Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to T.i. Lowe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi T.I., thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
Sometimes, I think to myself, why did I wait until 38 to pursue my passion for writing? I do believe in timing, so I don’t dwell on this for too long. I also believe, as a country girl from South Carolina, I was born with storytelling in my root system. I just didn’t think I could reach past the tobacco and corn fields to the publishing industry. While my mom battled cancer in 2011, I was by her side and we had many in-depth conversations, one focusing on a loved one in an abusive relationship. I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t leave her abuser. My mom told me I would never understand unless I walked in an abused woman’s shoes. I took that as a challenge to understand and started researching, reading testimonials, watching documentaries on the subject. In the midst of researching, I began writing Lulu’s Cafe, a story focusing on a woman surviving domestic abuse. My mom made me promise to share this story and told her one day I would. After her passing in 2013, I felt I had no choice but to keep that promise. Thus my research into publishing began and before I knew it, those fields surrounding my home were no longer holding me back. In the last 10 years, I’ve published 20 books!
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 author from South Carolina with 20 published books. Some call me prolific, but I just have a lot to say. My stories are considered Southern Fiction. My novel Under the Magnolias has been compared to Where the Crawdads Sing. It hit #1 in Fiction in Sweden and was a finalist for a Christy Award. The bestseller lists and award nominations are wonderful, but I gage my success in the publishing world by the readers I get to connect with. I do not view them as fans, but friends. I’ve met so many interesting and wonderful people. Truly, the highlight of my career.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
The odds were stacked against me from the get-go: living in a southern state far from the publishing industry, having no formal training or education in literature, but the need to tell stories was like a relentless itch. It wasn’t a want to but a need to. It has been long continuously evolving journey to learn how to write a novel. A lot of blog reading, online research, and YouTube videos on the art of writing as well as how to become published. I’ve told my two children—Nathan age 23 and Lydia age 18—there is no goal out of reach as long as you’re willing to put in the hard work. I live this in front of them by not giving up on my writing dreams. I’ve had to grow a thick skin due to harsh reviews and being told no while looking for an agent and publisher. It was tough but I did not allow the criticism or the no’s to stop me. Finding the right agent and publisher didn’t happen over night. It took years, but it was all worth it.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
There are many YouTube channels dedicated to the craft of writing. I’ve been a reading fan of Jerry B. Jenkins for a long time, but I discovered his channel a year or so back, which focuses on the art of writing, and it is fantastic and informative. I always recommend him to aspiring writers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tilowe.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tilowe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/T.I.Lowe
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TiLowe
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TILowe-lg4wl
- Other: Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/tilowe76/
Image Credits
Tyndale House Publishers