How I work really depends on the season of my life. When I was going through gruelling edits of my book, school was online, so I think that made it easier. However, I was still doing my edits between midnight and 3 AM. Nowadays, I am very focused on trying to wrap up my course work and other school projects (research, clubs, etc.), so my writing has taken a back seat. My regular days are always booked and busy, but I don't mind it because I enjoy most of the things I do. And I think that's probably why I was able to wear many different hats throughout my undergraduate experience – when I really want to do something, I will find a way to do it. I've been lucky enough to pursue many of my interests!
Do you have future plans to continue publishing?
I hope so! I have other books in the works and I would very much love to write more after I graduate. I think publishing comes with a lot of hard work but also a lot of luck. I have gotten so lucky! I will keep writing because it makes me happy and if another publishing deal is in my future, I will be more than happy to jump at the opportunity again.