We recently connected with Roger Naylor and have shared our conversation below.
Roger, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Being a writer was all I ever wanted and I blame that on Mark Twain. As a kid I was a voracious reader consuming books and stories. I was mostly keen on action and adventure but somehow stumbled across a collection of Mark Twain essays when I was 13 and it turned my world upside down. The way he used the language was unlike anything I had experienced. He made me laugh and cry almost from sentence to sentence. He ran me through the gamut of emotions, just with words on a page. And I knew immediately that’s what I wanted to be able to do.
And yes, I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve worked as a writer for most of my adult life. It is my full time career. It started while I still lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. I wrote for local and regional newspapers and magazines. I also wrote for radio, television, and was even hired to pen a movie script. I was primarily a humor writer following my inspiration from Mark Twain.
Meanwhile, I was traveling to Arizona every chance I got. I fell in love with this state when I briefly attended Northern Arizona University. After that every vacation, every getaway, even my honeymoon was spent rambling around this remarkable state. Finally, about 30 years ago, with my wife’s support, I gave up a comfortable and successful writing career in the midwest to move to Arizona, where nobody knew me, to see if I could start all over again as a freelance writer. Because I desperately needed to live in the Grand Canyon State. And spoiler alert: it all worked out.
I continued writing humor, pop culture, politics, etc.for magazines and newspapers for several years. But I led such a wonderful life in Arizona, I decided that’s what I wanted to write about. I pitched a few story ideas to Arizona Highways and they bought them. So suddenly I was writing for Highways. Then I did likewise with the Arizona Republic, and got my foot in that door. And it just snowballed from there, leading to dozens of freelance markets and an avalanche of books. For the past 20 years, I’ve written almost exclusively about my beloved Arizona.
What I’ve learned is that career paths, just like trails in nature, are not straight lines. A little meandering is okay, as long as you continue in your desired direction. I had a very successful writing career in Ohio but I wasn’t happy. Happiness doesn’t exist for me outside of Arizona. I need to be here all year round. Choosing that personal fulfillment led to another successful, although slightly unexpected, chapter of my writing career
Roger, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
One of the old adages about writing is “write what you know.” And I’ll add write what you love. That’s what prompted me to tweak my career path where I went from a more generalized writer to one who focused almost exclusively about Arizona. I essentially turned the amazing life I was living into fodder for my stories. Where I was hiking, where I was camping, what I was eating, what I was experiencing all became topics for articles and books.
There were certainly plenty of other talented travel writers out there covering the state. I managed to carve out a lane for myself with my voice, my enthusiasm, and my very genuine passion. My Arizona articles have appeared in USA Today, Country Magazine, The Guardian, The Week, and dozens more. I’ve been the freelance travel writer for the Arizona Republic since 2007, covering the state. I try to steer folks to great hiking trails, campgrounds, state parks, national parks and monuments, ghost towns, small towns, roadside attractions, scenic roads, hidden gems, spring wildflowers, and fall colors. We live in the most diverse, most spectacular state in the nation, and I just want folks to explore what’s in their backyard.
That’s also why I started writing books so I can explore some of these topics more in depth and to provide guides for people eager to learn more about Arizona’s scenic beauty and rich history. I found out a long time ago that I’m not the only one who is madly in love with this state. Lots of folks share my passion. I think that’s why my books have been such consistently good sellers, why my talks are well attended, and why my Facebook page dedicated to Arizona is so popular with more than 27,000 followers.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I am absolutely the wrong person to give anyone advice regarding social media. My knowledge and focus is extremely limited but it has proven to be an invaluable tool for me. All that I actively maintain is a business Facebook page. No Instagram or anything else. I started the Facebook page at the same time I was finishing my first book “Arizona Kicks on Route 66.” I wanted to use it as a tool to promote the book. I had no idea what I was doing and built an audience very slowly. But I figured out a formula that worked for me. Today, I have more than 27,500 very actively engaged followers, with most of my posts receiving several hundred to several thousand reactions, comments and shares.
It starts with a photo. I never considered myself a photographer but as a freelancer for the Arizona Republic, I had to provide images to accompany my articles. I learned early on what a difference good photos made, so I’ve tried to get better. The same applies to my Facebook page where I want to capture their attention with an interesting photo. Once I have their attention, I want to pull them in with my words, to make them feel like they are a part of the story. If I’m describing a hike along the Verde River near my home in the Verde Valley, I want all their senses engaged. They need to hear the splash of water tumbling over rocks, the rustling of lizard feet in the weeds, and the soft clatter of cottonwood leaves being caressed by the breeze sounding very much like butterfly applause. They need to smell the sun-warmed forest floor, that loamy, earthy perfume of thirsty soil soothed at the water’s edge, all heart-meat and hyacinth. I want the reader to share my experience. Then I’ve done my job.
My Facebook page is popular because it is dedicated solely to the beauty of Arizona. There’s no politics, policy, or religion. It’s just a love letter I write to this state each day. I include lots of information–hiking trails, burger joints, road trips, etc. And I mix in historic stories, interesting facts, and more introspective posts about the joy of rain in an arid land, the sight of wildflowers blooming across the desert, a sunset that torches the sky in a wild display of light and color. I always want readers to feel like if they miss one of my posts, they missed something special.
Over the years, I’ve formed a connection with my readers. And of course, I use my Facebook page as a promotional tool but not aggressively I post links to my articles, plug my television and radio appearances, announce my talks, and tout my books. Many will want to buy my books because they enjoy the way I push words around on a page. They’ll attend my talks and presentations because hopefully I’ve provided them with a few peaceful happy moments. And they’ll go my my website and sign up for my monthly newsletter to maintain that connection.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
One of the things I hear all the time from readers is that I have a gift for writing. It’s a very nice compliment but not quite in the way they intend. It means that my writing feels very natural to them. And that’s exactly the way it should be, as if it just flows like water gushing from a faucet. All you have to do is turn it on.
Of course, it’s not like that all. I don’t think many people are born a writer or a painter or a sculptor. To become good at something, you work very hard. At least that’s been the case for me. The biggest single reason for my success is the work ethic my father taught me. It’s all about showing up ready to work every day. It’s about keeping my butt in the chair and about writing each day, about never being satisfied, always striving to improve.
Some days the words do flow and that’s a joy. Some days I just beat my head against the keyboard. Some days I will stare at a blank piece of paper for hours and then have a sudden 20-minute burst of inspiration that makes the whole day feel like a resounding triumph. And I never know which kind of day it will be. I just have to show up again tomorrow and start the process all over again.
I think most folks don’t realize the amount of time and work that a writer or artist puts into each project. But that’s the way it should be. If any of my labor or struggles are still showing in an article, then it is not finished. I have to smooth out all those rough edges so that the final product feels easy and natural. It’s my gift to the reader.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rogernaylor.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ
- Twitter: @AZRogerNaylor
Image Credits
Photos by Roger Naylor