Jenn Kelly: Author

I should probably write about the writing journey, right?

It just occured to me that I should probably be doing the whole, ‘How I got to be here’ thing because all you know right now, is that I’ve written a book and it’s going to be published. With no background.  So I’m going to conduct a few interviews on myself and pretend that someone tres important is interviewing me.  Or even someone not important. But seeing as how it’s me, interviewing me, it’ll be an important interview with two very important people. The interviewer will be in yellow, and the interview-ee will be in pink.  Because I’m wearing a pink sweater. With a pink and purple striped shirt.  And baggy green sweatpants.  Um..it’s a good thing it’s not a video interview. Off we go!

So we are here with the famous Jenn Kelly, good to finally meet you. You don’t mind if I ask a few questions, do you?

No, of course not, I love questions. Unless they are really hard questions. I can’t handle questions I don’t know the answers to. Like, calculus. Know nothing about it. Failed it three times. But I don’t want to talk about that.

No, I don’t blame you.  Calculus sucks.  I prefer Finite myself.

What, are you serious? I failed Finite too. In summer school. It was pathetic. Do you know what it’s like taking summer school when you’re 19 and you live on your own and it’s July? You’re in class for 7 hours a day and sweating like a pig! And then creepy classmate guy who looks kinda cute from far away because he’s a body builder but when he gets up close you have to avert your eyes because his hair plugs are staring at you, and he’s only 26 and he’s always flirting with you and you try your hardest not to laugh but you can’t help but stare? I hate Finite.

Um, ‘k. Well, let’s talk about your book then.

Yes, yes, that’s why we’re having the interview right? Ok, so my book is called, ‘Jackson and His Great-Aunt Harriett’. For now.

What do you mean, for now?

Well, I haven’t quite received my contract yet, it’s supposed to come mid-November, but it’s already the 10th, so I’m not sure when it’ll come, but as far as I know, I know nothing about it.

What?

Seriously! I know nothing. I know that they’ve made an offer, I know that I’m receiving an advance, of which I think I get half now and half when I’m done editing and I know what my royalties are, but they might change.

Well, how much was your advance?

That’s really none of your business.  And don’t bother asking about royalties. That’s none of your business either. If you look on the web, and you manage not to get distracted, you’ll find that different companies have different deals. So, pick one of those.

Ok, so let’s talk about who you’ve been signed with.

Well, I’ve been signed with Zondervan.

And they are a publishing company in Grand Rapids, Michigan? And they publish mostly Christian themed books?

Yes.

Can you tell us the process of being published?

Don’t you want to know about my book first? How I came up with the idea? How I wrote it?

Um, ok.

Well, I”ll talk about the whole writing thing first. Unless you want to know how I got into writing.

Whatever you prefer. Have you always been a writer?

Yes. Won my first award in grade 4. Tall tales. I wrote about ‘Super Baby’. Won a prize for it. Then in grade 8, I won an award for best skits in Drama. Then in grade 13, I won an award for ‘Best Ontario Playwright’. My play was ‘supposed’ to be put on at the NAC but that never happened. And of course there were the three poetry books I wrote. Then I got into Ottawa U for  English Honours. I was also accepted at York University for writing, but I didn’t go.

Why not? It’s a good school.

It is. It’s one tiny thing I regret, but when I look at my life, I’m so much happier this way. I didn’t go because I didn’t know I could go. I didn’t have money for University and I was under the impression that I couldn’t get a student loan if I went to school out of my hometown.

So, how did you like Ottawa U?

I didn’t like it at all.  I didn’t live on campus, I actually lived pretty far away and had to take the bus. So I totally missed frosh week and didn’t meet anyone. I couldn’t find any of my classes, I always got lost, and my classes were horribly boring. Except for drama. I enjoyed drama a lot.

What didn’t you like about your classes?

You know how you have to take all these classes that have nothing to do with what you’re interested in? Philosophy, basic Biology, Communications, English. blah.

Wait, you didn’t like your english class?

My teacher was boring and grouchy. It was ‘British Authors’ or something. We had to read ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’, which wasn’t bad. Then ‘Beowulf’, which was starting to get a little silly. Then when we got to ‘Canterbury Tales’, I couldn’t stand it anymore.

What do you  mean?

It was all, blah blah, what does this mean? What do you think it meant by him wearing a green tunic?  Why did this part rhyme? Who cares? My teacher obviously did. And he had very strong opinions on his theories. So after my third essay, I quit. I was tired of getting back my papers with notes like,  ‘I can’t believe you graduated English’, ‘stop wasting my time’. It was crushing. And I was going through a really hard time personally as well.

Can I ask about that?

Let’s just say that I was no longer living at my parents and I was living downtown, on my own for the first time, at 18. I was in a rooming house where we shared a kitchen and I was terrified for most of the time.

It is hard when you’re on your own for the first time. So what happend after you quit?

I worked at a bar downtown. Made some friends. Saved some money. Bought a motorcycle. Broke up with my first love.  Applied to adult high school so I could take Forestry. Or Environmental Conservation. Or Marine Biology.

Wow. Those course have nothing to do with English.

I know. And when I look back, I couldn’t tell you what I was thinking. But I went to adult high school for a whole year and took Biology, Chemistry and Physics. And Calculus. Twice.

How was that for you?

Science and math are not easy concept for me to grasp. I’m too busy daydreaming or checking out my desk mates’ boots. Plus I had moved two more times.

So why did you choose Forestry?

I actually really wanted to be a Marine Biologist. I love the ocean and all the crazy creatures in it. But I wasn’t accepted to Guelph. They sent me a letter saying my grade point average was too low, but if I had suffered a serious stress, like a death in the family, they’d consider taking me.

Ouch!

Snap for sure.

Ok, interview part two another time.