Reginald D Interviews Tyler Snure, A Self-Published Author Who Published His First Novel At 17 Years Old: Motivational Speech

Reginald D interviews Tyler Snure, a self-published author, who lives in Ontario, Canada. Tyler was a 17-year-old senior high school student when his first novel, The Jewels of Fate was first published.  He has loved reading and writing stories since childhood. He started writing creatively at the age of seven and worked on this first book for over five years as a teenager. The idea behind his first novel began as a short story in elementary school and developed from there! The second novel in this trilogy, The Sword of Sorenth, was released a few years later. This action-packed series won't disappoint fans of fiction, fantasy, or adventure stories! 

If you love reading and writing and have dreamed of writing your own book or novel, please connect with Tyler on social media or participate in his free Master Class, which is happening soon.  You're never too young or too old to find your purpose , pursue your passion and fulfill your dreams.  It's time to start your journey of writing your own book!

Tyler is currently a university student working towards his Bachelor of Arts in English. 

 Find below links to all of Tyler's contact information, links to purchase his books and also a link to join his free master class.

 The Jewels of Fate on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Jewels-Fate-Tyler-Snure/dp/1999244214/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PO11L7WFHBMC&keywords=the+jewels+of+fate&qid=1687031694&sprefix=the+jewels+of+fate%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-1

 Website: https://www.snurestories.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snure_stories/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snurestories

 Free Masterclass Chapter 1 Challenge Session on June 27th: https://snurestories.ck.page/c02e7c6abb

Transcript

Reginald D: Welcome to Real Talk With Reginald D.  I'm your host, Reginald D.

On today's episode, I have an amazing young man just stopped by to join us today. He's a self-published author. He has a company called Snure Stories. He has published two books the Jewels of Fate and The Sword of Sorenth,  He first published his novel, the Jewels of Fate  at the age of 17and at seven had worked on his first book for over five years as teenager. He published his first novel at the age of 17 in September 2020, The C was announced as the top ten finalist book for the Author Elite Awards and the fantasy category. Now, his second published  novel, The Sword of Sorenth,   was released a few years later. He began writing this book shortly before COVID and it published in August 2022. I'm so excited to have this young man on the show with me today. Welcome to the show, Tyker Snure. How's it going, Tyler? 

Tyler Snure: How are you doing?

Reginald D: Good. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to stop by and talk with me for a little while.

Tyler Snure: No problem. Happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me on the show.

Reginald D: You're welcome. So let me ask you a question. How did you find your purpose and gift at such a young age?

Tyler Snure: I would say mostly due to my family. They always really encouraged me right from a young age to pursue what I was passionate about and what I wanted in life and not be limited by restrictions such as age and things like that. So at a really, really young age, it was easy to figure out what I wanted out of life and easy to find the motivation to go after that right away.

Reginald D: So you started creatively writing at the age of seven. Is it when you started writing at such a young age, did you know then you had a gift or was it a passion that later on you found out you had a gift?

Tyler Snure: That's a tough question, because as a seven year old, I feel like you're not mature enough to kind of really think that deeply yet. But I knew when I started writing around the age of seven that I enjoyed it. I don't know if I would have realized it as a gift back then. I don't know if I would have called it my passion back then. But I do remember thinking, there's something here for sure. I really enjoy doing this and actually started it as writing stories about my friends in kindergarten in grade one, and then it slowly evolved from there.

Reginald D: Let me ask you this question. Why do you think reading is so important?

Tyler Snure: For a variety of reasons. In terms of for writers, I think it's the best way to practice or get a feel for the genre you want to write, really understand what good writing is by reading the classics and authors who have been doing it for years. From a non writing standpoint, there's so many benefits to our mental health. There's so many benefits to our emotional health, studies actually show. But you can find statistics about this all over the Internet. But studies show that people who read more are actually more empathetic with those around them, which is really cool because we form relationships with these characters that aren't real, but then it somehow helps us with our real relationships in the real world. So there's so many different benefits to reading, and I know I experienced a lot of those when I was starting out at the age of seven. I think I started reading maybe like a couple of years before that, but like the age of six. But I remember how it helped me with my vocabulary and my school and all kinds of stuff.

Reginald D: Yeah, you said something that was very important, that you read other writer's books. And that's kind of the way I look at things when I do motivational speaking. I follow a lot of motivational speakers just to find out what they do, how they do it, how they craft things. And I think that's really important. What challenges did you face being such a young author?

Tyler Snure: Definitely dealing with the stigma that you have to wait until you're older before you can do anything worthwhile or important, or the idea that you have to follow a set path. So you go to elementary school, then you go to high school, and then once you graduate high school, you go to college or university or maybe the trades. But there's a certain system that you have to follow, and then once you go through all of those steps, then they're considered doing something worthwhile for the economy or for providing for your family and all of that. So I really struggled with that in the beginning, and then as I got momentum and going, I really learned to block out those voices. And it was people that have spoken into my life that have told me that people who are critics you just don't listen to because they're either not in your inner circle providing you advice, or they don't understand reading, writing, owning a business, all of that. So why would you listen to their opinion? So it took me a while to really block that out, but once I did, it made all the difference.

Reginald D: Yeah, you're correct about that. I always tell people, when you have a burning inside of you for something, you need to go for it.

Tyler Snure: Absolutely.

Reginald D: Don't worry about what people say at all, because at the end of the day, it's your vision, it's your purpose, and it's your gift, not theirs.

Tyler Snure: Absolutely.

Reginald D: So let's talk about the first novel the jewels of fate.  What was that about?

Tyler Snure: Well, I have it here with me right now. So it is about a boy. He finds out his whole life's a lie. When teenagers start disappearing all over New York, he learns that magic is real and there's a world called Echinacea that's full of it. Not only that, but you get SWINED by their queen to carry a secret request. And this was my first one in the series that I published just under four years ago.

Reginald D: Now, I'm going to mess with you on this. This book, The Jewel of the Fate is over 400 pages, right?

Tyler Snure: It is just under 400 pages, I believe. Under 400 page 380. Oh, no. 392. That's close.

Reginald D: 400.

Tyler Snure: 400.

Reginald D: 400. So this is what amazes me. Most people, when they go get a book and it's 400 pages, some people just put it back on the shelf because it's a lot of book that's intimidating. They don't feel like they have the time to do it or what have you. Then you have people who get a a book with those many pages. They'll start reading them because the book gets stale somewhere along the way and they just stop reading it and things like that.

But your book, The Jewels of Fate, people are saying great things about it. As a matter of fact, let me read a couple of reviews I have here.  One Reads. Tyler has clearly established himself as a talented author with his first novel, The Jewels of Fate. His creativity absolutely shines through the fantasy's characters, their unique language, and the kingdom. His compelling writing will find you engrossed in the adventure from beginning to end. I called Tyler and eagerly await the next promising book in his series. Then another one reads, draws you in from the beginning. If you love Harry Potter, Twilight or Percy Jackson. This is a must read. Any fan of fantasy books should pick up The Jewels of Fate.

Now 400 pages. I'm trying to figure out when you are  writing, how can you stay that creative that long? How does that work? I'm not a writer, so I really don't understand bowling. You got to really bring it up.

Tyler Snure: Well, there's a few strategies, and I talk about them in author presentations I do in schools, as well as the coaching program that I'm in the middle of launching. But a few of them would definitely be understanding the pace of a novel. So when I'm reading, and let's say the novel is 500 pages, there are certain milestones that you have to hit by the 100 page mark, by the 250 page mark, the 400 page mark, like the end of the book, in order to keep the reader engaged. And like you said, if a book becomes stale and drags all in too long and nothing's happening, then a reader is going to put it down. So one of my strategies is focusing on outlines so I can really see the beats of the story. And when does one act lead into the next act? And where might there be a part of the story where it does get stale? And how can I fix that? So right from the beginning, that was something I really, really focused on because I wanted to make sure that no one read my book and got bored by page 200 because nothing was happening.

Reginald D: Right. So let's talk about the second novel, The Sword of Sorenth. What was that book about?

Tyler Snure: So, The Sword of Sorenth, is a continuation of the trilogy. It is about the same characters, except it's more of a different setting. So, as you can see from the cover it's got a bit of like an icy, rocky, kind of cavernous feel to it. And that's one of the main settings of the second book. So, they travel to this it's called the Uncharted Frost Lanes, and it's this vast open space with nothing but ice and rocks and caves and all of that in order to find an ancient object that can break a spell. And it does reference a lot from the first book, The Sword of Sorenth, So I recommend, obviously, since it's  series, starting with the first book and then moving into The Sword of Sorenth,

Reginald D: Okay, so let me ask you this, Tyler. Where does the creativity come from? It's like you lay in a bed one night, you dream about something, or as you're going throughout your day, you just start thinking about stuff. Or does it come from a lot of different places?

Tyler Snure: It definitely comes from a lot of different places. But it's funny you mentioned that because I'm notorious for when I'm doing something else. Like maybe I'm doing the dishes, or maybe I wake up in the middle of the night or something like that, or I'm out of the house and I'm away from my computer or notebook, and that's when an idea pops into my head. And then it's tough to remember that idea until I get back to my computer, for whatever reason, that constantly happens to me. And then when I'm sitting on my computer and the brains don't ring face thinking, okay, now it's time to hash this out, then it takes a while for the juices to flow. So it's hard to pinpoint one specific inspiration that I have. I say it's a culmination of all the books that I read growing up, I was a huge fan of Harry Potter, or still I am to this day. I read Percy Jackson as a kid, the Hunger Games, Diversion series, Maze Runner, all these books, I feel like in some way influenced this series, or at least a little part of it, but I wouldn't be able to pinpoint like, one specific moment that inspired the whole book.

Reginald D: Right. You wrote one novel during the pandemic. Was that different? A kind of weird feeling during a pandemic where everything was kind of like on lockdown and things like that? I don't know how bad Canada was. I know we were here in the United States. Was it difficult writing during that time, or was it more of like, hey, I got this time on my hand and I'm going to go for it. How did that play out?

Tyler Snure: Absolutely. So we were in lockdown like a huge portion of COVID And I mean, like the whole time I was writing, the sort of strength, it was very challenging. In terms of the pandemic. I found time was interesting because when COVID hit, I was just finishing my grade, twelve year of high school and there were so many responsibilities and projects I had to focus on in order to graduate properly. Right. So it became hard to find the time to write, but I still kept at it because I knew I really wanted to get the second book written. And then once the summer came in, school was done, then it became easier because there was nowhere to go. Unfortunately, you couldn't do a lot of the normal summer activities that a lot of people like to do. So I found that's when the writing of the sort of Sorrent suddenly accelerated and then it slowed again once I started university in September. In terms of a few of the challenges, it's funny because one of the themes in the sort of Sorrent is isolation. And I didn't really realize that until I had finished the first draft and kind of look back on it. But it was kind of funny how all of the characters in the sort of sort of, or at least the main ones, they're all kind of on their own separate journeys, facing their own paths, and they're not really connected to each other as much as they are in the first one. And of course there's reasons for that that are in the book. But it was funny because I feel like that was maybe subconsciously reflected on how a lot of us were feeling isolated and we couldn't see each other as much as we wanted. And for me personally, that appeared in my writing and I didn't even realize it till later on.

Reginald D: So let me ask you this. You turned your gift of writing into a small business. How did you do that? Talk to me a little bit about that.

Tyler Snure: Absolutely. So, first off, I'd like to say any writer owns a business. Writing is a business. Being an author makes you an entrepreneur, especially if you're in the self publishing world. Because once you hit publish and then you start promoting your book, it's no different than a CEO marketing a product of a company. So it's really cool when I realized that because I didn't make that connection until I started in the summer company program back in 2019, before I even published The Jewels of Fate. So that's when their stories became a business. That's when I realized that authors are business owners. And then over the years, I've kind of expanded my business to other avenues other than writing. For example, I mentioned I'm a writing coach now, so I have a coaching program that I'm in middle of launching. I do school visits and speaking, which is another form of revenue. And like a business model, I'm also a screenwriter, so I have a screenplay that I just finished, and I'm not waiting until the writer strike finishes so I can start sending that out again. So I feel like it's also when you treat a novel like a business, and when an author considers themselves a business owner, it's so much easier to do all of those marketing activities. It's so much easier to become an entrepreneur because that's what it takes to sell books.

Reginald D: Absolutely. So you mentioned the summer company. That's an entrepreneurial program, right?

Tyler Snure: Yes.

Reginald D: So you were selected as one of the finalists for this program, Redneck. Where can people purchase your books so.

Tyler Snure: You can purchase them on Amazon, the Jewels of Fate and the sort of sirens. Just type them into Amazon search and they will come up. Or my name Tyler SNUR. You can purchase them if you are in the southern Ontario area. There's a number of bookstores that carry them, including Kohl's at the Penn Center in the area I live. Like I mentioned, I also sell them at school. So if you are listening and you are a teacher or a principal or event organizer, I would love to come speak at your event or your school and bring a few copies of books with me. But I can hand sign. That's the cool thing about events like that. I sign them and I write a little message in them. But those are a few of the ways that you can purchase.

Reginald D: I want everybody to know that he participates in book events, conferences, and festivals, both virtual and in person. Tyler, in the last two minutes, what would you say to people who have the gift of writing and would like to write and publish a book?

Tyler Snure: I would say don't wait. Don't wait. And whether that's because maybe you're young and you believe that you have to wait until you're older to start your career or make a difference in the world, that's a lie. Don't believe it. Age is just a number. Definitely go for it at a young age. Or maybe on the other end of the spectrum, you'd like to write but you have a full time job, then I would just like to say that that's a lie too. You can always learn to pursue what you're passionate about. Even if you have a job, even if we have so many responsibilities. And I'm actually hosting a master class in a couple of weeks that kind of touches on that focuses on the first chapter, how to write a good, solid first chapter, why the first chapter is so important, and how to start writing a novel when you are either in school or working a full time job. So if that's you, I'd love to invite you to my event happening on June 27. That's my biggest advice. Just go for it.

Reginald D: Awesome. So how can people follow your journey and find you on social media?

Tyler Snure: So I'm on all the social medias Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. My handle is at. Snurstories. You can also visit my website, WW, dot, snurstories.com and my email. Feel free to reach out and email me at info@snurstories.com. There you have it.

Reginald D: Tyler SNUR. You heard it from him. You're never too young to start. You're never too young to start. Starting early gives you an advantage. Believe it or not, it does. Tyler, thank you so much, man, for stopping by and spending time with us. I know you're a busy guy, but I really appreciate this opportunity.

Tyler Snure: Absolutely.

Reginald D: Thanks for tuning in to Real Talk With Regular D. If you enjoyed the show, please share with anyone you feel that needs to take this journey with us on being a better you. See you next time.