Author JW Zarek: How To Write A Book That Sparks A Movement

Know what you’re going to write about beforehand. Have you ever been told to meet someone somewhere you’ve never been? Or you have no directions on how to get there. Or the directions you’re provided get you anywhere else but your intended destination. Some writers start with a blank page and have no clue what comes next.

As part of my series about “How to write a book that sparks a movement” I had the pleasure of interviewing J. W. Zarek.

J. W. Zarek is known for his award-winning book: Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On?” And the bestselling book, The Happiness Code, co-authored with Ray Brehm and others. Now, Zarek’s new epic fantasy adventure, “The Devil Pulls the Strings,” small-town musician Boone Daniels’s panic attacks and a wendigo stalking him is a daily challenge. The gig he fills in for involves a centuries-old war between two secret societies, a cursed Romani immortal, Steampunk vampires, and Baba Yaga, over a sinister scheme to play a rare Paganini piece to summon the Devil. Will this haunted musician be able to defeat the supernatural, in a race for time and the fate of modern-day New York City?

As part of his day job, Zarek works for the government, catching naughty folks. Now, he turns his world-class talents into writing fiction and graphic novels. Currently, he resides in Alexandria, Virginia, and is extremely excited about releasing his new book and sharing it with readers everywhere. Our team at Authority Magazine got a chance to catch up with him for an exclusive interview so he could tell us how he “Writes A Book That Starts A Movement”.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you share the “backstory” about how you grew up?

The short, simple version is I was a typical dysfunctional middle child who grew up in New York City.

The longer version is I was born with Spina Bifida, flat feet, a heart murmur, almost legally blind, molested before the age of seven, and I lived in Brooklyn and Queens until I was eight years old.

My abusive, alcoholic father was absent most of my childhood, while my mother did her best to raise my sister, two brothers, and me in an apartment in a neighborhood where break-ins and muggings weren’t uncommon.

I was hyperactive and a handful. After Mom lost her third job after she had to collect me from another school, I was no longer welcome at, I was sent to live at a boarding school for troubled kids in Upstate New York until I was twelve.

After boarding school, I attended junior high in Rockaway Queens. I was one of three white kids in the school. And the only thing better than the metal detectors at the entrance, steel bars over shatterproof windows, and standing room in overcrowded classrooms, were the daily fights, I didn’t start but always finished.

One too many fights led to a transfer to a private school for troubled teens, then a transfer into Forest Hills High School. I kept busy involved in sports and clubs during the day, and after school and on weekends, I worked as a skate guard, skating instructor, and skate-asaurus at a roller rink in Jackson Heights.

When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or change your life? Can you share a story?

I was a voracious reader who grew up reading H.G. Wells, Stephen King, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien. And more significant than one book inspiring me to act and change my life, was the escape from the real-world books I read offered and delivered.

What was the moment or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?

1. Everyone Has The Right to Be Safe
   I wrote the award-winning book Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? In this book, I share and show you how to spot the most common red flag behaviors found in relationships that can help save your life, because I believe everyone has the right to be safe.
2. Happiness is a Choice
   I co-authored the bestselling book The Happiness Code with Ray Brahm and other authors, who all share their own Happiness Hacks they use, you can use to bring and create happiness in your own life, because now more than ever in today’s day and again, we all should have, know, experience and share happiness.
3. Hope
   I wrote the epic fantasy adventure, The Devil Pulls the Strings as a message of hope, and to honor the hero’s journey and infuse Slavic mythology and the many faces of the mother of all witches, Baba Yaga, wherein this story, time travel, twisted history, secret societies, and one haunted hero collide.

— Everyone has the right to be safe.

Gavin De Becker wrote the Gift of Fear and shares and shows you why you should trust your instinct to help keep yourself safe.

I believe this, and everyone has the right to be safe.

Backstory
When I was at the FBI, I was giving lectures and wrote a thesis on red flag behaviors found in relationships, which led to an invitation to present a paper at a forensics conference in China.

I’d routinely get contacted for consultations with law enforcement and therapists regarding cases involving suicide, stalking and serial killers, and the volume of requests for assistance grew to the point, I wasn’t able to help everyone in a timely manner.

Writing the award-winning book, Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? allows me to share and show you how to recognize red flag behaviors common with folks who suicide, stalk and harm others. And I hand this book out during lectures.

What impact did you hope to make when you wrote this book?

With Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? individuals are made aware of how to spot and recognize red flag behaviors that can help save your life.

When you want to bring someone over to meet the folks for dinner, wouldn’t it be great to qualify any red flags you spot, before you discover you and your folks are the main course?

With The Happiness Code, I hope folks who read this book find one or more Happiness Hack they’re drawn to that resonates with them and they’re able to use and incorporate into their own life.

With The Devil Pulls the Strings, the impact I want to deliver a wild ride of a story readers immerse themselves in and discover the beauty and joy of Paganini’s music, Slavic mythology, and the many faces of the mother of all witches, Baba Yaga.

Did the actual results align with your expectations? Can you explain?

With Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? Here’s an example of a boundary issues red flag.

I was contacted by an organization considering hiring a person for a sales position, and they asked do they have any red flags, and I said “Yes, they have boundaries issues you need and everyone working with this individual has to be made aware of because even though you’re the boss, you have to make sure to ask their permission to place or take anything their desk.”

“What do you mean,” they asked.

“Without asking permission, this triggers them, and they’re likely to throw things from their desk at you,” I said.

“What kind of things?”

“Pen, folder, stapler, anything within reaching distance.”

I shared other potential red flags, and they thanked me for my report and called me a week later to tell me they spoke with the person’s former employer who told them, “They were fired for throwing a stapler at a coworker.”

With The Happiness Code, when I speak with individuals who read the book, they tell me what Happiness Hacks resonated with them most, and which they use. And when I do interviews, I have the person interviewing me, go through one or more instant effect Happiness Hacks, and when a genuine smile splashes across their face, or you see them instant relax as they do an instant effect Happiness Hack shows the results speak for themselves,

Here’s a quick example:

Ask yourself the following question out loud:

“Why am I happy?”

Notice when you say this question out loud or think this, how the edges of your mouth naturally curve upward.

This works this way because our subconscious is hardwired to answer and prove any question or statement you say or think is true.

So, while it’s not uncommon for most folks to articulate or word things in the negative, “Why am I so fat/tall/short, etc.…” Knowing and understanding your subconscious does this, allows you to reframe your questions and statements in the positive.

Because you’re reading this interview, your homework today is to ask and think to yourself the following question: “Why am I happy?”

And just be open and receptive to be aware of what your mouth is doing, and how you feel during and after you say this.

With The Devil Pulls the Strings, this book isn’t for everyone. However, if you love where time travel, twisted history, and secret societies collide in a wild ride of a story full of non-stop action, that doesn’t stop to smell the roses, then you’ll love when you immerse yourself in this time.

I know results were met and expectations exceeded because The Devil Pulls the Strings received the Literary Titan Award and has received 5-Star Reviews from Book Viral, Chanticleer, and Literary Titan, and continues to receive positive reviews.

What moment let you know that your book had started a movement? Please share a story.

While I can’t say any book, I wrote started a movement, the reviews I continue to receive and stories folks share me what they liked and loved in the book and what benefited them in Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? The Happiness Code and The Devil Pulls the Strings, affirm what I wrote resonated well with these individuals.

What kinds of things did you hear right away from readers? What are the most frequent things you hear from readers about your book now? Are they the same? Different?

With Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? most folks get a gut reaction regarding red flag behaviors, and their unable to articulate why they feel the way they do. But after they’ve read this book, I continue to hear how quickly they spot the red flags I talk about in the book and are able to qualify how big of a concern or relevant the red flag is to them.

With The Happiness Code, I hear from readers what Happiness Hacks resonate with them most, and easy it was to use them.

The Devil Pulls the Strings launches on September 15th, but the book has been reviewed by over forty different individuals, and thirty-eight reviews made my day, were genuine, and folks shared what they liked and loved about this book, and the value and benefit the book created for them.

What is the most moving or fulfilling experience you’ve had as a result of writing this book? Can you share a story?

With Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? the most moving and fulfilling experiences are when couples tell me what they read gave them a better understanding and helped them understand their partner or spouse better, and their relationship improved because of reading this book.

With The Happiness Code, the most fulfilling experiences so far happen when I’m interviewed, and I can share and show the interviewer instant affect Happiness Hacks, and I can see and feel them have a positive shift, and they genuinely smile, and tell me how what I shared and showed them helped.

With The Devil Pulls the Strings, I have two fulfilling experiences I continue to have. The first fulfilling experience is every time a reviewer or reader tells me how much my story reminds them of the epic fantasy adventures they remember reading when they were a kid. The second fulfilling experience is I’ve been told by four reviewers my book reminds them of the comedy and style found in The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher. And Jim Butcher is brilliant, and The Devil Pulls the Strings is my first epic fantasy adventure, so the comparison is a tremendous compliment.

Have you experienced anything negative? Do you feel there are drawbacks to writing a book that starts such colossal conversation and change?

There isn’t so much anyone specific negative experience to reference, instead, it was the many challenges I dealt with getting this book from draft to ready to publish.

My main job is to catch naughty folk for the Government, so I routinely work 14–16+ hour days. Making time to write before and after work, and during any free moments was the most challenging.

With Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? I never intended to write a book at the time. I wrote a thesis on red flag behaviors that was well-received, which resulted in an invitation to present a paper at a world forensic conference in China, and only because the volume of requests for consultation grew too fast, did I write the book to make lecture and thesis content available to a larger audience.

With The Happiness Code, Ray Brehm invited me to co-author this book, and the challenges were regarding logistics and communication, but in the end, the book launched to bestseller status quickly, and continues to do well.

With The Devil Pulls the Strings, writing the draft was the easiest part of the process. It was during the revision process where the real work happened. My line-by-line editor cut over 42,000+ words from my manuscript. And what remained improved content. Other challenges occurred with ARC Readers finding errors after the copyeditor and proofreader finished their review process.

I’m also having an audiobook and graphic novel version of the book created, and each process comes with its own challenges and experiences.

Instead of framing anything as a negative experience is a value and benefit other authors can receive when I share and show them the process and experience, I went through regarding language and culture barriers, and the depth and level of professionalism encountered or absent.

Can you articulate why you think books in particular have the power to create movements, revolutions, and true change?

Great story ideas are a dime a dozen, but how they’re executed makes all the difference in the world. And when you read something that shifts your mindset, perception, or perspective in a new direction, that’s profound. And that’s the power of books.

One example of this book on writing. There are shelves full of books on writing, but then you read Stephen King’s Book On Writing, and it brings and delivers a positive impact because everything shared is what works and what doesn’t work for Stephen King, but more importantly, is how adaptable and applicable what he writes is of value and benefit to writers, and this is a book I continue to reference and re-read.

Another reason books have the power to create movements, revolutions, and true change is how well they resonate with us when we discover the books that move us most.

What is the one habit you believe contributed the most to you becoming a bestselling writer? (i.e. perseverance, discipline, play, craft study) Can you share a story or example?

This is different for every writer. For myself, it’s the dedication to the craft.

I work 14–16+ hour days as a matter of routine.

Before I wrote one word, I spent over two and a half years researching everything I thought I’d need to write the draft of The Devil Pulls the Strings. I also took writing classes and traveled to locations that appear in the book, and those two and a half years of research, became three, then four, then five years.

What challenge or failure did you learn the most from in your writing career? Can you share the lesson(s) that you learned?

A book doesn’t have to be perfect, and a book takes as long as it takes to write, you cannot rush the process, and every book you write comes with its own set of challenges.

With Naughty or Nice — Whose List Are You On? the company that published the book obliterated the formatting, so instead of the Ebook correctly displaying text and images, everything was all jumbled and looked nothing like the original digital file given to them.

Thankfully, prior to a lecture, I’m able to send the digital file to a local printer able to retain the format and print out the book as it’s supposed to appear.

With The Happiness Code, I’ve yet to see even one penny from any sale of this bestseller. So, the best lesson learned is to continue to write my own books and ensure I control the rights to the material regarding books I co-author.

With The Devil Pulls the Strings, the entire cradle to the grave process was an interesting experience. Throughout the entire process, I continue to meet and encounter many individuals and professionals stuck on the rush, rush, rush the process, get the book out now. And with non-fiction, it’s so much easier to push out content over fiction.

Many aspiring authors would love to make an impact similar to what you have done. What are the 5 things writers need to know if they want to spark a movement with a book? (please include a story or example for each)

1. Know who your audience is.

Do you write for yourself, a target audience, or genre?

This is important to establish before you write. Because when you write for yourself who cares what anyone else thinks.

And when you write for a target audience, the material is tailored to their needs and requirements.

However, when you write in a specific genre, it is important to know and understand the genre before you write one word, read the top twenty-five best sellers in the genre, and even work with editors familiar with the genre, because doing all of this makes a significant difference.

2. Write what you know.

This should be self-explanatory, but readers can tell when you’re passionate and genuine and when you’re not.

3. Do the research.

You can write about anything you want, but if you write about a person, place or object get the facts and details correct.

I wrote The Devil Pulls the Strings to honor the hero’s journey and infuse Slavic mythology and the many faces of the mother of all witches, Baba Yaga in a modern setting where time travel, twisted history, secret societies, and one haunted hero collide.

The book also shares and shows many facts about Niccolò Paganini, the greatest violinist in the world.

So, I read Joseph Campbell’s book and found many articles and similar books on the topic. And did the same thing regarding Slavic mythology, Baba Yaga, Paganini, and time travel.

For the audiobook, I found a world-class violinist and world-class guitarist to record snippets of Paganini’s music played on the violin and guitar, to include Paganini’s secret sonata.

4. Do the work.

Yes. It’s possible to record and publish your story in less than twenty-four hours. But the quality of the material may not be in its best version.

And if you want your book to sit on a shelf next to other bestselling books, you’ll have to ensure the book cover is done well and is appropriate for the genre.

Same with the back of the book blurb, and ensuring a copyeditor and proofreader review your manuscript, and you have the interior formatting done too.

5. Know what you’re going to write about beforehand.

Have you ever been told to meet someone somewhere you’ve never been? Or you have no directions on how to get there. Or the directions you’re provided get you anywhere else but your intended destination.

Some writers start with a blank page and have no clue what comes next.

Other writers create the logline, outline, and synopsis before they write their draft. You’ll follow whatever way works for you best. For myself, I love maps, GPS, and knowing in advance what my destination is beforehand.

As this applies to writing, if you know how the story ends, you can write everything toward this conclusion.

The same thing with every scene and chapter.

Everything written should moves the story forward. At the beginning of every scene and chapter, ground and orientate the reader where the scene or chapter takes place, to include if they are inside or outside, and what time of day, month, year, and season when applicable.

Have 3–5 bullet points about what you want the scene or chapter to accomplish, and include 3–5 bullet points every character in the scene or chapter has regarding why they’re in the scene and what they accomplish or do to reach their own goals in the scene or chapter.

And before you write a scene and chapter, establish what each character’s strengths, weaknesses, idiosyncrasies, personalities are, including any other details.

Now, when you write, you know what happens in the scene or chapter, and don’t have to think about these things. This process isn’t for everyone but does reduce the number of revisions you have to spend making corrections.

The world, of course, needs progress in many areas. What movement do you hope someone (or you!) starts next? Can you explain why that is so important?

Did you know anyone can write a book and publish a book, but not everyone can write and publish a book?

I hope someone creates a simple-to-follow process on how to successfully publish a book, from cradle to grave.

I plan to do this after I finish publishing the eBook, print, hardback, audiobook and graphic novel versions of The Devil Pulls the Strings, so I can share and show other authors the process and experience I went through, so they can take advantage of everything done well while eliminating what doesn’t.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

My website is jwzarek.com, and if you search for my name on Facebook and Google, you’ll find links to my Facebook Group page, Twitter and Instagram.

Thank you so much for these insights. It was a true pleasure to do this with you.