About Jennifer Kay
Jennifer Kay is a KidLit author and Structural Engineer. She has a VCFA MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, is an SCBWI Rockford Network Rep, edits the SCBWI IL Prairie Wind, and belongs to Mystery Writers of America. Jennifer works as a writer, freelance editor, literary agency reader, and creative writing teacher.
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Category Archives: VCFA MFA WCYA
Post-Grad Revelations
Last month I checked a few major writing milestones off my bucket list: 1) Delivered my graduate reading of my young adult science fiction work-in-progress, Eraser. 2) Presented my graduate lecture, Shift That Narrow Trend Line into a Scatter Plot of … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Engineering, Family, Jennifer, MFA, Nature, RVC, SCBWI, Teaching, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing
Tagged Goals, Graduation, Jennifer, MFA, RVC, Teach, VCFA, Writing
3 Comments
The Open Question
My first revelation of 2018 is that MFA programs have magical time slip powers. I last blogged in September when my third semester at VCFA was just getting started and I had taken on the challenge of writing a pretty … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Jennifer, MFA, Nonfiction, Reading, SCBWI, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing, Young Adult Books
Tagged Deborah Heiligman, VCFA MFA, Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers
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Talking Slower and Thinking Deeper
My twelfth packet of MFA homework was due earlier this week. For once it was submitted without any all-nighters, drama, or emotional meltdowns. I had plenty of time to do the quantity and quality of work I knew I had in … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Jennifer, MFA, Poetry, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing, Writing Excercise
Tagged A Poetry Handbook, Bernard Friot, Jennifer, Mary Oliver, Poetry, The Aspiring Poet's Journal
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Rebirth
(Photos by Matt Hussung) Solar Eclipse fascination escalated to total frenzy in the days leading up to August 21. Who had solar glasses? Were they off the right list? Which schools would watch the eclipse? Would my home be … Continue reading
Posted in Jennifer, MFA, Nature, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing
Tagged Eclipse, Kwame Alexander, Matt Hussung, Rebirth, Writing
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Cleaning Up The Trailer Trash Stereotype
Tomorrow I depart for my third residency at Vermont College of Fine Arts WCYA. The dreaded critical thesis semester is about to consume my life – except I’m not really dreading it. I’m a structural engineer. Critical analysis and technical … Continue reading
Posted in Family, Jennifer, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing
Tagged Fighting Stereotypes, Jennifer, Monica Roe, Trailer Park
4 Comments
Can Kids Relate to Structural Engineering?
I never thought my day job as a structural engineer designing bridges would ever intersect with my dream job writing for children. Right-brain pursuits never cross paths with left-brain projects. Yet somehow they have, with a little help from my … Continue reading
Moody Edges
I just finished my first packet of my second semester of VCFA WCYA. (Insert virtual high five’s all around). My new advisor’s feedback was very insightful. No surprises there. I have even more work ahead of me for my second … Continue reading
Posted in Jennifer, MFA, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing
Tagged Cynthia Leitich Smith, Maggie Stiefvater, Moody Edges, Rita Williams Garcia, VCFA WCYA
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The Rule of 10,000
I’ve finally made it back from Residency, recovered from the stomach flu that hitched a ride home with me, and dug my way out from under the To Do List avalanching my desk. And now, to relax, I’ll dive into … Continue reading
Posted in Jennifer, MFA, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing
Tagged 000 Hours, 10, Cynthia Leitich Smith, MFA, Residency, VCFA WCYA
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New Year! Same Goals!
This weekend I’ll be packing my bags to return to VCFA, also known as Hogwarts. Can’t wait to be reunited with this group of amazing and talented writers. Really excited for my first Focus Workshop: Writing the Other taught by … Continue reading
Posted in Jennifer, MFA, Publishing, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing
Tagged Cynsations, Cynthia Leitich Smith, New Year Resolutions, Own Voices, VCFA WCYA, We Need Diverse Books, Writing the Other
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Super Hero Writers
Last weekend Super Heros flew to Chicago to gather for SCBWI Prairie Writers & Illustrators Day. This year my conference posse grew from two writers to four, including one of my VCFA classmates. We happened to sit in the Maw-ha-ha section … Continue reading
Posted in Jennifer, MFA, Prairie Writer's Day, Publishing, Reading, SCBWI, VCFA MFA WCYA, Writing
Tagged Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Cynthia Ward, Daniel José Older, Diversity, Don Tate, John Parra, Kendra Levin, Kirsten Cappy, Linda Pratt, Nikki Garcia, Nisis Shawl, Prairie Writers and Illustrators Day, SCBWI, Writing the Other
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