We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mary Kendall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Mary, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?
The no mercy rule.
If I view my writing as my job (which I do), then that means I have to see measurable advancements and accomplishments in that job. It’s different from a regular gig with a boss because…I am the boss here. I have to answer to myself. A bit weird but that’s the deal. Magical thinking comes into play to keep the boss happy and get the job done.
How is that done? Pretty simply. It requires sitting down in the chair with a list of taskers on the daily. The job includes the writing plus the business end of the writing.
So… no excuses because no mercy from my boss.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Who am I? I am Mary Kendall. I read and write stories that blend the mysterious with the historic and am especially inspired by all things gothic.
I’m the author of The Spinster’s Fortune and Campbell’s Boy. My third novel is an upcoming release in July 2024 from Artemesia Publishing. It is billed as a “contemporary gothic thriller” and is titled, Bottled Secrets of Rosewood.
If you had pick aspects of writing that are most important to develop, what would you say matters most?
“There’s writing and then there is the business of writing.”
If you are a writer, you are going to write. But it’s important to know that the world isn’t waiting for you to do so. It’s your choice and no one owes you anything whether you do or you don’t. If you can keep this in mind, it clears the path and frees you up to pursue the process in a way that is authentic. The fringe benefit of authentic is finding a tribe along the way of supportive and like-minded folk who are in it with you.
If possible, place as much emphasis on the aspects you get satisfaction from and leave the rest behind. In other words, if you like one social media platform but not another, just do the one you like. Or, if you tried doing podcasts and it didn’t feel like the results merited the effort, try something else. The more you experiment, the more you grow and enhance your career as a writer.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents flipped the script on me at the age of eight. I had been growing up in suburbia with all its conveniences and comforts. But they decided we were moving to the country. The country meant miles from grocery stores, flooded roads and days without electricity during storms and living in houses that were being renovated. These houses (plural) were old and run-down. But, most importantly, they were haunted by their histories.
The stories that came out of this upbringing have kept me filled with ideas and inspirations to present day. I don’t think I’ll ever run out of fodder for the creative fires thanks to this “impactful thing”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marykendallauthor.com
- Instagram: @mary.kendall.author
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mary.kendall.3152/
- Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/marykendall
- Twitter: @MaryLavin49
- Other: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/mary-kendall
