What is your creative mission?
My mission, as an author, is to deliver a story that readers cannot quit thinking about. I want them to be taken away from the worries of daily life, to travel into the unknown. What I write is hard to fit into a certain genre. My stories have horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and magical realism. I guess the main classification would be paranormal.
What do you love about what you do?
Having readers connect with my characters and feel their pain excites me. I want them to put the book down and be emotionally drained. That makes me happy. I like to touch on nerves and make people feel uncomfortable, yet not want to stop reading.
What have you learned from your successes/ failures?
Years of rejection letters have taught me patience and determination. If a novel is rejected, it goes to the back burner while another takes form. I know that finding the right person to read my stories is the most important thing. Once I get my foot in the door and get my novel in their hands, they won’t be disappointed.
How do you keep pushing ahead after a difficult challenge?
I’ve learned to stay focused on the prize when faced with a challenge. If you let your fears and insecurities dictate your life path, you’ll never reach your dreams. Adversity will always be there, sometimes you have to negotiate with it, sometimes you have to kick it in the ass.
Have you ever encountered resistance from family, friends, or the world in general? How did you overcome those kinds of blocks?
My wife has supported me even when I felt guilty for spending too much time writing. She knows it is my dream to have my name on the bestseller list. The most resistance I’ve had from friends, they know who they are, is their resistance to read the sample chapters I send them for their opinions. I grow impatient with them and sometimes I’m annoying.
How has your art and creativity healed you?
Writing helps me de-stress after a long day at work. I’ve been at my current job (for THE big-box retailer) for the last eighteen years. Retail takes a toll of your body and mind. Writing has always been my way to release the demons in my head. Sometimes I go back and read a page I wrote and think to myself, damn this is great! Other times, not so much. But, it helps me focus my energy.
What are your NFA Bullet points? What steps would you recommend for anyone who wants to kick some ass and get their creative dreams off the ground?
1) Set a goal. I read Stephen King’s On Writing and he recommended writing three pages a day, at the same time every day. It’s hard keeping to a schedule sometimes, but when you get into the habit you feel like you’re going crazy if you don’t write.
2) Stick with it. Three pages a day equals a novel in 90 days (270 pages) unless you’re like me and can’t seem to write a short story. My novels average over 400 pages.
3) Don’t get discouraged. People will try to tell you it’s a waste of time and so on, but if it makes you feel accomplished, it was totally worth it.
4) Keep going. The reward of a good review from a stranger is priceless.
3) Don’t get discouraged. People will try to tell you it’s a waste of time and so on, but if it makes you feel accomplished, it was totally worth it.
4) Keep going. The reward of a good review from a stranger is priceless. It means that all the blood, sweat, and tears were worth it.
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