Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Kuhl.
Hi Zachary , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started writing as a way to push myself.
Growing up, I didn’t do well in school and struggled with dyslexia, but that never stopped me from enjoying a good story. I learned early on that you could command a room with the right narrative, but I never had the ability to put a story down on paper—not until I was almost 30.
I’d been laid off, and had more time on my hands than I’d ever had so I joked with my family that it was time to “write my great American novel”. I had a story idea, floated it by my wife, then got started. I drew inspiration from growing up in the Nebraskan sandhills, campfire stories, and dramatically inaccurate tall tales from my youth.
Now my books serve as connections to my past and as statements about my present.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think anyone who is willing to put themselves out there in a creative sense will come up against challenges. For me, there have been three big challenges that stick out.
First was figuring out my writing process. I ended up copying most of what Stephen King lays out in his book “On Writing”. His daily writing schedule really worked for me and helped me turn sporadic days of writing into a dependable routine.
Second was getting published, and this is still ongoing. I’ve not been published by a traditional publisher, only self-published. The process of submitting proposals, doing your research, and keeping up on the market can be a lot – but it’s worth it.
The third is building an audience. It wasn’t easy for me, but I found a small bit of support with my first book “Alkali’s Monster” to the point that we sold out of paperbacks! Growing that audience takes time, patience, and being yourself.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an author, focusing on/known for reframing the typical “spooky story” into tales of growth, misunderstandings, and acceptance.
I’m most proud of my first novel “Alkali’s Monster”. It was the third book I wrote, but the first thing I decided to self-publish. The story is very personal to me, and I got to tie a lot of my own upbringing into the setting and characters.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The obvious change is the use of AI in writing, or even having fully AI-written books. Going forward I wonder where we will draw the line, as creatives, between AI being a tool or a replacement for authors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://books2read.com/u/bzyP12
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesbyzachary?igsh=N2g2OG9mNHRpemRx&utm_source=qr
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/iamzachary.bsky.social
