JOHN DAVID MANN is an award-winning author whose titles include the New York Times bestseller The Red Circle and the international bestseller The Go-Giver.
“I have a passion for great writing. The exquisite beauty of a powerful idea expressed in words, whether through a single sentence or a seven-hundred-page novel, is something that has stirred my soul since as long as I can remember. And it changes people’s lives. That’s why I do what I do.”
His book. The Go-Giver which sold over 500,000 copies was also rejected by 21 different publishers. We discuss the beginnings of the book and his relationship with co-author Bob Berg. You can listen to my interview with Bob here.
John talks about the journey from writing to published. We discuss the term ‘Best Seller’ and what it takes to make ‘THE’ lists. He talks about how some of the lists and system can be gamed.
At 16:00 We talk about the components of a good story. We discuss the challenges of creating characters that you care about and can relate to.
We explore The fifth law of stratospheric success, ‘receptivity’. This is one that is difficult for most of us.
The thing all writers want their readers to say “and then what happens”.
The magic is in the rewriting
“It’s critical that at some point in the story things look hopeless.”
John talks about how he started his own school at the age of 17. When you are feeling lost surround yourself with those that are not.
We talk about how we met when John wrote about Colleen’s tragic death. You can read his article here. http://johndavidmann.com/2015/10/27/this-moment-forever/
We talk about tragedy and how we tend to deal with it in a stoic manner. We talk about ‘crying like a man’ in the context of the life of a Navy Seal.
John talks about the importance for a writer to fall in love with his story each and every time they write.
You can learn more about John and his books here at http://johndavidmann.com
