Grace Wood, a BFA candidate graduating in 2026, was named Senior of the Year by the College of Humanities and Social Science in November 2025. Wood is also majoring in foreign languages (Spanish) and pursuing a minor in publishing.
Wood’s current projects build on both disciplines. After having self-published a YA fantasy series, The Gemini Trilogy, in high school, she’s now working on a second series as part of her creative writing thesis, and she’s drawn on her creative writing skills for an independent study translation project with the support of Mason’s Undergraduate Research Scholars Program: the first full English-language translation of María Zambrano’s play, The Tomb of Antigone.
Wood has also served as a consultant with Mason’s Writing Center for the past three years and has worked with Stillhouse Press as part of her publishing minor. She’s currently applying to MFA programs in creative writing.
In the midst of coursework and extracurriculars, Wood took time to share some thoughts on her time at Mason and her plans ahead.
What inspired you to pursue creative writing at the college level?
While I had already worked on a trilogy of novellas, I felt that I needed a more structured approach to my writing process. Most of my previous work was done alone and was only reviewed by close family before self-publishing. I wanted an environment where I could receive feedback from both budding writers and seasoned professionals. Even though I knew I wanted fiction writing to be my career, more experience with workshops and receiving constructive criticism would only add to the foundation I developed in high school. As I moved deeper into the program, I also hoped to learn more about the publishing industry and how to navigate it as a writer, which I managed through conversations with already published writers and the connections I built through the Publishing minor.
You previously released a trilogy of fantasy novels. How has your work developed since then? What genres or styles of writing interest you now?
High fantasy will always be my home. Nothing will ever compare to creating new ways to explore medieval magic systems and building new worlds from scratch for my characters to inhabit. There is something about the fantastical that has always pulled me in that I hope will do the same for my readers. In my classes, I have experimented with other genres, specifically literary fiction. While it is a genre I enjoy reading, it doesn’t call me the way fantasy does. I do have some ideas for a few historical works and even some medieval romance pieces. Whatever genre I decide to write, my Catholic faith will always be the foundation on which I build my work.
How has your time in Mason’s creative writing program helped you evolve as a writer?
As I said, I was looking for an intensive workshop-oriented experience and that’s what Mason provided. I learned how to format my work, write to very specific prompts and parameters, and learn from and give feedback to my fellow writers. Whether the classes provided specific prompts or gave me free rein to write what I wanted, I always walked away with some technique, comment, or piece of inspiration to make my stories better. I specifically enjoyed the special topics courses as they helped me with writing in specific forms and genres and using specific tools.
You are currently working on a book-length translation project. How has your work as a writer influenced how you tackle this project?
My translation of María Zambrano’s Tomb of Antigone is directly tied to my work as a writer. Unlike someone coming from a solely literary or linguistic background, I have the unique ability to understand Zambrano at the style level. I understand what it is to be a writer. I understand how to capture and be familiar with an author’s style, so it makes the translation more authentic. This translation also isn’t a literal one. As a writer, I can work with the metaphorical language required to get the proper meaning across. I am also working to create a more accessible version of the text by making the language more contemporary, something that is made easier by my ability to play with language in terms of both tone and formality.
What is the best book you’ve read lately? Why?
I would say that the best book I’ve read lately is Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. It’s one of my favorites in its mastery of plot, multiple points of view, well-rounded lovable characters, and its slow tease of information that keeps you on the edge of your seat without ruining the surprise. It’s one of the books that I want to learn from as a writer in that genre.
December 10, 2025