[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Welcome to who’s on fourth where we interview one member of the yeah write community and the interview will publish the fourth Monday of each month. Next in the series features Arden of Arden Ruth Writes interviewing Jan of Red’s Wrap.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_separator color=”grey” align=”align_center” style=”” border_width=”” el_width=””][vc_column_text]

yeah write on yeah write: Arden interviews Jan

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]About a year ago, Jan burst onto the scene of yeah write. She is the epitome of a yeah write member: kind, supportive, and of course, a great writer.

Here’s what I love about YW. The editors’ writing, the kick-off pieces, the ART, the photography and graphics are just outstanding, and the prompts. The prompts are just cool, simple questions that could go to the corner store or Mars, your pick. I also truly, truly love editor’s comments when they make a pick. It’s not an exaggeration that it feels like going to a really fine writing class. I love those a lot.

You can usually find Jan at our micro challenge which opens each Wednesday. Jan loved the Trifecta 33-word challenge so when they closed up shop, Jan found a new home at yeah write for her microstories.

When I asked Jan to provide a piece of advice for the yeah write virgins out there waiting for the burst of confidence to submit for the first time, I wanted to scream her response from the mountaintops:

Don’t give up so fast. And also, submit stuff that has proper spelling and whatnot. I’ve had a couple of friends tell me they didn’t make it on the grid so they’re not submitting anymore. That’s ridiculous. You can’t get anywhere as a blogger or writer if your stuff isn’t basically correct. Have someone else read it! Be professional for heaven’s sake.

While we do have our submission guidelines, especially during moderation, one of our biggest pet peeves is when a piece is submitted that clearly wasn’t proofed even once. Open submissions means you can make it onto the grid with a sloppy piece but don’t be surprised if it suffers in the vote because of it. Once moderation returns after the summer though, be prepared for a love letter if you’re not ready to properly edit your piece. Remember, we don’t send love letters to be mean. We send them to make you better.

Though Jan’s been hanging around here for about a year, she’s been writing in earnest since about 2008.

I wrote a piece about a 10-year estrangement from my parents that was published by Newsweek in the issue that had Sarah Palin on the cover holding a rifle. It was life-changing.

Jan believes she’s been fairly lucky with her writing and tends to go with the flow rather than setting hard goals or deadlines for herself.

I’ve found when I know what the compelling story is and sit down and write it, then it will get read and appreciated somewhere. I’m pretty proud of my blog and the pieces that have been published in other places – like on actual paper. I think I’m becoming a better writer the longer I write and it’s very rewarding to have someone tell me they were touched or inspired by something I wrote. Writing about aging, hearing loss, my family – these are all things that other people in difficult situations can appreciate. So my goal is to keep it up.

When Jan isn’t writing, you can usually find her working at her job as a consultant. Her big focus is on homelessness & mental illness. She also loves spending time outdoors with her husband of 32 years.

We live in Milwaukee but spend a lot of time on the south shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula … It’s wild and fabulous with a lot of logging roads and big trees. Canoeing would be another hobby which ties into the first. Love a good inland lake with a few bald eagles swooping around. I love distance walking but haven’t done much lately. Oddly, sometimes I love my work so much it seems like a hobby, like sometimes I can’t wait to sit down and pick up where I left off on a project.

As with most writers, you can also find Jan with her nose stuck in a great book. Like me, she’s hooked on the Kindle crack:

I have a late night, Kindle book purchase problem that I occasionally treat by spending time in the library but creeps back when I’m tired and lazy. Kindle crack I call it.

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”grey” align=”align_center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Thank you Jan for letting us get to know you a little better here at yeah write. We are so happy to have you in our community! Make sure you follow Jan’s blog, Red’s Wrap. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

As I mentioned earlier, Jan is a yeah write member. In fact, she was one of the first yeah writers to sign up when we rolled out our new program. Interested? Check out our membership page to learn more about the perks![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”25740″ alignment=”right” border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”thumbnail”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_separator color=”grey” align=”align_center”][vc_column_text]Oh, you want more? Well here are five things you never knew about Jan:

1. She has a Ph.D. in urban affairs;
2. She owns a baby grand piano but has been stuck on the beginner book for 20 years;
3. She is being considered for cochlear implants. This is a really big deal and will mean she will have to operate as a hearing person in society again and not blow off 80% of what people are saying;
4. She is hugely competitive but has a very thin skin which is not a good combo; and
5. The older she gets, the freer she becomes.

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Are you ready for the yeah write #224 weekly writing challenges opening this week? We hope so! Your badges await in the sidebar. Grab the code, paste into the text or HTML view of your post, then submit your post to the grids for a little friendly competition. We’re glad you’re here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]