Friday, February 1st, 2019, marks the release of my third unique title in four years (I actually released a second edition of my first book, “From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story” in 2017). Though I’ve been an avid fan of books from just about all genres, I admit that non-fiction has been (and in my mind, still is) my staple. For some reason, I’ve always found true tales to be more fascinating than those that are creations of an author’s imagination. But something changed just two weeks ago.boo
First, if you nearly spilled your coffee or water reading that last sentence, wondering if this book went from concept to publication in such a short amount of time, my apologies, but you read that right.
On January 16th, I was chatting with a friend on social media, wondering what it would be like if a certain political analyst found herself stuck in an elevator with the most unlikely of persons. That conversation became the catalyst by which my imagination gave birth to the story’s main characters: Tami Noble and Nigel Strong.
From start to finish, it took me roughly one hour and fifteen minutes to write the initial draft of “Stuck In An Elevator”; yes, that’s right—a manuscript completed, from start to finish, in just under 90 minutes! In fact, editing and proofing it took much longer.
In any case, what I learned on that day is that fiction, under the right circumstances, can be as powerful a catalyst for introspection as are real-life stories. What I also learned through writing and publishing my first novelette, is that during the creative process, it is quite possible for the writer to learn from the characters he or she creates. You might wonder how that is possible when the author is creating all the elements of the story, but what many a writer will tell you is that oftentimes, these stories begin with a simple concept, but then take off and sort of “write themselves”; which begs to question, is the artist a creator, or merely a vessel for “the creative force”?
If you asked me to answer that question, my response would be to call all artists “conduits.” Who can create unless they are inspired? And inspiration is almost always triggered by an outside source of motivation (I’ve actually done motivational speeches around that very point—no pun intended). In any case, the truth is that “Stuck In An Elevator” would not have happened were it not for two outside sources of motivation (I mentioned one here; the other is acknowledged in the acknowledgements section of the book).
Some might call my experience with this book, “serendipity”; others may call it luck. What do I call it? I choose to call it “a gift,” and I am happy to be able to share that gift with you, one that is currently only available in Apple iBooks and Amazon Kindle. (Many have asked if I plan to release it in paperback and I have to say that while this was originally planned as an eBook-only title, already high demand for a print version has forced me to begin formatting it for print—stay tuned for more details.)
In closing, if you’re wondering what has been the biggest effect of “Stuck…” on me? I’ll have to answer that with a question…
Though I can quite easily pull a story out of thin air to entertain a group of friends or kids (just ask anyone who knows me), I have always described myself as a non-fiction author; but with the release of this, my latest work, can I still wear that label?
All the Best!
–MT
(“Stuck In An Elevator”, the third release from Author Matt D. Talford, is available on Apple iBooks and Amazon Kindle for $2.99. Click the book image above for more details.)
Matt D. Talford is a writer, narrator, and author of three books: “Stuck In An Elevator” – a fictitious tale of passion and self-discovery; “Captain’s Mate: A Practical Guide for Tennis Captains, League Players and High School Coaches”; and his award-winning debut title: ”From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story” – a memoir about overcoming a rare form of what he calls “the C-word.” All three books are currently available in either paperback on this website, at Amazon or at eBay; or in eBook format on Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks. “From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story” is also available in audiobook (narrated by Talford himself) at iTunes, audible.com, and at many other sites where audiobooks are sold. For information on these and other products, click the “Products” link in the menu.
