Your schedule looks very busy. How do you keep up?It's really not as bad as it looks. TV shows are usually taped at a more convenient time and I do try to pace myself. The truth is, the opportunities are so cool, it's hard to say no sometimes. So I stay in as good a shape as a middle-aged guy can, working out three times a year...I mean a week...necking a lot, and I have a team of people around me that hold me accountable. I will admit though that today I realized I had a problem. I realized that I can describe to you the best seats on different airlines and the smell of shampoo at different hotels. For some reason I dislike The Westin's shampoo the most.
You write about "family matters" but it seems you're gone from your wife and kids a lot.It's ironic how often people ask me to leave home and tell them how to spend quality time with their kids! But part of the key is this: I'm always accompanied by a family member or close friend and my schedule is approved by my wife. Now that our kids are older, Ramona travels with me most of the time. I asked our youngest son one day, "Am I gone too much?" and he said, "Na, you go away just enough so we don't get tired of you." I have several close friends who help me keep the successes in perspective. They've seen me at my worst, so they're less impressed with my best. Yes, there's stress associated with my job, but I don't let it bother me. Of course, I've been in the bathtub since Wednesday!
What do you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years? The next 20 years?I'm not against long range planning, but it's not the most noble thing. Remember that Hitler had a long range plan. My plans are to think about golf this afternoon if I can get another chapter written. Seriously, I'm trying to shorten my plans. And when I do plan, my plans are always too small. I never would have planned to be the author of a dozen books or be able to share the gospel with 200 million people on radio. My plans are always too small. I'm more into figuring out what God would like to do right now and hitching my tiny wagon to His. God's ways are not our ways, so I'm just learning to be faithful and to do the next thing. To love my wife. To be there for my kids. I wrote years ago that I would consider myself a success when I'm walking close to Jesus every day. When I'm building a strong marriage, loving my kids, and performing meaningful work. That hasn't changed. I've been blessed beyond belief to be able to do something I can't believe people pay me to do, and if I can be doing that 70 years from now, I will be very old but very happy.
What has been the high point of your writing career so far? The lowest point?I suppose there's nothing quite like holding your first book in your hands and realizing that a publishing house believed in you enough to make that kind of investment and that your two-year-old just bit a corner off the book. When you find out it was a bestseller, that's not bad either. The highest point has been in realizing that God can use a guy like me, so there's hope for anyone. Moses stuttered. Sarah laughed. David liked rooftops. Matthew worked for the IRS. And God used them all. He can do the same for us and our children. The lowest point came in 1995 when I burned out from running too fast, chasing deadlines. It's taken me years to recover and establish boundaries that will keep me from going there again. That's what my book Who Put My Life On Fast Forward? is about.
What's the funniest response to one of your books?Oh man...I'll have to think. I had a phone call from a lady who said, "Hi, I'm Sister Sarah. Several of the nuns and I are reading your book." I thought it was one of my friends calling with a practical joke. But it was way better than that. This dear lady told me how they were reading my book and laughing and laughing and laughing. I asked what book it was and she said, "The Total Christian Guy."
Are your wife or children ever upset or embarrassed about having their exploits recounted by dad" in his books?Actually, they aren't. They are teenagers and they get a chance to approve (and sometimes improve) the things I write and say. That's been important. I won't tell a story about the kids now when I speak without first asking them if it's okay. So sometimes I get up to speak and have nothing to say. Not really, but they do approve these things. My wife has the attitude that if it's the truth and God can use it to help people, then it's worth saying. I've written her story of having seizures because she said, "Go ahead. It might help someone." Turns out it has literally been read by millions. My kids don't seem to mind when we meet people and they say, "I know all about you," because the kids know that I've been more brutal about my own shortcomings than anyone else's in my writings. There's safety there. One of the downsides of being a transparent author is that you open yourself to some remarkable criticism, so that's been a hurdle. But 99% of the audience has been fabulous. But there does come a time when you don't write the truth, you put it in a novel!
You write for the Christian marketplace. Would you consider getting a book published by a secular company?My children's book Be Kind, Be Friendly, Be Thankful is published by a general marketplace publisher, and I'd be interested in doing more of this. I'm encouraged by how many of my books are sold through Walmart and Chapters and Amazon, etc. I suppose I just love to write stories. Some are about my faith, some are not. Much of the correspondence I receive is from people who don't necessarily share my outlook on life and I enjoy that very much.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING:I have a great book idea. Will you help me get it published?No. Sorry. Why?I'm too busy writing, speaking, hanging out with my kids, romancing my wife, and taking out the garbage. Sorry.
But I want to write. What should I do?Sit down and start. Also...regardless of your age, I recommend some journalism training. Adult evening schools offer some good journalism courses. Most published writers have either a background in newspaper or magazine journalism, so do all you can to get some.
Will you read my manuscript and advise me?I'd love to, but I can't. Again, I'm sorry. I have done much of this during the last ten years, but just do not have the time to do justice to your work. I do teach at writers' conferences occasionally, and the best bet for getting someone to help you with your manuscript is to check out an organization like the Word Guild.
How do you write? Do you have a formula?Mostly with a crayon. Actually, I try to write 500 words a day when I'm under contract. I do not always accomplish this, but sometimes I accomplish far more than 500. I discipline myself by leaving the answering machine on (except for calls from my wife or children), gluing my seat to the chair and staying on topic. Often I begin the day by editing what I worked on yesterday, then working on today's assignment.
How much does it cost to publish a book?Absolutely nothing. Costs involved in acquiring, editing, proofing, typesetting, printing, binding, storing, and shipping (including marketing and advertising and sales) are the responsibility of the publisher. If you have to pay to have it done, it's unlikely you'll ever recoup your expense. Self-publishing is a costly endeavor, but in some cases it will work. Rumor has it that the Bee Gees got on the charts by buying their own albums, so you never know.
Do you have some practical advice on writing?First of all, read, read, read. In fact, feel free to read my books if you like. But great writers are always great readers. Here are a few other keys: Be talented. Be self-critical. Be observant. Be patient. Never hand in anything that doesn't appear to be done by a professional. Remember that great truth is taught in simple ways, so if you can use a story to communicate a point, do it (The King James Version of the Bible uses fewer than 8,000 different words. Shakespeare used more than 30,000. When you sit down to write, write! Glue your seat to the chair. And get a copy of Writer's Market or The Writer's Guide (available at amazon.com). They can help you find the resources you need and guide you to those who are looking for what you have to offer. I suppose the most practical advice I can give to writers who are Christians is "Write on your knees." Psalm 34: 3-4 says, "Trust in the Lord and do good...Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Boil it all down and the mystery of writing and getting published amounts to this: Trust in the Lord and do good. Stay faithful, stay active, and stay on your knees. If you are writing to become a millionaire, you'll be disappointed whether you achieve it or not. If you are writing to watch people's eyes light up as the truth hits, you'll be happy as a pauper or a king. I wish you all the best as you embark on this grand adventure. And be mindful of the audience of One!
Do you have further questions? Email... callaway@prairie.edu |
