Jim Kelly

James Patrick Kelly (Popular Fiction, Multimedia) has written novels, short stories, essays, reviews, poetry, stage and audioplays, and planetarium shows. His books include Burn (2005), Strange But Not A Stranger (2002), Think Like a Dinosaur and Other Stories (1997), Wildlife (1994), Heroines (1990), Look Into the Sun (1989), Freedom Beach (in collaboration with John Kessel, 1986) and Planet of Whispers (1984). Although Jim is primarily known for his science fiction, his work also includes mainstream, mystery, fantasy, fantasy, and horror. His audioplays have been produced by The Sci-Fi Channel's Seeing Ear Theater, and he writes a regular Internet column for Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. His work has been translated into sixteen languages. His short stories have appeared in numerous "Best of the Year" collections over the past twenty-six years, and he has won the World Science Fiction Society's Hugo award twice. As part of New Hampshire's Arts in Education program, he has taught writing in more than forty schools throughout New Hampshire to students from grades 3-12. He is currently the Chair of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.

Selected Publications:

Strange But Not a Stranger (Golden Gryphon Press, September, 2002)

Teaching Philosophy:

Let's begin with two fundamental premises: you would like to be well published and you understand “popular fiction” to be a term of approbation.

I believe that the best way to learn to write stories is to write them as well as you can and then take them apart again. For me, this means that the workshop, as opposed to the lecture hall, is where excellence is forged. I broke into print with a workshop story, almost all my best work has withstood the slings and arrows of critique and I participate in a regular workshop to this day.

The value of workshop is specificity of focus. The group can't take into account theory or intent or reputation; it can only address what is on the page. I will, if pressed, talk in generalities of craft but I prefer to practice story doctoring. Expect that I will suggest—but not insist on—several alternate paths if I believe your narrative has gone astray. However, I am mindful that, during the semester, there is no group to counterbalance my expressed opinion, and I will always respect your conscious artistic decisions, even if I'm not in sympathy with them.

I will sometimes suggest assignments to help you find your unique voice, but only after we have developed a sound working relationship. Because there is no substitute for the give and take of conversation, I prefer to discuss at least one packet a semester either in a meeting or in a long phone conversation. The key question I will always ask is, “Why did you write this?” I find in my own work that the answer is not always obvious during the writing process, but that by the time I submit for publication, I must know. I regard submitting for publication as essential—nothing discourages me more than learning that you've failed to send your stories out. I hold that there is no dishonor in studying markets and understanding the history of your chosen genre. And I'll encourage you to develop—and stick to—a submission strategy for each story or novel.

Homepage:

www.jimkelly.net

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Related Links:

Creative Nonfiction Faculty

Fiction Faculty

Poetry Faculty

Popular Fiction Faculty