By Truman Martin and Robert Black – Staff Reporters

Jayden Chetlen is a student in Mr. Healy’s Advanced Creative Writing class. The class was tasked to write a series of short stories that is being turned into a book called “The Fine Art of Messing Up.” Chelten had three stories published in the book – “Timeline,” “Storytime,” and “Compass.” Advocate reporters Bobby Black and Truman Martin interviewed Jayden about the creative process of writing short stories.

Truman Martin and Bobby Black: Is there a common theme throughout your stories?

Jayden Chetlen: I don’t believe there’s really a common theme between them, unless you count the fact that the main characters in each of them are part of the LGBT+ community. Though I suppose in all of them, the main characters are finding something (not as much in “Timeline,” but definitely in “Storytime” and “Compass”).

TM/BB: What made you want to do take Advanced Creative Writing?

JC: I’ve loved writing stories ever since elementary school when they’d make us write quick stories based off of prompts for these annual state tests (that was the one part of testing I have ever liked). All throughout high school I was trying to get into the creative writing class but it never fit into my schedule until this year. I wanted to take the class so that I could get some work of mine out into the world.

TM/BB: What are your favorite types of stories to read or write?

JC: I love to read and write stories centered on LGBT+ characters. I especially like to read LGBT+ romance books, but I don’t like to write them as much. 

TM/BB:  What is the process like for brainstorming ideas?

JC: My process is basically to just scroll through Instagram or something until something pops in my head. Or just go about my life and when an idea eventually comes to me, write it down and think about it more when I get the chance. Sometimes the idea will take off and blossom into a full blown story; sometimes the idea won’t. 

TM/BB: What inspired you to write your stories?

JC: I wanted to put more LGBT+ media into the world, and not like the way that it often is, meaning that I wanted my characters to have more positive backstories and positive coming outs rather than the “cliche” negative ones. I’m reluctant to say cliches since those are very much real, but so often in the media we only see the negative backstories and such, but there are positive stories out there, and I wanted to bring that more into light.