Meet Ryan Kovacs | Author/Poet
We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Kovacs and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ryan, how do you think about risk?
I believe when it comes to writing, risk taking is critical in order to grow. We have to be able to step outside our comfort zones and expand on our own knowledge and experiences from which to write from. When I said I wanted to be a writer when I was a teenager, I believed it was as easily achieved as it was spoken. It wasn’t until I dove into the writing scene and realized just how difficult it is even to just get noticed. I recognized that in order to have some form of success with it, I had to take risks and find a style to suited me and stood out amongst the many.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
At the core of my writing will always be poetry. Poetry however is very subjective, so when I thought I could break out on the writing scene as a poet with full support from the writing community, I hit a wall. Much of my early poems were stemmed from trauma and heartbreak but I hadn’t really found my voice. I was whiny and very woe is me attitude that didn’t bode well for my works. It wasn’t until I discovered verse novels that I realized I might fit into the niche. I was always touted as a good story teller amongst friends and family, so why not incorporate it into poetry? Eventually I did when I self-published I Considered You. The stories I told helped pave the way towards writing my first novel-in-verse, The N.M.E. that was published by PHiR Publishing in March 2022. What set The N.M.E. apart from not just most of my writings, but many other novels-in-verse was the style in which it was written. I wrote the entire book in the first and second person, allowing the narrator to break the fourth wall. Additionally, it is entirely written in a southern accent. While it was certainly risky to publish, it has received much praise and great reviews despite how different it is from other genres.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a big beer connoisseur, so any get together has to start with a craft beer. I’d travel around to many of the local breweries, sampling beer flights and of course trying various appetizers. Food is pretty much the key to my heart, so it is a prerequisite with almost any outing. I’m also a huge outdoorsman and love to hike and take in nature. Fall is my favorite season because of apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, warm foods like chili and soup and of course the changing of the leaves. Having said all that, all those things would be packed into a day or weekend in which the outdoors are the setting to some warm food and a cold brew.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My two biggest supporters throughout the years have been my wife, Emma and mom, Julie. They’ve both offered constructive criticism to my work, shared my work with family and friends and inspired me to be a better writer, father, husband and son.
Instagram: rak_poetry
Youtube: https://youtu.be/gjBSvOkyfHo
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