We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tim Tolka. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tim below.

Tim, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

I started writing as a side gig more than 10 years ago. The start-up costs for advertising was tiny, but the costs of education and training was substantial in terms of time and money.

I had to learn the craft of story first, which I did moonlighting as a ghostwriter and journalist for 7 years, until in 2019, when I decided to become a screenwriter. The launch process for that made use of the track record I built up over the years, where I learned how to take feedback, revise, and rewrite. I knew I would likely need to write several scripts before I could break into the industry, but luckily I was able to learn hands-on by getting hired to write scripts.

My first two finished scripts were television pilots, one based on my first nonfiction book and the second based on an outline developed by my first client, a film producer. During that time, I still a novice in the craft, but I snagged another client, an indie director, who commissioned me to write my first feature, a gritty crime drama with an ensemble cast based on a two page treatment the director wrote, but relying on a lot of my research and knowledge from my background as a crime writer. The first draft was a finalist in a peripheral screenplay competition.

That was an early affirmation, but there is still a long way to go. I slowly built a dossier of writing online so that clients could find out about my background and profile after seeing my ads. The key for me has been maintaining the outreach and balancing various ongoing projects, so that my roster is always full. Eventually, I began hiring assistant writers and editors whose skills and experience complemented mine, but I have remained the final product manager and point of contact for client from start to finish.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I founded Free Word Associates to help other writers, both those who are already selling scripts and winning awards and those who are struggling with their first novel. With my staff of five, we have around 40 years of writing experience that spans the genres of thriller, romance, comedy, police procedural, Western, sci-fi, and fantasy.

We champion the stories of our clients, from the development of the concept to the marketing and pitching it to agents and executives.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

My first book was about a civil rights lawyer representing mostly Black victims of police brutality, and a lot of my clients have been the kind of people who think that sort of story is cool, that is liberals. However, I come from a conservative family and I spent almost half of my life in very red states, so I understand how the other half of the country thinks, and I only walk away from a project if the client wants me to write something that is untrue.

One of my favorite long-term clients was a conservative guy who produced paranormal films and a manager of a celebrity athlete whose memoir I ended up writing. I wrote a TV script and several documentaries for him, as well, but first I had to convince him that I could write the celebrity memoir in the style of Hunter S. Thompson and John Milius (co-writer of Apocalypse Now). Fortunately, I love Thompson and Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite films, so I was able to land the project. The guy was a hard boss, but he knew his business and I grew to respect him. I worked for him for several years, and he taught me a lot.

I got used to harsh feedback, rewriting, and realizing the vision of someone else, even when I disagree with the direction.

The lead came from Craigslist, funny enough.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Most material for writers is all about the craft. I watched a lot of Film Courage on Youtube, as well as various screenwriters and film and literary agents. That was indispensable, but it doesn’t really help you run a business.

Luckily for me, I worked in business as an entrepreneur and business intelligence researcher for almost ten years before I started making my living from writing, so I read a lot of books on entrepreneurship and management. One of my favorites is “The Three Laws of Performance,” written by the CEO of a consulting firm that helps big failing companies accomplish turnarounds.

The key to turning around a failing team is to listen to the conversations happening in secret, understand how the situation appears to your team members, and speak in a way that represents the path forward in an inspiring way. It sounds simple, but it’s very powerful and often hard to achieve when everything is going wrong.

As a freelancer, your business can turn really fast. Clients pay late or disappear. You have to be vigilant of the market. Craft is something every writer needs to know, but management is what most writers don’t understand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.timtolka.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timtolka/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-tolka-07b825b/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimTolka?s=20
• Other: https://linktr.ee/timtolka

Image Credits
Cecilia Cartasegna