We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kirsten Pursell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kirsten below.

Kirsten, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I was COVID cleaning in the summer of 2021 when one of my diaries fell out of the cabinet. I must have put it there years prior. It fell open to a page from when I was seventeen. I had blocked the depth of that memory. Next to the diary was a journal of poetry and a poem I had written on the same date as the page my diary fell open to. It was about my first love. I had been encouraged to write my memoir over the years, but I wasn’t sure what that would look like. At that moment, I had the concept: I would take all my diaries, journals, letters, and poetry and tell my story in my own words as I lived it in those moments. I didn’t know if anyone would be interested or care, but I believed there were enough people who would be interested in my coming-of-age story: Being a top athlete; Losing my identity; Contemplating my life’s worth; Falling in love; Making huge life decisions; Wondering about parents and friendships.
Life is short, and taking that risk was the start of making other important decisions about my marriage and then telling a coming-of-middle-age story about starting over in your fifties. Though that story was fictitious, it was predicated on very real emotions and exposed even more of myself.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an award-winning indie author addressing various relatable themes in my stories. My upcoming book, “The Scarlet D”, has a release date of November 12. It is a later-in-life romance with some fun and unexpected plot twists. Initial reviews have been positive, so fingers crossed. My last book, “Long Enough to Love You,” is a coming-of-middle-age novel that tackles stereotypes around marriage, love, and sex as we age. I am excited to share that the audiobook is now available on Audible. “Long Enough to Love You” has won awards in romance and divorce romance fiction categories. My other books include my memoir, “On Becoming Me: Memoir of an 80’s Teenager,” which has been number one on Amazon in women’s biographies and memoirs, “Harvard,” a romance, “Company Clown,” also a former number one on Amazon in satirical fiction, and “Battle of the Canvas,” which is a compilation of poems. My books have been downloaded over 15,000 times since 2021. Outside of writing, I participate in Masters swimming, competing nationally and internationally in pools and open water. You can learn more about me and my books on my website at www.kirstenpursell.com.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being an indie author is telling stories I want to tell. While my stories tend to have a romance component, I don’t feel compelled to tell only that story. I like challenging myself to write something different, that doesn’t necessarily check all the boxes of a genre. I know that flies in the face of building a loyal audience base, but I write because I love to do it. If my stories resonate with readers, then that is icing on the cake.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wrote my first novel, “Harvard”, in 2010. I had yet to learn about agents, publishers, and pitching. I wanted to put it out there and mark it off my bucket list. I wrote “Company Clown” a few years later. I was writing for me. But, as I began to get positive feedback about my writing, I realized there was a lot I needed to learn. The amount of information out there is overwhelming. And the amount of money you can spend is significant. Over the last three years, I have learned about self-publishing, pitching an agent, hybrid publishers, cover design, and marketing. Through trial and error and spending too much money, I finally have a formula for publishing that works for me. I have also learned a lot from other authors. They are the best resource for muddling through what might work or not. I spend as much time marketing and researching as I do writing. No one ever told me that part! What I love about owning the process, though, is the ability to think outside the box. “The Scarlet D” has two original songs available for listening on Soundcloud. Thanks to the magic of AI, my lyrics were given voice and music. I had to teach myself about that, too. You can teach an old(er) dog new tricks. And it’s so much fun. The self-publishing world is constantly evolving. Tools that exist now didn’t exist when I started. Embracing the opportunity of change is so important.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kirstenpursell.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenpursell/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirstenPursellAuthor/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-pursell-40851910/
• Twitter: @kirsten_pursell
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kirstenpursell
• Other: https://linktr.ee/kirstenpursell

Image Credits

Marcy Browe
Brooke Preece