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This is part of a series interviewing Society of Young Inklings’ mentors. This week we’re featuring Naomi Kinsman. Along with being a mentor, Naomi is also the founder and executive director of Society of Young Inklings.

 

Tell us two truths and a lie… but keep us guessing! We’ll save the reveal for the end.

I’ll give you three theatre stories.

  1. One time, in the middle of a dance sequence in Hello Dolly, I fell off the stage into the orchestra pit.
  2. Another time, I was on roller skates wearing a clown wig, singing “Go, Go, Go, Joseph,” and I was accidentally flung off the edge of a spinning wheel of skaters, and hurtled off stage.
  3. A third time, while in a show called Lettuce and Lovage, I had to perform with a cat in my arms. She panicked and clawed me, so I let her go and she ran yowling into the audience.
What are you writing right now?

I’m working on a middle grade fantasy with the working title of How to Catch a Hobgoblin, that features a cast of my own creation alongside Titania, Oberon and Puck from Midsummer Night’s Dream. It has been fun to blend characters and events from my imagination with literary ones created by the one-and-only Shakespeare.

Tell us about a time you got stuck creatively and how you got unstuck.

I was stuck with my current book, How to Catch a Hobgoblin. One draft of the book had too complex of a plot and the next was too simple. Then, one of our Inklings mentors read a chapter or two, and reminded me that in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare used humor to counterbalance the other elements of his plot. “Where’s the humor in your plot?” she asked me. Hmmm… After a week of pondering, a few new characters popped into my mind, a subplot to add humor and quirkiness to my story. Suddenly, my plot was lively again. Aha!

Tell us about a mentor who made a difference in your creative life.

My high school theatre director, Mr. Erickson, didn’t treat us like high schoolers. He imagined the most lavish, amazing productions, and he gave us the room to create the sets and costumes to make them happen. He helped me see that when you set a wild goal, and you work together, you can achieve incredible things. He also taught me that if you’re going to be the lead in a show, it is your job to sweep the stage, to clean the paintbrushes, and to do any other chore that others might not want to do to make the show happen. Being a leader means you have even more responsibility to have a great attitude, give back, and lead by example.

What is your favorite color?

Purple.

 

What is your favorite food?

Vegetable samosas. Or maybe Pad Thai. I’m not sure. I also love peanut butter and honey sandwiches.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Once I entered third grade, it was From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. But, up to that point, it was Jumanji. I read that book hundreds of times. I suppose they have similarities… an air of mystery and wonder, and both walk the line between what is possible and the far-fetched.

 

What was your first job?

I worked at the Forestry Center in Portland, OR, and one of my favorite parts of the job was leading tours to show people around the museum and to teach them about trees and nature. I also remember the wood-polish smell of the shop, and how soothing it was to walk into the quiet space in the morning at the start of my shift.

So, which was the lie?

The cat nearly leapt into the audience in Lettuce and Lovage, but I caught her in time. Phew!

 

 

 


Are you interested in mentorship through Society of Young Inklings? Click below to learn more! We offer a free mini-course that explains our teaching methodology as well as a free introductory call with our Mentorship Coordinator.

 

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