Anna kali'i
Novel: Broken Ground
Newly represented by: Antoinëtte Van Sluytman:
Email: antoinette@lookingglasslit.com
Looking Glass Literary
M. Anne Kala’i is a speculative fiction writer and poet whose work has been published in the San Pedro River Review. Born in California and raised across the United States, she is heavily influenced by her itinerant upbringing and the lore of the multi-generational Midwestern and Chinese-Kānaka ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian) branches of her family. She is a graduate of Vassar College’s creative writing program and a member of the Los Angeles chapter of Women Who Submit.
What made you enter the Cheshire novel Prize?
I was seeking professional feedback on my manuscript-in-progress.
What did it feel like when you were LL and SL?
Ranking on the long list was quite a shock, especially after finding out that CNP had received so many entries. It was much-needed validation that my obsession with this idea, and my lifelong pursuit of writing, have been worthwhile pursuits that might lead me to places I hadn’t dared to hope for myself. On a more granular note, I had changed the opening and other aspects of the story since submitting, so ranking on the long list caused me to revive elements of my earlier draft.
Getting the call about the short list in the early hours of the morning was even more surreal. The idea that anyone besides me – never mind industry experts – could fall in love with this story like I have is the greatest reward.
What was the reaction like from those around you? Family? Friends?
There were a lot of raised eyebrows in the best way, and congratulations. They have faith in my abilities, but external validation really does put some weight behind that belief.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
My maternal, Midwestern family has a number of fascinating stories dating back over a century about relatives who were mediums. My paternal, Hawaiian family – like many Hawaiians – also has countless spiritual beliefs, stories, and experiences that are tied to their culture and land; like other indigenous peoples, their reality conflicts with what much of the West would define as ‘reality’. Even though Anglo, rural Midwestern culture and communities are so different from that of the Hawaiian melting pot, both groups seemed to me to share a fierce, tangible, and deeply rooted spirituality. Living in Los Angeles where atheism and agnosticism are commonplace, I was especially struck by this connection and wanted to drum up a fictional narrative to put these cultures and communities in conversation with one another, highlighting commonalities while exploring key points where they diverge.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took me almost a year and a half to complete an early draft. Workshopping it into the story that it is today while improving the craft elements took another year.
What advice would you have for anyone thinking of entering?
30 pounds was a small price to pay for the feedback, validation, and community that I’ve gained. This has altered how I see myself as a writer, and the future I envision for myself. Unlike other competitions, this really has felt like an investment. The feedback alone is worth the price of admission, so I would advise entering without hesitation.
What’s changed for you since entering?
I have much more faith in this manuscript and my own abilities as a writer. I’ve received hundreds of rejections from agents and literary magazines, so this green light carries a lot of weight. One yes can propel you past all the no’s, though all of it has pushed me to further develop my skills.
What’s your novel about?
The untimely death of the woman he loves spurs a runaway to search for answers using the old ways of his estranged family: journeying through dreams, speaking with spirits, and unearthing secrets buried in ancestral land.
What’s your writing routine?
I favor sprints. I spend three to six hours a night, about five evenings a week, working through drafts. I like to read the new material in the morning to catch any glaring errors or oversights. Once I reach the end of my planned writing or edits, I take at least a week off to focus on other aspects of my life and do some reading before coming back to the draft with fresh eyes. So my routine is a bit all-or-nothing, on-again-off-again.
What’s next for you?
Since submitting to CNP, I did sign with an agent, a huge step forward. We’re working through edits together and hope to go on submission in the near future. In the meantime, I’m working on short stories to hone my craft, submitting poetry to literary journals, and creating an author website. I’m also starting to ideate on my next novel.
Have you done any writing courses?
I studied creative writing in college, though the courses were largely focused on poetry and creative nonfiction. In order to learn more about writing novels, I’ve attended a couple conferences and taken a couple workshops through Tin House and Women Who Submit, a local group of writers.
What are your two favourite books and why?
Well, obviously this is an impossible question for writers (and readers), but I’ll give it a go. First, Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, because I think it’s rooted so deeply in my mind, that it will influence everything I do in life and in fiction forever. So many people feel this way. When I write, I want to make people feel like I do when I read this book. The fabulist tale is more alluring to me than full fantasy because it offers the dream of escaping from the challenges of reality – and ultimately returning to them transformed, and capable. I still love grounded, speculative stories, and even though this one mostly takes place in another dimension, every stitch of it ties back to Alice’s home world.
My second pick would be The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado. I found her short stories (in Her Body and Other Parties) peerless and gripping, and her facility with craft both inspiring and intimidating: the kind of work that tempts you to stop writing because your ambitions are already in print by someone else. This reaction was even more pronounced with respect to her memoir, which shatters structural convention by framing a single facet or scene from her experience in an abusive relationship through a different literary genre or technique. The concept is ingenious and the execution is flawless: Every sentence is exquisite.
What advice do you have for any aspiring writers?
Someone once said that the difference between writers and authors is persistence, and I very much believe that to be true. I would also give the same advice about writing novels that someone gave me about becoming a doctor: if you feel drawn towards anything else, chase that pursuit instead. But if this is the only thing you can imagine for yourself, and you can’t stop doing it, then pursue it with everything you have because you will need it, and it will be worth it. I love every hour of this work, so I believe I will do it forever.