Author Interview: Terry Burns

Terry is a fifth generation Irish storyteller who is also a fourth generation Texas teller of tall tales. Telling stories comes as natural as breathing. Writing them is hard.




Plug time. What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

Brother’s Keeper, second book in the Mysterious Ways series from River Oak is coming out in January. The first in the series,

Mysterious Ways, came out earlier this year as did

Trails of the Dime Novel from Echelon Press.

Brother’s Keeper is an inspirational fiction with identical twin brothers who could not be more different separated by a woman who is a Jonah, bringing total disaster on all who get near her. It’s a fun book with a good message.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

I first published in a compendium of the state’s best high school poetry back in the late 50’s. I suppose I was thrilled, who can remember back that far? I’ve written all my life, but for most of it being a chamber of commerce professional ate up all my words. I began writing fiction six or seven years ago, with my first book, To Keep a Promise coming out from a small press, The Fiction Works. I have 5 fiction in print, four non-fiction books, work in a half dozen short story collections, audio books, have done over 200 articles and short stories, and wrote a weekly newspaper column in several cities for 17 years. I’ve tried my hand at a lot of different types of publishing.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Every time I finish a book I wonder if it’s the last one I have in me. That lasts until another story starts coming out. I’m under no illusions about being a good writer, and consider myself a storyteller rather than a writer. If I could, I’d gather people around big campfires and tell my stories, but that just isn’t practical. So I have to write them down as best as I can and get some publisher to get them in front of people for me.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

That publication is not a selection process but a survival process. It is very rare for a story to be selected outright for publication, but instead survives cut after cut until it sits alone on the desk and some editor decides they’ve got something they want to publish. Persistence is the key.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

People who tell us we don’t need to pay attention to rules and conventions but should write it the way we want. To me ‘rules’ means grammar and formatting, the basics, and must be followed to the letter. ‘Conventions’ are different genre to genre, but basically are what a number of editors like to see done in work they publish. We can choose to break some convention, but should do it only if we know why we are doing it, and with a full knowledge of why it is an accepted convention. We also have to keep in mind that when we choose to do so, we are probably limiting our market by ruling some editors out who believe strongly in the convention.

The less our publishing credits, the less likely they are to accept work that doesn't fit within established rules and conventions.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

That sending work to editors and agents without properly researching them and what they buy is not only a waste of time and money practically guaranteeing rejection, but burns bridges that with the right research might be a very appropriate possibility for our work.


Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?

1 Corinthians 9:16 – For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! – King James Version.

Writing interpretation – If I were volunteering my services of my own free will, I’m sure the Lord would be pleased, but God has picked me out and given me this sacred trust and I have no choice but to serve Him with my writing.


Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

One of my books came out from a publisher only to have that publisher decide after only running a few hundred copies that they weren’t going to continue doing their own printing. Even though the book got great reviews, the lack of stock left it high and dry. I hope at some point to repackage and reprint it with another publisher.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

I have a lot of them, but some of my favorites were written by a writer by the name of Dan Parkinson. He was a good friend, and the man who got me started writing fiction. We wrote some delightful tongue-in-cheek-humor westerns, particularly Calamity Trail before he turned to writing a series of books about tall ships, then finally some fantasy for the Dragonlance line. Dan is gone now and you’d only be able to get one of his online or in a used bookstore, but those old westerns were just delightful.

If your authorial self was a character from The Wizard of Oz, which one would you be and why?

Probably the scarecrow. I’m just a country boy that never claimed to be any major brain trust, I just write my little tales and hope to bring some enjoyment and clean Christian entertainment to people and maybe share just a little of my faith with them along the way.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

Mysterious Ways because I have had several instances when people have told me they were getting a copy for someone who isn’t saved because that person would not intentionally read something with a message in it, but they say by the time they figure out that book has a message in it they are hooked on the story and have to read it. I love hearing that.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

If life was fair we’d be able to sit in a room and churn out our tales while people came to our door and offered us obscene amounts of money to be able to publish them and get them in every home in America.

Instead we have to spend a lot of time doing the things we really don’t want to do; researching markets, doing events and signings, kissing up to editors and agents, promoting and selling, or in other words, the business side of writing. I think we’d all rather just write.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

Different from when I was doing it full time. I’m back on a day job for a bit, so now I’m able to do a little bit of writing-related things during the course of a day, but I generally do about three hours of writing in the evening.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

It isn’t that easy. I’d like to have the beautifully clear way of stating principles of faith of Max Lucado, the natural storytelling flow of Louis L’Amour, the light touch of humor of Dan Parkinson, the natural way of cutting through to the point like Elmore Leonard and I’d like to have something crystal clear and life altering to say like the Apostle Paul. I’m not asking for much, huh?

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

A secular writer who isn’t selling well up in the five figures is not considered by the publishing world as much of a success. A Christian writer who only sold one book, but that book strongly impacted someone’s life would consider themselves a success. I’ve already been blessed to see a little of that, but I’d still like to reach out and get my words in front of more and more people. I know that isn’t up to me, and whatever witness the Lord chooses to let me have I am content.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

It crosses my mind periodically. My life would be easier if I didn’t have to write, but I do. When I decided I had been called to use my humble little words for the Lord, even though I do it by writing Christian fiction, I knew the Lord always finishes what He starts. That means He isn’t going to let me off the hook before I’ve done what I’m supposed to do. I wish I was sure what the full scope of that might be, but that isn’t how God works.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part is talking to people who like my stories. The least favorite part is actually having to write them.

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

I’ve been somewhere doing marketing every weekend but two since the first of January, plus a few closer locations during the week. I’ll be participating with a book club discussion on one of my books about a 2 hour drive away tonight. I spend a lot of time researching and working special markets and work very closely with my publisher’s sales reps.

Parting words?

I don’t know anybody in this business that has been told by the publishing industry to go home and put up their writing for good. Those I know who have published have been persistent, have learned from their failures even more than from successes, and have mastered their craft. Those who have not published have simply given up. The rest of us are still a work in progress.