On Craft and Character, with Jackie Thomas-Kennedy
“When it goes well, writing feels the way it did when I was eight years old—immersed in the story, not thinking about outcome, just the pure joy of language.” – Jackie Thomas Kennedy
Jackie Thomas Kennedy, author of The Other Wife, joins Uncorking a Story to explore the craft of fiction, the role of memory, and the tension between who we are and who we imagine we could be. A Stegner Fellow and widely published short story writer, Jackie shares insights into writing without fixation on outcome, the importance of character-driven storytelling, and how nostalgia can shift from comfort to affliction.
Key Takeaways:
- Writing for joy before outcome—rediscovering the childlike immersion in storytelling.
- Time as a central theme: how our perception of it shifts across stages of life.
- Nostalgia as both comfort and affliction in The Other Wife.
- Allowing characters to make mistakes and create the story’s mess.
- The surprising creative power of text messages in fiction.
- Reading beyond your comfort zone to enrich voice and style.
- Collaboration with agents and editors in shaping a final manuscript.
Buy The Other Wife
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4fV6M5W
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9780593851609
Connect with Jackie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackiethomaskennedy/
Connect with Mike
Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uncorkingastory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/
If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
#JackieThomasKennedy #TheOtherWife #UncorkingAStory #FictionWriting #AuthorInterview #LiteraryFiction #WritingLife
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
