Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Against all advice how to write an introduction, my name is Ted Akin. But I’m so much more than that, I’m Ted Akin: Unsuccessful Farmer, Mediocre Writer, and the World’s Okayest Musician. I fancy myself as an adventurer and solo-traverller. None of those are currently providing sustenance, so I spend my free time toiling away in the oil patch in West Texas where I work with water. I have currently put out three stories – West Texas Swing, Wham!, and Promenade. The first and last in that list, WST and Promenade, are fantasy, adventure, questy stories and are tied together. The middle, Wham!, is an oil field mystery about a guy who comes across a situation at work all while writing a story. There is a small chance a bunch of that comes from real life experiences.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Promenade. It is the follow up to my first, West Texas Swing and I wanted to keep in line with a dance theme. West Texas Swing obviously has a western/rural feeling to it and the phrase “promenade left” stuck with me from a random memory. I thought it fit well and went with that.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if I can call them unsual, but there are two things that stick out. One: I have sort of found a different muse/inspiration for each work I have completed. I would say the most unique would have been for Promenade. I had a hard time getting motivated to write and had a lot going on. One day, I just needed some quiet and spent the rest of day at work without music or any sort of noise. After that, the writing work flowed. I then tried that method for my latest project and it hasn’t provided the same results.
Two: I’ve taken to printing out a draft and putting it on my light board. I’ll then put a blank paper on top and edit in layers.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely Good Omens and the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
What are you working on now?
Double Whammy!! This is the follow up to my second book Wham! Whether its planned or not, I seem to have a more relaxed time frame on the project so I’m doing what I can to take my time and really make a good story. Of course, I get distracted and writer’s block like everyone else, so I’ve got other projects going as well. I put out a first draft to a new story and I’m working on an outline to a comic project a buddy and I are going to start. All good things.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Best is a poor choice of words. I’ve had the most “success” with my facebook author page and instagram. Still trying to figure out the whole marketing nonsense.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Let yourself get discouraged. In the small scale, you’ll have days where you think that your stuff is terrible. Take that feeling and fight it and turn that into something you enjoy.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t worry about word count/size. I can’t remember who it was or where I read that, but I have kept that with me since I started. Make the story as long as it needs to be.
What are you reading now?
Tim Dorsey’s Serge Storms series [hilarious], The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Fire and Blood by GRRM. I’ve also started a book club on my website and just finished The Last Wish by Andrzej Spakowski.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing Double Whammy!! and then work on the next one. I also am toying around with some formatting ideas for previous works. This year, I also am trying to actually get out and setting up booths at some local-ish comic conventions.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Any book in excess of 1000 pages, a solid hard cover high school text book, and something plastic based. 1000 pages would provide ample supply of fire starting material. A hard cover text book would be a sufficient blunt force weapon to take down small game. A multi-page plastic book would hopefully provide something to both make a cup and a condestation catcher for fresh water. I like reading, but I like living.
Author Websites and Profiles
Ted Akin Website
Ted Akin Amazon Profile
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