We’re looking forward to introducing you to Kevin J. Anderson. Check out our conversation below.
Kevin J., so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
I do all my writing by walking/hiking and dictating. I love immersing myself in my story, my fictional world, my characters—and I also love reveling in the glory of the incredibly beautiful Colorado scenery. I get the best of both worlds when I go out for a long hike in a beautiful place, with my story notes. And then all of the adventures become real.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a science fiction and fantasy novelist, publisher, comic writer, anthology editor, grad-level professor, and entrepreneur, I’ve lived in Colorado for 28 years and have hiked the entire Colorado Trail and climbed all the Fourteeners. I’ve written nearly 200 books over the course of my career and I’m best known for my Dune novels with Brian Herbert, my Star Wars novels, and my own humorous series featuring Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., my epic fantasy trilogy Terra Incognita, and my steampunk Clockwork Angels trilogy written with legendary Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. I’ve also written the lyrics and produced three rock albums (as companions to my Terra Incognita trilogy).
I’ve been married to Rebecca Moesta (also a New York Times bestselling author) for 34 years and coauthored more than 20 books with her. We founded the well-respected pro-level Superstars Writing Seminar, held in Colorado Springs, which is in its 15th year. I’ve won the Colorado Book Award twice (and nominated again this year), and I was inducted into the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I am an anomaly in this. I vividly remember when I was age 5 that I decided I wanted to be a writer. That is who I am. That is all I have ever been.. I never had any doubt that this would be my life’s path–and I made it happen. I wrote my first “novel” when I was 8 years old, and never stopped. I’ve published 200 books and 160 short stories, and well over a hundred comics. My mind never stops imagining new stories, new characters, and writing them is my greatest joy.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I remember very clearly the hopes and dreams I had when I was in high school, the movies I loved, the music I listened to, the stories I tried to write. I would love to sneak back and whisper into the ear of young me that, yep, it is going to happen — that you are going to work on those movies, you will meet the rock stars you love, you will publish those stories.
But if I had to give wise advice, I would make sure my younger self understands that you must never, ever believe that you “have it made.” Just because you accomplish what you were after, and achieve those goals, doesn’t mean you can rest on your laurels. Writing and publishing is a terribly fickle business, and you are only as good as your latest book. And the most unpredictable thing is the publishing industry itself, which has undergone incredible turmoil in the past decade. You always have to keep moving, keep learning, keep reinventing yourself.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
Writer, lyricist, philosopher, drummer Neil Peart, from Rush. His lyrics were incredibly formative for me and continued to be a great influence throughout my life. He became my good friend for 30 years before he passed away in 2020. His most important lesson that I hold is from the last song on their last album. When Neil wrote the lyrics, he sent me an email that day, saying he had really figured something out–that when you look back on your life, the most important thing is not how much money you have, how many records you sold, how many houses you have — it’s how much love and respect you have earned from the people around you. “The measure of a life is the measure of love and respect.”
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
No qualms whatsoever. This is exactly what I am destined to do, and I have no idea what other career I could imagine. No matter what job I had, I would find some way to write.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wordfire.com
- Instagram: TheRealKJA
- Twitter: @TheKJA
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KJAauthor
- Other: https://wordfirepress.com
Image Credits
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