Why Write? Webisode Writer/Director Tina Cesa Ward Speaks

Tina Cesa Ward is the executive producer, writer, and director of the multi-award winning hit web series Anyone But Me, which is about New York teens coming of age in a post-9/11 world. Between the stage, screen, and web, Tina has been awarded nearly a dozen times.

For more on Tina, read her interview on Write On! Online.

Why is writing so important for young adults?

I wrote when I was a young adult and I think it really helped me not only become a better writer because I started so young, but I worked through a lot of personal issues just by putting pen to paper and creating fictional worlds with characters that let me express my feelings in a safe way. We all need to be able to express ourselves and writing, whether you want to pursue writing as a career or not, is an amazing way to be able to do that. Plus how much fun is it to make stuff up? A lot of fun.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were a tween or teen?

That things are going to get better but they are also going to get harder.

How has the ability to express yourself helped you in life?

As a kid it was an amazing escape to write stories, and even as an adult it is. Although I love writing completely fictional characters and stories, they still touch on topics that I personally am working through. I've always been a pretty shy and private person and writing lets me explore what it would be like to be someone other than who I am. It can break you out of your shell a little bit. Sometimes I write characters and/or dialogue and think "Did that really come out of me?" Sometimes you just never know what's inside you.