That’s the toughest time in life because everything is all you and you spend all your time trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do. 

Ryan Uytdewilligen – 6 October 2016

The Back Flap

Set in Oklahoma in 1961, a small town teen named John gets a spur of the moment job driving an old tractor across Arkansas to Oklahoma for a crotchety old farmer. John is about to enter his senior year of high school and has doubts about his future and the kind of man he wants to be. Unbeknownst to him, this trip will be just what he needs to figure all that out.

We follow John as he picks up the tractor in Arkansas, then makes his way across hot, crowded Southern highways, on which he experiences breakdowns, fights, mishaps, and even love. It is no easy task to complete this job, but the pitfalls and chance meetings along the way might just take him where he’s destined to go.

About the book

What is the book about?

The book is a coming of age country boy story about a teenager who wants to buy his first truck and figure out what he’s going to do with his life. To raise some truck funds, he gets a job picking up a tractor for a crotchety old farmer. It’s a few states away and quite the drive but the adventure ends up being just what he needs.

When did you start writing the book?

I had the idea floating around for a few years. I at first wanted to write it as a movie script but writing out the scenery and description of different bars and towsn seemed very romantic and appealing to me. I sketched out the main plot during the summer of 2015 and began writing that August.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me around five months to write the first draft. I finished just after Christmas 2015. I tinkered around and edited for a few months following.

Where did you get the idea from?

Growing up on a farm, I was inspired and surrounded by the farm lifestyle. I also knew the feelings of guilt and desire of leaving the farm to pursue my own life. The story draws from those feelings as well as my love for old sixties anti-western movies. Movies like Hud and The Last Picture Show inspired the style.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I struggled with spelling and grammar. As far as writing goes, I am creative but I lack in proper sentence structure, especially when it comes to fiction. So I had to really learn as I went along. It worked fine but if there was a spelling mistake, my mind would seem to gloss over it. That’s why fresh eyes were my best friend.

What came easily?

The character’s thoughts. They were very much my own so it was refreshing to get them down on paper. Very cathartic I would say.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

The character is very much myself in high school. Perhaps a bit more naive and perhaps even more of a farm boy. Characters and settings are also very much inspired by my home town of Coaldale.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Jack Kerouac’s On the Road was certainly the main inspiration. It’s such a freewheeling road trip coming of age journey set in such an intriguing and colorful time. I wanted to spend time in that world and writing this book allowed me to do just that. Catcher in the Rye was also responsible for a coming of age aspect. That book’s style is just so immensely rich and relatable.

Do you have a target reader?

Teenagers and young adults in their early twenties. That’s the toughest time in life because everything is all you and you spend all your time trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do. The purpose of the book I suppose was to let everyone else know they weren’t alone.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

Write when you can. It’s tough fitting writing into a schedule, especially if you have other projects and jobs. I’d do it every day though so it was fresh in my mind and then read the last few pages over and over to make sure everything makes sense.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I love outlining. I believe in beat sheets which is a long document with a list of every major scene or event in the story. I follow it closely but if I think of something on the spot I enjoy better or the story seems to be taking a different direction, I will let it go that way.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

Edit as I go. I would be such a behemoth project at the end if I left everything. I want to get what I’ve written already to be the best it can be before I go on ahead.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I did hire an editor who gave me great feedback and cleaned up my horrible spelling. The publisher also helped on that front. Many eyes are needed to catch mistakes and format correctly.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I do, definitely when it’s a genre piece. Here, I listened to a lot of bluegrass and Dixieland jazz. That seemed to fit the time and era. I think even some of the pieces I listened to made it into the story. It just really put me into the mood.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I did, but they all passed saying the story wasn’t right for them or they didn’t connect. It got disheartening after a while.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

The toughest part was that people didn’t relate to the material. So essentially people were telling me they didn’t relate to me and that stung. Makes you feel even more isolated and ostracized. But I sent to small publishers because I thought people there might connect, especially in the south. I was right and it worked out.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

My Aunt is a professional and offered to do the cover for me. She did a fabulous job – exactly what I wanted. Her name is Patti Bogdan-Uytdewilligen! She does great work.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Winging it for sure. Luckily I worked in media for a few years so I have a few contacts up my sleeve. That and I search for promoters every day to get the book out there.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

It’s a great start I think. Not quite the big leagues but the book is out there. People can easily find it. And people can easily give you feedback. As a beginner, I feel I am right where I need to be.

About You

Where did you grow up?

On a farm just north of Coaldale Alberta.

Where do you live now?

North Vancouver B.C.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I am a strange mixture of country and city and I’m not sure which one is more prevalent. I love writing about the country – it’s such a romantic setting with great story telling opportunities.

What are you working on now?

A sci-fi screenplay and a fiction novel about a turtle. Gotta be versatile.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Tractor from Amazon US or Amazon UK.