Junior Writer Grace Phillips is the latest in a long line of former journalists who have found marketing as an outlet for their writing talents. But Grace’s writing is hardly one-dimensional. While she navigates her first weeks at her new desk at Well Done, Grace is also pursuing a master’s of fine arts in creative writing from Butler University. It’s just one of the many interesting things about our newest member of the creative team.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: Whenever anyone asks me to tell them a bit about myself, one of the first things I start with is the fact that I’m missing my right ear. It’s my built-in fun fact, haha!
I was born and raised in Indianapolis on the west side, and I have two younger brothers who I’m very close with. I graduated from Hanover College with a double major in English and communications, and a double minor in creative writing and business. I kept myself busy.
I’m a huge Star Wars fan, and I am working towards my MFA at night.
Q: Where’s your favorite spot in Indy to crank out some writing?
A: I love to people-watch. My favorite places are the spots where I can sit outside and still be able to see everybody. Coffee shops are always a good bet, and there are several within walking distance of my apartment. I also love the Sushi Bar in Broad Ripple. They have a little outdoor balcony where I can sit, write, and eat some awesome food. That’s usually my go-to spot.
Q: What led you to Well Done Marketing?
A: I have a journalism background, and while I loved interacting with people, I was looking for an opportunity to do something more creative. Well Done has incredible opportunities for me to work on exciting projects. The work culture and people are excellent, and overall it seemed like the perfect place for me. I’m happy to be part of the team.
Q: What kind of stories were you covering as a journalist?
A: I was the education reporter for Morgan County. I spent a lot of time at school board meetings, which could get pretty intense, especially during school years impacted by COVID.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: I’ve recently been getting really into game design—my family loves playing board games, so lately I’ve been trying to create my own games for us to play. They’re usually just silly with a lot of family inside jokes. With their help, I may try to work on a serious board game someday.
Q: What challenges does designing a game present that’s different from your other creative pursuits?
A: There’s a lot of other factors you have to consider when writing a game that you don’t really think about. Everything is subjective and depends entirely on gameplay choices made by your players, so you have to have a lot of different endings and paths prepared. The biggest difference is I have to convince my friends or siblings to test the game with me a few times so I can work out the problems, but that’s also what makes it fun!
Welcome aboard, Grace! We’re sure our clients will find a way to put all of your writing skills to good use. You’ll find plenty of fellow Star Wars fans to geek out with here, and you might also find a few more crash test dummies for your board game designs.