We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tiffany Killoren a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tiffany, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

Well, this is a fun question without an easy answer. So, in a former life chapter, I was an attorney. At the age of 18, that’s what I decided to become, so I did what I had to do to achieve my goal (in line with your average Type-A personality). I studied hard. I got good grades. I set my sights on a great law school. After that, I set my sights on a large law firm. I set goals and worked hard to achieve them, finding myself in Kansas City for a job with a prestigious firm working on high profile cases. Goals set. Goals achieved.

Except….that’s not always how life works.

Years into my career, I was married and a mom to two sweet little boys. Something about bringing my children into the world triggered a light inside of me; no longer was I defined by external factors. My priority in life suddenly became being a person who they would be proud of – someone who they could look to as a role model. I was honest with myself about a career that, although exciting at first and incredibly challenging, wasn’t really who I was meant to be. I’ve described my legal career as a dress in the wrong size. I could pull and stretch it, but it never quite fit.

So, without the qualifications on paper to even remotely warrant doing so, I reached out to the editor of a magazine in Kansas City called “M, Kansas City’s Magazine for Moms” and told her that I should be writing for them. I explained that I was the magazine’s target audience and was interested in any freelance opportunities. I hit “send” on that email and sat back, breathing deeply before laughing at my blind (and naive) courage, convinced that I would never hear back.

But, I did.

I was assigned an article, and then another. That single moment of hitting a send button changed my entire life and trajectory of years to come. Years later, I am a published author with extensive freelance portfolio. I no longer practice law. I am living an authentic life and one that I’m proud to share with my children as an example of the beauty and happiness that can come with changing course and taking chances.

Tiffany, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I refer to myself as a storyteller because that encompasses what I do. I write fiction novels and non-fiction articles for local magazines. I enjoy telling stories, whether they’re the ones traveled by characters from my imagination or real life tales relating to film producers, celebrity bodyguards, business owners, controversial topics in the community or even haunted houses from time to time.

Specifically, my novel GOOD WILL was published in 2020. It’s synopsis:

“Four women learn to let go—and get back more than they ever expected. There’s no road map for what to do when your husband dies—when he jumps off a bridge to escape mistakes that he made, or even welcomed, into your lives. But Lily doesn’t need to consult a map for this particular part of her journey; she knows the way back to the small town she left behind. With a precocious seven-year-old who reminds her too much of his father tucked safely in the back seat, Lily leaves New York with everything she owns packed in a U-Haul, including memories that come in waves like fields along the highway, and an envelope she is too afraid to open. Once she settles in, she sifts through a box of things destined for the local thrift store—items from her past that will connect four women in unexpected ways and give them all the strength they need to move on.”

With three manuscripts in the publisher pitch process and one other in the revision process, I’ve learned that the publishing world is not for the weak of heart. Rejections are a regular occurrence, so I have surrounded myself with a talented literary agent and team who are dedicated to finding the right home for my work. Patience, I’ve realized, is a much-needed virtue in this industry. Sure, there are other routes (self-publishing, etc.) that can get my work out to the masses more quickly, but I’ve chosen to take the longer, rougher road involved with traditional publishing.

I write a monthly book column for a Kansas City magazine (aptly titled, “Bookish”) and continue to freelance as much as possible. Some of my recent articles have featured a horror movie film producer’s latest release, a charitable giving story relating to a non-for-profit that helps children in need of vision and dental care, and a beauty column with holiday tips for women 40+. It’s the variety of topics that I love. A friend once told me that she can tell when I’m in the process of writing something because I’m happy. To me, that says it all.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Oh, there are so many! Writing can feel very isolating, which leads to self-doubt. When I started in my writing career, I wish I knew there were resources (many of which are free) available for people just starting out. My local library offers an entire Story Center series that provides information via presenters in the industry. I’m now a speaker in this series of programming and will present on The Business Side of Authorship in November. The library is the first resource that I would tell writers to turn to for support, help and guidance in the process.

There are also community workshops in the Kansas City area that support writing groups, which I’m sure exist in cities all over the country. If you want feedback or just a little support during a particularly brutal writer’s block period, there’s nothing like other writers who have been there and can help you through it.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My children are my driving force behind every accomplishment in my life. My husband and I are raising them to be their true and authentic selves, which means following their passions wherever it may lead them. If I don’t walk the walk myself, what kind of role model am I? How can I preach to live authentically if I don’t do the same?

Contact Info:

• Website: tiffanykilloren.com
• Instagram: @readandthreads
• Facebook: Tiffany Killoren, Author
• Linkedin: Tiffany Killoren
• Twitter: @TiffanyKilloren

Image Credits
Molly Kuplen Photography