About Chris Bostic:
Chris Bostic is an author of young adult novels from suburban St. Louis, Missouri. An avid outdoorsman, Chris uses his experiences to write ultra-realistic, gripping action/adventure, wilderness survival books that appeal to young and old alike.
A father of three and husband to one, Chris shares his outdoors passion with his wife, three kiddos, and a Boy Scout troop. Chris’ teenage son is an Eagle Scout. His red-headed middle child has a passion for reading (and is a budding young author). His youngest child is a smart preschooler who’s growing up too fast while keeping him young at heart.
Somehow, between a full time job and a busy family, Chris finds time to write.
What inspires you to write?
It’s all about trips I’ve taken, many of which have been challenging outdoor adventures with the Boy Scouts. As a leader, I’ve had the privilige of canoeing in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota, kayaking in the Florida Keys, and camping across the midwest. Whenever I head out on a trip, or even a full family vacation, I find myself immersed in a fascinating new world. Rather than just enjoy the scenery, I always seem to start thinking about story ideas, about ways to bring that area to life.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m a definite seat of the pants writer in that I don’t really use an outline. My planning process for a new book is typically accomplished with a map. Maybe it’s the engineer in me, which is my day job designing highways. I find that I’ll study maps for days when planning a vacation or canoe trip, and then somehow turn that into the outline for how a group of characters would explore the area.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I can’t say that I really talk to my characters. I feel like I definitely get to know their personalities and motivations, but I spend just as much time looking at that map trying to figure out what kinds of obstacles to throw at them–both natural and manmade.
What advice would you give other writers?
Never give up. Going the traditional route of finding and agent and signing with a major publisher seems impossible. The odds are stacked against a writer, and there are plenty of dark moments. But sharing your story with the world, getting positive feedback, are the things that keep people going. I’ve been fortunate to sign with a couple of smaller indie publisher. I’m not going to quit trying to sign with a major publisher.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I was probably lucky to have found my first indie publisher, or rather for them to have found me. From there, I’ve been fortunate to make excellent contacts locally, and was able to sign with another publisher that way. Had I not lucked into those breaks, I very well could have self-published. Maybe I will some day. My advice is to keep submitting your work, keep writing, and eventually you’ll find the right person/company to publish your work. Or be perfectly happy publishing your own. I know a lot of self-published authors who are very happy with how their careers are progressing.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think self-publishing will continue to grow. There will surely always be a handful of massive publishers and agents, but the market is saturated with books from the thousands if not millions of promising new authors. Much of their work is free, or nearly free. As long as the quality is there, people will continue to try out new authors, and ebooks are certainly the way to go when you’re talking about free books.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: young adult, action, adventure, thriller, wilderness survival
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Chris Bostic Home Page Link
Link To Chris Bostic Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
