By Chanda Temple
New York Times best-selling author Omar Tyree, who’s 44 and has been writing books for the last 21 years, recently visited Birmingham, Ala. to make public appearances and promote his latest book The Traveler, a fictional story about an American’s visit to Dubai. Several of his past fictional books have focused on relationships.
During his visit, the Philadelphia native stopped at the Smithfield Library to meet fans and give a lecture on his writing journey. Afterward, I asked him to provide a few writing tips for the new year. When the conversation was over, his frank answers left me ready to dive, head first, into writing the first chapter of a novel. I hope his tips will motivate you in 2014.
Writers write. You’ve been wanting to write a book but you haven’t because you are trying to “figure it out.’‘ Stop procrastinating and start writing. Just write down what you are thinking. You can revise it later.
Finish what you start. Once you start writing, don’t let getting stuck on Chapter 3 stop you. Remember that writer’s block is only fear of what you are trying to write. Just put it out there. You have to have confidence and faith in your own words.
Think about subjects that will be meaningful for your readers. There are too many topics that you know people will already read or like. However, consider writing about something that’s out the box, a subject that will make people say, “Oh! Wow!’’ Challenge yourself and challenged your readers.
Keep going. Don’t stop at writing one, two or three books. If you want to be a writer, keep it going. “I’m up to book Number 27, 28, 29, 30. And I’ve still got a whole lot left in me and a whole lot of different ideas I can write about,’’ Tyree says.
Tyree’s tips and the library lecture were so good, I couldn’t let the conversation just end there. So I asked him a few more questions to help writers.
You talked about growing up in Philadelphia and overhearing teenage girls give detailed information about their love lives as you all rode buses to school. Such colorful details can give a writer something to draw from during the writing process. But what do you do if you have plain thoughts, lead a plain life and you don’t think your stories will move readers?
“You write plain thoughts,’’ Tyree says. “To say that plain thoughts can’t move, is wrong. You have other people who are in plain places as well and they’ll connect to those same things. They will be able to relate to that. You still have to write it down and you have to put it out there anyway because you have to see if people will be able to enjoy it. And you’ll surprise yourself.’’
“And that (surprise) will give you confidence to write the next one,’’ he says. “I hear what you are saying, but write it first and let’s see where it goes first. You can’t make that assumption before you do it.’’
What should an author do when his or her book is not moving and selling? Are they a failure? Should they just move on and keep writing?
“When I was first coming through, they said the third book was the charm. You’ve got to keep writing. The first book — (readers) may not like that one. It may be too hard,’’ he says.
“John Grisham’s A Time to Kill dealt with a very racially-charged issue. A lot of people didn’t read that book. The Firm was his third book — that took off. Then he came back to what was his favorite, A Time to Kill. So yeah, keep doing what you are doing. Sometimes, the audience will come around. Sometimes, you will come around to figure out how to do it better.”
(Side note: When Tyree released his third book, Flyy Girl, in 1993, readers snapped up the coming-of-age story about a young woman in the late 1980s. Hollywood is now looking at turning the book into a movie. He received the 2001 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature in Fiction and a 2006 Phillis Wheatley Literary Award for Body of Work in Fiction.)
How do you decide if you should write fiction or nonfiction?
“It’s easier to write fiction than nonfiction. With nonfiction, there’s more research involved and checking the facts,’’ he says. He adds that although you still have to check facts for fictional stories, fiction offers more freedom. You can create what you want to create and go on your own story with fiction.
For more information about Tyree, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., visit www.omartyree.com. He says he offers consultations and does speaking engagements on a variety of topics. Follow him on Twitter at @omartyree.
Chanda Temple is director of public relations for the Birmingham Public Library. Before joining the library in 2012, she worked as a reporter for 19 years. Her last reporting job was as a features reporter at The Birmingham News in Birmingham, Ala., where she covered everything from cops and courts to fashion and elections. She’s received several awards for her stories and enjoys coaching students and adults on their writing, social media and networking skills. Follow her on Twitter @chandatemple.
Omar Tyree was so motivational during his presentation at Smithfield Library. He highlighted the theme for many of his previous books. I was so excited that I checked out several of his books that I had not read.
Loved this. Thank you.
It is really hard to keep going when things don’t turn out like you thought they should. Tyree is right the secret is persistence and stepping out there!