Cierra Lemott 
Inti Navia, a sophomore at Columbia College Chicago, is a part of True Star’s freelance journalism team and has been since May 2022. Over the course of his time at True Star, he has published countless stories on various topics. Later this year, he’s going to be a published author, releasing the book For Sword and Planet.
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How long have you been a part of True Star?
Since May 2022, a little over two years now.
What made you want to become a part of True Star?
I just really wanted the chance to utilize what skills that I learned in high school. I went to an arts high school (Chi Arts) where I focused on creative writing.
My friend knew that I was looking for a job, so she recommended me to True Star. It just seemed like the perfect chance to get to actually use my writing skills for a practical purpose, and that’s what it turned out to be. Now I get to use these skills and my hobby, too, that I’ve been doing for years, to tell stories, reach people and make a little money on the side.
How did your True Star discipline spark a passion for learning?
It was really a chance to do something which I’d never done before, which is [to] turn my writing into reaching a certain kind of audience. I had to not do the formal type of writing that I’ve done before and have a little more casual stuff to reach towards teenagers since that’s the audience that the articles are supposed to reach. It was really interesting to learn how to change my skills to fit a certain type of voice.
What is your ideal career?
My ideal career would be being an author. I’m actually publishing a book in September, so I’m slowly trying to reach that goal. I’m also in school for screenwriting for a more stable career. I’d also really like to be a screenwriter. No matter what, I’d love to just put my writing skills to something I can do every day and that just be my full-time job.
How has True Star prepared you for your future career?
It’s definitely helped me improve my writing a lot. It just helps to be able to write literally every week so I can just keep practicing my writing. To be a consistently good writer, you really just do need to practice all the time and True Star’s a good excuse to do that. I’ve learned to not have the same type of voice for everything because sometimes it doesn’t necessarily apply to what I have to write about. Mrs. Marti (True Star’s Managing Editor) even helped me with my query letters to literary agents in the past to pitch books.
How have you benefited from being a member of True Star?
I’ve gotten the opportunity to make more connections and I’ve gotten to experience more things, like the fundraiser event [back in May]. [I’ve] reached more people and developed my professional image on my social media platforms.
What has been your favorite True Star experience so far?
Being able to write about what is my passion. I love Star Wars, so whenever there’s a new show or something out, I always pitch a review of that to Mrs. Marti. It’s really cool to be able to write about my interests and have people be interested in that and have a platform for talking about that. Writing about the recent “Star Wars” show, “The Acolyte,” was really cool because it’s just one of my hobbies and interests, so I know a lot about it and I have a platform to talk about it, which was really neat.
How has True Star contributed to your success in life so far?
It’s really given me the chance to develop my writing. I feel like in a lot of ways that it’s just helped me advance my professional career. I got to really polish and expand upon my writing here. TS has helped me advance as a professional writer, and just given me the chance to have a future in that.
Stay on the lookout for new stories and reviews written by Inti Navia by visiting True Star’s web plaftorm. See a brief summary of Navia’s upcoming fantasy fiction novel, For Sword and Planet, below:
For Sword and Planet follows the Rosewood Knight, a lone warrior in an alien, fantastical wasteland, on his quest to marry the princess Lorenna Lerelei. When another knight begins to compete for her hand in marriage, however, Rose turns to a path of revenge. A mix of sci-fi and Arthurian-inspired mythology, this novel is like a Disney movie with a dark twist.
For Sword and Planet is being published by Shy City House, and will be released later this year.
By Cierra Lemott, Columbia College Chicago alumni
Instagram: @cece.kodak / @kodakscamera
X: @LemottCierra
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