He Wrote a Million Words and Removed Over 700,000 of Them Before Publishing His New Novel

We’re gonna Cruz to the southwest side of town to one of the greatest bookstores in the world, Murder by the Book, where you’ll hear my conversation with legendary storyteller Terry Hayes. You’ll know him as the guy who wrote Mad Max 2 & 3, as well as I am Pilgrim. Terry’s new novel is The Year of the Locust and it took him ten years to complete it. During this conversation, we talk about the persona experiences that shaped his commitment to writing. He emphasizes the importance of not being afraid and finding dignity in the face of challenges. Terry’s life took an unfortunate turn for the worse when in a short period of time, he lost his brother to cancer, his father to an unforeseen illness, and his mother, who he says may have died of a broken heart. Yet he continued to write as a tribute to those who shared his dream of being an author. At seven-hundred pages, The Year of the Locust is a monster of a book and it’s on-sale now. Special thanks to Murder by the Book for allowing me to crash their party for this episode. Be sure to check them out at murderbooks.com. Heads up that there were some technical issues with Terry’s mic and I made as many adjustments as I could. And you’ll hear a phone go off a couple times. This kind of stuff happens in a live setting. At the end of the day, this is a powerful conversation for those who love thrillers, and those who wish to learn from the giants whose shoulders we stand on. If you enjoy this episode as much as I did putting it together for you, please share with your family and friends and subscribe to the show from my website, cruzthroughhtx.com. This ensures we continue to score high profile guests like Terry. Thank you.   Takeaways Writing is a journey that requires dedication and hard work. The editing process may involve discarding a significant amount of words, but it is part of the journey to create the best work possible. Childhood dreams can shape one's career path and provide motivation to achieve success. Personal loss can inspire a deeper commitment to writing and a focus on family. Courage is shown in facing difficult circumstances with dignity and grace. The power of stories lies in their ability to connect with readers on an emotional level. Finding the melody and emotion in writing is essential to engage readers. First and last sentences of books can set the tone and leave a lasting impact on readers.   Chapters 00:00 The Journey of Writing 03:04 Future of the Edited Work 05:22 The Process of Writing 08:13 Childhood Dream of Becoming a Writer 09:08 Personal Loss and Commitment to Writing 12:54 Prioritizing Family and Career 13:52 Overcoming Challenges and Being Courageous 15:20 The Power of Stories and Not Being Afraid 17:56 Finding Dignity and Grace in Difficult Circumstances 19:44 The Significance of First and Last Sentences 22:17 The Melody and Emotion of WritingSupport the show: https://cruzthroughhtx.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.