Meet the Grad: OJ Hanratty

July 19, 2015, on the final day of the upcoming residency, the MFAC program will have a Graduate Recognition ceremony to honor 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 the grads. OJ Hanratty is today's grad; he lives in Providence, Rhode Island and can be found on Twitter @OrrinJhanratty.

What do you do when you’re not working on packets?
I live for stories, so in my down time I do a lot of reading, writing, watching (Good TV), and listening (to podcasts). I am also a pizza aficionado. Otherwise, I am either at work at my machine shop doing things that make me look like thisà

or I am with my fiancée, Hannah, whom I adore.

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?
At Rhode Island College I attended a summer writing institute for a group called the Alliance for the Study and Teaching of Adolescent Literature (ASTAL). At the institute I got to show my writing to real authors for the first time. Two of those authors were Kelly Easton and Liza Ketchum and they told me about the program, and encouraged me to come. I would say they threatened me, but they totally didn’t threaten me. There were no threats, ok?

Just drop it

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?
I was filling up the backs of notebooks since I first learned that anyone could make up stories. I had a sideways path to becoming a writer, but most of my early memories involve me alone in the middle of the woods behind my house battling with some sort of imaginary monster with my trusty array of stick swords. I just love the ways of words and stories and always have. I’m an addict. I don’t want help.

What do especially remember about your first residency?
I felt like I was way out of my depth, everyone here was so smart and writerly. I was a nervous wreck, and that made me quiet. Quiet for me, that is. Since I was so nervous, I was just trying to take it all in and keep my feet on the ground. It was mostly a blur, but I do remember one specific moment on the first day.

You know how they say first semester students never get workshopped on the first day? That’s either a bald-faced lie, or they changed that rule because of me. So in the first huge meeting where everyone is saying hi to their old friends and walking around and everything is warm and cozy for everyone but the new people, WHO KNOW NOTHING. And if you remember a paragraph ago I was a nervous wreck.

So they start going over who will be going on the first day of workshop, and Gene Yang gets up for our workshop and says, “Jenny Barlow… and ORRIN JOHN HANRATTY III.” I seem to remember him shaking his fist all the way through my name and deepening his voice. I could be imagining this. I don’t know. I blacked out after that.

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 focused mostly on novels. I wrote a complete draft of one novel my first two semesters and worked on a second in my third and final semesters. As for other forms, I have written a couple picture books in my downtime. They kinda suck, but I enjoy using the sparseness of the form to tell silly stories.  I have a few comic book ideas I toy with, as well.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.
My thesis is a YA novel,  A Conspiracy of Clowns. Usually the question “Who is the Class Clown” has an easy answer. Not so much in Cove Town High, where pies explode from lockers, chickens stampede from nothingness, and football teams are locked up with angry skunks. The Class Clown of Cove Town is a menace to some and a hero to others. It is up to Victoria, head of the school paper, and her best friend Kami to take him –or her—down.

It’s a comedic mystery that serves as a backdrop for the friendship between Victoria and Kami. Victoria is a super smart, driven, detail obsessed, African American girl and Kami is a lesbian cheerleader, with no filter and nothing but optimism. They have a fight early in the novel and it almost dissolves their friendship, it is the investigation of the Clown that brings them together, and in the process they learn more about the world around them than they ever thought they would.

What changes have you seen in your writing during your studies?
I’m more outline driven now. I used to be a “Pantser,” but now I’m all for planning and preparing for my stories as they go along. Much of my work on the Conspiracy has been looking at structure. Also I’ve come to a new appreciation of grammar and precision of language. Also I use “also” much more liberally.

Any thoughts for entering students or for people considering the program?
Treasure the time. It goes so fast, and you just can’t hold on to it hard enough. ____________________ (Insert cheesy song lyric.) This has been the best writing experience of my life.

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 The public is welcome to attend the graduate recognition ceremony on Sunday, July19, 3:30pm, (Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University). Tim Federle is the speaker.

Meet the Grad: Eddy Giorgi

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. Eddy Giorgi is today's grad; he lives in Rhode Island and can also be found on Twitter: @Eddytothemax.

Two faces of Eddy

What do you do when you’re not working on packets?
When I’m not working on packets I am: reading comics, watching cartoons, listening to music, playing board games, and trying to have as much fun as loudly as possible.

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?
I heard about it through Kelly Easton and Liza Ketchum. I worked with them here in Rhode Island as part of ASTAL, a summer writing conference.

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?
My writing experience was creative writing classes in high school and in my undergraduate college. Besides that, I wouldn’t write unless I had started something in school, while not paying attention and would continue with it if it piqued my interest.

What do you especially remember about your first residency?
I remember flying in the night before and seeing the Twin Cities all lit up and crying, because for the first time in a long time I felt like I was doing something right. It was beautiful. Then I remember landing and being completely surrounded by a community of like-minded people and thinking I was in heaven. I had never felt so little like an outsider in my life.

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 focused on realistic YA novels, which I didn’t think I would. I always figured if I wrote this much I would be writing all sorts of fantasy epics and crazy stories about robots and ninjas. Instead, I have written about realistic kids and have loved it.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.
My creative thesis is a realistic YA novel about a boy named Barrett who wants to commit suicide. The only thing stopping him is guilt, and the fact that he doesn’t want to hurt people when he finally kills himself. He wants to make it easy on them. My ultimate goal is to make the character human, and the story not as dark as it seems. What I would like to do is make depression and suicide scary without having people be afraid of it. When people think of depression and suicide it is all sadness, but even depressed people crack a joke, whether it be with people or at themselves. The jokes can also hide things and be genuine. So I want people to laugh with Barrett rather than ignore him like he wants.

What changes have you seen in your writing during your studies?
I have gotten much more in touch with my emotions. It has made my writing more compelling and less like a simple progression of events. The characters are becoming more human and can be empathized with.

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?
Most definitely. I am going to hire someone to yell at me, most likely.

Any thoughts for entering students or for people considering the program?
If you don’t put your heart into it, it’s a waste of time. That goes for what you say, what you write, how you treat people, and how you go about this program. If you don’t put your entire heart and who you truly are forward then there is no point. It doesn’t matter if you write a 500 page emotional journey of a group of kids or you make a fart noise when you’re by yourself just to get a laugh.  Learn here and add it to who you are, and put who you are into what you learn here.  

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The public is welcome to attend the graduate recognition ceremony on Sunday, January 18, 3:30pm, (Anne Simley Theatre, Drew Fine Arts Building). Linda Sue Park is the speaker.

Meet the Grad: Andrew Ruscito

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. Andrew Ruscito is today's grad; he lives in Rhode Island and can also be found on Twitter: @BeQuietAndrew.

Andrew Ruscito

What do you do when you’re not working on packets?

I try to get as far away from the project I’m writing as possible. I suppose it is always in the back of my mind but I try to clear my head when not writing so I can come back to it with a fresh perspective. I do have a multitude of hobbies all of which I am only moderately skilled at. I love playing music. I have half a dozen guitars and basses and an electric piano. I’ve been playing since I was young. I was in and out of bands in high school and as an undergrad but I continue to play in my basement just for fun. In addition to that, I like playing video games on my computer. I like something I can immerse myself in. Something with a lot of lore and expansive world. Even though it is a few years old at this point, I still find myself in awe of the world in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Of course, I like to read too. My library is quite eclectic. I also have a large collection of comics and graphic novels. I’m a big fan of the magical characters like DC’s Zatanna and Marvel’s Doctor Strange.

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?

Liza Ketchum and Kelly Easton. They were both faculty at the Alliance for the Study and Teaching of Adolescent Literature (ASTAL). That group ran through Rhode Island College and was headed by my undergrad advisor, Dr. Jean Brown. Kelly and Liza repeatedly told me about Hamline and when it came time to graduate, I knew Hamline was where I wanted to go next. I always joke that when Liza and Kelly tell you to do something, you do it. Truth is, I am so happy I listened to them.

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?

ASTAL gave me a unique writing experience. In addition to Liza and Kelly the faculty at ASTAL also gave me the opportunity to work with local authors Mark Peter Hughes (Lemonade Mouth, Crack in the Sky, I Am the Wallpaper), Peter Johnson (Loserville, What Happened, and others), and Padma Venkatraman (Climbing the Stairs). All of those authors gave me tremendous insights into my writing and prepared me for my time at Hamline. There were, of course, various writing groups and college workshops along the way but none were as helpful as ASTAL.

What do especially remember about your first residency?

How not cold it was! I was told over and over again about the Minnesota winters and how harsh they could be so when I arrived in January for my first residency I was a bit unimpressed and noted it was only a few degrees cooler than it was back in RI. I also remember being nervous but excited. My buddy, JJ, had done a good job of preparing me for the actual program so any lingering nerves I had disappeared when I met the other students and staff. Finally, I remember waking up incredibly sad on the day after residency. Yes, it was nice to be back home in my own bed but it was odd and lonely not going to breakfast with all of my new friends from the program.

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?

Each semester brought something new for me. I arrived at Hamline with part of a YA realistic fiction book. Liza and I worked on that during my first semester. During the second semester I worked on Middle Grade Horror with Anne Ursu. That was new to me and a ton of fun. When the big critical semester came around Swati Avasti also advised me through a YA Speculative Fiction Hybrid novel. That work helped set the ground for a graphic novel during my final semester with Gene Yang. The Middle Grade Horror opened my eyes to the great field of Middle Grade and further enhanced my love for Horror. The hybrid novel, while interesting, proved that while I love sci-fi, I don’t love WRITING sci-fi. Working with Gene was great too. I was able to carry out a childhood dream of writing a comic book. Gene guided me to a completed first draft of a super hero graphic novel.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.

My thesis wasn’t what I originally intended. I thought I would pick something I started in a previous semester and bring myself to a complete first draft. I circled Gene’s name for advisor not thinking I would actually be paired with him. When I saw his name on my advisor slip, I thought, “Okay, I guess it’s back to the spec-fic hybrid novel.” I kind of dreaded that thought as it wore me out the semester prior. Instead I remembered a short story I wrote as an undergrad about a girl who grows up in the shadow of her super hero father. The girl, Liberty, goes on to find that her father isn’t quite the hero he is made out to be. Things get more complicated when she is unexpectedly forced to don a cape of her own. She doesn’t feel like she can quite fill her father’s boots and has to deal with the discovery of many family secrets buried deep in the past. The comic form was interesting. In writing prose fiction an author avoids saying that their character is annoyed—instead we show it. In comics we MUST write that in the script. If we don’t clearly convey the emotions, settings, and everything else in a scene the artist may not capture the vision. I loved seeing this side of comics. Every time I open one from my collection I wonder what the writer wrote on paper in the script to achieve the end result of full color graphics. Perhaps most fulfilling was getting to type THE END. Gene led me through new territory for my writing and, while it was a lot of work, it was a hell of a lot of fun. I also learned how much better I am when it comes to writing girl characters than boy characters. My Critical Thesis should have clued me in on that but three out of the four stories I worked on while at Hamline had female protagonists—and the one that didn’t was a sidekick narration by a brother about his sister.

What changes have you seen in your writing during your studies?

There are so many changes but they are all for the better. I had a nasty habit where I would show something and then I would immediately TELL the reader the same information. I thought, perhaps, I didn’t trust my reader. Then, I realized, I was the only one who read the material. I had to learn to trust myself as a writer and not be a perfectionist. Anne actually had me write a paper during our semester together on perfectionism in writing. It was an eye-opening experience for me. Foreshadowing and reader expectations became a big part of my story too. I think of it like that movie A Christmas Story. Everyone tells that annoying kid with glasses that all he will do is “shoot [his] eye out” with that silly BB gun and sure enough in the final act, what does he do? He shoots himself in the eye with the BB gun! The viewer of that movie experiences a great payoff when that happens. I talked about that experience a bit in my critical thesis. I called it the Narrative Payoff. I love it when a story I write has multiple narrative payoffs. I try to avoid the opposite, the narrative letdown, at all costs. In Liberty, my graphic novel, I think I provided the reader with a few of those moments. At least, I hope!

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 think it will be tough to keep writing for a little while. I can tell myself to write a page a day or write for a half hour everyday but when it comes down to it, I just don’t know. I hope to be enrolled in a PhD program by the fall so hopefully I will have more deadlines for that so I can keep writing on schedule. I will probably take the spring and summer to put some polish on my graphic novel so I can send that out for publication. There is a Urban Fantasy/Horror series with comedic elements that has kicked around in the back of my mind since 2009 that I want to write. I think that will be my next big writing endeavor before jumping into my PhD program.

Any thoughts for entering students or for people considering the program?

Just do it. The MFAC was seriously one of the best things I have done in my life. I’ve made friends that will last a life time and learned so much in two years. Yes, it is a lot of work but that shouldn’t turn anyone away. I came in an okay-at-best writer and learned so much to help my craft. You learn about yourself too. Each process letter, each essay, each story you work on might make a light bulb in your brain turn on. I’d also suggest you don’t limit yourself to just one story/genre. Diversify your own portfolio. You may start something you never come back to but the faculty here is diverse and has so much to offer. Don’t discount picture books if you “only write” YA realistic fiction. Picture books help you be concise and cut, cut, cut out the garbage. Try some fantasy. If you can build a cohesive world in a fantasy setting, you can build on in a real-world setting. Circle some advisors you wouldn’t normally because all of them will help you learn some amazing stuff. Next, when it comes down to the big critical, find a passion and pursue it. My critical was a ton of work and I had to spend time reading the most depressingly passive characters ever. Not only was it insightful, but it made me look at my own writing in ways I never saw before. I now have a passive character checklist when I write. If my character falls into passive behavior, I make sure to give her the agency she needs to establish herself on the page. Finally, HAVE FUN. You’re writing for children and young adults. Those books are supposed to be read for pleasure. It’s okay to take a step back and laugh at yourself when you’re up at 3 am putting revising your essay or fiction for the umpteenth time.

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The public is welcome to attend the graduate recognition ceremony on Sunday, January 18, 3:30pm, (Anne SimleyTheatre, Drew Fine Arts Building). Linda Sue Park is the speaker.