If I Could Fly, cover reveal, pantsing, 15 words, Social Work, and wayward titles: Author Kristin Bartley Lenz
Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author and former editor of The Mitten, Kristin Bartley Lenz.
When
did young Kristin know she wanted to write? When did she find that helping
others was something she needed to do?
My
second-grade teacher made us write a poem for a Young Author’s Contest. Even
though I loved to read, writing a poem seemed impossible. I complained and
procrastinated. Finally, I stood at the back window of my house looking out at
the woods, and inspiration struck. My poem, If I Could Fly, won the
contest. I was asked to read my poem in front of the whole school (somehow I
didn’t have stage-fright then!), and I attended a young author’s conference
where I met real life authors.
From that point on, I wanted to write. But it
took more than 30 years for me to win another writing contest!
Even
though I wrote throughout my childhood, I lost confidence in my writing during
my teen and college years, and explored other areas of interest, earning a BA
in psychology and then an MSW.
Social work was a detour on my writing path, but it greatly
expanded my worldview and ultimately prepared me to return to writing years
later with more confidence and a stronger voice.
Both writing and social work
have given me a way to contribute to making our world a better place. I worked
at a runaway shelter and counseling center in Michigan, a community mental
health clinic and schools in Georgia, a program for children with developmental
disabilities in California, and a children's hospital/home-visiting program
back in Detroit.
(From your website) My novel is currently out of stock, but we're working on a
reprint/updated version, hopefully to be released in 2026!
Wow!
Good news and bad news? The good news being that you sold through the first
press run. The bad news being that the second print won’t be available for a
year. What’s your attitude?
My first YA
novel, The Art of Holding On and Letting Go, is not just out of stock,
but out of print because the publisher closed just before we could do a third
print run. My attitude was bummed because Elephant Rock Books was such a great,
award-winning small press. Rights reverted to me, and now Wild Ink Publishing
will be re-releasing the novel, along with my new novel, The Door Swings
Open, in spring 2026.
You
hustle to get your work published, entering contests, writing poetry and flash
fiction and prose poems and short stories and YA novels. And you’ve succeeded
in building and diversifying your body of work. Is it another full-time job to
query and submit your work? How many rejections?
Ha, yes,
querying takes a lot of time and it’s a very effective way to procrastinate
during the long slog of a novel draft! I haven’t kept track of the number of
rejections, but it’s painful to look at the sea of red on my Submittable
account which goes back to 2011.
I like entering contests because they give me
a deadline and challenge me to try a prompt/theme or meet specific word counts.
My writing has evolved into new directions over the years, and I’ve been
fortunate to learn from many wonderful teachers who encouraged experimenting
with new forms.
I write poetry and short fiction when I’m in between novel
drafts or stuck. It’s fun to play with them over time. Most aren’t publishable,
but every now and then I’m happy with the result, and I’ll research publishers
who might be a good fit.
You
write freelance for Detroit-area non-profits. Who do you write for, and why?
Over ten
years ago, I was looking for ways to blend writing into my social work career,
and Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan gave me my first
freelance job.
They have a strong marketing and communications department, but
they hire freelance writers when they’re short-staffed or have a big project
with tight deadlines. This is collaborative writing which is different from my
own individual work.
The initial idea/direction comes from the Gleaners team,
and then my words get blended with their words/formatting, and I enjoy seeing
how it ultimately turns out in print.
 |
| Rock-climbing Kristin |
My
favorite assignments are for their Harvest Magazine. One time, they sent me to a
senior apartment complex in Detroit that hosted a monthly fresh food
distribution. I interviewed and photographed residents and volunteers to share
their stories and Gleaner’s impact. I will always remember the elderly
grandmother who cherished a fresh grapefruit, cutting it in quarters to make it
stretch for days. She sat with me and detailed her monthly budget, including
rent, utilities, medicines, and the paltry $16 of monthly government food
assistance. It was impossible for her to make ends meet and why programs like
Gleaners are crucial.
Most
recently I’ve volunteered to do grant writing for Making Spirits Bright, a Detroit
area literacy nonprofit that provides free school book fairs and more. They
always need donations of gently used books, and they have a variety of volunteer
needs! Check it out: https://makingspiritsbright.org/volunteer/
You
co-founded The Mitten Blog, and worked as editor-in-chief for seven years,
which is where I had the pleasure to work with you. Who else founded the blog?
What was the original vision? How was The Mitten different when you started it
versus when you left?
Jodie Fletcher and I were co-editors way back when The Mitten was a quarterly newsletter,
first in print and then digital. Blogs were becoming popular and a way that we
could share content more frequently, while giving our members more
opportunities to contribute and promote their online visibility. Jodie set up our
initial blog format, but then she was ready to explore other projects beyond
children’s writing.
Patti Richards and Nina Goebel joined me on the original blog team, and it seems like
only a few years ago that we gathered at a coffee shop to brainstorm. Patti has
since published numerous picture books, and Nina is working as a licensed
counselor/art therapist.
 |
| Henry wants Kristin to take a break |
I enjoyed the weekly rhythm of the blog posts/planning
and how it kept me connected to our chapter’s leadership and members. Volunteering
is a great way to meet people in a large organization, and I loved that my job
gave me a way to champion our members’ work and success stories. It was hard to
let go of my role, but it was time to shift my energy in other directions and I
knew the blog would benefit from fresh eyes. It’s been fun to see the new team
grow into their roles and make it their own, keeping some of our traditions and
starting new ones.
Thank you for your long run, Charlie! Your in-depth
interviews foster connections and build community throughout our chapter.
Congratulations
on your second novel, The Door Swings Open, forthcoming in March 2026
from Wild Ink Publishing. You describe it as a genre-bender with mystery,
suspense, and magical realism. Was there a bit of the “Sophomore Jinx” playing
through your head at times? Like, maybe one novel is all I get?
Oh my
goodness, yes. It took ten years to get my debut novel published, and I never
thought it’d be another ten years before the next one came out!
Three different
agents believed in this novel and took it on at various stages of revision. We
had some close calls and some bad luck (like going out on submission just as
Covid hit New York), but we finally found the right fit with a small press.
Here's
the teaser for your new novel:
THE DOOR
SWINGS OPEN
Ella’s
missing. Without a trace. A runaway.
Charlotte’s searching. For her missing friend. For help for her veteran father.
Aiden’s running. From his brother. From his past.
Tarot
cards, urban art, lunar energy, fireflies, thin places.
A girl
trying to reinvent herself.
A girl trying to find herself.
A boy trying to right his wrongs.
One will
escape.
One will get caught.
One will die.
Did you
slowly “pants” this one? How did your writing process evolve from your first
novel to the second?
I’m
definitely a pantser, but it was the many revisions that took so long. The story grew from a straight-forward
first-person narration/simplistic plot to its current genre-bending form with
multiple perspectives, a non-linear timeline, and elements of magical realism.
Along the way, I was fortunate to win the SCBWI-MI novel mentorship competition
with Leslie Connor. I’m so appreciative of her support and encouragement (and
SCBWI-MI for providing these opportunities!)
Florida
Writers blog shows your short poem “Flying,” about a young girl learning to
ride a bike. You were able to take the heart of that poem and submit it to the
NY Times, where it was published and honored.
How
conscientious are you in recycling and repurposing your words?
Thanks to
SCBWI-MI member Shutta Crum for recognizing the lesson in my poem and writing
about it for the Florida Writer’s Association (where she spends the winters).
I
tinker with my words endlessly, and the work often evolves in unexpected ways
over time. I can only think of one other instance where I deliberately
recycled/repurposed my words for publication – a poem turned into a short story
and both were published in different anthologies. I never intended to publish
the first version of Flying. I wrote it as my own personal reflection on
my daughter’s upcoming high school graduation.
Years later, when I saw the call
for submissions from The New York Times, I misread the instructions. I thought
they asked for short poems on the theme of renewal with a maximum of 15 lines.
I thought I could cut a few sentences from Flying.
Then I realized the
directions said it could only be 15 words! I cut the poem to the bone,
and it worked! You can read more about the process, and how Shutta turned this
into a writing exercise with other examples here: https://floridawriters.blog/hidden-treasures-finding-poems-within-your-poems/
You’ve
been an active SCBWI member for at least fifteen years. Many friends and
colleagues have helped you in your career: Heather Meloche, Natalie Aguirre and
Deb Gonzales, to name a few. Want to name a few more?
I couldn’t
have kept going without the support and camaraderie of so many writer friends
from SCBWI and beyond. Critique partners, accountability partners, nature trail
walking partners… There are too many to name, some have moved on to other
states and career paths, and I will surely forget someone if I try to name them
all!
But I’ll give a special shout out to Tracy Bilen because she approached me
at a conference over ten years ago, we became critique partners, and we’ve been
cheering each other on ever since.
You’ve
done tons of workshops and presentations, but the ones that surprised me were
creative writing sessions aimed at social workers. That’s your personal Venn
diagram, but it must be for others, too? What kind of audience do you get when
you ask social workers to write?
I even
have an SCBWI-MI member to thank for pointing me in this direction! Years ago,
Betsy McKee told me about the University of Iowa National Poetry Contest for
Social Workers. I entered, placed 2nd, and was given a scholarship
to attend their annual Writing Workshop for Social Workers.
So many people have
personal stories they want to write – often for their own healing and/or to
help others. My workshops introduce social workers/counselors to therapeutic
writing for their own self-care and to benefit their clients. We delve into
journaling, poetry, short stories, and memoir, depending on the group’s
interest.
Many people write in secret, and my goal is to provide a safe,
supportive place to be vulnerable and receive encouragement and validation. I
wish I knew years ago that poetry therapy even existed! I’m not planning to
return to school to become a certified poetry therapist, but I’ve taken
workshops to further my skills, and I benefit personally from the sessions too.
How do
you, as a writer, take the experience you’ve gained over the years and various
jobs as a social worker, while maintaining privacy for your clients?
That’s a
really good question that I’ve thought about a lot. Confidentiality is
paramount. Their stories are important, but not mine to tell. I think it comes
back to resilience. That’s what I’m tapping into when I write. Not the actual
details of my clients’ circumstances, but the resilience that keeps them going,
keeps them hopeful and seeking light and love. Individual resilience as well as
resilience in families and communities.
And then this all gets mixed up with my
own values and personal experiences, so in the end it’s a new creation yet
universal and relatable. The Art of Holding On and Letting Go grew out
of my own rock-climbing experience, but readers have remarked that my social
worker empathy is infused throughout the story.
You’ve
praised editor Jotham Burrello for his help with The Art of Holding On and
Letting Go. What did you learn working with him?
Jotham was
the founder of Elephant Rock Books, but he’s also a college professor, the
director of the Yale Summer Writing Program, and a published novelist. I had
already revised The Art of the Holding On and Letting Go countless times
on my own, with my first agent, and through the Highlights Foundation Whole
Novel Workshop.
But working with Jotham, the story grew deeper and richer. He
asked me to step away from my computer and journal by hand, to write a scene of
a seminal moment for each character. I was initially resistant – after all the
revising I’d already done, now I wanted to be on my computer making final changes
in the actual manuscript.
I didn’t want to write scenes that wouldn’t be
included in the final book. But I gave it a try, and it led to important
discoveries about my characters. The scenes didn’t make it into the book, but
many details did – so many layers.
And now
I’m working with a new editor at Wild Ink on my next novel and just received a
12-page editorial letter with such thorough, thoughtful feedback.
Small
publishers can’t compete with the big NY publishers in many ways, but I’ve been
fortunate to receive such personal attention and care from editors at small
presses.
 |
| Thank you card from a high school student after Kristin's school visit |
Titles,
they’re a bugaboo of mine. What does it take to come up with your titles?
I never
have a good title to start. The Art of Holding On and Letting Go was
initially titled Climber Girl and then Carabiner, and my first
agent said we needed something better before we went out on submission.
We
brainstormed and then scanned the entire manuscript looking for a word or
phrase, and I found it on page 232! I love that the title describes the physical
action of climbing and my character’s emotional journey.
The title
evolved similarly for my forthcoming novel, The Door Swings Open. My
drafts were titled Runaway. But in a revised scene, a door swung open,
literally, and then that grew into a theme for each of the main characters.
What’s
next for Kristin?
Wild Ink Publishing
just did the cover reveal for my new novel, so it’s starting to feel real! Look
for The Door Swings Open next spring, as well as the updated reprint of The
Art of Holding On and Letting Go.
I need to revamp my website and plan
events. My current work-in-progress surprised me by turning from YA to adult,
and I’ll be plugging away at my slow pace.
It might take ten years to publish
that one too (!), but in the meantime, I’ll keep writing poetry and short
stories and teaching workshops and taking nature walks and cheering others on.
Please
share any social media platforms:
I’ve
stepped away from regular posting/sharing on social media, but I still pop in
and out every week to keep in touch.
https://www.facebook.com/kristinbartleylenz
https://www.instagram.com/kristinbartleylenz/
Website: www.kristinbartleylenz.com
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Reminders about Upcoming SCBWI-MI Events
- TOMORROW (Saturday)! Little Free Library Day hosted by SCBWI-MI's E&I Team- September 27th
- OPEN UNTIL TUESDAY! SCBWI-MI 2025 Critique Carousel- Registration: Sept.18th-30th
- DUE WEDNESDAY! SCBWI-MI's BIPOC Scholarship- Sept.1st-Oct. 1st
- Fall webinar with Sheela Chari- Oct. 22nd at 7:00 pm Registration period: Oct 1-22
- Fall webinar with Cate Berry- Nov. 12th at 7:00 pm Registration period: Oct 22-Nov 12
While daring steps like this might not be for everyone, I still count those people as teammates, coaches and advocates twelve years later. I found my people and leaned on them! Learned from them! Commiserated with them! Knowing that you are not alone in an endeavor like this is priceless. SCBWI has taught me how to write, query, and submit to publishers. They have helped me learn how to do school visits and market myself. They have even provided opportunities like book festivals and their online showcase of school presenters HERE. 
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