We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patrick Edwards a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Patrick, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

To some extent, I have always known this is what I wanted to do, however, there were very specific circumstances that got me to the point of resolving to make a real go at a writing career. I started college intending to major in art and creative writing, but then I got scared. There is no other way to phrase it. I got scared, and I decided to pursue a more “practical” career in corporate America. I graduated college with a business degree and started working in the corporate/financial/sales world. I spent my 20’s in this world, slowly sinking deeper year by year into a depressed mental state.

When I was 27, my girlfriend (now wife) was offered a major promotion that involved moving from Chicago to Cincinnati. We maintained a long distance relationship for over a year, visiting each other on weekends. The drive between the two cities is roughly 5 hours, so this arrangement lead to me suddenly having frequent extended periods of time in a car by myself. I did a lot of deep soul searching during those drives. I also listened to a lot of podcasts. At that time, I was consuming a lot of long form interview shows where the majority of the guests were professional creatives like comedians, artists, actors, and writers. One topic that seemed to surface again and again was how each person got started. And perhaps the most common theme was that these now successful creatives never waited for someone’s permission or the perfect opportunity to make their art. They just started making it. And then never stopped. They kept going, writing more books, putting out more songs, drawing more illustrations… and with each installment, their audience grew a little bit until one day the dam broke and they became the successful creator they are today.

Hearing that again and again helped me get out of my head a bit. I stopped overthinking things. I knew I wanted to create stories. So, I resolved to start with just one. I challenged myself to complete one story. Write just one novel. Not only that, I resolved to spend zero energy thinking about “how I’d publish it” until I actually had a book to publish. Having too many unfinished projects in the bane of so many creators. I forced myself to work on nothing but the one story until it was done. And that story ended up being, Space Tripping, my first novel. The thing that started my writing career.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

A little about myself? Well, I’m married with three young children. And, as we’ve established: I’m a writer…. so, yes, you are correct in your assumption that I have a massive coffee addiction. Small children and a burgeoning career don’t leave much time for other pursuits, although I do have one additional hobby: exercise. At this point, weight lifting is more crucial for my mental health than physical. It is my preferred method of releasing stress.

Regarding my work? I have an ongoing novel series with two books currently out and a third in the works. They are called Space Tripping and Space Tripping 2: The Chaser.

I have written for a number of indie TTRPG gaming publications. As of now, my most notable work in that space would probably be The Red Opera, a 5th Edition adaptation of a gothic heavy metal orchestral album by the band, DiAmorte.

I’m also dipping my toes into the screenwriting world these days. My short film, Joining Call, won a few small awards and I am working on a feature film with the same director.

And on top of all that, I love podcasting and live-streaming TTRPG games. I’m a co-host of the Let’s Rewatch and Bounty Buddies podcasts. And I frequently run DnD games on the Geekly Inc and Amateurish Productions twitch channels.

I like to approach everything I do with a healthy dose of whimsy. This is all supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be entertaining and enjoyable for the people consuming it. I think that gets forgotten at times. Every time I touch a keyboard to write or sit down in front of a mic to record a show, I want to make something that makes someone smile, laugh, cry, and generally feel good inside.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Spreading joy. That’s an overly simple answer, but it’s the truth. I just want to make things that make people happy. I want people to catch themselves involuntarily smiling as they read my writing. There is no greater high for me than getting notes from people about how much they appreciated or enjoyed something I helped create.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I would say the number one thing to focus on is connecting with other creators who’s work you like, and who you could see yourself getting along well personally. It’s also important these people are at a relatively similar place in their careers as you are. You have to find your allies, the people you can “come up in the world” with. Nothing helps grow a following like an endorsement from another creator to their audience. Some of my absolute closest friends today are people I connected with online because we each dug each other’s work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thepatedwards.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatedwards/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePatEdwards