06/28/2026
10 Steps to Becoming a Successful Writer
So, you want to be a writer. A noble ambition. And it's biblical.
Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness. —Isaiah 30:8
10 Steps to Becoming a Successful Writer
1) Choose your ancestors wisely, beginning with your parents. Preferably, parents from the Deep South. That way, you will never run out of dramatic subject matter.
2) Start your research horseback at age 12. Knowledge that you're doing research is not a prerequisite.
3) Have ancestors provide you with their research, stories, and photographs spanning a century, two centuries is even better.
4) If you don't love listening to the storytellers in your family and reading lots of books like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Great Gatsby," stop here. You will need to get back on your saddle horse. Then head down a different cowpath.
5) Ask a friend, University of Texas Coach Darrell Royal, who knows you want to be a writer, to introduce you to James Michener. You call the famous author who has sold over 75 million books for advice.
6) You also aligned yourself with a Christian writer who has sold over 73 million books if you wish to be a faith-based author. He gets your first book published. Anchor Distributors places your book in bookstores alongside those of three other best-selling authors, everywhere fine books are sold.
7) Request a recommendation from the above authors for an editor. Hire one of the most successful editors on earth, who has written 37 books and is a professor of creative writing. Not to mention, he is a professor of English. Don't tell anyone, English was your least favorite subject from kindergarten to graduate school.
History was my favorite subject. Chasing the south end of a northbound cow on an American (i.e., Texas) Quarter Horse was another. I have a PhD in that.
8) Hire a textual editor, too, who explains after reading your first draft, "Mr. Willis, words like okay and fine were not used in the 1700s." I knew I should have taken more English literature classes.
9) Sprinkle in a real-life protagonist who happens to be your 4th great-grandfather, Joseph Willis. Surround him with an array of real-life antagonists.
For you western lovers, that's the cowboy with the white hat versus the "hombres" with black hats. You know the type, John Wayne against those "pesky Indians" who claimed to have been on the land hundreds of years before the "Duke" almost shot Cynthia Ann Parker (played by Natalie Wood) in The Searchers.
10) Become friends with Dr. Joe Aguillard, the President at Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian University), who offers you carte blanche access to said college's students, the theater department, and assorted other faculty members' assistance. As a result, your first book is adapted into a play.
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Realize, none of the above was your ingenuity or popularity. And never believe it was luck or an accident.
It's called the grace of God. Or as the Good Lord has often reminded me, in His words to Joshua, in the following.
I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant. —Joshua 24:13
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It all began with a "PS," a postscript in a letter from a friend and colleague. Thank God there were no emails or texts back then, for I would have long since lost her postscript.
Dr. Sue Eakin asked me to help with her research on William Prince Ford and Solomon Northup. I was also a guest lecturer in her history classes at Louisiana State University at Alexandria on the subject.
Dr. Eakin's letters inspired me to write Twice a Slave. Twice a Slave was also adapted into a dramatic play at Louisiana College (Louisiana Christian University today) by Dr. D. "Pete" Richardson (Associate Professor of Theater).
Dr. Eakin wrote me on March 7, 1984, "We had a wonderful experience dramatizing Northup. I think there could be a musical play on Joseph Willis. It seems to me it gets the message across far more quickly than routine written material."
Dr. Eakin added:
A fictional novel based on Joseph Willis's life would be more interesting to the general public than a biography and would reach a greater audience.
Those two sentences changed my direction and ultimately my life as an author.
Backstory
As a teenager, I worked with my family on the open range. This area was owned by large lumber companies in Rapides Parish, near Longleaf and Forest Hill, Louisiana.
My family has lived in that "neck of the piney woods" for many generations. Our presence there dates back to 1828. It began with my 4th great-grandfather, Joseph Willis. He was an old-time preacher man who didn't seem to understand the words "impossible" or "danger."
I would often ride my cow pony through my family's neighboring property, owned by large lumber companies. This land was once William Prince Ford's Wallfield Plantation. The same man portrayed in the movie Twelve Years a Slave. I'll get to that later.
I did not realize the significance of my ancestor's connection to the enslaved man Solomon Northup and to William Prince Ford. God seems to always connect the dots at a later date in our lives.
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I got the idea for my novel, Twice a Slave, from my friend, Dr. Sue Eakin. I had already written The Story of Joseph Willis, his biography.
The play Twice a Slave also came from my friend and fellow historian, Dr. Sue Eakin. I should add that it is a misnomer to list me as a historian alongside Dr. Eakin's name. The sequel to Twice a Slave, which is my most popular book, is Three Winds Blowing.
Dr. Eakins contacted me after reading an article in the Alexandria Town Talk. The article reported that I had obtained the minutes of Spring Hill Baptist Church. The minutes had much information on two of its founders: Joseph Willis and William Prince Ford.
The minutes also reveal the name of another founder, Judy, a "colored woman" according to the minutes. This could have led to Joseph Willis and William Prince Ford being hanged in pre-Civil War Louisiana and the Deep South. I cannot overstate how bold and courageous this was on the part of the founders of Springhill Baptist Church.
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Dr. Eakin was the foremost historian of Solomon Northup, the slave.
Ford bought the slave Solomon Northup on June 23, 1841, in New Orleans. He immediately brought him to his Wallfield Plantation.
This plantation from yesteryear was near my Uncle Howard Willis's home on Hurricane Creek. Uncle Howard's home was the center point of our meager cow-calf operation on the open range under the tall longleaf pines. Uncle Howard was also our family's storyteller.
Uncle Howard's granddaughter, Kimberly Willis Holt, was inspired by him, too. She is my cousin. She is a National Book Award Winner and author of When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, My Louisiana Sky, and the Piper Reed series. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, My Louisiana Sky were adapted as films of the same name.
My favorite book of Kim's is My Louisiana Sky. Juliette Lewis plays Doris Kay in the movie based on the book.
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Just 46 days later, Joseph Willis and William Prince Ford founded Spring Hill Baptist Church on August 8, 1841. Ford's slaves attended the church, as was customary practice in pre-Civil War Louisiana.
The prominent 18th-century evangelist George Whitefield believed African American slaves had souls. He advocated for their evangelization. Whitefield was a slave owner.
Ford gave his slaves an illegal Bible. It was treated as the crime of educating an enslaved person.
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The plantation was located on Hurricane Creek, a 1/4 mile east of present-day Forest Hill, Louisiana. It was also located on the crest of a hill, on the Texas Road that ran alongside a ridge.
In his book Twelve Years a Slave, Northup called this area "The Great Piney Woods."
Ford was also the headmaster of Spring Creek Academy, located near his plantation and Spring Hill Baptist Church. My grandfather and namesake, Randall Lee "Rand" Willis, attended that school.
In 1841, Joseph Willis entrusted his diary to his protégé, William Prince Ford, according to historian W.E. Paxton. Much of what I write concerning Joseph Willis comes from this diary.
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Ford was not a Baptist preacher when he purchased Solomon Northup and the slave Eliza (a.k.a. Dradey in my book) in 1841, as many books, articles, blogs, and the movie 12 Years a Slave have portrayed.
The first part of the Spring Hill Baptist Church minutes is written in Ford's own handwriting. He was the first church secretary and also the first church clerk. The minutes reveal that on July 7, 1842, Ford was elected deacon.
On December 11, 1842, Ford also became the church treasurer. In the winter of 1842, Ford sold a 60% share in Northup to John M. Tibeats. Ford's remaining 40% was later conveyed to Edwin Epps on April 9, 1843.
It was not until February 10, 1844, that Ford was ordained as a Baptist preacher.
A year later, on April 12, 1845, Ford was excommunicated for "communing with the Campbellite Church at Cheneyville." But Ford's later writings reveal that he remained close friends with his neighbor and mentor Joseph Willis.
Campbellite refers to churches that were based on Alexander Campbell's beliefs, according to some historians. Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ, and others came from this movement. Although Campbell rejected these titles. Campbellite was a derogatory term to him.
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Dr. Sue Eakin asked me to help with her research on William Prince Ford. I was also a guest lecturer in her history classes at Louisiana State University at Alexandria on the subject.
As mentioned above, Dr. Eakin's letters gave me the idea to write Twice a Slave. Twice a Slave was also adapted into a dramatic play at Louisiana College (Louisiana Christian University today) by Dr. D. "Pete" Richardson (Associate Professor of Theater).
Who was Dr. Sue Eakin?
Dr. Eakins is best known for documenting, annotating, and reviving interest in Solomon Northrup's 1853 book Twelve Years a Slave. At the age of eighteen, she rediscovered a long-forgotten copy of Solomon Northup's book. It was on the shelves of a bookstore near the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. The bookstore owner sold it to her for only 25 cents.
In 2013, 12 Years a Slave won the Academy Award for Best Picture. In his acceptance speech for the honor, director Steve McQueen thanked Dr. Eakin: "I'd like to thank this amazing historian, Sue Eakin, whose life, she gave her life's work to preserving Solomon's book."
Steve McQueen directed the movie 12 Years a Slave. Brad Pitt produced it. They were inspired by Dr. Eakin's research.
The English actor Benedict Cumberbatch played William Price Ford (W.P. Ford) in the movie 12 Years a Slave. He is an acclaimed actor, but his portrayal based on the script was far from accurate.
Northup described Ford as a "Noble, candid Christian man". He noted that Ford treated his slaves with kindness, acting as a protector and calling them his "fellow-mortals."
Benedict Cumberbatch played William Price Ford (W.P. Ford) in the movie 12 Years a Slave.
Brad Pitt produced the movie 12 Years a Slave.
Who was Joseph Willis?
Joseph Willis courageously fought in the American Revolution with Francis Marion, “the Swamp Fox.” He was the first missionary to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ West of the Mississippi River. He was also the first church planter in this vast region.
Joseph Willis swam the mighty Mississippi River on a mule into the Louisiana Territory in 1798. In 1798, the Code Noir, the “Black Code,” ruled the territory. The penalty was either to be sold to the silver mines in Mexico or the death penalty.
It restricted religion to Roman Catholicism, forbidding the exercise of any other religion. The Black Code was in effect by law until the Louisiana Purchase on April 30, 1803.
In 1854, the Louisiana Baptist Associational Committee wrote in Joseph Willis’s obituary. They noted, "He proclaimed the Gospel in these regions before the American flag was hoisted here." That would have been before April 30, 1803.
In January 1797, the governing authorities issued regulations. These made it mandatory for children of non-Catholic immigrant families to embrace Roman Catholicism. They also forbade the coming of any ministers into the territory except Roman Catholics.
Joseph Willis defied this terrifying rule of law. He traveled as far south as Vermilionville (Lafayette today), in the heart of Catholicism. His mission was to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It almost cost him his life. He had to flee in the middle of the night from a mob, according to historian W.E. Paxton. Paxton said he became known as the "barefoot preacher" after his daring escape. Joseph Willis did not have time to slip on his boots to avoid being killed.
Prior to that, Joseph Willis helped establish Woodville Baptist Church near the Louisiana Territory in 1798. Paxton said that the country between Mississippi and South Carolina was "then infested by hostile Indians."
In 1813, historian David Benedict wrote a significant book in Baptist history. It was titled A General History of the Baptist Denomination in America and Other Parts of the World.
Benedict wrote, “Joseph Willis…has done much for the cause.” Willis spent a large fortune while engaged in the ministry. He often did so at the hazard of his life, while the State belonged to the Spanish government.”
Napoleon Bonaparte acquired the Louisiana Territory from Spain on October 1, 1800. Before this acquisition, Joseph Willis was already preaching Jesus in the Louisiana Territory.
Joseph Willis also preached later in the Neutral Strip. This area is referred to as "No Man's Land." It was located between the Calcasieu and Sabine Rivers. The Catholic Church would not establish churches there for half a century after Joseph Willis did. That's how dangerous this lawless area was with pirates, run-away slaves, and Texas outlaws. And no law enforcement to be found.
Joseph Willis's denomination, the Baptist, refused to ordain him for fourteen years because of his swarthy skin.
His Cherokee dark skin would later help Joseph be accepted in No-Man’s Land. The land of many races, runaway slaves, pirates, and no law or government between the Calcasieu and Sabine Rivers. He would be the first to establish a Christian church there. The church was Baptist.
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A Few Tips on Writing
Still wanting to be a writer? Then study the great writers. If your genre is history or historical fiction, as mine is, it will require extensive research. I enjoy researching almost as much as writing.
I write short sentences. “For sale: baby shoes, never worn” is a classic six-word story that speaks volumes. Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain wrote short sentences. Both began as journalists. I also prefer short paragraphs.
I have never been sophisticated enough to enjoy William Faulkner's sprawling, complex sentences. Although when he writes about a leaf's texture, you can almost feel the leaf.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is my favorite American novel. Victor Hugo's Les Misérables is my favorite European novel. My taste ranges from Reader's Digest short stories to Louis L'Amour's Western novels to Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird to William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet.
Autobiographies and biographies are my favorite genres. David McCullough is one of my favorite biographers. He is a storyteller who does not get bogged down with facts and dates.
We have been taught in school that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. We have been given multiple-choice tests in school with dates. But what is the relationship between Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella? Explore her religious motivations. She became unhappy with him when he enslaved indigenous people and forced them into labor. Now, that's a story. You can tell your children about it on Columbus Day in America.
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I’m a pantser, not an outliner, as a novelist or better yet a storyteller. That’s what I’ve always been since I began writing with Crayola Crayons. What does pantser mean? The most popular definition is that of those who write stories “by the seat of their pants.” I write novels as the inspiration comes. Where is the motivation if you know what the ending is before you begin? To me, that is writing with a foregone conclusion.
Of course, we know the end of many biographies when we begin, such as The Story of Joseph Willis, which was the first book I wrote. He died in 1854, but what about his influence thereafter?
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As a writer, I've been taught not to use adjectives and adverbs ending in "ly."
Stephen King declared, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs."
Mark Twain wrote, "When you catch an adjective, kill it."
Ernest Hemingway stated, "I distrust adjectives as I would later learn to distrust certain people in certain situations."
As mentioned, I was blessed to meet several famous writers who graciously (adverb ended in "ly," so sorry) gave me some "pointers." The point is graciously not needed.
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The best advice I can give you is to omit unnecessary words. I will use a Jerry B. Jenkins example:
“The administrative assistant ushered me through the open door into the CEO’s office, and I sat down in a chair across from the big, wood desk.”
Obviously, there would be a door. And even more obviously, it would be open. If I sat, I would sit “down,” and naturally it would be in a chair. Because I’m seeing the CEO, a description of his desk would be notable only if it weren’t big or wood.
So write it this way: “The administrative assistant ushered me into the CEO’s office, and I sat across from his desk.”
I often read sentences like "he stood up." "He stood" conveys the meaning without up.
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Don't explain what you just wrote. Let the reader come to their own conclusion. Imagine if Carly Simon, when she wrote You're So Vain had revealed who the narcissist she was writing about.
Did Bob Dylan write Like a Rolling Stone about Edie Sedgwick? Like Dylan, leave a mystery in your writing.
Consider your first half-million-word practice. No matter how talented you are, mastering the craft of writing takes time—a lifetime. The only way to learn to write is by writing.
There is no set formula for writing. Every writer is different. Choose what works for you.
And most of all, remember to have fun. If you don't, you can burn yourself out and lose interest.
You can't repeat the past," Gatsby replies, "Why of course you can. — The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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daughters-in-law
Everything I write is dedicated to nine people: my three sons and six grandchildren. Throw in my daughters-in-law for good measure. They are the joy of my life.
Anyone else who would care to listen in is welcome.
—Randy Willis Books
