We were lucky to catch up with T.D. Johnston recently and have shared our conversation below.

T.D., appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned the craft of writing fiction by being a lifelong reader of short stories and novels across genres, majoring in English at Davidson College, earning an M.A. in Creative Writing from Antioch (Rod Serling’s alma mater), and infusing my curriculum as a prep-school English and creative writing teacher with significant study of short fiction, primarily by American and Russian masters. As a result I learned to write from any character’s point of view, to choose the best narrative point of view for each story from the broad menu of POV options, to set an early hook via early tension and conflict, to write realistic dialogue that advances plot, and to achieve what Edgar Allan Poe referred to as the singular effect that the good story has upon the thinking reader.

My learning process might have been “sped up” had I decided to write fiction much earlier than in my late thirties. Confidence and sufficient wisdom come from life experience, but I often wish I had started earlier as a serious writer.

The most essential skill is knowing how to craft a story while having the restraint to write nothing that is not part of advancing the story.

There were only two obstacles in the way of learning more at a younger age: time in a busy professional and family life, and the challenge of becoming mature enough to understand and contemplate the human condition via fiction.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got into the profession of writing and editing fiction by becoming qualified to teach it. Once I could authentically teach literature, literary analysis, and the nuts and bolts of creative writing, I became a practitioner of the art of fiction. I am most proud of the fact that others draw enjoyment and meaning from my work, which consists of writing short and long fiction and editing the high-quality anthology series of short stories by today’s writers at Short Story America. My first short-story collection, FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND OTHER STORIES, won the 2017 International Book Award for Best Short Fiction, and my debut novel, a crime thriller titled RECIPROCITY, has been optioned by Universal as a multi-season television series for streaming.

As editor of Short Story America’s anthology series and other books, I’m proud to have worked with over 200 excellent contemporary short-story writers. The seven volumes in the series are chock full of tales which both entertain and achieve what Poe described as singular effect, or unity of effect, which makes good stories memorable and relevant.

My author website is www.tdjohnston.com. Short Story America: www.shortstoryamerica.com.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My first short story collection, FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND OTHER STORIES, was under close consideration by a respected university publisher where the senior editor really liked the stories. However, the process there was to have two graduate students serve as contributors to a committee decision about offering a publishing contract for the book. Soon after the senior editor wrote to me to say that one of the graduate interns called my collection “apprentice work.” The press would not be offering to publish the collection. I was stunned, especially after the senior editor had expressed his affection for the manuscript. As a result, I had to resist the impulse to give those interns too much credit. I already ran a literary press, so I decided that my press would publish the collection, much as some musicians issue albums from their own labels. This wasn’t self-publishing, as Short Story America was already a respected publisher of short fiction. By doing this I controlled the quality of editing, cover design and layout by the graphic designer, and distribution of advance copies to writers qualified to review it or contribute “blurb” quotes for the book jacket. This decision, this resilience if you will, paid off. The collection was very well-received, and won the International Book Award for Best Short Fiction by beating out over 500 other collections and five superb finalists. This led to finding an agent for my first novel, which led to the novel now being in development at Universal as a television series, with the novel as Season One. Had I caved or in any way allowed less-qualified assessors of my work to diminish my confidence, none of this success would have been achieved.

My advice to writers: don’t lie to yourself. If your work isn’t good enough, you will know it when you read it. If you honestly like your work as a reader, and if other qualified assessors like and respect your work, then send it out there into the world and be proud of it.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Authors and other artists deserve a large platform that doesn’t demand advertising dollars in exchange for exposure. The major publishers can afford to market books both widely and effectively. Most writers and independent publishers cannot afford the process that leads to wide distribution and the many reviews that don’t get written or published on ‘obscure’ writers’ work. Society needs a quality large social media platform that cannot be gamed by advertising money or phony purchased reviews. Such a platform would need editorial control that has high standards but is not snobbish about the work that is evaluated and presented to book purchasers. I’m not talking about diluted sites like Goodreads, and Facebook is far too motivated by profit than in its early days when artists really could develop a market for their new work. How will this be accomplished? I have no idea, and leave that to savvy people who both know social media and value art based on quality. I only know that writers, musicians, and other creative artists deserve greater access to those who might appreciate and purchase their work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tdjohnston.com
• Instagram: timjohnston.author
• Facebook: Tim Johnston (T.D. Johnston) Fan page: T.D. Johnston
• Linkedin: Tim (T.D. Johnston) Johnston
• Twitter: @ssashortstories
• Youtube: T.D. Johnston via Writers Drinking Whiskey
• Other: www.shortstoryamerica.com