Katrina Lantz is a Neuroscience major at BYU in Utah. Katrina is the author of three books (two are part of a three book children’s series)— Drats, Foiled Again! (April 2018), Bombs Away (June 2019), and The Healing Bucket (March 2019), all self-published from Lion Spark Publishing. She has written middle-grade superhero/supervillain books for the whole family and Christian motivational books for adults. Her interests include—neuroscience, natural living, homesteading, books, publishing, homeschooling, poetry, essential oils, painting and creativity.
Katrina’s Self-publishing Site LionSparkPublishing.com https://lionsparkpublishing.com/
Katrina’s Author Spotlight Goodreads Author Page https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17936644.K_L_Lantz
Katrina’s Facebook Page Facebook Artist Page https://www.facebook.com/KLLantz/
Katrina’s Blogsite Blog https://katrinalantznovelist.blogspot.com/
What was your purpose in writing “The Part I Can See”?
I have had six children, six births. I knew that the thoughts and feeling would fade over time and I primarily wanted to write down what it was like. That was kind of my first thought. After that, it was about honoring Abigail’s life. I’ve learned a hard lesson about “impact” through Abigail and how small things can cause ripples. Perhaps not big ripples, but ripples that are sustained and that go on. I wanted to be able to throw a pebble into the water and just let those ripples go where they are going to go and let Abigail’s impact continue on. I really believe that after we die, after we are buried in the ground, that what really matters is your impact on touching the lives of others around you. Your impact doesn’t just die with you but continues to go on.
How do you feel about writing when grief dominates your life?
I used to write for this blog, Operation Awesome, a writer’s blog that still continues. I wrote this piece after this car accident that I was in entitled “In Terms of Pain” and it was basically about how meaning makes pain have purpose. There is purpose when it comes to pain. It all has to do with our connections with people. I feel like writing that comes from strong emotional responses connects strongly with others. When we write things that matter to us, that is when we connect with other people. It’s not so much trying to be poetic or creative, it’s more like simple raw emotion needing to be released. One of my professors once said to write something that matters to you and not to write something you know.
What made you become a self-published writer?
In my book, The Healing Bucket, I explain why I started to self-publish my work. “I have been sitting on Drats, Foiled Again! for like eight years. I had written other things before, but I kept coming back to this. This is the one I really wanted to see get published. When my second son was old enough, we read it together because I wanted to read him my book. He thought it was the greatest thing ever. I believe he was around seven at the time. Afterwards, I thought, I really need to do something with this because I am going to die someday, and I want my children to know that I wrote this and have access to my writing. That was my decision to self-publish. I had to check my ego at the door and be like, I’m just going to do this! I like the aspect of the legacy you leave behind through writing. It doesn’t have to equate to a big building or an amazing piece of art. It’s simply a piece of your soul that you are leaving behind. Writing is life changing and truly is life forming.
How do you feel about being published in Scribendi?
You guys are the big show for me! I am so very excited to be published in Scribendi. This is the first thing I wrote to be published outside my self-publishing. I am excited because this piece really matters to me personally. It’s an honor to me to have it selected to be in Scribendi. I have written other things that mattered, like on a blog, but every time that I put something out there, I get feedback from other people. They say they connected with my writing to something within their own lives. The purpose of writing, for me, is not only the sharing of ideas but also the sharing of life, that essence of what makes us care and keep going on. Sometimes grief is heavy, and we really must share it with others. The Honors program at BYU really focuses on interdisciplinary learning and drawing across diverse fields of study with diverse ways of thinking. With the Honors program comes an understanding that what we do create is ultimately more imaginative because of that diversity. It’s been wonderful to be part of the Honors program here at BYU. It feels like a renaissance style of learning that throws all subjects together and not kept separated by rigid subject only courses found elsewhere on campus. I am truly thrilled to be representing BYU in the Honors publication Scribendi.
Why do you feel that publications like Scribendi are important?
I think anytime that we can share our emotions, our secrets, our experiences is very important. A place is needed for anytime we need to we can augment those voices then we can make those needed connections. I feel literary magazines are a forum for just that. I think that’s really important to have, especially for college students, me included, who are in the developmental stage of their lives; even though I hope we continue to grow for the rest of our lives. We’re in an intense growth period and so to be able to capture those voices at that time is great. I feel it’s neat that those voices can be shared in the moment. It’s really like, every time you write something it’s a snapshot of where you are at that time, especially with creative nonfiction. It truly is like a snapshot of your life experience.
Why did you submit to Scribendi, as opposed to other literary magazines?
I am not familiar with most literary magazines because of the fact that writing isn’t my major. I found out about this opportunity with Scribendi through my own Honors Program, here at BYU. I only submitted to Scribendi, and after looking at some other literary magazines, I’m glad that I did.
Why should students submit to Scribendi?
For the same reason that Scribendi needs to exist. The ability to share life’s experiences and what it feels to be in an intense developmental stage of life, which makes for great writing and art that should be shared with others.