{"id":1573,"date":"2018-12-18T21:07:45","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T05:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/?p=1573"},"modified":"2024-08-28T23:31:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T23:31:19","slug":"billy-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/?p=1573","title":{"rendered":"Billy Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Adam Holt, the author of the Tully Harper Series, interviewed me about volleyball and writing my first book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve posted the interview here but be sure to check out <a href=\"http:\/\/adamholtwrites.blogspot.com\/2018\/12\/q-with-writer-and-pro-volleyball.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adam&#8217;s blog<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Adam-Holt\/e\/B00H28F8VO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">his books<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q&amp;A with Writer and Pro Volleyball Athlete Billy Ketch Allen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This week, the Lone Star Rambler introduces you to two people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is writer Billy Allen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-cropped-billyketchallen-author-photo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-cropped-billyketchallen-author-photo-1.jpg 512w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-cropped-billyketchallen-author-photo-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-cropped-billyketchallen-author-photo-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-cropped-billyketchallen-author-photo-1-270x270.jpg 270w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-cropped-billyketchallen-author-photo-1-192x192.jpg 192w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-cropped-billyketchallen-author-photo-1-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/cropped-cropped-billyketchallen-author-photo-1-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is pro volleyball player Billy Allen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/champagne-e1498985545608-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/champagne-e1498985545608-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/champagne-e1498985545608-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/champagne-e1498985545608-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/champagne-e1498985545608.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay, well, one person, and I&#8217;m glad he agreed to an interview.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A brief bio&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/?page_id=1446\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1446\">Billy Allen<\/a>\u00a0is a pro beach volleyball player and writer, among other things. He played volleyball and studied Creative Writing at Cal State Northridge. He hasn&#8217;t stopped doing either of those things, and he&#8217;s done them both quite well. As a beach volleyball player, he has racked up impressive wins on the AVP and some solid finishes in international play, with an eye on qualifying for Tokyo in 2020. As a writer, he&#8217;s recently published his debut novel,\u00a0<em>Good Blood<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch him win a tournament&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/svThNMVzr1g?t=4333\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"AVP Seattle Open 2017 Men&#039;s Final: Allen\/Slick vs. Crabb\/Rosenthal\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/svThNMVzr1g?start=4333&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Skip my interview and read his new book&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/0988636565\/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_-pYdCbZFC82XH\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still reading? Okay, cool. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve been thinking about the interplay between my own writing and volleyball lives. How do they influence and improve each other? With his Olympic ambitions and <g class=\"gr_ gr_7 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep\" id=\"7\" data-gr-id=\"7\">recent<\/g> publication, Billy seemed like the perfect person to ask.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was not wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q&amp;A |&nbsp; &nbsp;ADAM ASKS BILLY&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>First of all, give us a great elevator pitch for your new book, <a href=\"http:\/\/a.co\/d\/apMEKds\">Good Blood<\/a>.<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GOOD-BLOOD-Kindle-640x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4515\" style=\"width:248px;height:397px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GOOD-BLOOD-Kindle-640x1024.jpg 640w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GOOD-BLOOD-Kindle-188x300.jpg 188w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GOOD-BLOOD-Kindle-768x1229.jpg 768w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GOOD-BLOOD-Kindle-960x1536.jpg 960w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GOOD-BLOOD-Kindle-1280x2048.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GOOD-BLOOD-Kindle.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a fantasy novel set in a medieval world where blood is the most important commodity. The ruling class has enslaved a race of people to harvest their healing blood for themselves. When a mysterious boy shows up with off the charts blood, everyone fights to get their hands on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>In your book, the characters\u2019 bloodlines determines their fates. Where did this idea originate? <\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It started with the idea of the different blood types. How some, like a universal donor, could be more valuable. Then it became, what if people were born with a special blood type that had healing properties that could be transmuted to others? What would your <g class=\"gr_ gr_15 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling\" id=\"15\" data-gr-id=\"15\">responsibility<\/g> be to others if your blood saved lives? What would the government do to control that blood? Is it ethical to force a small group of people to save countless lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At first, it was going to be a sci-fi book, but then I read a fantasy book I really liked (<em>The Name of the Wind<\/em>) and I thought it would be fun to write a story in that vein. So I shifted the premise to a medieval fantasy setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Will you also give us a great pitch for yourself as a volleyball player?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ha, not as exciting. I\u2019d say I\u2019m an everyman who worked hard and stuck with it longer than most, basically outlasting the competition. I\u2019m not the best in a single category, but I have a good all-around game and I\u2019m steady. I get a little better every year and that has paid off for me.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You\u2019ve trained as a volleyball player since your earliest years and now play the beach game at the highest level. What about that has shaped your creative process?<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think the work ethic of an athlete translates to writing. Putting in the effort and working hard even when I don\u2019t feel my best, or am lacking motivation. Sitting in a chair and making stuff up can feel hard sometimes, but it\u2019s easier than going to the gym.<br><br>Also, in my volleyball career I\u2019ve seen how much improvement comes from learning new things and working on my game little by little. I didn\u2019t expect to be a pro right out of the gate. I look at writing the same way. My focus is on improving more than being perfect today.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"885\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Hermosa-Pass-Shoot-885x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4521\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;width:675px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Hermosa-Pass-Shoot-885x1024.jpeg 885w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Hermosa-Pass-Shoot-259x300.jpeg 259w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Hermosa-Pass-Shoot-768x889.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Hermosa-Pass-Shoot-1328x1536.jpeg 1328w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Hermosa-Pass-Shoot.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 885px) 100vw, 885px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Do you look at literature as an escape from your daily life? If not, what about your art imitates your life?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think creative projects balance me out. They give me a different outlet than <g class=\"gr_ gr_12 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep\" id=\"12\" data-gr-id=\"12\">competition<\/g> and physical training does. Literature, reading the books of others or thinking about my own stories, is something I can do even when I\u2019m tired. We also travel a lot. Lots of long flights and downtime in hotel rooms, so there is plenty of time to give my mind a break from the stress of volleyball and how I\u2019m doing in a tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Training for sand, like revising and editing, can be grueling processes. What keeps you motivated during that process? How do you overcome barriers, whether it\u2019s writer\u2019s block or a setback at a tournament?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking the long-term view has helped. It\u2019s easy to get frustrated with one bad game or one bad tournament, but if I\u2019m learning from it and improving, if I\u2019m moving in the right direction, then it\u2019s paying off. Every rep I get is making me better and putting another brick in the foundation. It\u2019s the same with writing. The story might not come out as good as the idea sounded in my head, but I did the work, it\u2019s on down on paper. I can learn from it and the next one will be better. Those words, even the bad ones, are necessary steps in getting to the better ones. As far as editing, it\u2019s easier to be objective and get feedback when I separate my value from the book and look at it as a piece of work I\u2019m trying to make better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, you should enjoy it. Sometimes it will suck, but it helps me to step back and reflect on how lucky I am to be where I am or to look at what I\u2019ve created. I lost in an AVP final this year after having match point, and it crushed me for a couple of days. Then I realized how much the <em>me <\/em>from a couple years ago would be dying to get the chance to play in a final. It\u2019s all about progress and how you bounce back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"752\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hermosa-theo-hit-shoot-752x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4522\" style=\"width:476px;height:648px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hermosa-theo-hit-shoot-752x1024.jpeg 752w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hermosa-theo-hit-shoot-220x300.jpeg 220w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hermosa-theo-hit-shoot-768x1046.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hermosa-theo-hit-shoot-1128x1536.jpeg 1128w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hermosa-theo-hit-shoot.jpeg 1322w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What\u2019s one tip for improving as a writer? And what\u2019s one you can give me &#8211; I mean, us &#8211; about playing great volleyball?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Done is better than perfect. That idea has helped me. I\u2019ve always written, but I never finished projects, things just stopped and existed as abandoned stories on my hard-drive. If you fiddle with stuff forever, afraid to put it out there and show others because it\u2019s not as good as To Kill A Mockingbird, you\u2019ll never finish anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For volleyball, I\u2019d say have a specific focus in practice. It\u2019s easy to resort to old habits and what\u2019s comfortable when you\u2019re competing and there is a score involved. Use training games to push yourself out of your comfort zone and focus on improving one specific focus, rather than juggling too many things or just trying to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Who are your mentors in volleyball and writing? What do they have in common?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In both I mostly modeled from afar, watching videos of Todd Rogers play or reading writers like Kurt Vonnegut. What those two have in common are precision and efficiency. No wasted movements or words with those two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John Mayer is a more recent mentor for me in volleyball, and I\u2019m lucky to have him coaching me now. His work ethic and how he values learning is inspiring. Similarly, the prolific writers of today who publish multiple books every year are extremely inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"564\" height=\"732\" src=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/von.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4627\" style=\"width:400px;height:519px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/von.jpg 564w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/von-231x300.jpg 231w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>As an athlete, you\u2019re shooting to qualify for Tokyo 2020. How does that affect your everyday life? What would you consider \u201cmedaling\u201d as a writer?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Volleyball is my priority right now. Some days are too full with training and lifting and watching video that I know I won\u2019t get writing in or as much as I\u2019d like to. I\u2019m learning to be okay with that. My volleyball window is much shorter, but hopefully I\u2019ll be writing for the rest of my life. Anything I do now is a head start on the post-volleyball writing career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I guess medaling as a writer would be growing a readership of people who love my books and be to able to make a living writing full-time, not just in the cracks of my life or when I get home from a real job. But I can\u2019t control the money part as much as the work I produce, so, job or hobby, I\u2019d like to keep putting books out that I\u2019m proud of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You said, \u201cI am not my book just as I am not my hitting percentage. If I look at it objectively I will welcome feedback and watch those mistakes over and over so I can make changes. Mistakes are only changeable if they\u2019re acknowledged.\u201d I love this idea of creative distance. I try to apply that, too, and I tell my students \u201cYou are not your results. You\u2019re not your grades. You\u2019re more important than that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yeah, who you are as a person is more important than your performance. That separation is important and something I have to remind myself.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So now that book reviews are coming in, how are you doing with keeping that creative distance from your work?<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ha, I think all those times I\u2019ve been heckled on the volleyball court has been preparing me for bad reviews. I tell myself this book just isn\u2019t for them. There are books I didn\u2019t like or didn\u2019t connect with for whatever reason, and it has nothing to do with thinking <g class=\"gr_ gr_16 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace\" id=\"16\" data-gr-id=\"16\">the writer<\/g> is a bad person. The negative reviewers don\u2019t know me or hate me, my book just wasn\u2019t their thing.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Does this idea of \u201cI am not my book,\u201d of identity beyond accomplishment, bleed into your fiction? If so, how?<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think I set my expectations pretty low for myself. I like <em>Good Blood<\/em> a lot, and I\u2019m really proud of it, but I told myself throughout the writing process that it is my first book and that the next one I write will be better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As far as bleeding into my stories, I might be more understanding of a character\u2019s mistakes. They\u2019re going to try and fail and lose fights, but losing doesn\u2019t define them. How they respond does. I love a hero who gets up and keeps fighting, no matter the outcome.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You\u2019re writing fantasy. How did you develop your world? What influenced it, and what overlaps do you see with our real world? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a new world is fun, coming up with the differences in currency, religion, and names. I want it to be mostly familiar\u2014not too out there so the world is unrecognizable&#8211;but to definitely have some tweaks. But you can get lost world building and planning out every detail. I keep the setting descriptions pretty light and get on with the story because that\u2019s what I like as a reader. Two pages describing a tree can be pretty self-indulgent. Though, creating a map was fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are lots of overlaps to the real world, human nature stays the same. People in power take advantage of those without power. My characters have struggles and temptations and dilemmas like everyone faces. They just fight it out with swords \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"604\" height=\"470\" src=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Middle-Earth-Map.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4567\" style=\"width:498px;height:387px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Middle-Earth-Map.jpg 604w, https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Middle-Earth-Map-300x233.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Man, I love a good map in a book, too, Billy&#8230;(Pictured: The Lonely Mountain in&nbsp;<em>The Hobbit.)<\/em><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Which AVP pros willingly nerd out with you about fantasy? Which ones are immune to fiction? I know some of my volleyball friends are non-readers, but I\u2019m making some progress.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lauren Fendrick is a big fantasy reader and one of the first people I approached to read an early draft. I\u2019ve talked to Todd Rogers about fantasy books and authors, I sent him an early copy, but I never heard back. He must not have liked it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve chatted with <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sandcastvolleyball.com\/my-beach-volleyball-book-we-were-kings-is-out\/\" target=\"_blank\">Travis Mewhirter<\/a> about writing and publishing. He writes non-fiction, but we both can share how good it feels to get the cover art back or to get that first copy of your book in the mail.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So we\u2019re wrapping up 2018. I know this because Facebook reminded me <g class=\"gr_ gr_13 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace\" id=\"13\" data-gr-id=\"13\">with<\/g> an <g class=\"gr_ gr_12 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace replaceWithoutSep replaceWithoutSep\" id=\"12\" data-gr-id=\"12\">acoustic-guitar driven<\/g> photo montage. So I\u2019m wondering what 2019 holds for you as a writer and athlete? And as a father (if you like)?<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m playing with a new\/old partner this year, Stafford Slick. We\u2019re trying to qualify for the Olympics so we\u2019re going to as many tournaments as we can. So, it\u2019ll be a busy year of traveling. More than I ever have in the past. My goal is to commit fully and go for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a writer, I have two projects I\u2019m working on and would like to finish in 2018. They\u2019re different genres. One is a thriller set in present-day Jaurez\/El Paso. The other is a coaching book, based on lessons learned from <em>Coach Your Brains Out<\/em>, a volleyball coaching podcast I\u2019ve done for a few years. That one is a collaboration with John Mayer, so it has been fun writing with someone else. After that, it\u2019s back to the fantasy world of Terene with the <em>Good Blood<\/em> sequel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Anything else you want to add? <\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for chatting. It\u2019s easy to get caught up focusing on the next tournament or the next book, it\u2019s nice to stop and reflect for a change.<br>Ready to start<em> Good Blood<\/em> or hear more from Billy? You&#8217;ll find all your needs fulfilled <a href=\"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/?page_id=1446\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1446\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BONUS CONTENT!<\/strong>&nbsp;Billy had some good questions for me, too. I&#8217;ll post some of those as bonus content at some point, but here are two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q&amp;A | BILLY ASKS ADAM&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>How are you getting better at volleyball? What are you working on, what\u2019s your approach?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Telling this to a pro makes me feel like I\u2019m confessing my sins. \u201cForgive me, it has been five days since my last decent cut shot.\u201d So I play a few times a week and it\u2019s often king of the beach. I like the KOB format, to play with different people and try to figure out what it will take for us to win. It\u2019s helped me become a better indoor coach, too. But I think in particular, I\u2019ve worked on aggressive consistent jump serving and better defensive reading. Playing well in open tournament has always been my long-term motivation, and trying to win our KOB tournaments is the short-term. I don\u2019t get fixated on winning since this is a hobby for me, but I do want to play my best every time I hit the court.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>What does being a successful writer mean to you?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I get questions about the book from young readers, that feels like success to me. I\u2019ve made them think, and that\u2019s one of my big goals. But more broadly, thinking about poetry and music, too, I want to write and perform in such a way that is inspiring and uplifting to readers and listeners. I don\u2019t know how many people will end up reading my books, or when they will get read. Maybe I\u2019ll be long gone or maybe not, so I can only define success by picturing those small impact adding up over time, kind of like the number of words in my current draft. Success is one more word than yesterday. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Love and rockets, &#8211; A<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Thanks Adam!<\/em><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adam Holt, the author of the Tully Harper Series, interviewed me about volleyball and writing my first book. I&#8217;ve posted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-volleyball","category-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1573"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4696,"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1573\/revisions\/4696"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billyketchallen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}