Mini Book Review + Author Spotlight: Molly McTernan
Featuring published poetress Molly McTernan
I discovered young Christian author Molly McTernan a few months ago and quickly became a fan. Not only is her writing style clear and developed, her writing mission is fantastic!
Since subscribing to her website and blog, we’ve got to know each other a little more and found out we had a couple things in common! I’ve been enjoying her newsletters and posts; if you want to support a young Christian author, scroll down to the bottom of this post to see how you can follow her work (right after reading today’s interview, of course ;)).
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Hi Molly! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Molly McTernan. I'm a daughter of the King who loves good books, folk music, and being outside. I tend to write sweet and soulful stories and poetry and love connecting with fellow creatives. When I'm not writing, I can usually be found reading, playing my violin, or spending time with my family and many pets!
So, when did you begin writing and when did you feel God's call to become a writer?
I've loved stories and storytelling for as long as I can remember, but started seriously writing when I was about thirteen! A year or two after that, I joined a program called The Young Writer's Workshop and it really sparked my desire to pursue writing professionally. This was also about when I felt sure about writing for God, though I grew up loving and following Him.
What would you say is your "why"? What causes you to write and who do you write for?
I'd say my "why" is to encourage the reader and glorify the Creator, however that looks from project to project. Sometimes, I write overtly faith-based things like allegorical fiction or blog posts, though sometimes, I write things that aren't overtly Christian, but still have deep themes. What causes me to write is that I honestly love writing and reading and am so blessed to have skills that allow me to make things that encourage others!
How would you describe your writing process? Are you a "pantser" or a "plotter"?
I'd say I'm a mix of both! At heart, I'll admit I'm a "pantser" and still write that way for my poetry, most blog posts/articles, and all my short fiction. But now that I am an Author Conservatory student, I'm trained by experts on how to plot my novels, and it's honestly helped my creative process a lot for longer pieces.
What project(s) are you currently working on?
Well, I'm always working on more blog posts and poems, but I'm currently also drafting my next novel! I won't share too much, but I will share that it involves a rejected writer and tree that grows poems.
Where is your favorite spot to write? What time of day are you most productive?
My favorite spot to write is probably in the tree house in my grandparents' backyard! Otherwise, the desk in my room. As far as time of day when I'm most productive, I'd say that's often late at night, though I'm trying to get better at going to bed earlier and can easily force myself to be productive at other times as well.
Community is vital in every pursuit. Do you have one for your writing?
I most certainly do! As I mentioned before, I am part of both the Young Writer's Workshop (an online community for young writers) and the Author Conservatory (a college alternative for writing and business). In addition, I also have an amazing in-person community of both writers and non-writers and just overall feel blessed by my connections!
What is your favorite book and why?
I have a decently long list of five star reads, but one that I especially like to talk about is "Starship Troopers" by Robert A. Heinlein. It's classic sci-fi and not my preferred genre, but the amount of wisdom that book contains is amazing and the way the author tied in truth with action was phenomenal.
Favorite snack and/or drink?
I love fruit and sparkling water!
Favorite movie/TV show?
My all-time favorite movie is the second in the LOTR trilogy, "The Two Towers".
Are you a published author? If so, what are your published stories and where can we find them?
I am! I have a faith-based collection of poetry out called "Poetic Surrender" which you can order from Amazon, and then also a whole bunch of other poems, flash fiction pieces, articles, and blog posts at my website (mollymcternan.com) - I have links to all my published pieces and a link to my blog.
Where can we you find on? Are you on any social media platforms?
You can find me on a lot of places online! The best place to go is mollymcternan.com where I have links to my other platforms as well as a sign up to my newsletter. Joining that will allow me to send you a monthly email with all sorts of behind the scenes info on my writing and life, as well as the occasional giveaway.
In addition, you can find me on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and more @Molly McTernan
And finally, do you have any tips for readers just starting their writing journeys?
I'd say to try to focus on one project and then to finish that. Writers will always have dozens of ideas in their brains (I for one definitely do!), but if you are always bouncing from one idea to the next, you'll never finish anything and have the experience and discipline you'll need if you want to seriously pursue this. Keep an idea journal and write your other ideas there, but choose one and stick with it until the end! It will be very worth it.
And that’s a wrap, readers! Molly pens “sweet and soulful stories and poetry”, which I can attest to; her book Poetic Surrender is a sweet journal-like collection of poems about a variety of things. From faith to colors to family, this short book was a delight to read! I plan on revisiting it soon. Check out my Goodreads review of her book here.
If you want to support Molly, you can purchase her book here, read her other (free!) published pieces, or subscribe to her website and blog!
I hope you have enjoyed today’s post as much as I have! Don’t forget to ❤️ this post, comment below with your thoughts, and share this interview with a friend or two!
Aww, I love this interview SO much!! 🥹