Romal Tune: On Healing Relationships Through Conversation
Speaker and author Romal Tune discusses the healing nature of his new nonfiction book, I Wish My Dad.
Romal Tune is a speaker, author, and social entrepreneur. He serves as a vice president at TMS Global and is the founder of ClereStory Education, a nonprofit that offers workshops and coaching about mental health.
Tune is a graduate of Howard University and Duke Divinity School and has spoken internationally at conferences addressing topics of inner healing, thriving, and the importance of mental health. He is the author of God's Graffiti and Love Is an Inside Job, which Richard Rohr said "will change the way you see life, death, and perhaps even God." He has two children and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
In this post, Romal discusses the healing nature of his new nonfiction book, I Wish My Dad, his advice for other writers, and more!
Name: Romal Tune
Book title: I Wish My Dad: The Power of Vulnerable Conversations Between Fathers and Sons
Publisher: Broadleaf Books
Release date: October 11, 2022
Genre/category: Nonfiction
Elevator pitch for the book: I Wish My Dad: The Power of Vulnerable Conversations Between Fathers and Sons shares the intimate, vulnerable stories of 17 men and the relationships with their fathers. This book changes the narrative about what it means to be a man and raise emotionally healthy sons.
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What prompted you to write this book?
After spending time with my father and working to heal our relationship, I started reflecting on experiences and the type of emotional connecting that I wished I had with my dad when I was young. I realized that I probably wasn’t the only person carrying “I wish my dad” memories.
I’d wanted to hear the stories of other men and share those stories so that others could see that they are not alone, healing is possible, and that we need to learn new ways of showing up as men and fathers in order to have emotionally healthy relationships.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It took about a year and a half to go from idea to publication. I completed all of the interviews in two months. Men were eager to share their “I wish my dad” stories and flew to my home in Atlanta. The idea didn’t change during the process but perhaps the most significant shift for me was realizing just how emotional this journey of capturing and telling these stories would be.
Almost every man that I interviewed cried. Some shared really challenging experiences with their fathers, some still carried anger, and others shared the sadness of missing their dads because they are no longer alive.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
The biggest surprise for me was seeing how open and honest the men were about the relationships with their fathers and what they needed to feel loved. It was interesting to see just how much money or the lack thereof in the family home really didn’t matter to these men when they were children but what they needed most was to hear the words “I love you,” experience the compassionate touch of a hug from their dads, and opportunities to really get to know their fathers on an emotional level.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I was surprised by how well the takeaways resonated with early readers and the lessons they learned. I’m grateful to Kyndra Frazier, she’s a friend and therapist, for pulling those together at the end of each chapter.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope that through these stories readers will see themselves, think about what they truly need to feel loved and build deeper emotional connections in relationships and then commit to learning the skills needed to show up differently.
I hope that mothers and fathers see that many of our ideas of what it means to be a man are flawed and need to change because they are not serving our families and children well in the desire to raise emotionally healthy and confident children; and that parents will say “I love you” to their children daily, hug and kiss them, and spend time in ways that make their children feel seen, loved, and valued.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Tell the story in ways that give readers permission to feel their feelings and heal and thrive. Be courageously transparent by not just showing your wounds but be sure to show readers your scars because scars are the evidence of healing.
That’s the good news. Healing and thriving are possible. As a writer you have the ability to inspire people on their journey of becoming the best version of themselves that they can possibly become in their lifetime.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
