We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cody C. (you can call me just Cody in conversation.) Engdahl [Pronouned: Ang-doll] a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cody C. (you can call me just Cody in conversation.), thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?
I think I started just at the right time and that everything I’ve done leading up to writing my first novel culminated into the skills and experiences I draw upon now.
I’ve been writing all my life, probably starting in the sixth grade with short stories. I pursued music in college and then film studies. I tried writing my first book in the nineties but lost most of it in a hard drive crash.
I ended up working in television, My mom had an ad agency in Detroit and I became a partner. I wrote 30-second commercials for years. That taught me to write tight. Later, I got into news and eventually became a morning reporter in Nashville. That job taught me how to research and the principles of journalism as well as writing tight so that I could fit a whole story into a minute and thirty-second script.
I lost my last job in 2017 when new management came in and swept out almost everyone whose contract was up that year. I struggled to find meaningful employment. I had a non-compete contract in Nashville but I didn’t want to move. After several interviews and “thank you’s but no thanks,” I decided to give myself a job. I realized that I was always supposed to write and that if I didn’t start now I would never start.
It took me nine months to write my first novel, Rampage on the River: The Battle for Island No. 10. I published it in 2018. I immediately started writing writing my second, The Perils of Perrysburg. I haven’t stopped since. I’m writing my sixth now, The French Fiasco, which should come out early next year.
Cody C. (you can call me just Cody in conversation.), love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was a reader first. My father was a big reader, so even as a child, I would sit and read with him. I read my first novel, The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy, when I was in the first grade. I’ve loved reading ever since. I eventually gravitated toward historical novels. I love being transported back in time when people carried swords, and honor and glory dictated their actions.
I finally got a Kindle, which is an electronic reading device. I found there were tons of books written by independent authors that I could download. I did some research and found that Amazon had a program that allowed independents to publish. Initially, I had planned on just publishing ebooks but now my books are available as ebooks, paperbacks, hardcovers, and audiobooks. I can even order boxes of paperbacks or hardcovers to sign at events.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I think we are living in a golden age of independent creators. No longer do the big corporate publishing houses, record studios, or film companies control the gate. Anyone can go out there, create, and build an audience. There are YouTube channels that outperform network television. A musician can produce an album in their basement and sell it on iTunes.
Better yet, the independents can take risks that the big companies can’t. If you want to publish your historical novel with a big publisher, you better write about Romans, Vikings, or Nazis because those are tried and true sellers, and those publishers need to appeal to a wide audience. But a little guy like me can focus on and serve a small audience and still do well. I just published a novel about the Austro-Prussian War of 1867. The last guy I know who did that was Alexandre Dumas. His book came out the same year of the war.
So instead of being spoonfed the same play-it-safe dribble we get from corporate entertainment, seek out the independent voices. I think you’ll be happy with what you find,
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I want to write the books I wanted to read when I was twelve. Of course, my books are for adults, but I write for that twelve-year-old boy in me who loved adventures with dashing swashbuckling heroes. I think when you focus on an ideal reader like that, you’ll be surprised at how wide of an audience you get. I have a lot of women readers, I get people of all ages and backgrounds too. I think there’s a twelve-year-old in all of us dreaming of romance and adventure.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://author.to/CodyCEngdahl
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codycengdahl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cody.c.engdahl/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-engdahl-9a7182104/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CodyCEngdahl
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsVYHCKPiSSOVww7vjfjKOA
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Cody-C.-Engdahl/author/B07GCDRMNP?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=truet https://subscribepage.io/EngdahlHouse.
Image Credits
I own all the rights to these photos.