Meet Pernell McNear

We were lucky to catch up with Pernell McNear recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Pernell, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I found my purpose the same way a lot of people do—by living, hurting, learning, and paying attention to what pulled on my spirit the hardest. For me, that pull has always been toward helping people, especially those who feel forgotten, overlooked, or weighed down by what life has handed them.

My mission is simple: to help uplift fallen humanity in whatever way I can. That means shining light on the stories we carry, the trauma we inherit, and the strength that’s still inside us—even when we don’t always feel it. Writing became the way I could do that.

I honestly feel like I was born to write. Not because I’m perfect at it, but because it’s the one thing that feels natural, necessary, and bigger than me. Every time I put words on a page, it feels like I’m doing what I was placed here to do—helping people heal, connect, and remember who they really are.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a writer who tries to tell real, human stories—stories that speak to people no matter where they come from. What makes my work special is my ability to connect with different cultures. Being of mixed heritage, I grew up seeing the world from more than one angle, and that helps me relate to people from all walks of life. It’s given me a deeper understanding of how our histories, our families, and our struggles shape us.

Right now, I’m focused on sharing the stories that have lived inside me for years—turning screenplays into novels, putting out new work, and connecting with readers who find a piece of themselves in my words. My goal is simple: to help people feel a little less alone and a lot more powerful.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three things that shaped my journey the most were empathy, resilience, and cultural awareness. Empathy helped me connect with people from all backgrounds. Resilience kept me moving forward through setbacks. And being of mixed heritage gave me a natural understanding of different cultures, which shows up in everything I write.

For anyone just starting out, my advice is simple: listen more than you speak, keep going even when it gets hard, and stay open to learning from every person you meet. Those habits will take you farther than any shortcut ever will.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

One book that played an important role in my development is Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. What grabbed me wasn’t just the mystery—it was the way Mosley showed the complexity, dignity, and struggle of a Black man navigating a world that wasn’t built for him. That hit home for me.

A few nuggets of wisdom that stayed with me are:
• Your voice matters, even when the world tries to silence it.
• You can face danger, injustice, and confusion—and still hold onto who you are.
• Identity is layered, and our past doesn’t define us, but it does inform our strength.

That book taught me that storytelling can reveal truth, expose injustice, and highlight the humanity in characters who don’t always get the spotlight. It pushed me to write with honesty, depth, and purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Pmcneartheauthor.com
• Linkedin: Pernell McNear