Ask the Author: Tim Bishop
Answered Questions (10)
Tim Bishop
Sorry, I'm a little tardy answering this question. The Persistent Road, my debut novel, released in June of 2023.
My wife, Debbie, and I met a man on one of our bicycle tours whose demeanor and unforeseen plight inspired this story. I wrote a lesson about him in our award-winning Wheels of Wisdom. He came into a restaurant in the high desert of Oregon complaining about the religious zealots who tried to convert him at the campground the night before. Not only were they unable to persuade him, but they also stoked his disdain for religion. He was downright angry and miserable.
Being people of faith, Debbie and I couldn't understand what might have made him so belligerent. I was so intrigued with his reaction that I decided to find out what happened to him - both before we met him and after. I discovered just that when I wrote The Persistent Road, which tells Doug Zimmer's story. It received the 2024 Ames Award for General (Christian) Fiction.
My wife, Debbie, and I met a man on one of our bicycle tours whose demeanor and unforeseen plight inspired this story. I wrote a lesson about him in our award-winning Wheels of Wisdom. He came into a restaurant in the high desert of Oregon complaining about the religious zealots who tried to convert him at the campground the night before. Not only were they unable to persuade him, but they also stoked his disdain for religion. He was downright angry and miserable.
Being people of faith, Debbie and I couldn't understand what might have made him so belligerent. I was so intrigued with his reaction that I decided to find out what happened to him - both before we met him and after. I discovered just that when I wrote The Persistent Road, which tells Doug Zimmer's story. It received the 2024 Ames Award for General (Christian) Fiction.
Tim Bishop
In 2013, Debbie and I published Two Are Better as a testimonial to becoming first-time newlyweds at age 52 and then cycling across America. It was a learning experience for sure, but we had no plans to write another book.
When we embarked on our third tour in 2014, we focused our energy on raising awareness and funds for TheHopeLine. We had volunteered for TheHopeLine as Hope Coaches, and we donated to the organization annually. So, we understood its mission well and the potential it had to rescue young people in crisis.
That trip felt like the granddaddy of our cycling tours because it was long, challenging, and intense. Our mission connected us with scads of people every day through blogging, sharing videos and photos, emailing prospects, and meeting people face-to-face on the road. On top of the usual logistics that come with a self-supported bicycle tour, we were also pitching media in upcoming cities.
I think the intensity of the tour—and the prayers of friends and strangers alike—resulted in some special experiences and compelling content. Coupled with what we had already experienced on our first two journeys, we had landed home with more stories to tell and would have been derelict as God-believers and advocates for TheHopeLine not to share them. Thus, Wheels of Wisdom was born.
When we embarked on our third tour in 2014, we focused our energy on raising awareness and funds for TheHopeLine. We had volunteered for TheHopeLine as Hope Coaches, and we donated to the organization annually. So, we understood its mission well and the potential it had to rescue young people in crisis.
That trip felt like the granddaddy of our cycling tours because it was long, challenging, and intense. Our mission connected us with scads of people every day through blogging, sharing videos and photos, emailing prospects, and meeting people face-to-face on the road. On top of the usual logistics that come with a self-supported bicycle tour, we were also pitching media in upcoming cities.
I think the intensity of the tour—and the prayers of friends and strangers alike—resulted in some special experiences and compelling content. Coupled with what we had already experienced on our first two journeys, we had landed home with more stories to tell and would have been derelict as God-believers and advocates for TheHopeLine not to share them. Thus, Wheels of Wisdom was born.
Tim Bishop
Writing is all about serving other people. When I sense I have something of value to share with them, I want to do it with excellence.
With the inspirational books that Debbie and I have written, I like to reflect on my personal experiences and consider the love of the One who gave them to me. The gratitude and sense of awe that I feel fuel a desire to proclaim the truth embedded in those experiences so that other people can capture some joy in life. My faith is the message I've been given to share, and writing is my voice.
As for other more informative writing, bringing the message to readers with clarity and practicality is paramount. Communicating that material with creativity and pizzazz will help make it stick.
The sense of accomplishment that comes with bringing any project to market provides enough inspiration to keep going even when difficulties arise.
With the inspirational books that Debbie and I have written, I like to reflect on my personal experiences and consider the love of the One who gave them to me. The gratitude and sense of awe that I feel fuel a desire to proclaim the truth embedded in those experiences so that other people can capture some joy in life. My faith is the message I've been given to share, and writing is my voice.
As for other more informative writing, bringing the message to readers with clarity and practicality is paramount. Communicating that material with creativity and pizzazz will help make it stick.
The sense of accomplishment that comes with bringing any project to market provides enough inspiration to keep going even when difficulties arise.
Tim Bishop
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)
Tim Bishop
Writing gives you a voice. It provides you a forum to express your opinions and beliefs--even your personality--on your own terms. Everyone's opinion matters. However, it seems so many have no way to articulate it.
As a profession, writing allows you a great deal of flexibility in your schedule. It also requires hard, dedicated work. It's a task-driven model that offers the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of your labor in the form of not only monetary compensation (if you've solved the monetization riddle!), but also a finished product.
As a profession, writing allows you a great deal of flexibility in your schedule. It also requires hard, dedicated work. It's a task-driven model that offers the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of your labor in the form of not only monetary compensation (if you've solved the monetization riddle!), but also a finished product.
Tim Bishop
Sometimes, when you write, it can be difficult to put coherent thoughts together inline with the plotline preceding it. We all have life issues surrounding our work, and those can be distracting to the creative process.
I think the best formula for overcoming a "block" is to work through it. It may be possible to create content in another portion of a manuscript. Follow your mind's lead. If the next chapter is coming with difficulty--or not at all, you have a great idea for later in the book. Jump to it. Capture the inspiration while it is fresh in your mind. If you feel totally stuck, simply writing even when it is difficult may "prime the pump" and spur the flow of new ideas. You can always go back later--and should--to make revisions by interjecting new ideas or honing the language and the concepts.
Periodically, it may be beneficial to break the routine, even to separate from the activity of writing, so that you can return to it later with a fresh perspective.
I think the best formula for overcoming a "block" is to work through it. It may be possible to create content in another portion of a manuscript. Follow your mind's lead. If the next chapter is coming with difficulty--or not at all, you have a great idea for later in the book. Jump to it. Capture the inspiration while it is fresh in your mind. If you feel totally stuck, simply writing even when it is difficult may "prime the pump" and spur the flow of new ideas. You can always go back later--and should--to make revisions by interjecting new ideas or honing the language and the concepts.
Periodically, it may be beneficial to break the routine, even to separate from the activity of writing, so that you can return to it later with a fresh perspective.
Tim Bishop
I'm currently in the land of limbo, caught between marketing past books, learning some more technical aspects of publishing to broaden distribution of content, and mulling some ideas for future books.
As an author and publisher, you must wear multiple hats. And, sometimes, you need to change gears, take one or two of those hats off, and re-focus in order to make headway. I'm still learning how to juggle those hats.
I'm intrigued by audio book technology. My book entitled Hedging Commodity Price Risk may work well in audio book format for busy business travelers. Wheels of Wisdom, and other past books, will benefit from expanded e-book distribution, which requires mastering better html and e-book composition skills.
As for future content, I'm toying with the idea of dipping another toe back into the world of business writing. Debbie and I have cranked out a few inspirational books together based on our cycling adventures, and more opportunity may arise there. However, I'm torn because I still feel that I have something to share with the world in the realm of running a small business.
As an author and publisher, you must wear multiple hats. And, sometimes, you need to change gears, take one or two of those hats off, and re-focus in order to make headway. I'm still learning how to juggle those hats.
I'm intrigued by audio book technology. My book entitled Hedging Commodity Price Risk may work well in audio book format for busy business travelers. Wheels of Wisdom, and other past books, will benefit from expanded e-book distribution, which requires mastering better html and e-book composition skills.
As for future content, I'm toying with the idea of dipping another toe back into the world of business writing. Debbie and I have cranked out a few inspirational books together based on our cycling adventures, and more opportunity may arise there. However, I'm torn because I still feel that I have something to share with the world in the realm of running a small business.
Tim Bishop
Our first book, Two Are Better, chronicles our journey into life as a couple—it captured our “honeymoon tour” right after our wedding in 2010. It’s “our story,” and that alone sets a high standard for us. We also used color photos to enhance the book. The visuals are such an overwhelming aspect of long-distance bicycle touring.
While Wheels of Wisdom contains some similar facets from our midlife union, it also includes life lessons from two other long-distance tours. When 2015 rolled around and we began writing, we had plenty of content to choose from. In Wheels of Wisdom, we placed the spotlight more on the reader to increase his or her takeaway. I like the fact that we’ve given readers more to ponder and encouraged them to apply the book’s principles to their own life. Wheels of Wisdom feels like an adventuresome devotional, whereas Two Are Better is a testimonial.
Each book has the power to touch people in its own way. The books are very personal. I’m partial to Wheels of Wisdom. While Debbie is undecided, I can tell you that re-reading either one will bring tears to her eyes. Some of our preliminary reviewers had read both manuscripts, but no consensus favorite emerged. Clearly, they are different. Now, it’s time for the marketplace to decide which one it likes better!
While Wheels of Wisdom contains some similar facets from our midlife union, it also includes life lessons from two other long-distance tours. When 2015 rolled around and we began writing, we had plenty of content to choose from. In Wheels of Wisdom, we placed the spotlight more on the reader to increase his or her takeaway. I like the fact that we’ve given readers more to ponder and encouraged them to apply the book’s principles to their own life. Wheels of Wisdom feels like an adventuresome devotional, whereas Two Are Better is a testimonial.
Each book has the power to touch people in its own way. The books are very personal. I’m partial to Wheels of Wisdom. While Debbie is undecided, I can tell you that re-reading either one will bring tears to her eyes. Some of our preliminary reviewers had read both manuscripts, but no consensus favorite emerged. Clearly, they are different. Now, it’s time for the marketplace to decide which one it likes better!
Tim Bishop
With a background in finance and as a chess expert, I've honed my analytical skills for years and enjoy using them in writing and publishing. Publishing, in particular, requires meticulous attention to detail. And writing requires both structure and discipline. I'm very task oriented, and having a quality end product is an important reward for my hard work.
Sometimes, the details and the analytics can become entangling, because they drives you so deep into the weeds that it can be hard to continue thinking creatively. Often, I find myself wanting to escape, to dig into a new project with blank slate in hand. But I'm too thorough and disciplined to give myself that permission.
While I feast on creating, I struggle with the marketing component, primarily because it is so nebulous and seemingly unrewarding.
It's so difficult to know how to invest one's time as a writer. Creating content is a joy. Perfecting it is a rewarding art form, if not a science. Discovering how to most effectively encourage others to partake in it can be an elusive and frustrating trip. I think anyone who enters this profession underestimates this latter, and I find most challenging, component.
Sometimes, the details and the analytics can become entangling, because they drives you so deep into the weeds that it can be hard to continue thinking creatively. Often, I find myself wanting to escape, to dig into a new project with blank slate in hand. But I'm too thorough and disciplined to give myself that permission.
While I feast on creating, I struggle with the marketing component, primarily because it is so nebulous and seemingly unrewarding.
It's so difficult to know how to invest one's time as a writer. Creating content is a joy. Perfecting it is a rewarding art form, if not a science. Discovering how to most effectively encourage others to partake in it can be an elusive and frustrating trip. I think anyone who enters this profession underestimates this latter, and I find most challenging, component.
Tim Bishop
You must write to get better at your craft. Just as with physical endeavors, you don't improve your writing skills without exercising them. Being a member of online communities will force you to put your skill to work regularly.
Also, do not become discouraged just because you have a low following. Write for the pleasure and privilege of expressing yourself. Eventually, your skill level will improve and you will find a niche that works for you ...and for your readers!
Also, do not become discouraged just because you have a low following. Write for the pleasure and privilege of expressing yourself. Eventually, your skill level will improve and you will find a niche that works for you ...and for your readers!
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