We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stalina Goodwin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stalina below.
Stalina, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with important influences in our lives. Is there a historical figure you look up to?
A historical figure I look up to is Zora Neale Hurston. The first time I read her book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, I found a home in her words. Back then, I only knew the basics about her—that she was a Black woman writer of the Harlem Renaissance and that Their Eyes Were Watching God was her bestselling work.
Since then, I have discovered that she was so much more than that. She was a rebel writer of her time. Her worldview didn’t fit the status quo, and she stood by her beliefs boldly, even when it hurt her career. She was also an anthropologist and a lifelong student of Black culture.
Though we now appreciate her contributions, she was one of the most prolific writers of her time—Black or white—yet she was buried in an unmarked grave. It wasn’t until Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, went searching for her that Hurston finally received the recognition she deserved. Today, we celebrate her, but that recognition didn’t come until after she was gone.
Her life is proof that words transcend time and that a blank page holds no legacy. Alice Walker went looking for Zora, but what if there had been nothing more to find when she did? What if Zora Neale Hurston had stopped writing simply because, at the time, she didn’t see any return on the gift she was putting into the world?
Her essays, plays, and novels are life-changing. Her perspective is eye-opening and transformative. The lesson her life has taught me is that those of us who hear the page calling have a responsibility to answer. One day, someone will come looking for the pages we left behind, and what we did—or didn’t—write will be how we change the world.
Stalina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Stalina Goodwin, a multi-passionate creative and entrepreneur dedicated to the achievement of literary greatness, impactful creative expression, and literacy. My journey into the world of writing, publishing, and business began because writing saved my life. Witnessing that power has fueled my commitment to nurture it in others.
I wear many hats—author, ghostwriter, screenwriter, podcaster, project manager, and publishing consultant. I run a thriving independent hybrid publishing house, Greenwood & Archer Press, where I help authors bring their books to life through high-quality ghostwriting, editing, and publishing services. Additionally, I founded a writing movement called Write For The Culture, where we provide learning tools, industry news, and community for black writers and I lead My Ambitions As A Writer, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering literacy and creative expression in children and adults.
What sets me apart in my industry is my heart for the people. It’s not just business to me. From the books I write to the services I provide. Whether it’s through Vets In Print, a program where we do free work for military veterans to write and publish their stories or my work as a publishing consultant, I don’t just care about the book, I care about the writer. This has led me to pledging dedication to not just helping clients write and publish books—I help them craft impactful and lasting author brands. It is my passion to ensure my clients’ voices are heard in the most authentic and powerful way possible.
I’m most proud of the impact My Ambitions As A Writer’s community outreach has made. Our literacy initiatives Check Ya Shelf, Level Up Your Lexicon, and Get To Writin’ have all been able to make a real difference. Check Ya Shelf has given a safe space for adult readers to build community and receive the books we giveaway each month. Level Up Your Lexicon, which launches again this spring, has provided vocabulary acquisition for people who are learning English or expanding their vocabulary. Last, but not least, Get To Writin’, a writing accountability community has helped writers get past writer’s block and successfully finish their projects. We are just getting started.
If anything, I want people who will work with me or want to work with me to know that I live by this statement: “You must remember that your story matters. What you write has the power to save a life, sometimes that life is your own.” You matter. Your voice matters. What you want to say to the world matters. This is how we change lives and change the world. We tell our stories. Writers are normally fighting against the idea that their stories aren’t worthy of being told and that’s where I come in. It’s my job to remind writers that their voices and stories matter.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to bring ideas to life in a way that leaves others inspired and transformed. No matter what I’m doing. If it’s through writing, producing, publishing, or anything else, I find deep fulfillment in knowing that I have had a hand in impacting lives, building legacies, and giving voice to stories that deserve to be heard. I get to create things that didn’t exist before I put pen to page. I get to carry fellow writers through the process of doing the same. Creativity is more than just a profession for me; it’s my life’s purpose.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
It’s all about legacy and inspiration. Mine and those who I work with. We’re living in a time where it is clear that an erasure is taking place and there has never been a more important time for creatives to get active. Legacy isn’t just the tangible evidence of what you leave behind; it’s also the lasting effects and lessons that you leave in people as well. That’s what I want to do. To have left a legacy of words that transcend the page and have built lessons into people that they teach to others as well. This is how we will turn the world on its head. The word inspire, at it’s root, means to breathe life into. That’s the goal, that’s the mission. Breathing life into people is the mission whether it’s through a book I’ve written, a show I’ve produced, or anything that my hands have touched.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://myambitionsasawriter.com
- Instagram: themelanatedwordnerd
- Linkedin: stalinagoodwin
- Youtube: themelanatedwordnerd
Image Credits
AliWatsonMedia