On Craft and Character, with Jackie Thomas-Kennedy

On Craft and Character, with Jackie Thomas-Kennedy

“When it goes well, writing feels the way it did when I was eight years old—immersed in the story, not thinking about outcome, just the pure joy of language.” – Jackie Thomas Kennedy

Jackie Thomas-Kennedy, author of The Other Wife, joins Uncorking a Story to explore the craft of fiction, the role of memory, and the tension between who we are and who we imagine we could be. A Stegner Fellow and widely published short story writer, Jackie shares insights into writing without fixation on outcome, the importance of character-driven storytelling, and how nostalgia can shift from comfort to affliction.

Writing for joy before outcome—rediscovering the childlike immersion in storytelling. Time as a central theme: how our perception of it shifts across stages of life. Nostalgia as both comfort and affliction in The Other Wife. Allowing characters to make mistakes and create the story’s mess. The surprising creative power of text messages in fiction. Reading beyond your comfort zone to enrich voice and style. Collaboration with agents and editors in shaping a final manuscript.