Ōtāne author wants to share her book and inspire others to write

Central Hawke’s Bay copywriter and now author Sarah Kinnaird.

Central Hawke’s Bay author Sarah Kinnaird has a message for all the other “Sarahs out there”.

“Especially the younger ones that are in high school, where I didn’t feel encouraged to pursue my love of fiction, as it wasn’t a ‘real job’.

“Just do it,” Sarah says.

“If it’s deep in your bones and you know that this is what you should be doing, start now.

“Work wherever you need to work to make a living, but make time to do your writing. The pull never goes away.”

That pull never went away for Sarah, despite studying languages, getting a bachelor’s in tourism management, a business management degree, a graduate diploma in journalism and working as a research analyst.

“I knew when I was 5 years old that I wanted to be two things - a writer or an archaeologist. These two things never left me, despite finding archaeological study to be out of my reach financially. So my first book is about an archaeological dig and a journalist.

“My love of history and books comes from my parents. Growing up in Waipawa we had books coming out our ears. I used to read in bed at night under my blankets with a torch. I thought I was being sneaky but now I realise that the batteries in that torch somehow never ran out ...”

Sarah published her first book in November, on Amazon.

“I began writing it in 2013. I’d joined NaNoWriMo for a month, with the thought that in that time I could come up with a story. I ended up writing 30,000 words that month and I just carried on ... I couldn’t put it down.

“It stuck with me - one woman from 2011 and one from 2000 BC, understanding the things that haven’t changed and exploring what has.

Sarah Kinnaird’s debut novel, The Priestess and the Journalist.

“When I finished the book last year, I had spent 10 years living in its world and I wanted to move on with my life!

“I was going to send manuscripts out to publishers, but I thought ‘I have spent so long on this book, people are going to get to read it’ and I published with Amazon.

“It is very satisfying to have it published. Very. I don’t even care if it sells, it’s out in the world now and that’s all I need. If people want to buy it, that’s awesome.”

Sarah has gone straight into research for her next book.

“I did it the hard way the first time, with a lot of pure stubbornness. Now I know the recipe it will be so much easier. I hope to have the second book out by the end of this year. It also has a theme of strong, intelligent women, with a historical twist.”

Since Covid inspired a career change, Sarah has also developed doing what she loves into a business, Write & Edit, where she creates website copy, blog posts, articles and content for businesses.

“Not everyone wants to do that themselves, and they don’t need to when it’s quicker and less stressful to give your ideas to an experienced copywriter and have the content created for you. It can be a one-time project or ongoing content.

“During Covid, I realised that life is too short to spend it in jobs that don’t excite you, so here I am; being exciting, in my living room in Ōtāne.

“It also means working from home. I can have time to work on my book rather than sitting in traffic commuting.”

Sarah says, “I believe everyone has a book in them. But not everyone sits down and writes it.”

Sarah’s book The Priestess and the Journalist is available on Amazon and on Google Play Books (for mobile phones). Paperback copies will be available at Waipawa Library and Waipukurau Library.