Ask the Author: BJ Pickard
Answered Questions (7)
BJ Pickard
I've got a couple of projects in the works right now. One is a collection of articles and memories from my time working in the Arena Football League; the other is a physical book to commemorate the centennial celebration of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. I've also started the process of applying Wrestling Rewritten's "what-if" approach to competitive sports by considering how teams, leagues, and legacies might have been altered forever with a different draft pick here or a free agent signing there. Suffice it to say, I'm staying busy!
BJ Pickard
I'd like to tackle President Obama's "A Promised Land," but that's going to require some serious free time. I'd also like to catch up on a couple of books in the pro wrestling genre, specifically "The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of André the Giant" by Bertrand Hébert and Pat Laprade, and "Young Bucks: Killing the Business from Backyards to the Big Leagues" by Matt and Nick Jackson. Two other books that I'd like to read in the near future have some local flavor to my hometown of Eau Claire, Wis.: "Gus Dorais: Gridiron Innovator, All-American and Hall of Fame Coach" by Joe Niese (whose brother, Andy, was my high school baseball coach) and "A Summer Up North: Henry Aaron and the Legend of Eau Claire Baseball" by Jerry Poling.
BJ Pickard
I'm really more of a nonfiction reader, but the easy answer is probably Hogwarts. I think I'd be a pretty boring wizard, though. Unless you're into spells cast in an effort to increase efficiency. In which case, BJ Pickard and the Spreadsheet of Solitude might be right up your [Diagon] Alley.
BJ Pickard
Having written.
BJ Pickard
Take a break. It took me about 10 months to write my first book. I tried to write every day; some days I felt like I had "it," some days I didn't. Since the only deadlines I had for this book were self-imposed, I didn't want to force words when they weren't coming naturally. So, if it wasn't working, I'd take a break. I'd go for a walk, shoot some hoops, work on a LEGO project - take my mind off from writing ... and then I'd come back to the laptop when I felt ready for the task again. Just as an athlete has to know their body - when to push harder and when to scale back - a writer has to know their mind and do the same. Writer's block to me is just my mind saying, "I'm not there yet, ask again later." So that's what I do.
BJ Pickard
Write. Write, write, write. Writers are fortunate now to live in a time when it is easier than ever to get your written work published, whether that be for free on the internet or in a printed paperback. But the bottom line is the only way to become a writer is to write, and the only way to become a better writer is to write more.
BJ Pickard
I've been fascinated by the world of professional wrestling since I was ten years old. I think I was drawn in by the spectacle of it all, but what kept me coming back was the storytelling. For my money, nothing beats pro wrestling when a great story is being told. Of course, there are plenty of times when a great story isn't told - or, when a bad ending ruins what could have been a great story. So, I thought about all those times when fans didn't get the payoff an arc or character deserved, and I tried to reimagine what it might have been like if things played out differently, both in the short term (for the storyline) and in the long term (for the future of the industry). The end result was a book that I think is entertaining and informative, whether you're a lifelong fan or just someone looking for a good read.
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