Rising Star Spotlight: Tess Thompson

How has growing up in a small town affected your writing?
Growing up in a small town affects every aspect of my writing because it is central to who I am. I believe ‘place’ has an almost equal contribution to the formation of character as DNA and familial environment. Because of this, setting is always an important element in my fiction, often serving as a catalyst for change in my characters.
Growing up in a small, rural community gave me a keen awareness. Life is quiet enough that we take in our surroundings, absorbing natural beauty, weather and our neighbors in a deeper way than one might in a city. As a child of a small town, I learned that every action has a reaction. If you cultivate the land with hard work, it yields crops. We are only as good as the sum of our parts. If you share your gifts with your community, it strengthens both the collective and personal experience. If you give to your neighbor in a time of hardship or heartbreak, they pass if forward to the next man in need, and so on, until eventually it comes back to you during your time of need. When you choose love over hate, it yields abundance instead of famine. These beliefs, learned from growing up in a small town, are the heart of my fiction.

Read the entire interview in the April 2017 issue of InD'Tale magazine.

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