Meet Bibiana Krall | Author, Producer, Wildheart

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bibiana Krall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bibiana, how do you think about risk?
Risk is the secret ingredient to massive growth. Learning to fail faster is an important part in getting yourself to the next level.

I didn’t start writing fiction seriously until I was fourty-seven years old. I went back to university in Wilkes-Barre that year and earned two graduate degrees in a row. Not because it’s a requirement to have an M.F. A. to be an author, but because I needed to taste the grit on my tongue and lean into the craft. I love literature. Books have been my safe haven for as long as I can remember. I was the nerdy kid reading Russian Literature next to the pool, because I wanted to.

The wildest part about my back-to-school adventure was not the endless reading, writing, pitching and revision…it was the social part of it.

Picture yourself as someone who has had a full career and is now in their 2.0 and surrounded by smart and talented people who are a few years older than their own children. It’s an enormous shift to be uncomfortable, especially on purpose.

Having to reinvent yourself with a built-in audience watching you peel the layers off, is basically like riding a rollercoaster in the rain while mixing a margarita. Wild!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I dabble in many creative things, but first and foremost, I am a fiction writer. What makes me different?

Let’s start with my childhood. I grew up on a small farm in a Catholic family with eight children. I am the third oldest and always saw myself as a middle child, even though, I wasn’t. Perspective and also a deep curiosity for the world is what makes a writer’s pen as sharp as a blade.

I’m not an introvert, but back then I yearned for personal space, peace and quiet. I walked in the woods, went outside late at night to look at the stars and hid out in the library, I was fortunate to have in my home.

There is nothing easy about good writing.

My advice to anyone who asks me, how do I become a writer? I say, go take an adventure. Put your phone down, leave the laptop and immerse yourself in a new culture, a new place. Scare yourself a little. Fall in love, care about something so deeply, you’re gutted when it or they are gone. Do ridiculous things that make you laugh. Eat ice cream standing on a glacier, or climb Mt, Kilimanjaro with your partner and best friend, like I did last June.

Let it all simmer down into the muscle tissue, drink strawberry lemonade on a wild island. Then, and only then are you ready to get started. I write about the heroine’s journey and use the paranormal, speculative elements and mystery to help my readers develop their intuition.

I’m not like anyone else and I want my readers to realize that the greatest rebellion in the modern world is being yourself––with no apology, no fear and no regret.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It’s funny you ask that. Most of my friends are eccentric like me. We spend an extraordinary amount of time in graveyards and at historic sites, playing Nancy Drew. Always ghost hunting between the red wine and midnight walks on the squares.

I do have a secret, chill spot I take people when it’s nice out. It’s on the water, they have live music and the best “painkillers” and fish tacos. The last time I was there, an elegant woman who seemed so familiar kept walking by me. I finally realized it was the brilliant actress, Diane Lane. I was totally star struck. I’ve been a fan of hers ever since “The Outsiders.”

Often when people come to visit I take them to ruins off Old 17 and tell them stories that have been passed on to me. When you live in the Lowcountry, you become a steward of the past. There are spirits everywhere here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who have helped me get to where I am today. First, I would like to thank my husband and my children for supporting my desire to learn and grow. Going back to school for me meant juggling a few more hats, dinner certainly suffered for it more than a few times. I am deeply grateful to novelist, David Poyer for believing in my writing way back when on Ossabaw Island. Second nod is to my incredible mentor, novelist, Lenore Hart for walking me through the ancient world of a Scottish oracle. Lastly, I wish to thank a few members of my creative community, Veronica Cline Barton, Cathy Maza, Cynthia Raleigh, Aminah Iman, John Dolan, E. Denise Billups, Leonard Tillerman, Kiersten Bannon, Jenny Siede, Amy Reade, Dr. Summer Watson and S. Scott Mason and Tony Bianchi. A sincere thank you to each and every person who has encouraged me to stay in the game and to follow my heart.

Website: www.bibianakrall.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bibianakrall

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@blackcalyxbooks