TK Staff Profile: Adam Vlach

Adam Vlach has been writing for TK Magazine since 2015. Prior to that, he wrote for MVP magazine, The Topeka Capital-Journal and the Washburn Review. After graduating in 2016 from Washburn University, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where he currently works as a project manager at a software company. In his free time, Adam likes to read fantasy and history, run, and stay connected with his hometown friends by playing video games together.

What do you think makes a good story?

ADAM: I believe the best stories are the ones that are told for the sake of telling a good story. A lot of times, readers will look for extra layers of meaning in a story, or they will debate "What did the author mean by X, Y or Z?" While a good story should encourage the reader to think and reflect, in my opinion the best stories are the ones that are honest, self-effacing, and simply exist to entertain or educate the reader.

What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to improve their writing?

ADAM: The local library is always a great resource. Writing is one of the few skills upon which you can significantly improve by observing others do it -- that is to say, by reading others' writing. On top of that, don't discount the power of the internet. There are tons of online workshops and communities across Facebook and Reddit that are great for getting and giving feedback on one's writing from fellow writers, both amateur and professional alike.

What is unique about writing for a specific niche like businesses/ business leaders?

ADAM: One of the most interesting aspects of writing articles on business leaders is that the business leaders and owners I interview are experts in their field by any definition of the word, but you can ask different business leaders the same question, such as "What is the best way to increase productivity?", and you can get very different answers -- yet neither of them is wrong. Writing about business is an opportunity to see the outsized impact that the human element plays in business. Two businesses can be identical on paper, but be very different -- and have leaders with very different opinions and results -- because of that intangible human element.

What are you currently reading?

ADAM: I am currently reading The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes.

When you get ‘writer’s block’ or can’t seem to find the words, what do you do?

ADAM: I go for a walk outside. Works every time.