Raevin Bilyeu
Student
This Is How I Work
A quick look into the kind of writer I am
Raevin Bilyeu is an undergraduate student studying Journalism and Gender and Women's Studies (GWST) with a minor in Writing at the University of Denver. She grew up in small-town Oregon and attended the same school from 2nd to 12th grade. It was a rather monotonous and depressing experience, but once she left for college, she found her niche. Bilyeu has been writing since before she could write herself. Her and her grandmother collaborated on many books when she was younger; her grandmother transcribed the story Bilyeu told onto the pages next to Bilyeu’s illustrations. Bilyeu’s plans for the future are still quite unclear, but she plans on writing wherever they’ll take her. Eventually, she’d love to move back to Oregon and publish a book or two.
Location: Denver, CO
Current Gig: Part-time Student, Part-time Barista
One word that best describes how you work: Nocturnal
Current mobile device: iPhone 8 Plus
Current computer: MacBook Pro
What apps, software, or tools can’t you live without?
I would not be able to live without Spotify because music is just so important. I also don’t have a car so I couldn’t live without Lyft. If had to pick one social media app, I couldn’t live without it would probably be Twitter because I can read news stories as well as keep up with my friends. Netflix is another form of entertainment that I would be lost without.
What’s your workspace setup like?
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
What’s your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
I love rings, but I don’t have the budget to buy high quality jewelry, so I usually end up shopping at Target or Claire’s. These cheap rings inevitably leave green rings around your fingers once they’ve been worn a few times. To avoid this, just paint the inside of the ring with a layer of clear nail polish. Now you don’t have to spend a lot of money to keep your fingers clean.
When doing research, are there any tools that you find to be indispensable?
I am not sure if this would be considered a tool, but in my field (GWST) personal stories are super impactful, so access to those I feel is indispensable. I try to include personal accounts in most of my papers because they are very persuasive, but also put a lot of things/issues into perspective rather than just displaying some stats or infographic. People tend to better connect with other people than with numbers.
A planner; it is always so satisfying to physically cross things off a list.
What do you write with?
I usually write on my laptop, but I do enjoy writing with a pen and paper (my handwriting is just impossible to read).
What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?
Making Flat Whites
What do you listen to while you work?
Any type of music besides country. Currently, I am listening to Odesza
What are you currently reading?
Do you use an e-reader or do you prefer paper books?
See photo to the left.
What’s your sleep routine like?
Typically, I cannot fall asleep until after 12. The rest of the night consists of tossing and turning because dorm room beds are UNCOMFORTABLE (mattress pad or not); I need at least a full bed so I can spread out. Then, I am either up at 4:00am to open at Starbucks or woken up by the sun because dorm room blinds are essentially ineffective. Long story short: I don’t get much sleep.
Fill in the blank: I’d love to see ____ answer these same questions.
Donald Glover
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
I don’t if anyone has ever given me this advice, but rather, I probably saw it on the internet, but it was my senior quote in High School and it came from the great Winston Churchill: “If you’re going through hell, keep going”. It helped me through a really hard time in my life.
Is there anything else you want to add about your writing life?
I hope to one day write a memoir and maybe in the near future because they are usually written later in life and I think there is a lot to gain from a young person’s perspective. Whether it be for just me or published for the public, it is something I’ve been wanting to do.
Currently, I am reading Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti.