Best-selling historical fiction author, Vincent B Davis II, was born and remains deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Tennessee. He developed a love of history at an early age. His inspiration to become a writer came from the real men he reads and writes about—men who did incredible things against all odds and at great cost. “I should also mention my grandmother wrote WW2 stories with me and always encouraged me to use my imagination.”
Although too young to have the skills necessary to put together a cohesive narrative, Vincent wrote more than a dozen books before he was published. Those unpublished words were what catapulted him toward his first publication. “I researched and planned for close to seven years, but once I started the final manuscript for The Man with Two Names, it took about a year and a half to finish. I write my books much quicker now.”
When asked his advice for those struggling with their first book, he said, “Write. Write every day and don’t be afraid to do it poorly. Show up each day, and the creative muse will show up too. Turn off the part of your brain that judges your words. As long as you’re searching for perfection, you’re unlikely to reach it. Learn to disassociate from your work. Your book isn’t you. You are not your book. If you over identify with it, you’re unlikely to be published, or you’ll be decimated by poor reviews when you are. Don’t let anything, including platform building, social media, or other author-related tasks keep you from writing.
An author’s life can be difficult. There are highs and lows. Some days we’re on cloud nine from amazing creative expression, positive feedback, or incredible ideas. Other days we feel empty and lethargic, lower than dirt due to scalding reviews. As authors, we need to discover ways to ride the waves and find a happy middle ground. I’ve found that lifestyle—diet, exercise, and healthy habits are key. Cold showers, breathing exercises, and my standing desk also help. It’s important to know that the writer’s life doesn’t begin and end with a keyboard. What we feed ourselves, nutritionally and psychologically, plays out in every word we write. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and feeding our inner selves with positivity will keep us writing for the long haul.”
Vincent’s goal is to sustain a lifelong writing career, not only for the sake of developing a creative empire, but to express and discover himself. Though he’s achieved bestselling status and has received much positive feedback from his readers, he never wants to become complacent and stop growing. “I not only want to write a lot of books, I want to do my job right. I want to put out great content for the rest of my life!”
Vincent is not only the author of two novels, he’s a proud soldier serving in the US Army Reserves. Thank you for your service to our country.
You can purchase his books on his Amazon Author page and connect with him on his website at www.vincentbdavisii.com.
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“Is it better to be a good man and do nothing, or be a bad man and accomplish great things?” —Quintus Sertorius, A Man With Two Names
