Meet the Grad: Katie Kunz

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. Katie (Katherine) Kunz is today's grad; she lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

What do you do when you’re not working on packets?
I’m a high school English teacher, so that takes up a lot of my time. When I do have free time, I spend it with the people, stories, and dogs I love.

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?
On the Internet. Like a little squirrel, the ad just kept popping up; kept running around in my head. I gave it a lot of thought, met with Mary [Rockcastle], and sat on it. Then, in the middle of subbing for an unruly eighth grade class, two days before the May application deadline, the ad popped up again. And I thought, “You know what? That little squirrel is pretty awesome.”

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?
I started a comic about a boy named Stuart the summer before 6th grade. At 17 I made the decision I wanted to be a writer, and I practiced the rest of high school. Then I took undergraduate courses in creative writing at the University of MN. After teaching and trying to write in NYC for three years, I moved home to Minneapolis. Here I took a class at The Loft Literary Center and wrote two picture books. (I just found one this spring. It’s awful! Ha!) Three years ago I wrote a middle grade novel. After that was done, that little squirrel popped up.

What do especially remember about your first residency?
I remember feeling very out of place. Feeling a bit like a fraud, like I got in as a charity case or something. Everyone was brilliant and confident. I was not; I am not. But I did feel like I found a very special place in Hamline by the end of that residency. I also battled at bit of homesickness, which is ridiculous because I live about 10 miles from campus and stay at home. After graduation I expect I’ll suffer from MFAC-sickness.

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 came in with that middle grade novel I had written in 2012 and revised that in my first semester. I also started a graphic novel—which I never thought I would do. In my second semester I wrote the draft of a second middle grade novel, this one for the younger set in that audience. I started a third middle grade novel in my third semester. This, my final semester, I revised and revised and revised and revised one more time (thank you, Jackie) my second middle grade novel. I also drafted four picture books and revised and revised and revised two of those.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.
It is a story of a nine-year old New Yorker named Moon who struggles with chronic pain and lonesomeness due to an undiagnosed blood disorder. She forms an unlikely friendship with a rambunctious pony she names Cheese, and when their friendship is threatened, she discovers who she is and what she can do. She gets help along the way from a pair of Adidas shoes, a wise, Chinese boy named Sying, a dragon kite, an iPad, and a chicken named Banana Cake. I also wrote a picture book about little girl named Ruby who believes in her super-ness, and another picture book with an embedded nursery rhyme about a little girl, Greta, who builds a moat to protect the animals in her kingdom from an evil witch.

What changes have you seen in your writing during your studies?
There are so many! For example, now I can see craft elements in my stories more clearly and analyze them for intention. Before I just ran with the feelings I had. Now I am more objective. Although my feelings are valid, I know if I can’t justify why something is necessary—despite my undying love for it—I let it go. I also understand my own process much better. I get the importance of a finishing a shitty rough draft, however embarrassing it may be. Until my third semester I didn’t know if I could revise, either. But I guess I can. So that’s new. Finally, en medias res, running your character up a tree then bringing on the storm, and plotting (arcs, scenes/summary, acts, chapters, etc.) were also critical lessons that have helped cause change in my writing.

Any thoughts for entering students or for people considering the program?
I have a few. Yes, it may be a chunk of change. Yes, it may be time-consuming. And, yes, you will more likely than not cry, especially at residency. But let me ask you this: How much more does it cost to defer a dream? What better way to spend your time than with an art you love and believe in? And aren’t tears—happy tears, nervous tears, proud tears, grateful tears, the myriad types of tears you shed being part of the Hamline MFAC program—an unabashed reminder of the importance and the joy of writing our hearts out for our children?   

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The public is welcome to attend the graduate recognition ceremony on Sunday, July 19, 3:30pm, (Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University). Tim Federle is the speaker.

Meet the Grad: Judi Marcin

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. Judi Marcin is today's grad; she lives in Chicago, Illinois, and can be found on Twitter @MFACPride.

Judi and her amazingly supportive spouse.

What do you do when you’re not working on packets?
For now, my day job is as a family physician. I teach family medicine residents, but what I really want to do is teach and support young people on their own writing journeys. My long-term goal is to support myself by writing. I like to dream big! And thanks to Hamline, I feel well prepared to do whatever it takes. I am also a foodie who loves to eat, cook and travel with my amazingly supportive spouse. 

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?
I learned about the MFAC program at a booth at an AWP conference. This interesting and enthusiastic student had nothing but great things to say about Hamline. I did some research on my own and realized it sounded like the perfect place for me.

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?
Before Hamline, I wrote only for myself, too intimidated to share anything with anyone else. But then I took the plunge and signed up for all the creative writing classes I could in Chicago. The more I wrote, the younger my protagonists became. Then a light bulb came on. Why should I write for grownups when what I want to do is write for young people? So I found my courage again and applied to Hamline—the best decision I have ever, ever made for my creative self.

What do you especially remember about your first residency?

I was so excited to find a bunch of people just like me who didn’t think books about magical talking cats in ancient Egypt were frivolous or silly. The program was filled with individuals who loved reading, writing and talking about books as much as I did, with brilliant faculty who shared their knowledge and lent their support. I remember how committed other writers and faculty were to their craft, and I soon realized how challenging this journey would be— so much harder than medical school ever was.

I embraced the fact that young people deserve stories written by authors who take their jobs seriously. What we do changes people lives. We provide our readers with escape and encouragement, mirrors and windows, and lots of wonderful ways of exploring the world. Writing for children and young adults is way too important to not do well.

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 came to Hamline thinking I would write contemporary YA, scared to explore my talking cat idea. Then I discovered that middle grade is my true love and historical fantasy my destiny; however, picture books are an extremely close second. And thanks to Claire Rudolf Murphy, I have three nonfiction Works in Progress competing for my attention. Nonfiction blends my love of history, research and storytelling.

Original, real-world Onyx

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.
My creative thesis is historical fantasy that is part of a series. Set in ancient Egypt, the pharaoh’s daughter rescues a magical black cat, Onyx, who possesses powers that will not only save her and family but an ancient library as well. In future books, Onyx learns the price and pain of immortality as she lives out her remaining eight lives. She travels throughout the world, learning how to protect the library from its enemies and becoming the warrior she was meant to be. These stories celebrate the lives of females, inspired by real girls and women who changed the trajectory of history.

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

I am more confident and willing to take risks. I am less afraid to try something new and more accepting if the idea never quite comes to fruition. Writing is an art and a craft and something that deserves my attention. If I want to become better, I have to put in the time, and that is lifelong. It doesn’t end with one book or one story. Writing is lots of trial and error and rejection and I am still learning to embrace those things. I have discovered the joy of editing and working and reworking the story until the words are right.

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

In this program, we celebrate one another as artists who want to make the world a better place. Find the things and people that inspire you and surround yourself with them. The MFAC program will change your life and demand your time and attention. Embrace that. The faculty and students will support you along the way and long after you graduate. Finally, run towards the things that scare you the most.

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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: Sonja Solter

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. Sonja Solter is today's grad; she lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but is about to move to Geneva, Switzerland for one year.

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

I spend lots of time with my husband and two children (an eight-year-old daughter and an almost-twelve-year old son), as well extended family in town, including a niece and nephew. I homeschooled my daughter for most of this past school year. I originally intended to substitute teach for the Music Together® program I used to direct in town, but I quickly realized my schedule was too busy for that. We also like to travel, both domestically and internationally, and participate in various sports activities. I went through candidate training and passed my black belt test in Shotokan karate last summer. Another thread to my life is remaining centered and receptive spiritually, which sometimes means a specific activity, such as daily centering prayer meditation or an experiential retreat.

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?
I researched programs online.

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?
Looking back, I can remember writing a poem during a special artist-in-residence workshop in elementary school. I was awed by the process of evoking feelings and sensations through my words. As an older child and young adult, I always thought of myself as a writer, even though I wasn’t pursuing writing activities outside of the occasional school assignment. Finally, after realizing that I didn’t want to be a doctor and leaving medical school, the writing came pouring out of me. I started writing regularly after that, but it would dwindle when I became busy with other projects or my family. I kept myself going by joining my local SCBWI chapter, and even completed a four-month mentorship program with author Claudia Mills. Yet I finally realized that I needed to make a bigger commitment and receive more intensive instruction in order to take my writing to a higher level of craft.

What do especially remember about your first residency?I was so exhausted coming in. We’d been evacuated in June from our home due to the wildfires in Colorado, and then had immediately left on an overseas trip we’d planned far in advance. Despite this exhaustion and a couple of unhappy incidents (my new computer dying with all of my notes and reflections halfway through residency; my husband falling quite ill with a spider bite while he was supposed to take care of the kids), I had the time of my life. I felt immediately close to the people, and I could tell right away that the coursework was both engaging and just what I needed.

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’ve tried pretty much everything except for nonfiction, and I’ve also covered the gamut of ages. Each genre and level has informed and inspired the others. For example, exploring picture books led me into poetry, which then led me into a middle grade novel in verse. I didn’t think I’d write a young adult novel while in the program, so I surprised myself by switching to a YA novel as the majority of my creative thesis.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.  
I completed a 150-page draft and a few rounds of intense revision (to be continued) on a young adult novel called “Entanglement.” It’s about a young woman who finds herself psychically connected both to someone from her own past and an ancestor.  Her search for the meaning and purpose of these connections leads her down a path of healing, empowerment, and redemption. I also have two picture books as part of my creative thesis: one with the book itself as the first-person narrator and also the third installment in a cartoon-style reader series starring friends Mona and Dee.

What changes have you seen in your writing during your studies?
It would take me a long time to list it all. Overall, it’s been such an interesting mix of becoming more conscious of all the craft elements, but at the same time developing a more natural overall flow. A deeper understanding and internalization of all I’ve learned is most likely the mechanism linking those two. Another somewhat counterintuitive pair: I’ve learned to relax more and play with my writing in order to enhance revision and specific work on craft elements.

Any thoughts for entering students or for people considering the program?I can’t recommend it highly enough! If you are serious about your writing, do it!

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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: 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: Tashi Saheb-Ettaba

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. Tashi Saheb-Ettaba is today's grad; she lives in Tucson, Arizona and can be found on Twitter @Seras_Ouka.

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

I’m a Trailing Docs Coordinator at Nova Home Loans. I work out at a local gym called Steps Dance and Fitness. I love reading. Hmm, what else do I do? I paint, play video games, make costumes, dance, have weird conversations with my co-workers, snuggle with my cats, and play Rock Band with my friends. Sometimes, I burst into a song for no reason whatsoever. Currently, I’m learning to play the guitar.

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?

In 2012, I saw an ad in the Poets and Writers magazine. Ever since I saw that ad, Hamline kept popping up. I saw the ad again in the next issue of Poets and Writers. One day, I overheard a conversation about Hamline at a coffee shop. When I came across Anne Ursu’s Breadcrumbs, Hamline was mentioned in her bio snippet. When I finally visited the website, I was intrigued with the program. I was going through a difficult moment at the time and Hamline was my beacon of hope. When the New Year came around, I decided to give this program a shot.

It was as if I was following the breadcrumbs to a magical place.

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?

I made up stories in my head, but I never wrote them down. When I was ten, I kept a diary about my travels. When I was sixteen, I wrote a story about a girl who went on an adventure with pirates. Throughout high school, I wrote a lot of stories about pirates and dragons. (To all my high school friends, if you’re reading this, I’m so sorry you had to read those horrible stories!) Throughout college, I experimented with horror, magic realism, and fairy tale retellings.

What do especially remember about your first residency?

I remember being nervous. I was worried about not fitting in and had so much self-doubt. At one point, I even thought I didn’t deserve to be there with all these talented writers. After talking to the faculty and classmates, all my fears vanished. I felt comfortable and didn’t feel like I had to hide my true self.

Oh yeah, I also remember chasing OJ down the dorm hallway because he threw water at me!

Tashi also enjoys doodling cats.

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 wrote a lot of novels and short stories before coming to this program. Last summer, I took Gene Yang’s Writing Comics Workshop. It was an insightful workshop and I realized some of my short stories worked better as graphic novels. During my third semester, Jackie Briggs Martin encouraged me to write picture books, and it was a fantastic experience.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.

My creative thesis is called Angels and Trains. It’s a magic realism middle-grade novel about confrontation with death. Celeste finds out she’s diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma and is overwhelmed with her drastic lifestyle changes involving hospital visits and chemotherapy. To make matters worse, she can’t stop hearing the phantom train.

In a small town called Mittelteil, there’s a haunting legend about a phantom train. Legend claims that the phantom train will come to those who are dying.

During the chaos, she meets Micah, a mysterious boy who is connected to the train. He calls himself a Guardian, who will comfort her before they board the train together. Celeste is upset by Micah’s presence and wants to defeat death.

Overall, the novel is really about life, death, love, flying, and rock and roll.

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

I used to struggle with character development. I would focus solely on the plot, but didn’t apply the character’s desires and emotions to the story. My characters were either flat or not relatable at all. Other times, I couldn’t even figure out what my character is supposed to learn by the end of the story. Thanks to the lectures, I learned a lot about character traits, flaws, desires, and psychic distance.

Nowadays, I pay attention to my characters and their needs. A character always has a story to tell.

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

Okay, here’s what you do. Visit the MFAC Program website, read it, and place your hand over your heart. Is your heart beating so fast that you can’t help but feel giddy? Do you feel like you could fly as you picture yourself being surrounded by kind and talented students? Are you smiling as you think of your stories coming to life?

Did you feel all these things?

Good. That means you’re meant to be here.

It’s okay to be scared at first. I remember being terrified when I first entered the program, but now, I don’t have any fears holding me back.

And neither will you.

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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: Donna Jones Koppelman

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. Donna Jones Koppelman is today's grad; she lives in North Carolina and can be found writing and chatting at these places: www.donnakoppelman.blogspot.com; facebook.com/donna.koppelman; @koppelmom (Twitter).

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

I have four children aged 19-12, two dogs, a three-legged cat, and a husband, so I am plenty busy when I’m not doing packets. I watch a lot of football games, track meets, tennis matches, soccer games, plays and band concerts. I serve on the board at our local library, I am a vestry member at our church, I sing in a praise band at church, and I am active in our small community. I also do school visits to talk about writing and teach writing to students, and I lead staff development at schools to teach teachers how to teach writing more effectively. My research when I pursued a Reading Specialist at UNC focused on the relationship between teacher confidence in their own writing and their ability to teach writing. At one school, I helped kick off a “Drop Everything and Write” campaign that even involved the bus drivers. Those stories were the BEST!

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?

I had a number of friends who attended the program in Vermont. I was impressed with the program (and all my friends!), but when I heard about Hamline, I suspected it may be smaller and more personal. I also wanted to work on nonfiction, and Hamline’s program had the amazing Jackie Briggs Martin; I had long been a fan of Snowflake Bentley, and I was a huge fan of Gary Schmidt’s work. I also hoped the Hamline program might offer a cultural experience of being in Minnesota every January.

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?

Growing up, I wrote all the time. I wrote stories, poems, notes in class (before texting), and especially music lyrics. Prior to entering the program, I had written for educational journals, newspaper and magazine markets, and worked daily on picture books and novels. I had also kept a blog for several years. Once I had a good daily writing routine for a few years and read all the craft books I could find, I knew I needed a program to take me to the next level. 

What do especially remember about your first residency?

 My first residency, I arrived late at night. Two young [Hamline undergraduate] students were making out on the front stoop of the dorm, blocking the door, and I had to tap the girl on the shoulder to get in the building. Then, my dorm room smelled so awful. I could hardly breathe. I walked to a 24 hour gas station in the middle of the night trying to find Febreze or Lysol. I remember thinking, “I am way too old to be staying in a dorm room that smells like vomit.” I thought maybe I had made a huge mistake. The next day, dear Mike Petry, a returning student who knew the ropes, helped me spray my room from end to end which we continued to do every day for the rest of the residency. I also remember how special it was to see my old friend, Miriam Busch, again. We had participated in a children’s writing program at Chautauqua together a few years prior. Most of all, I fell completely in love with my classmates, my professors, and the whole program. I wrote my husband letters daily about how much I loved the program and how grateful I was to be there. I saved them to read aloud when I am a keynote speaker at a big conference one day. I kept them to remember how Hamline MFAC changed 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 worked on nonfiction picture books, rhyming picture books, non rhyming picture books, and a middle grade novel. I loved my work on the critical thesis, and if I could find a way to do more research and then teaching about my findings, I would be in heaven. I would love to be a professor in a low-residency program like this one. One goal I had for this program that I have not met is to figure out what genre is my strongest. Perhaps trying so many things kept me from getting very good at any one thing! However, I definitely have a foundation to push forward in many directions.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.

For my creative thesis, I wrote a middle grade novel about a young girl prying into family secrets. It is set in Georgia in the early 1970s and involves divorce, racial issues, Vietnam, family relationships, spiritual exploration, and even a little Betty Friedan. I began this novel on Jane’s suggestion, and it grew out of a childhood memory I wrote for her about stealing blackberries with my cousin at the end of my first semester. I kept writing the novel on my own during the other semesters between packets, etc. Then, this semester, Jane challenged me to put it down and write it over from scratch without looking at it. The thought terrified me, but I knew if I didn’t do it now, I would never do it. (Haven’t we all walked over hot coals for Jane?) The process amazed and astounded me, and I would highly recommend it. From then on, if a scene didn’t work, I didn’t try to fix it, I started over. What a difference! I love this story, and the rich culture of the time period and physical setting of a Georgia summer. Much of the story takes place within the branches of a huge Magnolia tree which is where I spent many summer days myself. 

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

At first, I avoided the hot stove so much that I hardly knew how to find it. Working with Jane my first semester was the best thing I could have done, but that semester was emotionally tough. I revisited a lot of difficult issues in my childhood memories, but they opened the door to a wealth of writing material and a great personal sense of peace. 

I have finally, mostly, learned to only put one space after a period. For the record, I hate that rule. (and you may not be surprised that I also support the Oxford Comma) I loved From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler. It’s a little “out there”, as Jane would say, but learning about the relationship between my dreams and my writing life changed my writing routine dramatically. I have learned how to follow and control my own mind’s rhythm and patterns in order to yield the most productive writing time. 

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

This program is life-changing, but be prepared to go all in. Clear your schedule. Minimize your expenses. Live simply. Have a sit down with your children. Give yourself two years to write like a maniac and devote yourself to the program. Trust the process. Give every assignment your best effort, and your work will improve exponentially. And let the housework go a bit. Trust me, it will be there when you graduate!

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

Meet the Grad: Nina Bricko

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. Nina Bricko is today's grad; she lives in Madison, Wisconsin. You can learn more about Nina and her writing on her website.

 What do you do when you’re not working on packets?
While I was working on my MFA I was a kids yoga instructor and a naturalist for a preschool. I also taught a variety of writing courses for Madison College. While working on packets I was also trying to get my work published. I had a short story – that was originally written for a picture book - published in a couple literary journals, one online and one in print. The same short story also won the Prairie Gate Literary Contest and was turned into a play. The play was performed at the end of the Prairie Gate Literary Festival, a conference that I was invited to come to for free. So I have had some success that has been very encouraging. I wasn’t able to graduate this past July because I had a little baby boy named Elwood.  So I spend most of my time playing with him and laughing at his antics. I dream about living in a strawbale house by a river, growing a tall garden, and hugging chickens. Poka-dot Dresses and muddy boots – that about sums up me.

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?
I was walking downtown Madison when my eye caught a poster about a guest speaker from Hamline University coming to discuss their MFA program on Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults. I thought in my head – as most people do – I should go to this!

I did not.

I had only begun to think about getting my masters at the time. Fast forward about a year later, I was finally ready to pursue my interest in obtaining a masters in creative writing. But what and where? I wasn’t a literary writer – at least I didn’t think so. I had realized that I mostly wrote middle grade and had a strong interest in writing picture books. The poster I had seen so many months prior came to mind and so I looked Hamline up on the inter-webs. Then I went to the information weekend, met and questioned Mary Rockcastle, and discovered where I wanted to go.

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?
I have always loved writing. When I was in the sixth grade my teacher accused me of cheating on a poem I had written and turned in for an assignment. She didn’t think a sixth grader could have written it. So that was a big boost for my ego. The next year my Dad entered it into a contest and it won. How about that!

I used to do wonderfully nerdy things like write puppet shows and put them on for the kindergarteners during my class’s recess time. One time I created a character named Professor Lightbulb – he was an actual light bulb I had hooked up to a battery so I could switch him on and off. He liked to do SCIENCE!

For my birthday, which was the summer before the seventh grade, I asked for a typewriter. My wonderfully supportive parents got me one. How about that!

In junior high I wrote plays for the talent show. In high school I went through a goth phase, so you can imagine how those poems went.

I didn’t think a person could be a writer as a profession. It seemed like a job someone gets in the movies, and not in real life. So I went with my next great love – Nature. I became a naturalist, and not the nude kind. I traveled the country working at different nature centers, teaching kids about the great out doors. But as I traveled – I wrote. While living in Arizona I started and completed my first novel. I took my first novel writing class and after that I was hooked. I wrote another novel. I wrote more short stories. I wrote ferociously. When my hubby and I moved to Madison because we wanted to live there and not for a job, I was forced to find work that wasn’t in my field. I loved working with small children so I became certified an as early childhood educator. This is when I fell in love with picture books. I had always appreciated picture books, and I had attempted to write for children previously, but when you are constantly reading them you really begin to gain an understanding of the depth and scope that encompass the picture book world. I wanted in. I tried and I tried. My favorite activity with the students was to tell them a story that I made up on the fly and draw pictures while I spoke. Their favorite stories I tried to write down, so I could tell it to them again the next day. I knew that I wanted to know more about the world of picture book writing.

It is exciting to have the knowledge to write for any age group, but it is enchanting and invigorating to have a personal understanding of what kind of writer I am. This happened because of my writing journey, and it will continue to modify throughout my life as a writer.

What do especially remember about your first residency?
I was very nervous. When I don’t know people I become very quiet and shy, which is the opposite when I am comfortable with people. My personality type can be confusing. However, I knew that I wanted to succeed in this program; so even though I was nervous, I jumped right into volunteering for the Storytellers Inkpot. One of my first articles I reflected on my experience as a newbie, and I had decided to draw a comic to describe how it felt to meet one of the faculty members: (click to enlarge)

We are all nerds and it felt great to find my people. I was inspired and excited. My first residency simply confirmed that I was in the right place.

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 tried middle grade, early middle grade, and picture books. I really wanted to try graphic novels my third semester but wasn’t encouraged to do so because I had to generate a critical thesis. If I had another semester I would work on comics and nonfiction. I teach create writing all levels for Madison College and I have Hayley Scheuring (Hamline MFAC Alumni) guest speak during our nonfiction discussion because I don’t feel as though I was given enough opportunities to really understand that form. I have learned so much from her lectures that I am more confident in it, so really the moral of the story is to learn from each other and do as much as you can – there just isn’t enough time.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.
It is a middle grade adventure novel with some magical realism – it’s an Indiana Jones meets 39 clues  meets Amelia Earhart meets a seventh grade bi-racial girl on the cusp of puberty who doesn’t know where to belong and just wants to go to golf camp but can’t because her parents have been mysteriously kidnapped. Yup.

What changes have you seen in your writing during your studies?
Confidence. When you are writing on your own – trying to discover what kind of writer you are you try many different forms and styles. You write stories that are like the ones you like to read; you write stories about topics you like to read; you write stories in the voice of stories that you have read. Now I have the confidence of my own voice, my own style and form, and the confidence in the stories that my heart has to say.

I still have a lot of flaws, but I am aware of them and I strive to be a better writer every day.

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 have a solid writing group outside of Hamline, but the group consists of Hamline alumni. In addition to those wonderful people, I also teach writing. Because I am constantly reading and reminding myself of everything I learned and still need to learn my personal practice improves. One night I was lecturing on taking their scene and intensifying tension. I had been struggling with what was missing in a middle grade novel I had finished. I liked it, people liked it, but I wasn’t excited about it. After my lecture, we were during some writing prompts and I had an incredible AH-HA moment. Teaching has always been my gateway to a higher understanding of what I had just learned.

Any thoughts for entering students or for people considering the program?
One of the bathroom stalls is covered in Doctor Who graffiti – this is the type of people that inhabit this campus. If that brings you joy, then you have found your people. Welcome.

*

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: Kristi Romo

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. Kristi Romo is today's grad; she lives in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

Kristi

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

I work full time at a high school in the Twin Cities, where I teach English and Reading courses. This is awesome because I get to see the magic of good writing change the tide of a student’s relationship with reading and impact his relationship with the world. I bake Viking helmet cupcakes, clash foam swords and tickle torture my sons, who are five and two years old. I also enjoy cooking meals for my husband, traveling to visit family, singing on the worship team at church, and bowling (very poorly) with my English teacher colleagues.

And I read.

A lot.

And grade—

Many papers.

How did you hear about the Hamline MFAC Program?

When I was a few months pregnant with my second child I decided to take a year sabbatical from teaching and started looking for some graduate level classes to take while home. After a little Internet research I learned that Hamline offered a Mini-Immersion Residency & Semester. Anika* and I talked a few times and it sounded fantastic. My plan was to learn something that would make me a better teacher and it was remaining 12 credits I needed.

After I arrived I met a community that I loved, though I wasn’t sure I belonged. I was a teacher, not a writer. As the semester drew to an end, my husband said, “You have to continue the program. There’s a spark in you I haven’t seen before.” Prior to this experience I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer, but as a teacher I have witnessed the power of stories many times over. There are stories in me and I feel compelled to tell them. Plus my cohort—the Hamsters—begged me to continue and that’s when I realized I belonged.

What was your writing experience prior to entering the program?

I would say my creative writing experience was quite limited. While I was earning my bachelors degree I took one creative writing poetry class, which I loved. Mostly, I taught academic writing: literary analysis and research writing. (Marsha Qualey and Anne Ursu had to teach me to use contractions and informal language.) Other than that I sat down once a year and wrote a Christmas play for the children at my church.

What do especially remember about your first residency?

My first residency was so invigorating. I had no idea what I was doing when writing the piece I submitted for workshop, but students, who had submitted really great pieces, said they liked many elements. There was even a brief philosophical discussion about education inspired by the education system in my story. There was so much to work on and great suggestions for how to improve it, but I walked away thinking, they liked what I wrote. I also met Cheryl Bardoe and Molly Burnham, the grad assistants, who took me under their wings, listened to all my small concerns, invited me to eat with them and got me excited for the work of writing.

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 on picture book writing because I have two pre-readers at my house and I love to read and tell them stories. My other focus was on YA novel writing because I teach high school and those are my people. Their concerns are my concerns. So often we talk about preparing teenagers for “real life,” but they are living real life today and stories equip them for those problems and challenges. Mostly they reassure them they aren’t alone and there is hope.

Tell us about your Creative Thesis.

My Creative Thesis is part of a dystopian YA novel titled Fortress. It’s set in the future country of The Federated Gladius, founded on choice and freedom. People are free to choose what tier they want to live in. They only pay for that which they use. Bastion has lived on the bottom part of the tier since his father was taken for not paying his contribution. The food sucks and the green uniforms are hideous and socially it’s rough. On the verge of legal adulthood, Bastion has a dream and a clear plan for his life. He will move up a tier and help contribute for his mother and sister. Most importantly he won’t fail them like his dad did.

Then a mysterious package shows up.

Suddenly, the truth is a lie.

Freedom does feel free.

People aren’t who they seem.

Friends are enemies.

Choices aren’t easy.

And Bastion might need forgiveness for what he chooses next.

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

The biggest change is I believe I can write. For real. I came with so little creative writing experience, I was sure I was light-years behind everyone else. I returned to my thirteen-year-old self, in a desk peeking at the tests next to me, not for the answers, but to see how far behind I was compared to everyone around me. I’ve learned writing is a funny business. There isn’t one clear path that will turn me into a Kate DiCamillo or JK Rowling. Their biographies underscore that point as well. I learned I have something to write and I’m willing to work. My path is my own. If we all arrived on the same path, we’d all write the same story. The variety of experiences is what makes for a range of rich stories.

I’ve learned to trust myself as I write and when I revise. I found it mystical when various writers talked about “writing behind their back,” but I get it now. What I believe makes me who I am and when I write, it comes out. Sometimes my concerns come out in kitten eyes not opening, whispering to eggs “Hatch, please hatch,” or The Federated Gladius taking my little sister far from me. This is who I am.

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?
My life seems to ebb and flow, so I will put it into the spaces where my life ebbs rather than flows: summers, spring breaks, long weekends. I tend to write in large bursts. My supportive husband initiated conversations about how I will still need weekends away to write. I’m blessed. By the end of the summer I plan to have written the journey for Bastion as he seeks the truth.

On the picture book front I have one manuscript in a place that I would like to pursue publishing. I also long to rewrite the book of my heart, Hatch, Please Hatch; a story about a pair of ducks trying to name their baby duck that is taking extra long to hatch. It’s for my first son.

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

At Hamline University the MFAC program will equip you in ways you don’t anticipate. Attend as many sessions at residencies as you can. This program will meet needs you didn’t know you had, and it will prepare you to continue to grow as a writer once you graduate. The community goes with you, wherever you go.

Work hard.

Take risks.

Be you.

*

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.

* Anika Eide, Programs Coordinator for Hamline's Creative Writing Programs.