Indie Insights: PK Stewart on Embracing the Author Journey

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Live in the Dream Podcast with Curveball. If you believe, you can achieve. A show where I interview guests that teach, motivate, and inspire. Today I am joined by author PK Stewart. PK Stewart started off, it took six years to write that first book, but now PK is doing the Times End series and decided to go indie instead of traditional publishing. She has a business background, so we're going to be talking to her about her experiences, uh writing books and learning all about the authoring business. So PK, thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

You're welcome. Thanks for inviting me.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Well, I you you covered the high punk high points. Um I am about to finish this first series, and which I'm very excited to be done with. But um I spent probably 30 years um running accounting offices and um doing business management, um, and then worked as a consultant doing all of that too. And in that time, I started doing some writing, and pretty soon that sort of took over and became what I wanted to do the most. So I got rid of the clients and that sort of thing and started writing full-time. And when I started looking at whether to go the traditional publishing route, which would be querying agents, that you know, there's just a lot of hoops to jump through. I realized that I probably had the background and the experience and the knowledge to do most of the work that a publisher would do for me anyway. So I just went straight that direction and have enjoyed every bit of it. Um, a lot of learning, which I also love. And um the writer community, especially in the indie writing part of it, is super supportive and wonderful. And I've made lots of great friends, which is a bonus to all of this.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

All right. Well, talk about uh what made you want to get into writing in the first place. And I know uh your first book, you know, it took you six years to write.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Yeah. Um obviously a lot of that is is learning how to do it well. Um I've always been a reader. I mean, I picked up probably my first what we called back then chapter book when I was in about third grade. And I've had a piece of fiction with me everywhere I go since I've always got something I'm reading. And I think that was just a natural part of me that was saying, Well, I want to do that too. I want to be able to tell stories. And and the thing that's funny is that I went to a writer's conference. I've been doing a little bit of writing, and my sister was the president of a writing organization, and and she invited me to this conference because Diana Gabledone was going to be the keynote speaker, and she was one of my favorite authors. And it was such an epiphany to be around these, you know, 200 and some writers and realize that they were just normal people, being the reader that I'd always been, you know, you've kind of got writers on a pedestal, they must be more imaginative, more intelligent, more something than the rest of us are. And that went a long way toward making me think, oh, I can do the same thing these other people are doing. So that was a great experience.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Well, I know that you chose the indie route with a clear business strategy. So talk about what made you confident that that was the right path for you.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Um so obviously, the bookkeeping and accounting part of it I've got. I had done some marketing. I was also in charge of all the IT. So, you know, the writing business, you've got a lot of different pieces of software that you use, everything from whatever you're writing in to editing software to formatting software to not being intimidated by the places where you have to upload this and all the various systems that you're going to have to be using. And so my IT background made that, you know, a lot less intimidating. It was just a learning, a learning process instead of something that made you go, ah, you know. And so, like I say, everything about it, when I looked at what a publisher would be doing for me, there wasn't any piece of it that I didn't feel confident I could take on. You know, I knew it would be a learning process, but I knew I could learn it. So there was that part of it. And then, you know, I think it's I think it's really fitting that your name is is curveball because I was probably three years into this process, just finishing up that first book, you know, the rough draft of it. And um I got an ovarian cancer um diagnosis. And that just flips this switch. You know, everybody tells that story and it seems very cliche, but it sort of flips this switch that says, hmm, you know, things aren't as guaranteed as I thought they were. And if this is something I really want to do, do I want to spend my time jumping through all of those hoops that the publishing industry sets up for you? Or do I just want to take it on and feel good about having done it? And obviously, that was the choice that I made.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Well, I know a lot of aspiring authors tend to look past the business side of writing. So talk about the most surprising and unglamorous parts of indie publishing that we should be aware of.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Um well, probably the hardest part for me is marketing. It's it's one thing to market for another company and to do it as a job. It's a little bit more difficult to market yourself, I think. Um most of us, you know, the imposter syndrome and all of those kinds of things pop up, and and it's sort of uncomfortable to market yourself. I'm getting I'm getting better and better at that. But um so that part of it has probably been my weakest link. The um, you know, things like the systems you're up against, Amazon and all of their rules and all of the various things, the contracts, I mean, miles and miles and miles of contracts, and then whether or not you're going to do what the industry calls going wide, which means you're not going to be exclusive to Amazon. You're going to find other outlets and do all of that work, which is a lot of work. Um, it's, you know, one of the things that I think is different about me than some of the people I'm around is I'm a very concrete sequential sort of thinker. I'm used to systems, I'm used to checklists and putting things in order and having that to-do list that is what I do every single day. And it is a completely different part of your brain than the part where you have to just open it up and let it go and let the creativity flow through you. So you really are kind of balancing those two hats and turning one off and the other on throughout the day, depending upon what piece of it you need in that moment. So that's a that's a process that again takes a lot of practice. I think anybody can learn it, but it does require some practice and some confidence in yourself that you have to just go for it and and do the best you can for a little while until you get it figured out.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Well, I know you've published multiple books in your Times End series. So talk to the listeners about that series and tell us about uh what have you learned about gaining momentum and keeping readers engaged throughout an entire series.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Well, you know, I think I am a series reader, so I think that's part of it. I think we are a little bit different reader than than others. Um and so it's about creating, and I think it's about in creating engaging characters that readers really want to follow, that you really want to know what's next. You really want to know how it's gonna turn out. And and so I don't know that I write cliffhangers, I write what's called romantic fantasy, that's the general genre. And um, mine has a bit of a dystopian twist to it. So there's a different relationship and a different story in each book, and you do have a conclusion in each one. You have you get a happily ever after in each one, which is required for the romance genre. And but there's also this overarching story that is more of a good versus evil sort of thing that I hope readers want to continue to figure out how they're gonna, how the characters are going to overcome all of that. Um the other thing about the fantasy genre is you do have usually a lot of characters, a lot of world building, and I think that's important to do really well. Um, characters are the backbone of any story, it doesn't matter what genre you're writing, probably, but um and and it's that's something that I enjoy teaching. I I have a class I teach that is all about um character-driven plotting for people like me who are called pants. And pants means that we write by the seat of our pants. There is no outline we're working from or or a plan going into it. And in my case, what I have found is that when I try to plot, my characters have a tendency to decide that's not where the story goes, and they go wherever they want to, and so it's all been a waste of time to do all that plotting. But if I will spend a lot of time at the front of a book getting to know those characters, knowing everything about them, it's not just eye color and hair color so that you don't screw that up later in the in the book. It's about really knowing what motivates them, what their internal conflicts are, what their stumbling blocks are, what things they need to learn to do better. I mean, everything about them. And then you just open your mind and let them go. And and they, at least in my case, they tend to write stories that I thoroughly enjoy, and my readers seem to too. So I think it's that character-driven part of it.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Well, I know your stories tackle big things like inequality and climate change without feeling preachy. So talk about how you separate entertainment from meaningful commentary.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

Well, mostly that's in the editing process. I can get pretty preachy, that's kind of my nature. But during the editing process, I, you know, that kind of thing is easy to spot. And and if if what you're writing does not move the story forward, it is pretty glaring pretty fast during that process. And so you dial it back in and you go, okay, how much of this does the reader really need to know? How much do they want to know? And how much is this me getting things off my chest that are bugging me? And um, and hopefully I do a good job of that. You know, I obviously readers of that sort want action, they want romance, they want the story to to move forward, and and that kind of exposition really slows it down. So I try and pull all of that. But but it is, I mean, the the good versus evil is basically, you know, I started writing this story in 2016, and in my mind there was a certain way that if if certain people got their way about the way the US was going to progress, these were the things that were going to happen, and these were the things I didn't like. And I projected the worst of that 200 years in the future, and said, what does the world, what does the US look like if if you let that happen? And my characters are time travelers that then come back 200 years to try and fix what has gone wrong, because it really has gone very wrong. And and so it does tackle all of those problems from inequality to disinformation to climate degradation, you know, all of the things that we're sort of on the edge of these days. I mean, on the edge of is easy for this old white woman to say there's a lot of people that are in the midst of it. But um, but we're definitely leaning the direction that I started the premise of this book with.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Well, I know that your protagonist, Kai, carries the weight of being the chosen one. So what encourage you to explore that burning burning and how it uh changes leadership and identity?

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Um Kai's very young when he finds out that he's the one that's supposed to fix all of this. And so that is a huge burden. And and again, like I said, I I really delve into how those kinds of things would affect a person. And so he's a, you know, as a young man, he's angry about it. He wants his life to be normal like everybody else's. And then he has an arc throughout the story. And and part of that arc, which I think is true of everyone, is figuring out that even if you're the one that has to do it, you're not doing it alone. It's about community, it's about um figuring out who to trust, who to who to surround yourself with. And those are the kinds of lessons that he learns along the way in order to get to the end of everything.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

Well, you've built an email list and an author platform from scratch. So, what advice would you give somebody about growing an audience today?

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Um, first of all, I hope that my newsletters aren't just pieces of marketing. I do a lot of traveling. I love the outdoors, I love adventuring, if you will. And um so my newsletters are more about those things that I'm doing. Um it's um I've just come up with the title for I'm gonna start doing a substack and it'll be similar to my newsletter. And it's called Where the Story Leads. And I love the idea of that because it is sort of about letting life lead us to all the best places, and and to the extent that you can, following those, you know, the adventures, following your desires to, you know, whatever you can afford to do, whatever time allows. Um, if you're you know, if you're raising kids and doing all of those things, I've been there, done that, and I'm I'm free of that now. So it's a lot easier to do all of those things. But um, those are what my newsletters and my audience expect. So it'll be pictures from beautiful places. I this week I just got back from nine days in Arizona and New Mexico in some beautiful hiking country in the Chiricahua Mountains. And so that'll be the next thing that I write will be about that trip and about those beautiful places. And um so I, you know, part of it is part of it is honestly all of these great platforms that are out there that help you find readership. So things like BookFunnel are great tools for um a platform for trading email lists with other authors that are similar to your genre, writing the same sorts of things. You know, you promote their stuff, they promote your stuff, and and you have things like what is called a reader magnet. So um I have a novella that is about several of my characters before the first book starts. It kind of sets up the whole backstory and and Kai and his the prophecy and all of those kinds of things. And it's a a free giveaway that you can put on these um author swap sites and things that that people just you know sign up for your email in order to get those freebies. Now, you're not gonna hold on to all of those people. A lot of them are just want the freebie. And the first time you send them an email, they're gonna unsubscribe, which is fine. But I think it gives you the opportunity to then be interesting enough or to bring some sort of value to those people so that they stick around. And that's what I try to do.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

Well, looking back on your journey from writing in isolation to publishing multiple books to teaching others, what's one lesson about creativity or resilience that you wish you would have learned early in your journey?

SPEAKER_00 20:15

Hmm. I don't know that I would change anything about creativity. And again, that may be all the reading I've done all my life. You know, you you talk about somebody who can just sit around and imagine dragons and worlds that don't exist and magic and all those kinds of things. I've I've lived in that world most of my life, so I have no trouble with imagination. I think, I think maybe it's about trusting yourself. I think we've all got that creativity in us, but it depending on the person to a larger or lesser degree, we have this editor in our brain that is constantly saying, no, that's not quite right, or don't write that down yet. You need to change these words, or you're not good enough. I don't know why you're even trying to do this. And I think it's imperative that people learn to shut that piece off and just let words flow. Let the creativity just flow. You can you can fix it later. There's there's no reason for that first bit of the process to be the least bit perfect. There's lots of time for that later. So I think that's the biggest part.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Well, tell us about any upcoming projects that you're working on that's just need to be aware of.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

Well, I'm hoping I I am. I have a I have a publishing date that I'm gonna make, darn it, that is. June 9th is when this fifth and final book in this Times End series will come out. So that's exciting. I'm ready to move on to some new things. I've got, you know, I've got a couple other projects that I've worked on a little bit here and there. Um, one is a similar genre. It's, you know, dystopian romantic fantasy. Another, you know, which is something that I'm reading these days, if if any of your listeners know Lucy Score, she's an author that I have just fallen in love with. And she writes absolutely hilarious sort of rom-com things, but but they're not at all, at least in my opinion, they're not at all silly and simple. You know, she writes great characters, they're very complex, and she is absolutely hilarious. And I love sitting around with a book and just laughing out loud no matter where I am. And and she can make me do that. So I would love to maybe tackle that sort of thing. I don't know that I'm that funny. I guess I'll find out, but um, but I would love to try that genre too, I think. So we'll see. I'm not sure where I'm headed from here.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

Well, so people can keep up with everything that you're up to, they'll add your contact info.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Well, probably the best place to find me is my website, which is pkstewartst.com. And then, like I said, that um, and there you can sign up for my newsletter if that's something you're interested in. Or I am just starting this Substack that is where the story leads. So there's that. And then I teach here and there at conferences. I think the next time I do that is at a Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Retreat in Estes Park, Colorado, at the end of May. So I'll be hanging out there. If anybody's around, come say hello.

SPEAKER_01 24:11

All right, we'll close us out with some final thoughts. Maybe if that was something I forgot to talk about that you would like to touch on. Any final thoughts you have for the listeners?

SPEAKER_00 24:19

Well, I would just um I would just hope that everybody can find some little way to chase their dreams. I get that not everybody has the financial security or the time to do great big things, but I just think it's so important to, you know, carve out that half hour. If you want to write, carve out a half hour a day to just sit down and start doing it. Um, no matter what it is you want to learn or what it is you want to do, go for it. I think that's, you know, to me, that's just where happiness comes from.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

All right, ladies and gentlemen, pkstewart.com. Please keep up with everything that PK's up to. Check out those books, follow, rate review, share this episode to as many people as possible, and anybody in the Colorado area, check her out when she comes to a city near you also. If you haven't done so, visit www.curveball337.com. Sign up for the newsletter, keep up with everything, living the dream. I am starting to publish more content in the way of blogging and some great upcoming episodes when it comes to podcasting, too. So just uh sign up for that newsletter to keep up with everything. Leave us a review, share the website and the show to everybody you know. Thank you for listening and supporting the show. And PK Stewart, thank you for all that you do, and thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

Thank you so much. This was fun.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

For more information on the Living the Dream with Curveball Podcast, visit www.curveball337.com. Until next time, keep living the dream.