While she obviously left her heart in San Francisco (and the surrounding Bay Area), Kelli moved to the other coast nine years ago where she currently resides in Wilmington, North Carolina with her husband, 15-year-old son, and their menagerie of critters.
Kelli has worn a variety of ‘hats’ over the years, from school psychologist and grant writer to a brief, though misguided flirtation in software technical writing (read: technology is not her friend). But her very favorite writing will always be creative, especially stories that illuminate women’s experiences. As such, she is currently nearing the final pre-submission draft of her debut women’s fiction novel and hopes to get it out of the gate sometime soon.
When Kelli’s not reading or writing about messy humanity, she can be found hitching a ride on (someone else’s) boat, drinking good wine, or cheering for her son at his basketball games.
----------Interview by Renee Roberson
WOW: Congratulations, Kelli, and welcome! Your essay about your mother’s final days, "The Blink of a Life," provides a heartfelt takeaway at the end. Having lost both of your parents in a short amount of time, how often do you think of them when wrestling with your own questions about parenting your son?
Kelli: I think about my parents almost every day, particularly when I’m getting a dose of typical teenage behavior (take what you will from that, lol). It’s very humbling. The hubris I once had pre-kid (for example, “I will never do xyz with my own child…”) died a quick death after becoming a parent. Having a teenager keeps adding nails to that proverbial coffin!
I regularly think about what I would say to my parents now and without a doubt the short version would be, “I’m sorry and…thank you!”
WOW: How did your first draft of this essay change by the final version? Do you have any editing tips for our readers just starting out in this genre?
Kelli: After I shared the essay with one of my writing groups, I kept most of the content but took some of their advice and changed the order a bit to add more interest to the beginning. Readers know what draws them in and keeps them reading. With that being said, the following are a few editing tips that have worked for me:
1. Get other eyeballs on your work. There’s no replacement for outside feedback no matter how many times you’ve fine-tooth combed your piece. You might find that something you wrote seemed incredibly clear to you but doesn’t quite land in the same way for others. However, keep in mind that one person’s feedback is not the end all, be all. I usually split the difference. For example, if I’m getting the same feedback from multiple sources, it’s pretty solid.
2. Walk away. Come back a few days—or, if needed, weeks—later and try to read it with new eyes. Does it still have the same impact?
3. Read your work out loud. If something doesn’t flow well, consider rewording until it does.
4. Trust your instincts. It’s easy to have too many voices in your head when you’ve been receiving feedback, a lesson I’m still learning. At the end of the day, however, this is your work. Your voice. If you can maintain anything in the editing process, let it be this.
WOW: I love this advice. What inspired you to enter this particular writing contest?
Kelli: I’d been following WOW! for some time and had just finished revising my essay with a local writing group when I stumbled on the contest. It seemed kismet. I must confess, though, that my submission was impulsive, as it needed to be. I struggle with the vulnerability of being judged and other than a nonfiction essay contest in high school (many, many eons ago), I’d never entered one. I made sure to submit it before I lost my nerve!
WOW: That's incredible! I'm so glad you decided to submit it as it obviously struck a chord with our judges. You mentioned finishing you are working on a novel in the women’s fiction genre. Could you share what some of the themes in it are?
Kelli: My book,"Wild Bend," currently in its third draft and making its way around beta reader groups, deals primarily with grief and the emotions that often accompany it. I’m a huge fan of messy humanity on the page, so the story also touches on mental illness (including inequitable access to care), romantic love, friendship, found family, and self-forgiveness.
WOW: Who are some of your favorite writers and what books of theirs would you recommend to us?
Kelli: I adore anything by Barbara Kingsolver, a writer who makes prose sing like poetry, and Emily
Henry, whose books pose as fluffy beach reads on the shelf, but sucker punch you with an incredible amount of depth, entertainment, and wit.
I’m currently reading a book by Amy Jo Burns called, "Mercury" and am digging it!
I’m thinking about using it as a comp title and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves to dive deep into messy family stories tinged with intrigue. "The Bright Years" by Sarah Damoff is also one I would recommend in this category.
WOW: Kelli, thank you so much for being here again today. We loved learning more about you and wish you all the success with your novel!
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