Ask the Author: Ivan Thompson
Answered Questions (6)
Ivan Thompson
That's a good one. There are times that I have been sidelined for months. I think for me the accountability network that I set up was very important. I had sent out rough drafts to a lot of people. That served as a partial forcing function. Putting up pictures of the Tuskegee Airmen, going to Tuskegee Airmen chapter meetings to see living Tuskegee Airmen, pushed me because they were the partial inspiration for this book. Finally there was sense of urgency that I felt was divinely inspired and I prayed for the push that I needed to respond to the divine urgency that I felt within. A few practical notes: 1) I locked myself away sometime 12-14 hours at a time, turned off the phone, sent word to my family that I wasn't taking calls because I was writing a book, 2) I stopped trying to write a bit then polish a bit, just write--polish and edit later, just create and let it flow. These practical tips from my editor Latoya Rosario
Ivan Thompson
I'm a first time published author but by far the greatest thing is listening to the impact that something I wrote had on someone else. I knew that what I wrote would resonate with some people but there are people who have been inspired by this book that I had put "outside" the circle of those that I thought would be interested in this type of book. I have inspired several family members and one coworker to begin writing. I also have inspired a few people to help promote the special cause that I included in my book: getting Colonel Charles E. McGee retroactively promoted to Brigadier General.
Ivan Thompson
3 things: 1) find something that you are passionate about, 2) start writing even if it's just the outline, even if the thoughts don't seem connected, don't edit just write--Polish it up later with an editor, 3) enter into a relationship with someone who will hold you accountable, someone who will hold you to the milestones that you set for writing the book
Ivan Thompson
I am currently working on two books. One is a book that shows how I used scriptural principles to bring me great success as a manager and leader. The other book is about finding your way to your unique destiny in the midst of well meaning voices and their opinion of what you should do.
Ivan Thompson
I am a visual person. I put up pictured of the Tuskegee Airmen and a picture of Columbia McGee who is featured prominently in the book. I pasted my picture over the author's picture on another book to help me imagine being an author. Finally I prayed to God to press through the long hours, press through the fears of possible negative responses to the book and for skill in writing the book.
Ivan Thompson
The Genesis of the book was a diversity study for the Secretary of Defense. Most of my research unfortunately was excluded from the study when the final recommendations were published. So I have been on a 13 year quest if you will to share what I found
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