Have you ever wondered how life’s hardships can be reimagined into a healing narrative? Join us for a heart-to-heart with author Rylo Kinn. He reveals to us his journey from small-town boy to a published author, all while using his love for writing as a therapeutic tool. His profound transformation of personal experiences during trying times, like his divorce and the COVID-19 pandemic, into a powerful work of art, is nothing short of inspiring.
Explore with us as Rylo takes us through his writing process, from the early mornings to crafting lifelike characters from his own experiences. He didn't let darkness define him; instead, he found his true purpose through it and made something beautiful. We also delve deep into overcoming the crippling fears of writing and imposter syndrome that plague many creative minds. Rylo's triumph over these obstacles and the joy of celebrating the success of a published book is a testament to the power of perseverance.
Lastly, we discuss the art of storytelling. How does one transform painful experiences into engaging narratives? Rylo's secret weapon - cliffhangers. The thrill of an unexpected twist keeps his readers hooked, proving that even the most challenging of stories can captivate an audience. We also explore the different appeals of books based on their length and reflect on the influential works of well-renowned authors. So, buckle up for a rollercoaster ride through the transformative power of writing in this not-to-be-missed conversation with Rylo!
https://www.amazon.com/Drakon.../dp/1778228011/ref=sr_1_1...
https://bamboolab3.com/
Have you ever wondered how life’s hardships can be reimagined into a healing narrative? Join us for a heart-to-heart with author Rylo Kinn. He reveals to us his journey from small-town boy to a published author, all while using his love for writing as a therapeutic tool. His profound transformation of personal experiences during trying times, like his divorce and the COVID-19 pandemic, into a powerful work of art, is nothing short of inspiring.
Explore with us as Rylo takes us through his writing process, from the early mornings to crafting lifelike characters from his own experiences. He didn't let darkness define him; instead, he found his true purpose through it and made something beautiful. We also delve deep into overcoming the crippling fears of writing and imposter syndrome that plague many creative minds. Rylo's triumph over these obstacles and the joy of celebrating the success of a published book is a testament to the power of perseverance.
Lastly, we discuss the art of storytelling. How does one transform painful experiences into engaging narratives? Rylo's secret weapon - cliffhangers. The thrill of an unexpected twist keeps his readers hooked, proving that even the most challenging of stories can captivate an audience. We also explore the different appeals of books based on their length and reflect on the influential works of well-renowned authors. So, buckle up for a rollercoaster ride through the transformative power of writing in this not-to-be-missed conversation with Rylo!
https://www.amazon.com/Drakon.../dp/1778228011/ref=sr_1_1...
https://bamboolab3.com/
Hello and welcome to the Bamboo Lab podcast with your host, peak Performance Coach, brian Bosley. Are you stuck on the hamster wheel of life, spinning and spinning but not really moving forward? Are you ready to jump off and soar? Are you finally ready to sculpt your life? If so, you've landed in the right place. This podcast is created and broadcast just for you, all of you strivers, thrivers and survivors out there. If you'd like to learn more about Brian and the Bamboo Lab, feel free to reach out to explore your true peak level at wwwBambooLab3.com.
Speaker 2:Well, welcome everyone to this week's episode of the Bamboo Lab podcast. I want to tell you, every one of you, I appreciate you for coming on today listening. Before we get started, I want you to just take a moment to please rate us, subscribe and share us with three to five people, because today we have a really interesting guest on here. We have Rilo Ken on today, and I have been following Rilo on Instagram for quite a while now and then just lately on Facebook. We've just spoke for the first time today and he's exactly what I was hoping. I just loved his interesting kind of iconoclastic style on Instagram and you know I like people like that. So I'm going to tell you a little bit about him and we're going to bring him on officially. So Rilo was born and raised in Seashell, british Columbia, canada.
Speaker 2:He has a passion for storytelling and began at a pretty young age. He spent his childhood exploring the beautiful natural surroundings of his hometown, sparking his imagination and inspiring his creative talents. As he grew older, rilo's love for writing and storytelling only continued to flourish. His ability to spin a captivating yarn drew people in and he quickly became known as the go-to guy for entertaining stories, despite initially getting into some trouble for his wild imagination. Rilo's mother always believed that if he could harness this artistry, he would go far in life, and she was right man, with the publication of his first poetry, rilo began his journey as an author. Today, he uses his hometown as an inspiration for him. He often draws on his memories of growing up in Seashell in his writings. His ability to blend real world knowledge with mystical and magical elements creates a unique and immersive reading experience that his fans can't get enough of.
Speaker 2:His first book was published in June of 2022 and it's titled the Dragon's Flute, and it's book one of the draconia series. So everyone, I'm going to have a link to this book right at the bottom of the show notes. Please click on it and explore this, and I'll say this a couple of times today, but the first five letters we get in or comments we have coming back, you'll get a free copy of the Dragon's Flute on me sent directly to your home. So, without further ado, from British Columbia, my friend Rilo Kin, welcome to the Bamboo Lab podcast.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me. It's great to be here.
Speaker 2:It's funny because last week, rilo, I did a podcast, I think on Thursday, and my guest was just getting over a cold. I was just starting one. You just got over a cold and I'm about 70% over my cold now. So there's going to be probably some nose sniffling, some sneezing and some coughing and definitely a frog to my voice, but bear with me. So, yeah, it's great to have you. Like I said, I followed you for a while and you always have some cool stuff. I really liked your thing on Godzilla today and how much urine he would have to pass through every day if he was a real creature, and I know you probably liked my comment back. Being in our 50s, we understand what that's like in the middle of the night, that's right.
Speaker 2:Well, rilo, I've gotten to know a little bit about you, but not nearly as much as I'd like to. So can you please spend a few moments telling myself and the Bamboo Pack audience a little bit about yourself, your growing up, your childhood, who or what inspired you to become an author?
Speaker 3:Well, I grew up in a place in an area called Jervis and T-Shelf, basically Away from the city. I'm country, I hunted, I fished, I lived a natural life that way as, growing up, I ended up making my way out to the city, where life kind of changed and yeah, no, I just enjoy the Almauan Abyss right now and that's just my lifestyle out here. I'm a city boy now.
Speaker 2:Well, how big is Seashell?
Speaker 3:Oh Jesus, I would say 15,000-20,000 now but back in the day when I lived there, it was less than that. I know you need 10,000 to make a McDonald's and we never had one.
Speaker 2:Is that really true? You need 10,000 people to make a McDonald's.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what we found out. I remember when Seashell got there first.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, my town only has about 3,000 people and we've had McDonald's for 20 years, but it's a resort town, it's a tourist town, so in the summers it's flooded with people and that's probably how they do their mathematics, I wonder. And a lot of traffic goes by there too. Well, that's great. So you know, it's so funny. I would never have guessed that you were a country boy at heart and hunted and fished. I'm so surprised. But when I talk to my guests people who have made it in life, who are making a difference, who are creating interesting works of art, like yourself how many people came from small towns? I would say it's 85, I bet 85% of my guests are from small towns somewhere in this country or around the world. It's crazy. I would never want to guess that.
Speaker 3:Oh, in touch with nature, in touch with life. It's our spiritual side, right, it's who we are at heart.
Speaker 2:Do you think? I know you view Seashell as an inspiration a lot in your writings Do you think also being in touch with nature and the woods and the rivers and the streams, has that really spawned your curiosity and your artistry?
Speaker 3:I think it kept it pure. It kept it clean. There was no confusion, no outer voices, outer influences, no stereotype stuff. It was just real.
Speaker 2:So when you were young I know we talked prior and you liked a lot of the Marvel comics, growing up where I was more of a DC guy what inspired you? Was there some person, or was there a moment, or was it just the comics that inspired you to want to create fantasy and create worlds in your mind and then on paper?
Speaker 3:Well, you know there is. My roots go way back. I was four years old, I believe, when my dad took me to Vancouver, the big city, to watch a movie in 1977 called Star Wars A New Hope, and we needed to take a ferry to get from Fischel.
Speaker 3:We needed, it was plane, trains and automobile just to see a movie in this era and when I got there I was never the same that George Lucas, star Wars had changed my entire outlook on everything. Up till now, you know, there was nothing like that, right. So I would say it began there and sort of spread seed planters, right. And of course, like you said, the Marvel comic Stan Lee pretty much raves me, so yeah, in the younger years I never really got into the fantasy or anything like that such, until, like, scalibur and Merlin and all those stories started coming out. So yeah, what about it?
Speaker 2:What year did Star Wars come out? Was that 76? 77. 77. 77. I remember going to it Rilo in my hometown of St Ignace, michigan 3,000 people. I don't think there's 3,000 anymore. I know the movie theater downtown, like a lot of small towns did. I remember we went to Rocky Young's 10th birthday party. That was where we went for it to my buddy Rocky's 10th birthday party and I remember to this day when they opened up those first scenes. I think it maybe was the beginning, where it was, you know, long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away. I remember this was larger than life for me. I mean, it was like what in the hell is happening to my life now and I'm not a massive.
Speaker 1:Star.
Speaker 2:Wars fan. I've seen them all, but my son's like Star Wars a lot more than I do. But I just remember my whole world changed Like nothing will ever be the same again for the way we process art and process films and process things like that. It was like that changed everything and I'll never forget that. That and the movie Jaws when I saw that on the theater for the first time the two moments of my life I did swim for months. I didn't need that. I wouldn't even go to the pools.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was the worst. You talk about Stanley and even though I was, I was more of a DC guy. You know it's that guy, stanley, for anybody out there who's never looked into Stanley. Stanley was the creator of so many of the Marvel characters. I think he created the Fantastic Four and you know he was. I could be wrong on all of his creations, but he was the spearhead behind the more the Marvel success story, marvel comics he is. He is a business guy, he is man, he is just an interesting guy, like he's see. I know he passed away just not long ago, a few years ago, but he listened to him being interviewed and his life story. It's so fascinating that because he was always so, seemed always so laid back, but yet so ambitious at the same time. He had that kind of right mixture of you know, took life seriously at times when necessary, but most of the time he took himself very, very lightly. You know he didn't take himself seriously at all. He was very self deprecating and you know I just like that style about him.
Speaker 3:Well, he's the guy you could see at a coffee shop and start chatting with him. Not know who he is.
Speaker 2:Exactly and which, which were his main characters he created?
Speaker 3:Well, he's a spider man, dude one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:I know the whole because I know there's a couple of you that he did with partners.
Speaker 1:I can't remember his name.
Speaker 3:I'm somewhere, but he, he wasn't the creator of all the characters.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 3:Mostly took them all and made the Marvel live right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there was a character that they didn't believe Maybe it was Spider-Man that they said there were not, nobody likes spiders. And then, but there was a comic book that was going out, you know. So he, he said, well, I'm going to put Spider-Man in that, in that series as kind of an ending in or like the final thing, and he stuck, he snuck Spider-Man in there in that. That episode just sold out. So then Spider-Man I think it was Spider-Man and then became this classic. Then they, you know, he had his own series and he took off and now is probably one of the most well-renowned superheroes of all time, up there with Superman and Batman and maybe Iron man, I don't know, yeah, which are DC.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I go back to my DC roots, so you know when you, as you, what your book was created was published just over a year ago, this past summer, what? Since you started writing the book the Dragon's Flute, what was? What have? What have you been your learnings from the minute you kind of maybe you've been writing it for a few years, I don't know but when you really started getting into the seriousness of getting that book done until today. What have been some of your biggest learnings that you've had during that timeframe?
Speaker 3:Oh geez, I have to say. I mean, everybody says writing the book is what you do and then you're an author. One really half of it's writing the book, the other half is the social media and advertising. But getting your name out there, that's a whole different world. I'd have to say that's the help of my friend who got me going in all this. He's a more marketer and one of the things I learned from her alone were just crazy. So I would have to say, in the last year, I learned a lot about the marketing end and doing with public and just writing for the genre, the commercials and stuff. But writing the book itself, I've been doing it for a lot of years. I never. I did it as a hobby and I actually started some of the characters in the Dungeons and Dates Dragons games I played when I was in my late teens, and so I didn't really start jotting it down until my later twenties and then, like I said, I just put it down for a year or two and just leave it at bay.
Speaker 3:But then in 2018, I got into a divorce and well, it was probably one of the toughest moments for my life, a big struggle. It was a nasty divorce that lasted a few years, so, and then there were real realHS plays and stuff. Because there was stuff like that in I was. A friend of mine said hey, you know, because I was kind of getting into a feeling depression. I was certain I'll really lose myself. And I had no, all our friends were our friends for 20 years. There was nobody, no family, around. So I found myself trapped in this house until through the divorce and, of course, just when things are starting to look good, covid hit.
Speaker 3:So then I was trapped in the house for another couple of years, but so, but during that, a friend came and said well, I know you talk about this book. Well, you do something about it. So when I started writing it in 2018, I ended up rewriting it in its entirety, and I I thought it was more therapy than anything. I didn't plan on publishing, I just just getting me through the day. And so as the book came more developed, more developed, a friend of mine I meant, who was a marketer, started reading it and she said you know, we should really do something with it. And I was like, oh, okay, you know I'm, I'm more like, oh, this told me all of my darkest time by writing a book. I don't know if I really want to put all this on the table, but she convinced me. And then age 49, which is peculiar I published my first book, and so that's the roots of the story and how it came to be.
Speaker 2:Well, I love the subtitle. I guess it was what we call it. I like the quote the true darkness isn't the lack of light, it's the lack of hope.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:That almost sounds like the Spider-Man, where there is great power, where there is great responsibility, or comes there. It's almost that prophetic and that powerful. I mean so this. So everybody out there, you listening out there this book has a 4.6 star rating on Amazon right now. So if you want to give this a look, I'd like you to click on the link below. Like I said, first five people, you're going to get a copy for me. Ryla, when you were, you said you writing this book was obviously during a difficult time the divorce and then you, you know you kind of felt like you're losing yourself when COVID hit. You know we're all stuck inside and it was a dark time for a lot of people. Did you? You use it as therapy? Did you also end the characters in the book and the plot and of that, did you use some of your own internal experiences and thoughts and feelings while you were writing it?
Speaker 3:Absolutely Every character has a bolt of energy coming from everything that I experienced and the story goes and shows characters and you'll know as reading the book that each character has its own little story, which is a part of what I went through. I just little pieces in each character to expand their depth and yes, yeah, you, there's a lot of emotion in these characters.
Speaker 2:So I mean, I think that's. I just want to stop for a minute because I, you know I when we think about the difficult times we go through in life divorce, financial problems, depression, anxiety, you know, health concern, whatever we might go through, we there's so many routes we can take with that. We can sit back and just kind of let the world kind of tumble over us. We can feel hopelessness and despair, we can feel pity, whatever it might be, or you can take those moments and really find some purpose in it, and that's what you did here. And I do believe I believe this wholeheartedly that we don't find our purpose in life in the moments that are brightest. We find those moments our purpose in those moments when we feel that sometimes, at our lowest or our darkest, it's the things that we worry about at three o'clock in the morning, that we get up and fret over within those moments of our lives lies somewhere in there, and that lining lives our purpose. And so anybody out there right now going through something, you don't have to be a writer. You can be anything. You are, you can. However, whatever you're going through, you can take those dark moments and make something beautiful out of it. It doesn't have to be a work of art, it can be something else. It can be a time you put towards your self-development and self-care, time you put toward others and loved ones, time you put towards your job, your career, your fitness, your business, a side hustle, whatever it might be, because, remember, the true darkness isn't the lack of light, it's the lack of hope. So don't worry about the light around you, don't worry about the hope that's inside you. Man, I love that.
Speaker 2:I'm on my iPad right now and I've had your books. I had my cart, so I'm trying to order it, but I don't ever really work my iPad other than with my. I only use it for my podcast. So I'm going to order it as soon as I get off here and have it shipped overnight, so I can, because I'm just finishing up a book right now called the I don't know Debt Winner, I don't know.
Speaker 2:It's called something the Debt of Winner, and it's about this group of people who get stuck in some avalanche going to some Rocky Mountain retreat and they're all strangers. Their bus go, breaks down, they go to a cabin and, one by one, every one of them starts dying. They're getting their heads chopped off and they don't know which one of the people it is. So it's like a who done it? Murder mystery all set in this little cabin in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, and it's good. It's a good book, but it's it's. I'm really ready to be over, I'll be done with it, so I'm looking forward to jumping on to the dragon's flute next here. So the next question I always ask, raiolo, as people are curious, and you kind of alluded to it, I think, or a few moments ago but what was one of the most difficult things you've gone through in your life? And then, how did you overcome it? You might have answered that already, with your divorce and everything, but can you explain on that, extrapolate that a little more?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would say, I mean, I've been through a lot like everybody else, but it was the divorce really hit me hard. It was like, yeah, I still yeah, it was a tough time for me and that's why I and I use, that's why we use writing for it. So that's yeah. I did answer that, yeah.
Speaker 2:Do you think, had you not gone through the divorce and kind of that, that, that that's almost some depression, kind of lost you up and then COVID hit. Do you think if those things wouldn't have lined up, the dragon's flute wouldn't be of something out there right now? Do you think it wouldn't be something you created? It would have taken more years or.
Speaker 3:That's hard to say. I mean this I you could usually say years prior. If I Didn't go through, if I made this, certain decisions like, say, I never got married and I took a left instead of a right the book could have been a done a lot sooner. So I don't think that way. No, I just think that everything happens for a reason and I think that both came out as for me, to help myself and to push forward to help other people who can't understand relate to the characters.
Speaker 2:And I think that might be more of it too is you know, I know I don't write fiction at all. I do a lot of writing, but I don't write fiction. I write, I journal a lot. I've journaled for six, six mornings every week and I find that when life is going really well for me, my journal entries are pretty light and they're not. There's not a lot of depth to them. But, man, when I'm going through a dark time, or my journal entries, man, they're, they're deep and I can really flush out some emotions. And I just wonder, you know, had you not gone through that while you were writing, would you flush out the characters like you did?
Speaker 3:It sparked it. The characters were definitely inspired and, yes, okay, I will agree in there for a bit. But, um, yes, I Think that now, like especially like, I'm writing book to, it's a lot of my confusion right now. I'm a book ahead of everybody and yeah, and the state of mind and everything.
Speaker 3:But now I'm writing book to, I'm actually Controlling these emotions and making them. I'm writing them now rather than they're Inspired by the, the heart shape or hard, the heartaches I went through. But, yeah, no, there initially you're, I think, and you're right, yeah, draconian, the dragon flute. A lot of that was very well needed to have that dark edge from my life to inspire. You know, and I think you're absolutely right too, I think everybody needs something like that. They needed to To go to. You need to hit rock bottom in order to get back up, right.
Speaker 2:I think in a lot of states writing this book, the characters are definitely, definitely when I made it so real, so vivid, without it you know, we've had a lot of writers on the podcast, authors on the podcast and and I don't know if I ever asked this question, but I'm curious and I know a lot of other people, because I think people we talked about this a little bit before that we started recording. Today, people have a book out, especially when it's in the public sector. You can buy it on you know different formats and Amazon. You see it in social media. You see it out there. You see the bookstores. You see that person as just different. Oh they, they have a magic to them. They were born that way. The writing comes easy to them, you know, but I don't believe that it may for a few.
Speaker 2:But I think most people put a lot of work into this. This is a gritty industry. So I'm curious of how do you? Is there a certain protocol? You take a rilo that gets you in the mood to write, and then what does your day look like? How do you structure your writing schedule? Is it just whatever you feel it, or do you have to sit to write to feel it, or what does it look like?
Speaker 3:Oh, with me. I wake up at six in the morning and I write usually around noon, sometimes way past Some days. I'll look at it and just not feel it. Some people call it writer's block, but I just think writing isn't the nine to five job you do when you feel it. So People I mean it's funny because you're right people think that a writer is Somebody so different and special. I think most of us are emotional racks. I mean, just the other day it was so awesome I was in a meat store in the girls staring at me and staring at me and I was kind of wondering what was going on.
Speaker 3:She ran out if you're rival, ken, and I said, yeah, who are you? I know, I want I just I'm just me, I'm yeah, I won't really excited, so excited. She was excited, but I was like you know why don't we just chat, go for coffee or whatnot? Right, like I, I'm not, I'm nothing what people think I am, I'm just normal Joe.
Speaker 2:Hey, rilo, I've seen, I've seen all your social media stuff. You do stand out. Thank you, you do, brother, you stand out, it was. It was that that's the presence that I thought, that I that intrigued me to say let's talk to this guy and get him on here. So, so, you know, I, when you said you get up at six and you're right till roughly noon and sometimes it's coming, sometimes it's not. It reminds me what Jerry Seinfeld said he just made sure he wrote a joke every day, every day, and he had a calendar on his wall through and he had made sure that was circled every single day. And I'm like it's just that consistency that sometimes you create Shit, sometimes you create magic, sometimes it's in the middle.
Speaker 3:Sometimes you create something horrible, but then once you go into the store and you come back, you realize that that's a good piece over here, this actually fits, or this is doable now, right, you can't panic about writing. You just a lot of people do that to themselves, right. They just they think they have to have it written, blah, blah, blah. And and I imagine if you're working for, like Disney or something, there's a lot more pressure on for those people but it's an average writer or somebody that's a hobbyist and stuff. You just sort of come when you want it to come.
Speaker 2:I Think that's you know. Look, one thing you just said you can't panic about writing. I have been working on this book for Most of the people listening at least the Members that have been with me for a while, their subscribers for so many years and I put a deadline on it finally, and I want to get it done. I do panic about it. I don't like to. I like to write short little things like little motivational things or thought-provoking Ideas or thoughts.
Speaker 2:I don't like to sit down at right, and so when I walk by my laptop and it's over there, my book is open, I literally get nervous and I have a hard time starting the process because, like, it's daunting to me and I think part of me is also who the hell wants to hear what I have to say? You know, there's that, that, that there's that. You know, is that that imposter syndrome? There's a little posture there on my shoulder when nobody wants to hear what you have to say. Don't know, no point wasting your time writing this book. Nobody's gonna read this thing anyway. And who are you just to write this stuff down and give advice or whatever it is, you know. And so I just circled your advice. You can't panic about writing, because I think I'll put that right on my desk actually a little a frame that and set it. We're on the sticky note. Anyway, don't panic about writing, right.
Speaker 3:He Panic, I just got it.
Speaker 2:Don't took the writing part Well it's I get the dope, don't panic part, but both the writing, that's where I panic most in life. So, so, when you're as a writer, when you know you got the book published, you know, just 16 months ago or so, when it came out in the summer of 22 Now this young lady walked up to you, this person in the day, and say, hey, you're Rylo kin. That's a cool feeling. So, as a writer, oh, it's really. But what's a real win for you as an author? What do you consider like? That's a really great feeling that as an author. Is there anything?
Speaker 3:the thing for me would be actually, I, just I book is now being put in bookstores I have a one in cold abbey and chapters and cook with them, and I think that the wind was. Every time I walk by these stores, I always picture my book on the shelf, and now I have commercials of me with book on the shelves and I'm sold me for just the beginning. Right, I mean, the wind would be worldwide, right, right, but, but this, this is a win, and there's no more better feeling than to walk by a bookstore and see your book displayed out front that's the way.
Speaker 2:That's a great way to me because it's it's different to build. I mean, everybody puts their heart and soul into their art, their work, whatever their work is, and I think there's a special connection between an author and his or her book because I mean I know if I created a better coffee mug let's say I'm looking at my coffee mug right now so I would be really proud of it. I would be really proud of this. I created a really cool design, ergonomically designed coffee mug that keeps your coffee cold, warm, you know, up to seven hours a day, whatever it might be.
Speaker 2:That's really cool and there's a lot to be proud of something like that. But when you write a book, every word you write is a creation and there are literally tens of thousands of words in a book that it's like your whole heart and soul can go into a book and I can't even imagine you know what that feels like when you see somebody picking it up or you see it on the shelf, or you see it in the window or you hear somebody talking about how it affected them. It's got to be the most amazing feeling in the world.
Speaker 3:Oh, even I think the first time I had the euphoria of that great feelings when it first came back from the editor and I reread it. You know it's a little more straight, clean, cut from there. It was just little steps all the way up to the bookshelf, right. And yeah, working on the artist I mean the author's novels are babies, right, it's her child and a lot of my author friends I know even celebrate their birthdays of each book.
Speaker 2:So that's a great idea.
Speaker 3:Pretty close. Yeah, I know, I missed mine last year. Well, I guess I'm not a good dad.
Speaker 2:Well, you can get this. You just have to double down on the second birthday, then I will, I will, I. The book was too young to know. Anyway, the book didn't know any better. Yeah, you know, I still.
Speaker 2:I celebrate the anniversary of my business every year. In fact, it's coming up on 27 years here on the 20th of November and I literally bought myself, I buy myself a gift every year. I've missed a couple years. I started off with the first couple years I didn't have any money. I buy myself a book, you know, like a book that I could want, that I wanted to read. Now today actually came in the mail. Today was a really nice briefcase slash backpack combination that I've been wanting. So I bought it.
Speaker 2:From my 27th anniversary and because it is a way, there's a, there's a, there's a celebratory, there's a, there's a, there's a proud moment when you have your, you know your book, your anniversary of your book or your business or your product here and it's not unlike you know, family, a wedding or an anniversary or a child maybe not the same, but it's still pretty cool, man, it's best, especially when you have a cool tagline like true, darkness isn't the lack of light, it's a lack of hope. I don't care what my AI does artificial intelligence because they always give me a bunch of book recommendations. That is going to be the book title, the title of this episode, without a doubt. I'm super sitting my AI recommendations. That's such a cool statement. I love it. I love that one.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna have one on each book. There's like four more coming. Oh so and yeah, positive statement to smash the book itself.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love that. So when? When can we expect the release of book two?
Speaker 3:Book two, my. I'm releasing it next year. My title, to tell you, my first draft came over to 700 pages, but calm it down a bit. I'm trying to keep it within the 560 to 600 page for each novel For many reasons. My book artist, for one, wants to keep everything in sort of check. But yeah, so next year and then after that I already like I've already written them all in my head about getting them on paper.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, I know what.
Speaker 3:I'm wearing a couple years.
Speaker 2:The Dragon's Flute has what? 587 pages, something like that I saw.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good. That's a good length of a book. I get dischanted and all that's disheartening. I guess maybe it's disheartening by books that are thousand pages. And then sometimes you get a book that's 250 pages. And then sometimes you get a book that's 250 pages and I'm like I really want to read it because I'm going to be done in a day or two and I have to buy another book, you know. So I like that. You know right, 400 to 600 page range, that's kind of my sweet spot for fiction anyway.
Speaker 3:Well, there's um and this one, the first two chapters. There's a lot of world building. I always tell people, just just enjoy the ride, don't really try to control your, your journey, it's going to control you for you. And once you get to that three chapters, this 600 page book just blurs by. I've had people that they were just blown away. They just couldn't put it down because that's always cliffhangers. There's always something that's edging you onto the next page. So Everybody's like I just read your book in a week, where's the next one coming up? I'm like, oh no, shouldn't it be the longer?
Speaker 2:Well, who's that author that? I think the first book was the name of the wind or name the wind or name of the wind. He's kind of in the in the same. Jean Jean Regis with his first two books were, I think, to first. Two or three were just smash bestsellers and then everybody's been waiting like 10 years for the third book. I hear I have a guy have two copies of the first book. I've never read it but my son lost swears by it. He's read the first two and he's been waiting for I think a decade now for the third book. I'm like man, that's probably. The books are like a thousand pages long. They're really, really thick.
Speaker 3:So yeah, the game of thrones equally right. Oh gosh, in between books, yeah.
Speaker 2:You know I loved the first two. I read them, I devoured them and then I got halfway through the third one and I just was tired and so I put it down. And then I went through and started watching the TV, the TV series. But I would read. I only read up until the first two seasons and I thought I'm not going to go any further. But now I'm just blowing through the series on TV again because they I know they're different anyway to some degree, but I know they were gaffed. But I didn't know the gas because I read them late. So I think I bet the first four books were already written before I even started writing or reading them. So yeah, like that. So I know my son in college, he started, just started reading just for fun this fall all the all the Harry Potter's again. He just said I love. He loved those when he was a kid. I'm going to read him again. He really enjoyed him. He's really enjoying the second time around to. I know those are those are.
Speaker 3:Those fold a lot of, oh, I know they did.
Speaker 2:I think it made JK Rowling a fairly wealthy person.
Speaker 3:Well, I even thought she's the first billionaire author and she's not even billionaire staff, because she she donates so much so she's.
Speaker 2:She's just a brilliant man so she has made more than Stephen King all the. Yeah, well, let's, let's hope the dragon draconian series to get some, get some TV, some film time, some silver screen time in the future.
Speaker 3:I keep shouting out hey, netflix over here.
Speaker 2:Well, time will tell. Time will tell, man, I'm looking forward to it now that we've talked. I'm even more excited about it now that we've talked, so, um. So I have a question. If I were to come to seashell today and I'm gonna bring my time machine and we're gonna get in it, we're gonna go back to that, that young boy who's kind of using he, he's a good storyteller Maybe get into a little mischief with his storytelling a little bit and you could sit down with that younger version of yourself and you could sit down and just give advice, and I'm gonna sit back and just observe. What would you say to your younger, much younger storytelling self? I?
Speaker 3:Would say never, ever stop. That makes you happy. Don't think about money, don't think about fame, don't think about the bookshelf. Just write the story. Yeah, that's all I would say. Just go for it, just continue your path. All the bumps, all the hills, all the pain, all the good times, that's all gonna amount to one thing at the end that's only advice.
Speaker 2:Well, you know that's such a good piece of. I just finished this morning listening to the unaudible, the memoirs of a Matthew Perry who just passed away from the Friends series. Oh yeah, I tell you, if you get a chance to listen to his, his, his autobiography, it is Fascinating. And he just finished this app was after COVID and then, of course, he died last week or two weeks, you know, a couple of weeks ago. So when I, when I heard he died, I I had heard about this book so I bought it and I just listened to it. I was traveling and finished it this morning as I was kind of getting ready for work, and One of the things he talks about in there is his whole quest in life was to be famous.
Speaker 2:That was what he wanted to be famous. Famous. His dad was, was always trying to be famous and never really made it as dad didn't as an actor, but he was. You know, he was up, he was did some acting and he realized after all this drug addiction and alcoholism and all the Depression he went through him he was taking 60 viket in a day. Matthew Perry was 60 viket in a day. He went through detox 56 times. You know it took him decades to get over this and he realized that it wasn't the fame he wanted. In fact, he said I would give up this fame in a minute to overcome this addictions that I've carried. You know, you think about that and so many people start off in these worlds of of Celebrityism, whatever it might be, and whether you're going to be an actor or a singer or an author, and we think what we really want is we want to be famous and that's a nice add of the bonk benefit. But if we go into it with that mentality, that's why we're doing it. We're gonna sell a lot of our souls to get there and I just love it.
Speaker 2:You know your advice is spot-on never, ever stop. If it makes you happy, don't think about being famous, just right. So for you out there, listening for anything you're doing right now, don't think about fame, don't think about necessarily even the effect. If it makes you happy, just do it and keep doing it. Keep make, keep, keep getting better, every, every single day. Just don't ever, never, ever stop, just right, or whatever it is you do. Perfect advice. So I don't have to ask. The next question is what? Which is what's next for you? I know what it is. It's book number two Coming out in 24. You already got books three and four in your head. So Anything else, any other projects you're working on or anything in your personal life that's kind of interesting and fun that you're excited about.
Speaker 3:I actually I've got two side projects for other book series that I have piles and notes that I've been sort of you know in and out of. I mean, of course I'm gonna finish to call you enough To the end, but now I'm getting eager on. These projects are Definitely cool. It's gonna be a little bit different. We'll quite a bit different, okay.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, they're not. Um, no, no, no, just uh. I want to travel the world. That's all I want to do these days, but I'm at the age of no kids, no wife, so I've been spending a lot of time in the planes Trying to see everything and absorb as much as I can on this beautiful planet. That's about it.
Speaker 2:What's been what? What has been your probably your favorite destination so far?
Speaker 3:um, I think Cuba was kind of fun. I've been there a couple times, um, but I'm still early at traveling, so when I, uh, I get through Italy and Rome and all that stuff, I'll let you know.
Speaker 2:I like that. Better, yet better, yet good, good, right, those we begin to wrap up our conversation. Is there any question that I didn't ask, that you wish I would have? Or is there any final message you want to leave with us today?
Speaker 3:All I'll say is that writing, writing, saved me. I think writing pulled me out of a dark place, and writing has always been a hobby. If, if you ever Want to do anything in life, you just focus your heart on it, you focus your soul, go for it and never, never give up, never quit and, most importantly, do it for yourself. That's all I gotta say. Have a good day.
Speaker 2:I love that so much, so I'm gonna repeat that everyone Look at with rila when he went through, writing saved him. It pulled him out of a dark place and so, whatever, whatever you're going through right now, it's a really good opportunity to say, okay, what do I really like to do? What is it that I really find passion for? What's? Where can I maybe find my purpose in these dark moments and then focus your heart and soul on it? Never, ever give up.
Speaker 2:Rila, I can't imagine a better way to end today's conversation. I asked you before if you could stand for a few minutes after we wrap up, but in the meantime that was a lot of fun. I knew when we started talking today, before we started recording, we were going to have a lot of fun and I really, really liked what you had to say and I again, I love the statement whole of oh gosh. Now I might come to my thing shut off, but I'm going to say I'm going to read it again because I want to end with this one that true darkness isn't the lack of light, it is the lack of hope. Rila Ken, I thank you so much for being such a fun guest on the bamboo lab podcast.
Speaker 3:Thanks a lot for having me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's a pleasure, and I can't wait to get you back on once book two goes into publication so we can talk about that book.
Speaker 3:Sounds wonderful.
Speaker 2:All right, great, great. Everyone out there, please click on the show notes today. Look down at At uh Rila's book, the dragon's flute. Click on, explore it, buy it and again, the first five people who reach out to me Then tell us what this episode did to you. You're going to get a free copy from me Directly sent to your home or office. Thank you all for tuning in. I appreciate you all. Talk to you all in a few days. In the meantime, remember to get out there and strive, love and live.