What could a book titled The Art of Unpredictability be about? Honestly, this book is more about balance than anything. You see, we all need an equal balance of routine and surprise in our lives. Predictability and unpredictability. We think most people tend to steer toward structure and aim to control their life when they really should let go and just say “yes” more often. We’ve collected the best moments and challenges of Las Vegas adventures, Coldplay concerts, and major car crashes to reveal how you can be completely unpredictable. You get to create your own rules, the boundaries are limited only by your creativity, and anything is possible… I know, you’ve heard that before. But how many people do you know who actively prove it?
Has your life become routine, boring and just dull? Learn how the application of a little unpredictability in your life could improve it for the better with Will Collette, author ‘The Art Of Unpredictability’. Will, what inspired you to write a book all about unpredictability?
This book started with a government job that made me feel like my life was full of too much routine. On New Year’s Eve, I decided to focus on one resolution for the upcoming year: be completely unpredictable. After that year, I published a book about everything I learned to inspire others to take risks and fill their lives with adventure.
Did you use events from your own life to help build that inspiration towards a taste of adventure that you share in this book?
Every chapter is a new relatable life experience with a lesson built-in. Lectures are boring, I try to make it interesting.
How did you build interest with the people readers will meet in the book? Are they fictional or real?
Everyone in this book is based on someone real!
And after building these real stories together with a love of adventure, what message do you hope is central for readers?
Be unpredictable.
That’s a fantastic message. Do you feel that this message is really relevant for people of today, or do you feel that there will be people in the future who might benefit more?
This book is evergreen. Humans have a natural tendency to want to control things. This book reminds us that unpredictability is part of a balance and is just as important as predictability (and a little more fun).
What did you personally learn by throwing yourself into unpredictability and turning this book into a reality?
Writing a book is hard as hell. Just like with anything worth doing in life, it requires an insane amount of time and consistent effort.
Had you put much effort into learning the craft of writing in the past? Where did you learn to write?
It really started with my mom. She spent hours tutoring me after school when we both realized I wasn’t as good as my classmates in English class. My first big failure was in the 5th grade, and she worked with me until I was in high school. I guess it paid off.
The fact that you’ve successfully written your own book shows that your mother’s assistance and dedication really did help. Have your written much since high school?
I studied at UNC, but became obsessed with writing after my job leading public affairs for the Air Force’s space launch unit.
Tell us a little bit more about how you went about writing in that unit?
Yeah, for a few years I was in a little group called the 30th Space Wing. We wrote articles about SpaceX and NASA. Our mission was to tell the world why our capabilities in space launch were important. Pretty high stakes, so we all had to step up as excellent writers and storytellers.
With high stakes writing experience behind you, I’d love to know what you think about as you write?
I was inspired to write this book by the most amazing girl I’ve ever met in my life. Her name is Kristina Webb, and she wrote her second book shortly after I met her. She was the drive to publish one of my own.
After meeting other writers like Kristina, who have inspired you to write, how do you look at your own author voice? How has it changed with your continued practice?
I still sound like a 21-year-old college kid, but that’s sort of my brand. Have fun and never grow up.
Is that college kid voice the extent of your brand, or have you started to think about building it out further?
I have! I recently strategized how to grow my brand as a writer and a speaker, hence this recent push to get my book in the hands of more people. The biggest reward as a writer is seeing people you don’t know read your book and decide to change their life in a positive way.
Tell us about how your brand has extended to your book cover design. Who designed it for you and how did that evolve?
Shivam Kashiwala designed the cover. He was someone I met while we were both working with space in the Air Force. He currently is in charge of nuclear weapons in Wyoming but takes breaks once a year to film EDC Las Vegas with me. We both love Marshmello.
You gotta love that awesome uniting power of good music. What kinds of responses have you had so far from readers?
So far, I’m at a perfect rating on Amazon and haven’t received any negative feedback about the book. I think this is because being unpredictable is a skill so many of us struggle with, but are eager to give a chance.
As you look back what has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
Toughest criticism was that I did too much “telling” and not enough “showing”. I had to flip my writing style completely around to let people discover lessons for themselves. My best compliment was being able to relate to almost any age – even people in retirement homes. It’s never too late to be unpredictable!
Who shouldn’t read this book and the messages of unpredictability?
Everyone should check this book out. Even if you hate it, I gave it to you for free.
Is there anything that you want readers to do once they’ve read you book for free, other than of course writing a review?
If this book inspires you to do anything out of the ordinary, I want to know about it. DM me on Instagram, @billco, and I will respond to every message that comes in.
I hope that you get thousands of tales of unpredictability coming in soon! Will, thanks for sharing a taste of the adventure you’ve had writing this book, and I hope to hear more adventure coming from it soon!
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Excited to read the book we discussed today? Find it here on Amazon: ‘The Art Of Unpredictability ( ASIN: B071HCBJ17 )‘.
Want to find out more about Will Collette? Connect here!