We were lucky to catch up with Lamar Neal recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lamar, 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?
That’s been a question I’ve asked myself a lot in the past six months. I’ve been creatively depleted lately and it wasn’t until I went on vacation I realized why: I’ve allowed the mundanity of life to sweep me away.
To keep creativity alive is to find ways to make life and keep it interesting. Break from your norm. It doesn’t even have to be a grandiose change, like traveling to another country or wandering the streets until 3am. A subtle disruption to the regularly scheduled program can and will kickstart the brain and thus creativity. Something as simple as trying different foods or switching up your route to work.
Without belaboring the point or getting into the weeds of everything I’ve done, I’ve been leaning into my impulsive nature more, stepping outside of my comfort zone, and trying different things. In the past two weeks, I’ve gone bar hopping, which I rarely do —I’m a homebody –, impulsively got a tattoo, engaged in conversations I would otherwise avoid, and started listening to different music and podcasts.
The moment I forgot to live was the moment I lost my desire to create.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a poet and author, who writes poetry as a reflection of the world, and creative writing to escape that world. It’s been that way my entire life.
Poetry is a visceral response to life. When life gives me lemons, I squeeze them onto the page. My poems, though not exclusively one note, primarily centers around tragedies of society or my personal feelings. The way I see it: life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, so let’s talk about it. I’ve published three poetry collections since 2017, Charm Bracelet, We All Need Therapy, and [Pale] and I used each to either provide social commentary or as therapy.
Charm Bracelet (2017) explored the nature of my romantic relationships and situationships. With We All Need Therapy (2019) I wanted to discuss often taboo or controversial topics such as racism, homophobia, police brutality, toxic masculinity, family dynamics and religion while simultaneously arguing that everyone –myself included– would benefit from therapy. In 2020, I published [Pale], an amalgam of themes I touched on in my previous world.
I started writing poetry at 13 years old to regulate my emotions, and till this day, it continues to be therapy. I used to describe my poetry as “poetic rants.” Poetic as I’m not afraid to use poetic devices, but rants because sometimes you just need to get some shit off your chest.
Then, there is my creative writing. I like to think of my novels as whimsical, lighthearted and random takes on real life. Creative writing is my chance to reimagine the world, not to create a “perfect world”; instead, to tell the audience “everything will be alright” through the eyes and experiences of my characters.
I started my career as a published author in 2015, publishing a contemporary novel, A Misc. Eden (Pronounced A Miscellaneous Eden). It follows a kid, Adam, who cannot remember anything before his 10th birthday, leading him to believe his mother is a goddess who created him and the world. Enthralled by James Joyce’s Dubliners at the time, I desperately wanted to write a collection of short stories. The same characters kept speaking to me, and I ended up writing an entire novel around them, but each chapter is a self-contained story… A story I told out of order because I wanted to make it a fever dream.
In 2022, I published my second novel, Stages, a romance comedy- drama. It’s a story about two twenty-something college students who befriend each other and eventually fall in love during the most difficult times of their lives.
If readers pick up a Lamar Neal novel they can expect fun loving, story-driven stories, featuring black characters.
Sometimes it feels like life is dog-piling us and that happiness is temporary. I want my novels to be the opposite, overflowing in fun, whimsical lighthearted happenings.
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?
I like to think my discipline, a passion for the art, and having thick skin benefited me most throughout my creative journey.
Discipline is key to being an artist. So many people ask me “how do I write a book?” and I always start with the most basic answer: “write it.” You gotta be disciplined enough to take the time, no matter how busy your day is, to actually write the book. For my last novel, I woke up two hours early every morning to get some writing in before work. I wrote every break and lunch break. Then, when I got home, I wrote some more. A dream is only a dream without action.
This may sound obvious, but create with a passion for the art. If you’re writing for fortune and fame, not only will your work reflect the lack of passion, but you’re most likely going to be disappointed. When I started my journey, I imagined myself being Scrooge McDonald, swimming in cash– I might have aged myself with that reference. I learned QUICKLY that most authors, myself included, aren’t breaking the bank. That shouldn’t deter you. Keep writing. Tell the stories you need/needed to read. My mantra is “someone out there needs to read your story.” That’s more important than a dollar.
Because you’re putting yourself and your work out there for public consumption, you need to have thick skin. Everyone won’t like your work, and that’s okay. Everyone won’t support you. That’s a harder one to accept. Some of the people who love you most will support you less than a stranger. Just don’t get caught up in bad reviews or on who did or didn’t buy your book. It’ll drive you crazy. All bad reviews hurt, but not all bad reviews are hurtful. Use constructive criticism to better yourself and your work. Ignore everything else. And try not to let the lack of support dissuade you. Write your story. Show the world. Some people will hate it, others will love it. Some people will support you, others won’t.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
Marketing, hands down. It always has been.
I started writing to give life to these characters and places in my head, not run a business. It threw me for a whirl when I learned being an indie author is pretty much running a business.
When I wrote my first novel, “A Misc. Eden,” I played Kanye West “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” on repeat. I was on a natural high. I was so proud of myself. Then, when I published the novel, it hit me: “nobody knows who you are.” I had to promote the book. More than promoting it, I had to convince people to spend their hard-earned money on an unknown book from an unknown author. That knocked the wind out of me.
Giant corporations like Apple, Samsung, or Disney spend millions of dollars hiring the best marketers, innovators, and creators to not only put out a great product, but also to attract and maintain an audience through comprehensive marketing. I don’t have millions of dollars as an indie author so higher a team to promote my novel. I didn’t go to school for marketing. I’m just a dreamer.
Marketing hands down is the biggest challenge I face as an indie author. But it’s a challenge I welcome. I chose the self-publishing route to keep creative control of my work. With that comes hurdles.
Contact Info:
- Website: Lamarkneal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theghostcharades
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ghostcharades
Image Credits
Nathan Goodwin Ashley Neal
