--Interview by Marcia Peterson
WOW: Congratulations on placing as a runner up in our Q1 2026 Creative Nonfiction essay competition! What prompted you to enter the contest?
WOW: Congratulations on placing as a runner up in our Q1 2026 Creative Nonfiction essay competition! What prompted you to enter the contest?
Kelly: While I think anyone can relate to my essay, it is at its core, a mother’s story. The unexplainable strength I found to open my daughter’s front door that was either jammed or maybe locked, the inability to squelch my gut feeling that something was off -- these are absolute truths that I think demonstrate the irrepressible bond between a mother and her daughter. Finding a contest that features the voices of women was a perfect fit.
WOW: Your entry “Until” is a powerful essay about a horrific event for your family. What inspired you to write this particular piece?
Kelly: There were two inspirations. First, my husband and I own a 17’ Airstream, so we spend a lot of time camping. We live in Virginia where the state park system is outstanding. I started writing essays a few years ago aiming to focus at least one essay on each park in the state thinking I would create a collection that could highlight the public spaces we love so well. My essay, “Until,” started as one of those essays. Just as I describe in the essay, one day we had a lake at a park completely to ourselves. As we kayaked, I noticed the chaos of sunbleached trunks and limbs along the banks, and among the litter, one determined sapling clinging to a rock, and in that moment, that one image truly did say everything. The violence against my daughter occurred in 2017. I started this essay in 2021. I finished it in 2025.
The second inspiration is my daughter who survived the attack. She is the strongest human being I have ever known. She is still in the healing process as complex PTSD has no easy fix. Along her healing journey, she completed her PhD and wrote a book of poetry about her experience as a victim and a survivor. The book was published, and my daughter uses it and her expertise on trauma-informed education to advocate for other survivors. She has taught me about the importance of using my own voice, so a large part of my inspiration for writing this piece is to honor her bravery by being brave, too.
WOW: Do you have any thoughts or advice for writing about difficult things?
Kelly: There was a right time for me. I had to wait until I could articulate the horror we had lived through with utter honesty. That might not be necessary for every writer, but I had to be patient with myself. It helped me to remember that while not every reader has experienced the same traumatic experience we have, it is a sad fact that nearly everyone understands trauma in some personal way.
WOW: What writing projects are you working on right now? What’s next for you?
Kelly: Aside from the Virginia State Parks essay collection, I am completing a manuscript for a novel. I self-published a novel not long ago which has been fairly successful. This time, I am going to attempt traditional publishing.
WOW: Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Kelly. Before you go can you share a favorite writing tip or piece of advice?
Kelly: I have to give myself permission to take risks in my writing, to allow form and content to compliment each other in nontraditional ways. Not only has this permission helped me create more pleasing products, it has made the process more fun and having fun is so important. Thank you for having me on.
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