Author & Speaker
By Kelvin Oliver
T4JYM: How much editing was involved? Did you do it all alone or did you send it to people to edit?
NK: My latest book, “Praying With Women of the Bible” (Zondervan), is my ninth book, so to answer your question, it didn’t require a lot of editing. There are two reasons for that. One, the more you write, the more you get it right early on. Two, besides writing books, I also am on staff at a daily newspaper where we have to write stories quickly and accurately without a lot of rewriting. As for having an editor, with my books the publisher assigns one. The editor helps bring out a writer’s ideas, helps clarify questions and helps with grammar and punctuation, which is my weakest area.
T4JYM: Who have been your biggest influences in life? Who have been your biggest influences in your life as a writer?
NK: Because I tend to be timid, I am influenced and inspired by people who aren’t afraid to be themselves, even if it means being laughed at or thought crazy. My most recent mentor, who I call my “uncle-dad,” is Steve Brown, a seminary professor, author and radio teacher (Key Life Network).
My writing has changed so much over the years. I started writing humor stories that are reminiscent of the late Erma Bombeck. I still like to be funny, but that’s not my goal anymore. Instead, my goal is to be real and honest and daring. My current influences are Donald Miller (“Blue Like Jazz”) and Anne Lamott (“Bird by Bird” and “Traveling Mercies”).
T4JYM: How has this book been received by the general public? Has there been positive feedback? Any negative feedback?
NK: Truthfully, I haven’t heard anything about this book, although I’ve gotten “fan mail” over the years from other books. My current focus is on my weekly column, Grace Notes, that I write for my newspaper; it also appears in several other newspapers and you can read it through my Web site at www.nancykennedybooks.net. I’m really excited about it because I have an increasing readership of people who don’t claim to be Christian, yet they keep reading about my faith. It’s so cool that God has allowed me to do this and I love finding new ways to talk about the Christian faith without being preachy or using religious jargon and churchy words.
T4JYM: What are your next plans for writing? Do you plan to do any more books along the same lines as this book? Will you move on to new writing?
NK: What I want to do is write a book that’s much like my column writing, just raw and honest and simple. My story and how God is incorporating it into His greater story.
T4JYM: Who are some of the other media personalities you have met and what did you think of them?
NK: I don’t know who you would know, but I’ve been on the radio with Dennis Rainey of Family Life Today–I liked him a lot–and Nancy Leigh DeMoss, another radio person whom I liked a lot too. Once I ran into Cal Thomas–he’s very tall. Other than that, I’m not sure who you would know.
T4JYM: Who, aside from Jesus, is or has been the biggest influence in your life?
NK: Believe it or not, my boss, who isn’t even a Christian. He’s the publisher of the newspaper and he leads our company by being a servant.
He was moderator at a local political forum at our county auditorium one night, and after it was all over, he quietly took off his jacket, picked up a broom and started sweeping the floor. That spoke volumes to me–and he didn’t do it to put on a show either. I am also influenced by my pastor. He is a great public speaker, and as a speaker myself, I’m always studying how others do it. To me, he’s the best.
T4JYM: Who do you look up to the most in life?
NK: There are a lot of people I look up to, mostly those who are true to themselves. For much of my life I worried about what people thought of me, but these days I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to be who God created me to be, and when I meet people who live in freedom, that’s what I admire.
T4JYM: Do you ever feel fear when you approach someone with the Gospel?
NK: Sure, but I’m learning that I don’t have to be an over-aggressive salesman. Jesus isn’t a vacuum cleaner that I have to try and sell. People will listen to what you have to say if you take the time to listen to them first. It’s taken me a lot of years to learn that.
T4JYM: Are you involved in your own home church? What role do you have there?
NK: I love my church! (I belong to a PCA Presbyterian church) I’ve been loosely involved in the leadership teams and this fall will be teaching a class for women who are married to men who don’t share their faith.
T4JYM: Are you involved in any other ministries?
NK: Besides writing, I’m a retreat and conference speaker, which I love doing. Thanks for asking.
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