Welcome to the Summer 2025 issue of the Online MFA Newsletter! I hope everyone is staying cool and getting a lot of writing done! I’m closing in on that magic 100,000-word mark on my WIP, which means the finish line is coming into view . . . at last!
As always, we are proud to shine a spotlight on our talented students, alumni, and instructors! Without further ado, here is the lineup:
Our Student Spotlight is Menke Biewenga, who recently appeared in the pages of the Penmen Review with an autobiographical fragment but is expanding her personal and professional horizons in the MFA by leaps and bounds!
Our Alum Spotlight is Landon K. Thorne '25MFA, who received a podium shout-out at the spring graduation ceremony from SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson! I had the pleasure of shaking his hand after the ceremony—it is always a personal highlight to congratulate our graduates in person!
Our Instructor Spotlight is Dr. Melinda Clayton, a pillar of this program since its inception, whose generosity as a creative writing instructor has made her a favorite of students . . . and the dean!
Enjoy, and see you again in the fall!
Paul Witcover is the Associate Dean of the SNHU Online MFA. You can find him on Bluesky.
Dr. Melinda Clayton has been teaching for SNHU’s Online MFA since its inception in 2017. “What I most love is reading and giving feedback on creative writing submissions,” she says. “I always tell students I have the best job in the world.”
Clayton is a retired psychotherapist. She writes Southern psychological suspense and mystery novels, among them The Cedar Hollow Series, which includes Appalachian Justice, Return to Crutcher Mountain, Entangled Thorns, and Shadow Days, and The Tennessee Delta Series, which includes Blessed Are the Wholly Broken, A Woman Misunderstood, and Child of Sorrow. As well, she’s the author of the psychological suspense novel Making Amends. Throughout her fiction, she incorporates evocative details about the people and places and culture of Appalachia.
Her father came from Tennessee, her mother from West Virginia. “I’m Southern,” she says. “These places and people have been a part of my life for closing in on 60 years. I don’t want to be so trite as to say ‘I write what I know,’ but I actually do,” she says. “I put an enormous amount of time into studying the settings for my novels, not just the geographical region, but the culture, the weather, the wildlife, the political structure, and even the laws.”
This type of regionalism in literature, she notes, emphasizes the landscape, culture, customs, attitudes, and dialects of a particular place. “The goal isn’t to stereotype, but to challenge stereotypes,” she explains. “By exploring the history, depth, and complexity of both the people and the region, we can provide insight, foster understanding, and celebrate uniqueness.”
Clayton values well-rounded, relatable protagonists who will appeal to readers wherever they live. “[My characters] all face enormous challenges, they’re all flawed in various ways, and they’re all forced to make difficult decisions,” she says. “They just happen to live in what has historically been a very isolated and overlooked part of the country, which influences their actions and reactions.”
Clayton admires fiction by Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and Alex Michaelides, as well as Stephen King’s psychological suspense novels, including Misery. To students interested in writing in the genre, she recommends Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot, by Jane K. Cleland. “It covers everything from defining your audience to structure, plotting, and strategies, and she includes examples and exercises. It’s a wonderful resource for all fiction writers, but I think it can be especially helpful for writers of mystery, crime, psychological suspense/thriller, and even horror,” she says.
Clayton writes her novels in absolute silence, early in the morning and late at night. “I need absolute quiet when I write,” she says. “If I’m really in the zone, I tend to forget to eat.” Her outlines tend toward scrawled phrases in notebooks and on Post-its. As the author of two series, she tells emerging writers that deciding on structure is key and recommends author Kristin Keiffer’s post “Exploring Three Ways to Structure Your Book Series” on the blog well-storied to help students determine the structure they want to use.
Clayton’s own first series has an anthology structure. “It features the same setting in each novel, but each story centers on a different protagonist,” she notes. Her second series is episodic, involving an attorney who takes on a different case in each book. “Both structures are designed to follow a distinct story arc to its conclusion, and the hope is that readers become so invested, and fall so in love with the setting and/or characters, that they want to pick up the next book.”
Clayton chose the traditional route when publishing her first three novels but found herself disappointed by the process. She jumped into self-publishing, grateful to have complete control over her books, including her recent nonfiction family genealogies. “The downside, of course, is that there aren’t marketing and public relations experts behind me,” she says. “Another downside is that there are bad players, whether in the form of publishers, marketers, editors, or graphic artists, around every corner.”
Authors need to be very careful to extensively vet anyone they’re considering working with, she notes, so that they don’t get scammed. The website Absolute Write Water Cooler offers a discussion forum in which authors can share warnings about disreputable publicists, independent editors, and others.
As a veteran author, Clayton offers a wealth of advice to her MFA students. She urges those anxious about building their platform on social media to focus on genuine connections rather than empty engagement. The writing itself is much more important.
“Study the craft,” she says to her emerging novelists. “Put your heart and soul into it so that your stories and characters resonate with readers.”
Find out more about Dr. Melinda Clayton, including her article “Self-Publishing Made Simple,” at www.melindaclayton.info. Melissa Hart’s most recent novel is Daisy Woodworm Changes the World. Learn more about Melissa at her website, and follow her on Bluesky.
SNHU Online MFA students sometimes wonder when career-building should begin—is there a best time to finish a manuscript? Publish a story? Or even apply for work as a professional writer or editor?
The answer to some of those questions can be observed through an SNHU MFA student named Menke Biewenga. A native of the Netherlands, Menke moved to the USA in her early twenties and now lives in a Michigan farming region where she harvests her talent as a poet, fiction writer, and editor. Beginning with a poem composed at age eight, Menke found inspiration in speculative fiction like the worlds of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. “I read books in other genres as well,” she says, including contemporary YA, historical fiction, and Greek mythology.
“I tried to write fiction at several points in my life,” Menke says. “Like many writers, I have various projects I started but never finished. In the end, it wasn’t until the summer of 2023, at age 34, that things really started to change. Again, it started with poetry. While taking SNHU’s Intermediate Poetry Writing Workshop, my instructor encouraged me to ‘write what scares me.’ As I did, it unlocked parts of me that I had tried to keep hidden. A story I didn’t yet know I had in me escaped. That’s when I started writing my current work in progress: a sapphic urban fantasy about overcoming abuse and self-hatred, about the limits of self-sacrifice, and about learning to accept both love and your own sexuality.”
Getting to know her characters, their voices, and their stories is what Menke loves most about writing fiction. “But I was scared,” she admits. “Scared I wouldn’t be good enough; scared my stories were too dark; scared people would see all the things I had become so good at keeping hidden. Since then, more stories have started to escape. Mostly sapphic; mostly fantasy; though some contemporary stories have crept out as well. I don’t care as much about the genre as I care about the characters.”
Menke’s decision to enter the SNHU creative writing community was fueled in part by a need for a community of writers for support. “As a European-born Christian, living in a conservative Christian corner of America, I don’t have many people I know in person who are even aware of what I write (yet), let alone who can be supportive. I signed up for the MFA because I can’t do this alone; I didn’t want to risk closing the doors to my writing again.”
Menke has found fiction writing to be a method of profound self-discovery. “I am very much a pantser and rarely start at the beginning of a story. Moreover, although I have not been diagnosed, I am fairly certain I have non-possessive DID [Dissociative Identity Disorder], and two of my alts (Morgan and Meagan) also write. We each have different personalities, sexualities, and genre preferences. Some of our writing projects are more geared toward one of us. That said, it’s the most fun when we write together. For my thesis project, I am considering writing a sapphic portal fantasy with three POV characters, one for each of us.”
In her years actively writing, Menke has been engaged with publishing in a variety of ways. Starting as a volunteer reader for The Literary Fantasy Magazine, she has since moved up to associate editor at The Arcanist: Fantasy Publishing. Menke is also interested in memoir writing. One of her memoir pieces was recently published in the Penmen Review. “For memoir writing, I need to relive my own memories instead of writing what I see/hear/feel as I explore life from the perspective of my characters,” she says. “As a result, memoir writing is significantly more draining. While it can also be very healing, I prefer to write fiction.”
Under the name Menke HB, two of her fictional stories were published in Volume 1 of The Literary Fantasy Magazine and on 101words.org earlier this year. We are certain there will be more to come!
Southern writer Landon K. Thorne graduated with his MFA from SNHU in March 2025. He’s generous, kind, active in our literary community, and a peer to follow!
GAK: How has life changed for you since completing your MFA?
LKT: My external life hasn’t changed that much, although I have received considerable well wishes and kudos from friends and colleagues . . . and even a few job offers. The biggest change is in my internal life. I feel empowered by the achievement and by what I have learned from the MFA curriculum. Writing well and understanding the literary-industry dynamics are my foundations. I am inherently entrepreneurial, and I will bring that mindset to the literary marketplace.
GAK: You have a lot of irons in the fire; how do you find balance and make choices about what to focus on?
LKT: It takes discipline and time management. The most important thing is maintaining control of my schedule, which includes being adamant about my writing time and adhering to a production plan. We are all human, so sometimes life simply intrudes on one’s schedule. That is to be expected. The secret is to stay committed to a plan, accept occasional disruptions as part of life, but get back to the plan as quickly as possible. And I’d like to add how important it is to include time for a wholesome personal life. Hard work has its place in our lives, but fun, family, friends, fitness, and tomfoolery need to be part of the mix.
GAK: What are you working on?
LKT: I am seeking an agent for my thesis/debut novel, The Mud Bone Squabble, and working on a sequel, The Ashepoo Hijack.
GAK: Can you share more about your path to publication?
LKT: I am following a path based on what I learned during the MFA curriculum. My initial effort is to pursue a traditional publishing approach. I am querying agents and seeking guidance from industry contacts who are close friends and/or introductions from close friends. So far, I haven’t entered a formal agreement, but I am encouraged by how the process is unfolding. It has only been a few months since graduation and implementing the revision guidance from my capstone professor. Besides working on selling my novel, I am submitting micro fiction and articles to selected publications. I am focused on building literary credentials and working hard toward my goals.
GAK: How has your writing process evolved since the MFA?
LKT: My MFA journey has been transformative for me. While I have long aspired to be a fiction writer, when I embarked on the MFA, I didn’t fully realize how much I had to learn. When I started classes, I was like a sponge for learning craft, style, and voice. I also learned the importance of establishing a rational production schedule, which proved very important in completing my thesis novel. Of course, I have much more to learn, and my writing will surely grow and evolve. However, the MFA journey has given me a solid foundation for building my writing career.
GAK: What’s your favorite takeaway from your MFA journey?
LKT: When I started the course, producing a novel of 80-90,000 words seemed daunting. I feel immensely empowered now that I have a completed novel in hand. I have proven to myself and to others that I can do it, and I have the tools to do it again. For me, that is a really big deal.
GAK: How are you using your MFA and the skills you gained at SNHU to advance as an author and within the publishing industry?
LKT: I would say there are four important things or skill sets for building a writing career, all gleaned from what I learned on the MFA journey. Apart from continually improving my writing craft, I would say literary citizenship is an essential part of a writing life, i.e., becoming a member of the writing community with a mindset of helping others and being a “good neighbor” to other writers. Second, as a writer, I read extensively to experience how other writers express their ideas, animate their characters, and create captivating settings. Third, I am working to build a compelling author persona and writer’s platform. Fourth, as a proven entrepreneur, I bring a collaborative mindset to my interactions with the industry by expressing my willingness to be an engaged and collaborative partner with agents and publishers.
GAK: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
LKT: If I had to pick one thing, it would be the recommendation of a writer friend to pursue the MFA program at SNHU. If I hadn’t followed up on that advice, there would be no MFA or debut novel. Apart from that, I deeply value all the instructor guidance, peer feedback, and input from published writers I have received throughout my journey. I have found writers to be extraordinarily generous in reviewing my work and offering guidance and insight.
GAK: What are your sources of inspiration?
LKT: I am a Southern writer with a spiritual center in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. I love the land, the people, the critters, and the rhythm of life. I draw my personal serenity and literary inspiration from my surroundings and the characters who share their wisdom, eccentricity, and affection. And if you ever have the opportunity to experience a sunset in the salt marsh with its scents, sounds, and scenery, it may speak to your soul as it does to mine.
GAK: What are you doing to self-promote yourself and your work? What self-promotion advice do you have for writers?
LKT: I am currently working with a tech-support person to improve my writer’s platform, which primarily comprises my website, a Facebook page, and an X presence. I am a big believer in establishing a unique and distinctive writer’s persona, so I am seeking opportunities to get media exposure. Until my debut novel is published, the theme of my posts will be the journey to publication . . . kind of “OK, I wrote the book, now what” saga. Additionally, I write fun blogs about Lowcountry life to keep new content on the website and establish authenticity. The overarching goal is to build a following so the eventual book launch will have some excitement already built in.
GAK: How have you embraced literary citizenship opportunities?
LKT: I am a big believer in literary citizenship. I am very involved with the Pat Conroy Literary Center in Beaufort, South Carolina. It is my center of gravity for meeting writers and other industry professionals. The Center is active in supporting young and emerging writers, and I support those programs. I also do outreach to regional book clubs to generate interest in inviting regional authors to present their work in person at book club meetings.
GAK: What/who are you reading?
LKT: At this very moment, I’m reading Ron Chernow’s biography of Mark Twain. It is an incredible story of a writer’s life journey. I read a lot of Carl Hiaasen, and I just finished his new release, Fever Beach. As a Southern writer, I regularly read other Southern authors such as Pat Conroy, Barbara Kingsolver, C. Hope Clark, Mary Alice Monroe, Natasha Boyd, Roger Pinckney, Anne Rivers Siddons, and many others.
GAK: What advice do you have for current MFA students?
LKT: Work hard and glean all the wisdom you can from teachers and student peers alike. Hop on assignments early rather than waiting until the last minute to submit. Thoughtfully and energetically take part in all discussions and feedback opportunities. Build relationships.
GAK: Is there anything else you’d like to share that I haven’t asked about?
LKT: I would suggest writers include in their reading list books about famous writers, i.e., biographies or autobiographies that delve into the respective writer’s life journey. Invariably, the reader will find some spiritual connection and inspiration from sharing in a renowned writer’s challenges, successes, struggles, and loves. As examples, I have previously mentioned Ron Chernow’s Mark Twain. I could add dozens of additional titles, but to name a few, I will mention Pat Conroy’s My Reading Life and A Lowcountry Heart, Reflections on a Writing Life. Also, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and her multiple subsequent autobiographies.
Onward!
You can learn more about Landon at his website and on Instagram @lkthorne3. Gregory A. Kompes (MFA, MS Ed.), founder of The Writer Workshop, is an award-winning and bestselling author of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. He served as a Subject Matter Expert during the development of the Online MFA, where he now teaches author platform building, business of writing, and fiction courses.
Congrats to alum Nyiesha Showers, writing as Penny Blacwrite, whose thesis novel, Church Girls Love Thugs, has an August 5 pub date on Amazon. Preorder here!
Instructor Nicole Melleby’s upcoming novel, Brady Mason’s Perfect Fit, is pubbing in January 2026 and is available for preordering. What are you waiting for?
Proud of instructor Dr. Lisa Wood, who took home a Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Short Nonfiction in June for “Blacks in Film and Cultivated Bias," appearing in the anthology No More Haunted Dolls: Horror Fiction that Transcends the Tropes! Woot!
Online MFA alums Ashley Worley and Kayleigh Michael represented the program at the June 11 Word for Word Graduate Spotlight event! They read from their thesis novels and demonstrated the extraordinary literary talent on tap at SNHU! Watch here!
Infodumpers unite! Asimov Press (not to be confused with the magazine) is seeking “works of fiction that imagine positive, and plausible, futures. We’re after pieces in which science, rather than characters or plot, is the focus, and explanations of technologies are detailed and mechanistic.” They pay $1,000. More on their website!
Online magazine The Dark is looking for horror and dark fantasy. Pay is.05/word up to 6,000 words. Not too shabby!
Please join me in recognizing the latest cohort of graduates by name. We're proud to welcome each one of you to the next stage of your writing careers!
Caitlin Allred '24G '25MFA
Joshua Avery '21G '23 '25MFA
Sienna Barstow '25MFA
Sara Beg '24G '25MFA
Susan Bellfield '16 '20G '23G '25MFA
Suzanne Bjornson '25MFA
Landyn Bowers '25MFA
Jamie Bucuy '25MFA
Catrina Bustamante '25MFA
Andy Butcher '25MFA
Jill Carlyle '20G '25MFA
Laura Cartee '25MFA
Abigail Chandler '25MFA
Kathryn Coates '20 '23G '25MFA
Cortney Collup '17 '25MFA
Liz Cote '24G '25MFA
Gavin Cummings '25MFA
Ariana Davis '20 '25MFA
Kayla Dingus '21 '25MFA
Rachel Ebrecht '25MFA
Kirsten Genslinger '25MFA
Jesse Gilbert '21 '24G '25MFA
Meredith Haffly '21 '24G '25MFA
Jennifer Hallett '25MFA
Misty Hayes '20 '24G '25MFA
Steven Huddleston '25MFA
DJ Huddleston '22 '25MFA
Robert Hughey '24G '25MFA
Ophelia Wild Jelke '25MFA
Elizabeth Kasper '21 '23G '24G '25MFA
Kate Kimbrell '22 '24G '25MFA
Sam Kise '24G '25MFA
Isabella Kostolni '24G '25MFA
Daniel Long '25MFA
Makayla Love '23 '25MFA
Serena Macmaster '20 '21G '23G '25MFA
Randall Madden '23G '25MFA
Alicia Masztal '24G '25MFA
Mehgan McMullen '25MFA
Jenni Medina '25MFA
David Merryman '22 '25MFA
Naomi Mitchell '23 '25MFA
Jason Mohler '24G '25MFA
Adrienne Monestere '21 '25MFA
Libby Montgomery '25MFA
Risa Moran '24G '25MFA
Susan Muchege '24G '25MFA
Gloryvee Ortiz '19 '25MFA
Jeff Parfitt '25MFA
Nick Patterson '22 '25MFA
Ben Patterson '22 '24G '25MFA
Mistelle Quiggle '23 '25MFA
Kevin Reigle '22G '25MFA
Deliana Santana Diaz '24G '25MFA
Amanda Schmitt '25MFA
Katlyn Scott '20 '25MFA
Ugur Sener '24G '25MFA
Susan Shaw '23 '25MFA
Vanessa Shockley '20 '25MFA
Taisha Shorter '23 '25MFA
Bethany Sreedharan '25MFA
Lillian Sreshta '24G '25MFA
Jeremy Stewart '25MFA
Lacie Vlach '23 '25MFA
Jennifer Ward '23G '25MFA
Nicole Williams '25MFA
Charity Williams '24G '25MFA
Ash Yates '22 '25MFA
Makeda Young '25MFA
Joan Zipko '25MFA
