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

Tracy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My debut novel, The Grace of Crows, has recently been republished as The Grace of Crows, Second Edition. This story is about what happens after an anxiety-ridden woman reconnects with her childhood friend who has since become homeless. It is based on my own struggles with anxiety. My second novel, Floating Underwater, is about what happens after a woman who has just experienced her third miscarriage, learns to not only accept—but also fully welcome—a completely different life path than the one she had planned. This book, too, draws upon some of my own personal experiences.

One of my goals in infusing my stories with my own struggles, as well as the general vulnerability of being human, is to create characters who are fully dimensional, stories that resonate. My mission as a fiction writer is to not only (hopefully!) entertain readers, but to also help them feel less alone with their own suffering, help them know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. As the famous author and dedicated activist James Baldwin said: “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”

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’ve held many jobs in my life, including florist, nutritional counselor, vocational rehabilitation counselor, and core counselor at a psychiatric center for schizophrenic adults. And, although my education includes an MA in clinical psychology, I decided to forgo becoming a therapist after working thousands of hours as an intern in order to apply for licensure. The reason? I’m just too thin-skinned, could never shake off my client’s problems. Rather, they stayed with me—deep into the night and even deeper into my worry pit!

I had always wanted to help others, though. Then, I finally discovered both the educational and healing power of the pen. I worked several years as a journalist writing a sustainable living column and many self-help articles. During this time, a dear friend suggested that I write a novel. Realizing that I had several stories brewing inside me and that my psychology background could help me with both plot and character development, I took her up on the challenge.

I then dived into writing course after writing course, attended several writer’s conferences, and studied a whole shelf of books on the craft of writing. After eight years, my debut novel, The Grace of Crows (now The Grace of Crows, Second Edition) was born. Then my second novel, Floating Underwater, was released in 2024.

Since producing novels is a challenging business (including ongoing self-doubt, rejections, and the ever-pressing need to market one’s own work), I am proud that I continue to write, proud that my stories have resonated with people from around the globe, some of which have reached out to me through social media and via my website’s contact page. On a more personal level, I am also proud that I continue to share my struggles with anxiety, depression, and loss through my stories, continue to bring light to the complexities of being human through the art of fiction.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I was working on the first draft of The Grace of Crows, a writing teacher at adult ed announced to the class that “one cannot base a whole novel on a character getting over anxiety.” I gritted my teeth, slid down in my chair. She knew this was what my novel was about, knew that I was at least half way done. So, when the class went on break, I got in my car and drove away. Never set foot in her class again.

Even though she held the authority of being the writing teacher, and I was the mere student, the fledging author who hadn’t published a lick of fiction yet, I didn’t let her opinion sway me away from my story. Didn’t let her stop me from knowing I could do it. Instead, I kept typing away, kept attending other writing classes, kept honing my craft. I’m happy to share that after this novel was published, it received many positive reviews and won several book awards. So, what is the lesson here, dear reader? Sometimes, you need to stick with your own vision—even if someone else, who you look up, to tells you otherwise.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

One of my goals as an author is to craft stories that help take people away—at least for a time—from whatever hardships they may be going through. I know as a reader myself that falling into a great novel or reading a short story in the New Yorker is one of my biggest joys in life. I also know that reading not only reduces my anxiety (especially when I wake up in the middle of the night with those horrible “what-if” thoughts!), but also helps me recognize our collective humanity.

I hope, too, that my writing helps people realize that no matter what they’re going through, they’re not alone. That it is human to be vulnerable. That we can learn from our regrets, connect with others with our stories, grow stronger through our pain.

Thank you, dear readers, for taking the time to read this interview! Please feel free to visit me at: www.tracyshawn.com Also, if you’re interested in my novels, they are available on most online bookstores as paperback, eBook, and as an audiobook on Audible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tracyshawn.com
• Twitter: @TracyShawn https://twitter.com/TracyShawn
• Youtube: @tracyshawn2349 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKgPYAKRvYA7cEKqesLr1bg
• Other: Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tracy-Shawn/author/B00GS7FSVK?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true