We recently connected with Parker J. Cole and have shared our conversation below.
Parker J., thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Space. The Final Frontier.
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.
It’s continuing mission to explore strange, new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.
Creativity is the universe. A writer’s medium is the ship to explore it.
Growing up, I watched sci-fi movies with my grandmother. She is the sower of imagination as she taught my siblings and I how to read and write. From my earliest memories, I always knew I wanted to be a writer.
Star Trek represents the epitome of imagination and creativity for me. How far can you go? To the farthest star … and straight on till morning.
Creativity continues as long as you continue to have wonder about people, history, events, and cultivate a child-like fascination with the unknown. If you have a child-like determination to continue when everyone else says you can’t. Creativity remains alive when you stop focusing on the inward and reach outward toward a new goal, a new understanding, and meet new people.
In my work as a historical romance writer, I find wonder in the world that once was. Billions of people have come and gone on this lovely, pale blue ball. People who had experienced the plethora of the human experience from tragedy to triumph and then back again. The more I research the past, the more I discover that people are the same no matter if they are driving in carriages or flying about in flying cars. We love, we hate, we cry, we laugh, we grow.
Creativity remains alive as long as we remember that we are alive.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As a historical romance writer, I love exploring history through the vehicle of romance. The dynamics of romantic relationships fascinate me. After all, how can love grow between bitter enemies? Why should a platonic friendship not suffice? How can two people love each other when they’ve only met on their wedding day?
In these tropes, and among the historical backdrop of the world, we see our couple come through numerous obstacles on their pathway to togetherness and on to a better tomorrow.
History tells the same story over and over again. If you don’t where you’ve been, how can you know where you’re going? We see images in movies where a person is lost, and they mark an X on a tree or on the ground, so they know the pathway they’ve already taken. To not know history is to not know where the X is.
That’s what excites me about historical romance. I can learn history and weave a love story within its confines.
Currently, I am working on a series called Love and Calculations. It’s a lighthearted series about good, pampered (but not spoiled) princesses who fall in love with brilliant awkward men. The backdrop is during the Industrial Revolution as technology started to increase. In particular with this series, it’s meant to show how scientists of the era (in this regard, amateur scientists, inventors, and the like) depended on the women in their lives. I was thinking about Louis Pasteur, John Lister, and others who relied on their wives in their scientific pursuits. So that was the genesis of this series.
I also like to help other authors in this thing called writing. I’ve been writing since 2011, and I’ve made a ton of mistakes, bloopers, and cringeworthy moments. Lately, I’ve begun to think that I’ve got something to share so I’ve just started a series called Parker’s Writerly Thoughts on my YouTube channel and will share my thoughts about things.
Lastly, I’ve had a podcast for the past twelve years where I showcase Christian authors worldwide. I’ve met so many great authors from different walks of life with different stories to tell. It’s been fun.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Accepting criticism would be the number one thing that has made my journey impactful. Reading and writing are subjective fields so you’re not going to appeal to everyone. Yet, the mechanics of a story is the same regardless of what you’re writing. The fact that people are willing to give you constructive criticism, when they don’t have to, is worth the discomfort of being corrected.
Building relationships with people is another skillset. People bring their ideas, thoughts, skills, and more to a relationship with you. It doesn’t have to be a friendship or a romantic relationship. Collaboration is good and building a network with others can be helpful as well. It’s not always what you know, but who you know. When you have people in your circle of influence, you have a currency of unlimited value.
Being a lifelong student of the craft you’re a part of. Know that you can never arrive because it takes a lifetime to learn all you know and even then, there’s a debt. Learning keeps you in the seat of humbleness and keeps you on the edge of wonder. When someone becomes a lawyer, they have to take continuing classes about the laws. When you become a surgeon, you learn about new techniques. Also be willing to learn and keep learning.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
I showcase Christian authors worldwide so if you want to be on my podcast, give me a holler and we’ll see if we can make it happen!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://parkerjcole.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkerjcole/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorparkerjcole/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ParkerJCole
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ParkerJColeAuthor
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B007ZSEDE4/allbooks
Image Credits
Books covers by EDH Graphics
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
