Featured Writer on Wellness: Kristy McGinnis

Learning to believe in myself was by far the most difficult hurdle I overcame.

My introduction into adulthood started out pretty rough, and while I’d always had the urge to write, I’d internalized a lot of messages I shouldn’t have listened to and allowed them to impact just how vulnerable I was willing to be.

I wrote so many short stories, poems, and book “starts” over the years that never saw the light of day because I was terrified of criticism and felt like an imposter.

As I got older though, and became successful in other areas of my life- I began to share small bits here and there and the feedback was positive.

My family.

By Putting Myself Out There, I Found People Were Quick to Offer Support

When I finally made the leap to writing my first novel manuscript I decided to put it out there in the open so it wasn’t a shock to anyone.

By putting myself out there and allowing myself to be vulnerable, I found that people responded well and were quick to offer their support.

People WANT to help their friends and family, most of us just never bother to ask for it. Through their constructive but supportive feedback and a whole lot of positive affirmations I found the courage to finally share my completed book with the world.

I still get nervous about reviews that I know are coming down the pike, hey that’s a normal human reaction. But these days, I’m able to put that into perspective.

What is the very worst that can happen? A reviewer might hate my book and say horrible things about it—but I know there are also plenty who will love it for what it is and best of all I can feel the satisfaction of getting past my fears and self-doubts.

The More I Switch It Up, the Longer My Writing Sessions Can Go

My primary work space.

Neck and back pain for days, along with a fun dose of sciatica are my biggest physical challenges.

I’ve found the best way to combat it is to change up position pretty regularly.

I have a dedicated writing desk but I’ll hop around the house to different work stations as I need to—standing at the pub height table, reclining on the sofa, sitting in a straight back chair, even sitting on the floor with the laptop on the coffee table.

The more I switch it up, the longer my writing sessions can go. I definitely find stretches help, especially with the sciatica… and I’m not above downing Motrin on an as-need basis.

If You Want to Be Creative, Surround Yourself with Creativity

I think artists, be they studio artists, writers, actors, or musicians, get incredible inspiration from other artists.

Personally, I need to immerse myself in art pretty regularly and feed that part of me—if I want the productive part to keep going. This means I read a lot of books, an embarrassing amount really. I watch a ton of movies. My walls are covered in art that I’ve managed to snag from thrift stores and yard sales, and I visit museums pretty frequently. I often have music playing.

I also find I need to be surrounded with color! Color inspires me—be it the kind you find in a vibrant forest out in nature, or the kind that fills my living room walls.

In short, if you want to be creative then surround yourself with creativity and other creative types of people.

It’s Okay to Step Away When You Need To

I do of course sometimes find I am just overwhelmed in some other area of my life and don’t have the time or energy to devote to writing.

When that happens I give myself permissions to step away from it for a while.

While writing for the long haul takes discipline and commitment, it is okay to step away when you need to. It is okay to take a break. It is okay to focus on something else for awhile.

The colors and art around me.

My Best Marketing Success Comes from Word of Mouth

I’ve had decent success with Amazon ads, especially on the eBook/kindle side of things—but my biggest successes have been word of mouth.

I’m fortunate to have developed a pretty loyal reader group and they are absolutely fantastic about suggesting my book to others and sharing my relevant social media posts.

This goes back to believing in myself though, I had to push past the doubts and allow myself to be vulnerable to people who know me first and as a result the word of mouth approach snowballed.

Believe in yourself, believe in your book—be proud of it and get the word out.

A tired, colorless shot of my droll government job I’m leaving in a few weeks!

Writing is Now My Full-Time Job!

Well I’m going to be honest, when I had three kids at home, I found this [finding time to write] extremely difficult. I know some young writers who somehow pull off that balance perfectly but I wasn’t one of them.

Now that my kids have flown the nest I have a lot more freedom and flexibility. I’m about to get a whole lot more as I have turned in my resignation from my federal government position. I’m fortunate to be in a place in life where this is now a possibility and I won’t squander it.

Writing will now be my full time job!

Advice for a Young Writer: Don’t Listen to the Voices that Say You’re Not Good Enough

Do not listen to the voices that tell you that you aren’t good enough—whether they come from the outside (a teacher, a parent, a friend) or the inside (your own self doubts).

If you feel the urge to write, if you have stories to tell, then the seed is already there and it just needs to be nurtured by the right mentors, guides, and editors.

Follow that dream and don’t ever look back.

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Kristy McGinnis spent her childhood as a Navy “brat” and her adult years first as a service member and then as a Coast Guard wife. A lifelong wanderer and now emptynester, she’s set permanent anchor in Virginia Beach, Virginia with her husband and that most rascally of rascals—her cat Percy.

When not plucking away at her keyboard or eagerly devouring every book she can get her hands on; she enjoys theater, beach combing, hiking, wine tasting, and obsessively planning the next journey.

For more information on Kristy and her work, please see her website or connect with her on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


Ellipses: The future looks promising and it’s supposed to come easily.

Smart, determined and beautiful; college student and art model Nell seemed to be the girl who had it all. A passionate relationship with one of the art students leads to an unplanned pregnancy that threatens to change everything though, and she must build a very different life than she envisioned.

For thirteen years Nell and her son Charlie are a unit and their world is complete. That world will stop spinning though, when there’s a shooting at Charlie’s school. As Nell reaches out via text in desperation, only the words and the animated ellipsis on the phone screen offer a buffer between life and death. Can she save the person on the other end of the messages in time, and in the process can she save herself too?

Ellipsis isn’t a romance, but it is a love story.

Available at Amazon.