Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacy Kirby.
Jacy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Jacy Kirby and I am a multiple award winning author. I currently have four published books of poetry; three of them being in the mental health space and one being in the romance. I have always had a passion for writing and/or storytelling. I attribute this passion to both my mother, Sherry, and my grandmother, Sheila, who spent much of my childhood telling me stories and allowing me to exercise my imagination to its fullest extent. I am now gearing up to publish my fifth piece of work, Fever Dream; a collection of short horror stories, heavily inspired by the black and white Universal monster movies that I used to watch with my grandmother.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think- and this is just the mental doodles of someone still figuring things out day by day, so take this with a grain of Himalayan Pink Salt- that one of the purposes of life is to succeed over our struggles. I say this having succumbed to them time and time again, so I may be a little biased. With that said, I have also discovered that with any sort of struggle or strife, comes the opportunity to prove to yourself the strength you possess, the strength you get to progressively grow through practice and fortitude.
I myself have struggled with mental illness for most of my adolescent and adult life. Depression used to be a dear friend of mine, though, looking back, I had a distorted perception of what that friendship really was. Because what it was was a bottomless pit that would offer reprieve from the rest of the world, even myself. And even though some small part of me in those early days knew better, still it seemed a better option than my alternative: fighting for myself.
I have, in large part, writing to thank for helping me find myself again and again over the years. It is an outlet as much as it a buoy to help bring me back from the depths of meaninglessness. I channel my struggles through my writing, and that writing often comes out in weird, grotesque, and contorted worlds that I am extremely excited to share through my next piece of work that has a publication date for late October; Fever Dream. Fever Dream puts a microscope to a broken psyche, bringing to light the worst fears and philosophies that the mind can imagine.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Outside of writing, I am also a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and life coach. I have worked in the fitness industry for almost ten years now, working from everything ranging from a kick-boxing coach, to a physical therapy aide, to owning my own freelance training company for a couple of years. Within that industry, I am most proud of my ability to help all of those I have over the years. Everyone, like with writing, exercises for a reason. Everyone has a why. I am most proud of my skills to reach people where they are at. To provide a safe, fun space for them to actualize their goals and iterations of themselves they’ve struggled to reach.
With my writing, I am most proud of similar accomplishments. I currently have three published books in the mental health space, all dealing with my own struggles and successes with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and an autoimmune disease (looking at you, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome). I have been told and time again that my words have helped others realize they are not alone. That there is always hope for them. Always a way for them to fight for themselves without fighting against themselves, a discrepancy that can make all the difference.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
For those just starting out in writing, I give this tip that was given to me by better writers that came before me; Just. Fucking. Write. It doesn’t matter what you write, just write. Pen/pencil to page, fingertips to keyboard. Jot it all down. Let your mind unfurl and let your fingers follow. Your first draft probably won’t be pretty. You weren’t born fully formed, so why would you expect your first draft to resemble that of a published Hemingway, or King, or Shelley when their own prose has gone through MANY iterations in order for it to get to the bookshelf. Either way, time will pass. So write. Over that time you’ll get better. Practice makes perseverance.
And also read. Read as much of your genre as you possibly can. Make it a habit, a routine. Read outside of your genre, too. Take their tips and tricks and put it into your own niche. The more you read the better your own writing will get. A fighter gets better by studying the greats, by studying others whose style he wants to emulate. Do the same with writing. Read. Write. Repeat. Your own style will blossom through repetition.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/kirbstop
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacykirby33/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacy.kirby/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BVGCXC47/allbooks
