Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.
After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.
Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker’s body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven’s Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), and Obsessed, with two more…Renegade, and Chaos to be released later this year.
Join me in welcoming Ted Dekker to The Write Message!
Beth: Tell us about your writing journey. Did you always want to be a writer?
Ted: No I didn’t always want to be a writer, but in a way, I have always been a storyteller. Only when I was younger, I made the stories up for an audience of one. I called them day dreams. I believe that those stories I created in my head eventually helped me become the storyteller I am today.
Now, My desire is to write only that which screams the truth in a world that once screamed it with me, then began to speak it, then to just whisper it, then settled for a gentle nod of agreement, and has now become silent about that truth. Soon I fear they will turn against the truth.
Beth: Who has influenced you most as a writer and why?
Ted: Dean Koontz. He has a unique way with words and is not afraid to explore the adventures and questions of life through the most unusual stories.
Beth: What is your favorite movie? Favorite TV Shows?
Ted: I enjoy movies and shows that are laced with adrenaline and conflict. Shows like 24, Heroes, Lost and Prison Break. Movies like Lord of the Rings, Platoon, and The Thing
Beth: Tell us about your novel, Adam.
Ted: Adam is one of the most important books I’ve ever written from where I’m sitting. Ultimately it deals with a question that we might have all considered at one time or another: What would happen if you, an agnostic but well reasoned person who resents religion, invited an evil sprit to sure, why not, come on in?
As the priest I’ve written says: Give me one hour in the dead of night with a man who is possessed and I will turn the staunchest atheist into a believer. Adam is the story of serial killer and the FBI behavioral scientist obsessed with bringing him to justice, but more than that it’s the story of our own society’s loss of faith in the raw power of Jesus.
I’m told it will be a divisive book, more than any book I’ve written, but I think it’s a critical read for any and all who think faith is for old women who like Sunday potlucks. This is a book you might dare those lost in apathy to read.
Beth: What is the message you hope to get across in this story?
Ted: Evil is real. And the only way to defeat all the forms of darkness in your life is through the light of Jesus Christ.
Beth: What does your typical day look like?
Ted: I write best locked away in my office. I listen to loud music all day. Start with worship bands, add some movie scores to that mix, then to rock. Music helps transport me to the place I am writing about.
Beth: What would you say was the toughest part of the writing craft for you to learn? Any tips for others who struggle with this same element?
Ted: A ton of storytelling technique has to do with heart. But writing isn’t as much about getting better at technique, it’s about changing and growing yourself. I read some of my older stuff and wish I could change some bad habits I had, but the heart was all there and I’m sure there are plenty of readers who like the old as much as the new. Though your technique may change, what really matters is your heart and the way you put heart into your story.
Beth: Any marketing tips?
Ted: Invest in your readers. They are your supporters even when they are telling you they don’t like something you have written. If you believe in them, give them access to give you with feedback, they will carry you further then you can imagine.
Beth: Closing thoughts you’d like to share?
Ted: My search for happiness has led me to the secret that I now share with you. Life is about heaven. It is about ecstasy and great pleasure, for God is both of these. They can’t truly be found here, on earth. Knowing this, Jesus sent his Comforter to ease the path between this life and the next. Among the greatest gifts offered by the Holy Spirit is hope, because without hope for the time when both ecstasy and pleasure can be found completely in God, there can be no happiness.
Thank you, Ted, for taking the time to give such deep and thought-provoking answers. I know all my readers will appreciate this. I hope you’ll join me again in the future. Be blessed!
If you’d like to purchase a copy of Adam you can do so here.