Interview with the Publisher Pt. 2

1. As an English teacher and football coach, your days are full. When do you actually write?

With my schedule, I found that the best time to write is at four in the morning. It is not an easy thing to do, whatsoever. Yet, once mastered, it allows for consistency which is the backbone of excellent authorship in my opinion.

2. Do your students know you are a published author? How does that affect your teaching?

They’re vaguely aware of it, but it is not something I openly promote or use for credibility. If my experience and accomplishments serve as a good anecdote for the lesson, then I’ll mention it. Aside from that, it’s truly just a handful of students who have taken an interest in my career.

3. Has coaching influenced the way you think about discipline in writing?

It certainly has. Routine, consistency, and discipline are the reasons I was able to finish this novel and continue my writing career as a whole. Without the mindset I developed during a youth steeped in competition, I would not have published my articles, my short story, or this novel.

4. What sacrifices, if any, have you had to make to stay committed to your craft?

To reach the level I aspire to, you have to sacrifice a tremendous amount of time. In my younger years, before I found my current routine, I gave up many potential experiences with Miami nightlife. Nowadays, I sacrifice an extra hour or two of sleep, or of downtime. In all honesty, to indulge in extra sleep carries the weight of dereliction now. Time and energy are the necessary prices to pay to stay committed to this craft.

5. How do you protect creative energy after a long day in the classroom?

The lack of creative energy I felt after a long day of work is what made me begin writing at four in the morning. I found myself very unproductive while writing at night, which is why I knew I had to make change.

6. Do you set word count goals, or do you write when inspiration strikes?

Instead of setting word count goals, I focus on the consistency with which I show up to write. If I can get something done nearly every morning, then anything I write when inspiration strikes is simply extra, which is a great place to be. Even when inspiration comes at inopportune times, I try to write down the general idea in the moment and explore it later when I have the time.

7. How has your understanding of “growth through repetition” shaped your writing practice?

I believe that strong work emerges irregularly. While progress will undoubtedly trend upward over time, the day-to-day experience of writing will often vary. A few days of crisp, fluid prose are frequently followed by days that feel flat or unproductive. Repetition, then, becomes essential. By showing up consistently, regardless of how inspired I feel, I increase the likelihood that those moments of clarity will occur. In this way, growth is less about isolated bursts of brilliance and more about sustained engagement with the craft over time.

8. What role does routine play in your creative life?

This craft would have fizzled out of my life years ago if not for routine. It would have been relegated to a silly passion of my younger years that I put aside for something more “practical.” Routine allowed me to remove any outside noise that interfered with the craft and provided the space necessary to work on it diligently.

9. How do you handle self-doubt while juggling professional and creative responsibilities?

Self-doubt will occasionally spring its way through the cracks and manifest itself in the worst of times. What pushes me past those shaky moments is the self-belief that I have done the work behind the scenes and that I must trust the plan that I’ve laid out ahead of time.

10. If you could give one piece of advice to other full-time professionals who want to write seriously, what would it be?

To put aside the time and do the work that this craft demands for years before attempting to publish.

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