Dear Jana

Dear Jana,

First, let me remind you of how far you’ve come. From that story in sixth grade that was basically a carbon copy of an episode of Band of Brothers to the collection of poems from middle school. You are a much more mature, intuitive writer than you were before.

After tons of hard work, you finished your first book in December 2015. You spent almost an entire year writing out of your comfort zone and received an Honorable Mention for a dramatic short story. In the spring of 2019, you got into the University of San Francisco’s MFA Creative Writing Program.

You are a thoughtful, attentive writer. Your poetic descriptions and vivid imagery make your worlds jump off the page. Your characters are well rounded and three dimensional even though some of them are still in their infancy. You tackle complex, philosophical ideas with grace and respect. You strive to represent a Christ powered redemptive arc balanced with the stark, ugly truth of a broken world. You think carefully about all your creative choices because each one matters.

I know right now it feels like your writing career isn’t moving, but every moment, every day, you are growing as a person which means you are growing as a writer. Your skills as a writer are slowly but surely catching up to the high standards you have for quality writing and reading.

You have so many exciting firsts to look forward to. First ranked placement in a competition. First agent. First book award. First complete feature length script. Don’t let your fear of failure or the frustrations of the present dim the light of your absolute conviction that you will succeed and you will do it greatly.

Buckle up. It’s going to be amazing.

Love,

Jana