Have you ever talked yourself out of asking for an opportunity because you decided in advance that the answer would be no?
Welcome to Follow Your Curiosity! My guest this week is #1 New York Times bestselling writer Tony Lee. With nearly forty years of professional writing experience across comics, television, audio dramas, and novels, Tony has written for iconic franchises like Doctor Who, Spider-Man, X-Men, and Star Trek, and has sold over a million crime novels under his pen name Jack Gatland.
In this conversation, Tony and I explore what happens when you stop letting fear dictate your choices and start asking for what you want. We discuss how he landed meetings with both Marvel and DC Comics on the same afternoon, how he pivoted during the pandemic to write and publish 55 novels in five years, and why striving for perfection is the fastest way to keep your art trapped on your computer.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The Power of Asking: Why assuming a no in advance is the only guaranteed way to fail, and how asking bold questions opens unexpected doors.
- The Marvel and DC Hustle: How Tony leveraged a single afternoon in New York to kickstart his comic writing career.
- The Publisher Mindset: Why viewing yourself as a "publisher who writes" gives you complete creative authority over your work.
- The 25 Stages of Publishing: Why writing the text is only one step in a larger process, and how breaking it down removes perfectionist overwhelm.
- Perfectionism vs. Momentum: Why readers care about relatable characters and good storytelling rather than pristine, five-star perfection.
- Community over Competition: Why independent publishing is "the land of the Smurfs" and how finding your tribe makes all the difference.
Chapters:
0:00 - Storytelling on exam paper backs and camping trips
5:47 - From computer programming to game reviews and street performing
8:28 - Pitching Marvel and DC in a single New York afternoon
10:37 - Why you should never assume a no in advance
17:45 - The pandemic pivot: From comics to 55 novels as Jack Gatland
21:49 - Self-publishing as a publisher who happens to write
28:58 - Writing for Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Marvel
37:57 - The 25 stages of publishing a book (and why writing is only step 1)
48:05 - Why perfectionism kills books and what readers actually care about
53:08 - Why indie creative communities are the land of the Smurfs
56:40 - Finding your way into the room (and what to do when you get there)
I’m Nancy Norbeck, your Messy Muse Mentor. I specialize in using creativity to reconnect people with themselves, so you can make room for things that interest and delight you and feel like you’re actually alive again.
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Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.
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