On January 18, 2015, on the final day of the upcoming
residency, the MFAC program will have a Graduate Recognition ceremony, honoring
the men and women who have just completed their studies and will receive an MFA
from Hamline University. Between now and residency we'll be posting interviews
with many of the grads. Janel Kolby is today's grad; she lives in Seattle,
Washington and can also be found on Twitter: @JanelKolby.
 |
Janel
|
What do you do when you’re not working
on packets?
I try my best to be a good mom, a good partner, and a good friend. Sometimes it
works. When it doesn’t, I could be reading or pondering an aspect of a story,
and wouldn’t notice if you threw pennies at my head. My other profession is in
software as a program manager.
How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC
Program?
I attended a three-day SCBWI workshop in Washington in which Anne Ursu and [editor] Jordan Brown were the speakers. Anne talked about a magical place and her
magical friends that turned out not to be in her imagination. Lucky for me.
What was your writing experience prior
to entering the program?
Writing poems and stories are some of my earliest memories, and I never stopped
writing. I didn’t know anyone as strange as that, and I kept that part of
myself hidden from everyone but family. I couldn’t fool my family. As I got
older and grew confidence, I began to accept how much happiness I receive from
writing, and that it’s as much my future as it has been my past. About four
years ago, I took the last novel I had written and tried to get it published. I
received some responses to read the entire manuscript, but was ultimately
rejected. That’s when I knew I needed help. I couldn’t do this on my own. I
needed to learn more about my craft and the industry.
What do especially remember about your
first residency?
I remember being embraced—by the staff, the alums, and almost everyone in the
program. I wasn’t expecting that. I was expecting to be the odd ball again, and
find myself a corner between lectures where I could turn inward. I was already
scouting out those corners when I first entered the hall. I didn’t know I would
meet some of the best friends I’ve ever had. I didn’t know Hamline was where I
would find the support I needed to write.
Have you focused on any one form (PB,
novel, nonfiction; graphic novel) or age group in your writing? Tried a form
you never thought you’d try?
I have primarily focused on MG and YA fiction. I tried out some picture books,
and managed to create a passable one, but it’s not a strength yet.
Tell us about your Creative Thesis.
RAIN lives on the outskirts of Seattle in a dangerous, wooded area known as The
Jungle. She has lived there since she was six in a tent with her dad, and with
KING, her only friend aside from the towering trees and woodland animals who
she believes talk to her. She views herself as a type of ghost, since she has
been taught to live as if she were invisible.
After reading
The Little Mermaid, Rain has an idea to see the outside world on her
next birthday, her thirteenth. Her dad reluctantly agrees for her to go, but
for only one day.
The world is not as she expected, and proves to be more dangerous than staying in her tent. As King tries to protect her from a gang in his past, Rain and he become separated. There are a million things she doesn’t know, but she is stronger than she thinks, and in the end she must choose: to act upon her future or disappear as a ghost forever.
What changes have you seen in your writing during your studies?
Confidence and clarity. I have a greater sense about why I write; I now have the
skills to pull together a coherent story; and am better equipped to manage the
bits that make me unique.
With packet deadlines removed as an
incentive, do you anticipate it will be harder to keep writing? Any plans for
your post-Hamline writing life?
I plan to actively participate in workshops and conferences in the writing
community to drive the incentives for my next deadlines.
Any thoughts for entering students or
for people considering the program?Many times in the program I questioned whether I deserved to be at Hamline—to
consider myself a writer. I know I’ll question whether I deserve to be an alum,
and again, a writer. I can deal with that as long as I keep writing and have my
Hamline friends.
*
At that workshop I wrote up comments on people's first 500 words. One afternoon I see Janel sitting in the bar typing; she's rewriting based on the comments. She showed me when she was done and she'd utterly transformed it, taking the comments and seeing way beyond them. When she said she was considering Hamline I said, "yeah, I think you'll get a lot out of it."
ReplyDelete