Author Interview: TIM BOERNER

I'm welcoming a first-time self-published author to the blog today to learn all about their journey to publication! 

Check it out... 

Tim Boerner is a first-time, Self-Published Children's Book Author inspired by the creativity, imagination, love and energy his own children display every day.

​Follow Tim here! 
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What does crazy bedhead look like through the eyes of a young child? Well a dinosaur of course!

​Dinosaur Hair was inspired by my own children and celebrates kids' amazing imaginations and their ability to turn the ordinary into something amazing.

​Grab your copy here! 

The Interview... 

Who are you and what do you write?

​I am a self-published author who writes children's books based on my amazing experiences with my own kids. "Dinosaur Hair" is something that our family would frequently label the kids' crazy bedhead and it is so fun to finally bring the idea to life for others to enjoy.  


Where and when and how did the writing life begin for you?

I have always been more on the creative side of things but work and life would always getting in the way of creating something truly meaningful and putting it out into the world. I taught myself to play guitar several years back and would write down lyrics. I was also the one called on to write our company Christmas card to the President of our company, usually a fun poem about the year and special events we all experienced. Any time I would take on these activities I always felt myself experiencing this joy, peace and satisfaction that other tasks could never bring about. 

 
How has the journey to this point been? Can you give us a basic rundown?

This is my first book and it has been an AMAZING experience so far. To have an idea and then acually bring that idea to life is such a great feeling. This was not easy. There were many times where I thought it would never get done. There are so many questions and hurdles that you never think of when setting out to write a children's book. The children's writing/illustator community has been amazing. There are some very kind souls I have met on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram that have provided amazing advice. 
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What's been the hardest part of your writing/publishing experience so far? And the most enjoyable?

Well, I started from scratch so just getting started was very difficult. I had an idea and wrote the story but then there were the hurdles of how do I draw this and get it into a program on the computer (and I'm pretty technically savvy). Then I started thinking I should hire someone to help jump over some of those obstacles, which I ended up doing. Then there are budget considerations because you don't know if the book will actually make ANY money. For me figuring out how to get started was the hardest part but nothing about this has been easy so far. After going through the process now I have a much better feel for everything involved and will surely use this to make the next book much easier to create.

 
Would you go back and change anything? 

​There are some minor word choices that I might tweak but overall I am pretty happy and readers have been happy so far (fingers crossed). 

 
Where would you like to be in 5 years time? And 10? Or, what are your plans for the future? 

As a dream I would love to be the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" guy driving around in a huge bus and speaking at schools about lessons I have learned and sharing my stories with them. Realistically though in 5 years I would like to have done another 5 books or so and written a screenplay for a movie I have in mind. 10 year goals are just too much to think about for me right now. Really I didn't have many long term goals other than creating this story and sharing it with others. It makes me happy to think that kids (and parents) are seeing the story, identifying with it and smiling. 

 
What's one piece of advice you'd give to new writers just starting out? 

Separate the creative side of you from the process/details side. Work on the creative, i.e. the story, the art and let this flow. Remember though that there are details as well such as who am I writing this for, budget, what software will I use, will I make any money, etc. but don't let these decisions overwhelm you and shut down the creative endeavors. Try to separate them in your mind into two different states of mind. 


And most importantly...

Ketchup or Mayo? - Hot sauce over anything but I'd go Ketchup
Night or Day? - Day 
Inside or Outside? - Outside
Dogs or Cats? - Dogs, they're so friendly, loving and forgiving
Twitter or Facebook? - Twitter although the negativity can take its toll sometimes
e-book or Paperback? - Paperback. e-books have grown on me but I like the look and feel of paperbacks.
Sun or Rain? - Sun 
Keyboard or Pencil & Notebook? - All of the above :)
Comedy or Drama? - Comedy, life is too serious as it is
Chips or Chocolate? - Chocolate, but ice cream is my kryptonite :)