Photo: Kathryn Mattingly, award-winning novelist, educator, and editor, whose compelling literary fiction explores the complexities of human relationships and emotional resilience.
Award-Winning Novelist Exploring The Power Of Relationships, Place, And Persistence
Award-winning author Kathryn Mattingly discusses emotional storytelling, vivid settings inspired by travel, lessons from literary mentors, genre-blending fiction, and the persistence required to build a successful writing career.
K athryn Mattingly has built an impressive literary career founded on creativity, compassion, and a profound understanding of the human experience. An award-winning author, educator, editor, and mentor, she has earned recognition for crafting deeply moving stories that explore relationships, personal growth, loss, hope, and resilience. Her ability to capture the emotional complexities of ordinary lives has established her as a distinctive and respected voice in contemporary literary fiction.
Over the years, Mattingly has produced an outstanding body of work that includes acclaimed novels such as Benjamin, Journey, Olivia’s Ghost, The Tutor, Katya, and Finley’s Song, as well as the award-winning short story collection Fractured Hearts. Her fiction is characterised by richly developed characters, evocative settings, and narratives that resonate with authenticity and emotional depth. Readers are drawn to her stories not only for their compelling plots but also for the empathy and insight that underpin every page.
Equally impressive is her contribution to the writing community. Through her work as a college educator, editor, and mentor, Mattingly has guided countless aspiring writers in refining their craft and pursuing their publishing ambitions. Her dedication to nurturing literary talent reflects the same generosity and passion that define her own writing journey.
A gifted storyteller with a keen eye for detail, Mattingly often draws inspiration from places she has lived and travelled, bringing vivid settings to life with remarkable clarity. Whether exploring the complexities of family bonds, the power of memory, or the enduring strength of the human spirit, she creates stories that leave a lasting impression on readers.
In this engaging interview, Kathryn Mattingly discusses the inspirations behind her novels, the influence of her travels, the lessons learned from celebrated mentors, and the persistence required to succeed in the literary world. Her thoughtful reflections offer valuable insight into the creative process of a writer whose work continues to captivate and inspire.
Your novels often explore deep emotions and complex relationships. What draws you to these themes, and how do you approach writing about them with such authenticity?
I have always enjoyed studying people and try to make what I learn about them come alive on the page. I’m drawn to movies that center on relationships and character driven novels, along with heartfelt memoirs that inspire and touch the human spirit. As a young child The Red Pony by John Steinbeck deeply affected me and caused a moment in which I realized the power of the written word. It can evoke deeply felt emotion and empathy for others, ultimately helping us to understand people we share this world with. Character driven movies and books influence not only the decisions we make but the people we become.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
• Deeply influenced by character-driven novels, memoirs, and films.
• Credits John Steinbeck’s The Red Pony with revealing the power of storytelling.
• Draws settings from places she has personally lived in or visited.
• Believes authentic settings emerge from lived experience.
• Studied under bestselling authors including Terry Brooks and Elizabeth George.
• Emphasises that every writer follows a unique publishing journey.
• Considers page-turning storytelling the ultimate measure of success.
• Seamlessly blends literary fiction with elements of mystery, romance, and fantasy.
• Has earned multiple awards for both novels and short fiction.
• Encourages aspiring writers to attend workshops and retreats.
• Identifies persistence as the defining trait of successful authors.
• Continues to mentor and teach emerging writers.
Your travels cause many of your works to have a strong sense of place, from Napa Valley to Hawaii and Paris. How do you bring these locations to life for readers?
The settings in all of my books are places I have lived or traveled. Rather than researching a time and place and breathing life into it, such as with historical fiction, I prefer to thoroughly study, and then later bring to life for my readers environments I am intimately acquainted with. I can more easily imagine my characters in places I have been, allowing them to feel and see and experience what I have felt and seen and experienced while there. And quite frankly I don’t enjoy research, but I love that some writers do, because historical fiction is one of my favorite genres.
As both a writer and an editor, how has your experience working with other authors shaped your own writing style and storytelling techniques?
I limit my editing/mentoring services to writers whose work I believe in and who are writing stories I enjoy. That said, I’ve never had a client influence my writing, other than helping me understand what doesn’t work and how to correct that within the story. There are many authors whom I aspire to be like. Some of those authors include Donna Tart (The Goldfinch/literary fiction), Ellen Feldman (Paris Never Leaves You/historical fiction) Ruth Wariner (The Sound of Gravel/memoir) and Alex Michaelides (The Silent Patient/psychological thriller). What I love most about all of these books is their deep dive into human relationships, and it is these types of books that influence my writing.
Katya introduces elements of mystery, romance, and fantasy. How do you blend different genres while maintaining a cohesive narrative?
There is a little mystery and romance in all of my novels, and a touch of fantasy in a couple of them. The fantasy aspect can usually be considered coincidence, depending on how the reader cares to interpret the story. For me, blending genres is not difficult. Imagination has always been my strong suit. Being grounded in reality is sometimes the bigger challenge that I face. As a young child my favorite books to read over and over again were Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (1871). I loved the whimsical aspect of those creations. That grew into a love of characters in general and books like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and other similar classics.
You’ve studied under notable authors like Terry Brooks and Elizabeth George. What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from them that influenced your writing career?
I attended the Maui Writers retreat where Terry Brooks, Elizabeth George, and other bestselling authors taught for several years before being traditionally published in novel form. One takeaway from those retreats was the knowledge that every writer follows his own unique path toward publishing success. It was impressed upon us that when opportunity knocks, you had better be ready. Finish and polish your work and get yourself out there in the world to meet other writers, agents, editors, publishers and anyone in the industry that might present that opportunity you are seeking. I learned that most successful writers could wallpaper a room with their rejection notices before hitting the big time, and when it came to writing itself, every author at those retreats had a different philosophy about how to write. The one thing they all agreed on is that whether or not anyone wants to turn the page is what matters most.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are looking to refine their craft and build a lasting career in writing?
My first writing mentor, Elizabeth Engstrom (Lizzie Borden) would frequently be heard saying persistence is the key whenever asked about how to get published. No truer words were ever spoken. Ms. Engstrom led a writers workshop every October on the Oregon coast through the local college. We stayed in cabins and wrote stories with dark themes, read aloud the last night – by candlelight in the old boat house. Four of my stories from those retreats won writing contests and were the inspiration for a couple of my novels. If I hadn’t attended that retreat I doubt I’d have written short stories, let alone award winning stories that inspired a couple of my books. I would encourage new writers to attend retreats and workshops. Most importantly, always remember that persistence is not just the key, but the difference between being a published author and a hobby writer.
The Fun Side Of Kathryn Mattingly
If you could become one of your fictional characters for a day, who would it be—and what kind of trouble would you end up in?
If I became one of my fictional characters it would be Finley from Finley’s Song. I could play beautiful music on a grand piano in a Paris nightclub while singing like Sia in Chandelier – deep and sexy. Afterward I could drink too much gin to drown my sorrows and flirt with the nightclub owner-slash-handsome pianist. Then we’d end up in bed !! (trouble) The next day I could repeat it all over again after visiting Paris museums and viewing heart-wrenching art.
Your cat Atticus has probably witnessed plenty of writing sessions. If he could write a review of your books, what do you think he’d say?
As cats go, Atticus is an old soul. I believe in my fictionally obsessed mind that he is John Steinbeck reincarnated. It is penance for letting the pony die in his novella The Red Pony, causing me to cry my little girl eyes out. In his review of my books I imagine Atticus (part cat, part deceased writer) would say that he’s watched me delete and rewrite so many words it is of no surprise that the final results are worth looking at, if you are into confusing romances involving women struggling to overcome life’s challenges while attempting to kidnap, rescue, or redefine a relationship with a child.
If you could invite any three authors—living or from history—to a dinner party, who gets an invitation, and who do you think would steal the conversation?
Though I have author heroes who have passed I would love to engage with current authors whose writing success I admire and who are impressive individuals aside from their writing careers. That would be Kristin Hannah, Ann Patchett, and Jody Picoult. From what I have observed through social media interviews and podcasts I believe Jody to be the liveliest of the three and might possibly speak the most.
You’ve written stories set in beautiful places like Paris and Hawaii. If your next novel had to be set somewhere completely unexpected—like a supermarket, an airport, or even on the Moon—which would you choose and why?
I think it would be interesting to write a book set in an airport. Airports offer a wide variety of possible settings, character types, and plotlines that could interconnect. I would call it: ‘Flight.’ This could denote a plethora of meanings all housed within the character and plot arcs of the story!
Imagine you wake up tomorrow inside one of your own novels. What’s the first thing you’d do—and which character would you hope to meet first?
I want to be in Katya, in her studio, where the first thing I would do is load up a paintbrush with vibrant oils and create a masterpiece at her easel. Then I want to meet Parker, who adores Katya. He would saddle up the horses for a summer ride across the flower-filled meadow and I would join them on their ride.
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