Featuring Tess Kincaid

Featuring Tess Kincaid


It is an honor to have Tess Kincaid featured once again at One Stop Poetry. I met Tess through her blog Willow Manor. Not only does Tess have an on-going writing group called Magpie Tales, she also has fun virtual activities like her annual Manor Ball. When I ( Moondustwriter) heard that Tess had a book being published, I wanted to be sure to let the community that Tess is part of know. Please enjoy getting to know Tess a bit better.

“I adore the scent of old paper in secondhand bookshops, the dance of words on a page… ” Tess Kincaid


Tess Kincaid is the author of the award winning blog Life at Willow Manor. This is a delightful blog where Tess posts lifestyle articles of her ventures in a ramshackle limestone house, Willow Manor circa 1927, on the Scioto River in Dublin, Ohio, with her husband and resident ghosts. Google’s Blogger Team selected Life at Willow Manor as one of their prestigious “Blogs of Note” in December of 2008. Over a thousand readers stop in daily to enjoy the happenings at the manor.

A self-proclaimed magpie, Hoosier by birth, Tess adores the scent of old paper in secondhand bookshops, as well as the dance of words on a page. Patina, a collection stemming from her love of ancestry and all things vintage, her poetical debut, was chosen as semi-finalist in the Finishing Line Press 2010 Open Chapbook Competition. Her poem Irish Madness was recently given honorable mention in The Ohio Poetry Association’s 2011 Ides of March competition.

When did you first become a writer?

I actually started writing February 12, 2008, when on a complete whim, I wrote my first blog post. Poetry has always been near and dear to my heart. As a girl, I practiced reading aloud to a captive audience, my youngest sister, who was about three years old at the time. I remember how delightful the textures of the words and phrases felt on my tongue. It wasn’t until I had been blogging for about a year, that I decided to try my own hand at writing poetry.

What are your words of wisdom to someone starting out as a writer/and or blogger?

Well, apart from simple things like good grammar and punctuation, I would say consistency is the key. Write regularly, write often, and don’t be discouraged, even if your readership is a small one. Embrace genuine creativity, your whole self, and in doing so, allow a little meandering on the path to your goal. You might be surprised where it can lead.

Joining an online creative writing group can be an extremely supportive environment. When, in the history of writing, has a writer had the opportunity to share a piece with the international writing community, and enjoy the benefits of immediate feedback? Encouragement is invaluable, especially for new writers, which is one of the reasons I started Magpie Tales a creative writing group in February of last year.

One Stop Poetry would like to congratulate Tess on her August 2011 release of Patina a chapter book of Tess’ beautiful poetry.

Posted over on One Stop Poetry