Interview Assessment 1

Name of Interviewee: Dr. Clarence Boyd

Profession: Universitys Vice President of Student Life and Self-Published Author

Business Name: Oral Roberts University

Date of Interview: Thursday, September 21, 2016

Time: 2:30 PM

My informative interview with Dr. Boyd was not only informative but encouraging. He

challenged me as a Christian author to not compromise my beliefs for the world that desperately

needs light. He also reviewed his writing process and revision strategies after telling me his

inspiration for writing in the first place.

First, I asked him about his impetus and the foundation of his dream. He laughingly said

that he never believed he was a writer. He identified himself as a pastor, but a friend told him

that one day he would write. Dr. Boyd, at the time, disagreed with him until a few weeks later he

was at a conference, and he felt like God told him that he needed to write. This story in itself

taught me a valuable lesson: to trust God no matter what because He has plans for me that I

could never imagine, and He has paths He intends for me to travel I cannot fathom. Dr. Boyd

was secure in his profession and passion that he had been perfecting for several years, but just as

he grew comfortable in his position, God stirred his heart. I want this situation to happen to me.

God has more work for me to do than just writing. He has called me to be a literary evangelist.

When I asked him about his rewriting and revision process and the challenges those

processes pose, he said the hardest thing was finding fluidity and remembering where you left

off. Especially, if an author is busy with other lifestyle choices (because they may not write full
time), they have to re-immerse themselves into the world. This tells me that it is acceptable for

authors to review their work before they revise it; honestly, it is probably better than acceptable

because the author needs to understand their thought process, their intended meaning, and theme

in the piece of writing and therefore assess how to fix it.

For revision, he answered rather simply. He told me to review grammarly.com or other

grammar sources for the cosmetic parts of writing. He also had others read his work and tell him

what to modify in the structure, fluency, and the overall comprehension. This piece of advice

reminds me that I need to open myself up to others who will give me objective and truthful

criticism. I am blind to my mistakes, hiccups in plot sequence, and deficiencies in character

development because my manuscript is my creative child, engendering destructive bias. Dr.

Boyd has simply reaffirmed the necessary steps I need to take in order to attain manuscript

success. Once I finish the brutal second draft, then I will give it to others I trust.

Another recommendation he gave me was to have a large picture in mind as I rewrite. He

is always thinking about how the current chapter he is revising will correlate and fit into the next

chapters, forming his theme. I will take this advice because every chapter should have a purpose

and a place if it is truly significant. I need to remember not to engage a small and narrow

perspective on my work but remember the overall plot and character arcs that shape the entire

book. If I do not have an end goal, then the reader will detect the disorganization and

inexperience and by doing so, they will lose faith in the characters and myself.

Afterwards, we discussed one of my favorite subjects such as acknowledging and writing

to my audience. He said to research millennials and Generation X to comprehend how they

think, perceive, and operate in the world. He advised me to peer through their lenses and

understand how they categorize everything they see. Dr. Boyd also reiterated to have a futuristic
mindset. This instruction was the most impactful part of the entire interview. I realize now that I

need to remember my readers and their pre-exposure to popular culture, societal issues, etc. I am

trying to reach a broken population plagued by loneliness and family struggles and anxiety. I

have to cater to their needs and desires while not compromising myself or my beliefs.

Lastly, he said to make sure I know my purpose. I am not a mere entertainer. I am a voice

meaning to spew light and life to a world that is deteriorating rapidly. It is not about me but

about what God wants to speak to His prodigal children. I felt like God told me I am supposed to

offer Gods adopting agency to the orphans of the world. They need to know they have a Father

who wants them to come home. This mindset pushes me forward and gives me the why behind

what I am doing. This perspective changes the entire process from difficult work to required and

fulfilling work.

After this interview, Dr. Boyd prayed for me over the phone and encouraged me to dream

big for God. I will continue to take his advice and pursue God in my writing. I plan to implement

the gospel through every aspect, every metaphor, and shred of symbolism in hopes that the lost

will find hope through them.