I appear almost motionless but my mind is racing: strategising, establishing purpose, analysing, filtering tactics. I am choosing each word like an expensive gift, a weapon, assessing its weight, the feel of it in my hands, its suitability for the task. A wrong word will make for a different trajectory, a different outcome, unintended consequences. A wrong word will change the shape of the world I am building, like a foundational brick misaligned.
The Integrity Cure
Books

Coming soon
The Integrity Cure: Stories of a Bipolar Half-Life
Thirty years, thirty stories, and one hell of a ride to complete recovery. What if honesty is all it takes to set you free? Get your dose from Thorndon Press in 2025.

Out now
Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child-adjacent.
A rich and bold conversation about what makes a fulfilling life, including “Selfish” by Donelle McKinley. Edited by Alie Benge, Lil O’Brien and Kathryn van Beek, Massey University Press, 2024.

What’s next
Blaze: A Collection of Sparks
In her second collection of short stories and essays, Donelle McKinley invites you on an international adventure as she examines what it means to commit to integrity, define freedom from the inside out, and fulfil potential in life beyond bipolar.