I met Peter Lundell at the Denver International Airport on a trip to Colorado a few years back. We had to find each other, having never met before, and then, in the midst of construction, somehow try to figure out which level we were to find our ride on. It could have been a scene from a sit-com and is a fond memory. We reconnected this past spring in Colorado without the airport adventure. I invited him to be on my blog because that’s what you do to great authors who have come into your life, and with whom you’ve shared an adventure and some laughs. So please meet my friend, Peter Lundell, a great guy, a fabulous author, and an inspiring preacher.
When did you decide that you would be an author? Was it something you fell into, felt called to… ?
When I was in junior high I grew enamored with Ernest Hemingway’s short stories and wanted to write like him.
What’s your pet peeve?
Lack of clarity. When people are vague in communication; when people circumvent a point at hand, whether out of evasiveness or dull-wittedness.
What was your most embarrassing moment as a writer?
My first attempt at ghostwriting with a mega-millionaire and my old crappy laptop would hardly work. I felt like a fool and an amateur. And I lost him.
What has been your most difficult challenge as an author?
Selling the books I write. A.K.A. building a platform and marketing effectively.
How do you process rejections and/or negative reviews?
I get momentarily depressed and go for a walk. I may do some work around my home or church property. Then I go back to writing.
What do you feel is the best success so far in your writing career?
My highest-selling book has been Prayer Power. Probably my most consistent success has been in ghostwriting, rewriting, coaching, and substantive editing. I help others communicate their story or message well to influence audiences I would otherwise not reach.
What would be your top three pieces of advice to newer, up-and-coming authors?
- Learn and work hard to write well. You’re not as good as you think you are. And if you are good, then work even harder to be the best. Do not neglect this. The world is awash with crappy writing by authors who refuse to acknowledge their crappiness.
- Learn and work hard to be professional. This includes the mechanics of your writing, your interaction with others in the publishing world, the way you present yourself and conduct yourself in all interactions.
- Read and always continue to grow. If you think you’ve arrived, you begin to stagnate.
As a Christian author, what would you like your legacy to be?
I want there to be thousands of people whose lives have been eternally changed because of something I’ve written or written for someone else with an important message.
What is your current work in process?
The Sailboat and the Sea, a conversation between a sailboat and the ocean. LittleBoat’s journey with BigSea is a representation of the reader’s own life as it relates to God and the big issues we all face.
Wind, a novel, the story of pursuing a dream, the conflict of dreams that collide, and the price a person is willing to pay.
Links to social media:
Latest book release:
Reprint of Prayer Power: 30 Days to a Stronger Connection with God
This is a great interview! Blessings to you both in your writing!
I love that when I travel God brings amazing people into my life to learn from and be inspired by. What an awesome blessing…and to have fun in an airport with a stranger… definitely memorable!
Great questions. Helps me to see those Conference Airport Runs in a different light!