Q&A With Jayna Locke

Mickey Mikkelson connected me with the author of the book Somewhere in Minnesota Jayna Locke! Jayna also has had work featured in several literary journals, including Great Lakes Review, Portage Magazine, and Bright & Flash Literary Review. 

Q: Jayna, would you like to give a brief description of Somewhere in Minnesota? Where did the inspiration to write it come from?

A: Somewhere in Minnesota is a collection of 12 short stories that have one thing in common: they are set against the backdrop of the seasons, lakes and towns of Minnesota. Each story is a bit like a mini novel, in a way, with its own plot and characters, and its own story arc. I find inspiration everywhere — in daily life, in fiction writing prompts from my writing groups, in observations of people, and even in bits of overheard conversation. All of these things continually tickle my creativity and inspire me to write about interesting characters and their imagined lives and the speed bumps they encounter along the way.

Q: What lessons & emotions do you hope readers learn & feel after reading Somewhere in Minnesota? 

A: I write to entertain readers, primarily, and to make them feel something that resonates with their own lives. What I’m always aiming for in writing stories is to create a memorable experience, and to capture moments in time when something pivotal is happening. So the stories have an intensity that I hope makes readers keep turning pages. That said, I do think that while most of my stories are intense, they are ultimately uplifting. I love to think that readers come away from reading my stories with a sense of hopefulness, and a feeling that everything is going to be okay. 

Q: Are you currently writing your next book similar to Somewhere in Minnesota? Or will it be something different?

A: My next book will be another collection of short stories, but they will be very different. I would say that Somewhere in Minnesota is solidly in the literary realm — meaning the stories are just as much about the characters as they are about plot. But the next collection, which is called The Whimden Chronicles, is all genre stories. For example, there are mysteries, ghost stories, and some magical realism, which I dabbled in just a bit in my first collection. I’m having a lot of fun with it.

Q: What does it feel like having your work featured in the literary journals Great Lakes Review, Portage Magazine, and Bright & Flash Literary Review?

A: It’s delightful. Each time one of my stories is accepted into a professional publication, I kind of do a happy dance. There’s nothing quite like it. It’s very validating for writers to have their work accepted for publication. As a whole writers tend to experience the dreaded “imposter syndrome,” fearing that we are not “real” writers. Getting our work published by mainstream publishers where it can be read and experienced by readers is the most wonderful antidote.