Pack the '“hacks” for amusement park fun thanks to local author Mike Kunze

It was only natural that as a child, local author Mike Kunze became the tour guide for his family.

The ingredients were all there:

“I’m the oldest of six kids,” the West Chester resident says. “Our family took vacations to Walt Disney World nearly every year. My mom and I loved Steve Birnbaum’s Official Guide to Walt Disney World and wore out several copies during the 1980s. With my interest in Disney and being the oldest kid, I naturally became the tour guide for my family.”

Today the author still wears the mantle of “guide.” The veteran amusement park patron (add Ohio’s Cedar Point and the now-closed Geauga Lake to his travels) has converted his own park experiences into a collection of “hacks.”

“To ‘hack’ is to do something unconventional with what is currently available,” he explains, adding his word choice was “inspired by the Lifehacker.com blog.”

“Park Hacks is a way I can show people a deeper level of fun in the park,” he continues. “Many people consider the number of rides they rode as the main measure of success...I want more people to see the excellent shows and recognize the quality of detail in the park’s themed atmosphere.”

The result : three editions of hacks that advise park-goers how to avoid stress, hunger, exhaustion and all the other irritants that can mar an otherwise enjoyable outing. They include:

*The 2019 & 2020 “Kings Island Park Hacks: Behavior Hacks and Tips to Help Families Enjoy a Great Visit” (co-authored by Krystal Curtis, to be released in late June)

*The 2018 “Amusement Park Hacks : An Instruction Manual for America’s Amusement Parks” (co-authored by Krystal Curtis) and...

*The 2017 “Kings Island Park Hacks : Behavior Hacks & Tips for a Great Amusement Park Visit.”

Writing a handbook was a natural fit for Kunze, a self-described “creative digital marketing guy” who has held a “wide range of positions creating and shaping content that instructs or influences.” He is currently employed as a web developer/webmaster and is not affiliated with Kings Island.

“About six jobs ago, I realized I was a pretty good writer,” Kunze recalls. “I suggested copy to the writers on my team and they accepted most of it and only required a few changes. I also learned during that period that I had the skills, the software capability and the publishing platform to publish books myself...

“Initially I had no idea what subject to write,” Kunze says. “There were too many potential paths. It was hard to choose.”

“With my background in illustration (Kunze attended the Columbus College of Art and Design with a goal ‘at that time’ of working in Walt Disney Feature Animation), I considered children’s books. I put many of my ideas into notebooks,” he says.

Then it clicked:  a subject “that would motivate me to complete because I’d be helping people” as well as “one that would be easy for me to write,” Kunze recalls. The inspiration appeared in the form of a hot summer day in a very crowded park:  

“The day I got the idea to write this guide was July 5th, 2016. I had just experienced one of the most pleasant days in Kings Island the day before, Independence Day. It was a cloudy holiday with the threat of rain looming constantly.

“....The rain held off. The park had no crowd. The staff was fast, attentive and organized. The weather was cool and pleasant. My family spent a delightful afternoon walking straight on to the most popular rides with no wait. Many people held off by the risky weather likely decided to shift their plans and have their visit to the park the next day.

“On July 5th, I stopped by around lunch-time to find a far heavier crowd. I was standing in line for pizza, wanting a salad. Around me were hot sweaty families who were also tired and hungry.

“Between the metal rails of the food line were  several large strollers being awkwardly maneuvered. Stressed parents muttered over the high price of entrees. In one of the strollers was a little boy who was very hot, tired and hungry. He shrieked at a pitch that might have shattered glass.

“It was at that moment that the idea of this book hit me. I could share what I’ve learned about working through this and other parks. I chose to stay in that line and wait it out. I watched [the park patrons] and empathized with these families in their discomfort. I decided to create this guide so that their next visit to an amusement park would be great.”

The author had found his audience.

“There is a large, enthusiastic following for Kings Island. Those people already know the park very well and do not need my advice,” the author states. “However, they do seem to enjoy hearing my thoughts and sharing strategies through the Kings Island Park Hacks blog and the accompanying Facebook group, but they do not need the books,” Kunze says.

“My ideal book audience is made up of parents and grandparents who are not used to taking kids to amusement parks,” he explains. “New moms and young families who are new to the park learn how they can save money and get a lot more fun” from their visit.

Kunze’s advice to readers is literally well-grounded. A pass-carrying Kings Island patron, he says he goes to the park “a lot.” “During the 2018 season, I went to the park 88 separate days!”

The author says he “leverages the views and tips of many people. This has been a big help for my books -- asking the audience for their ideas and opinions. I’m not just sharing only my own stories and opinions. I become a curator for the dialogue and share the best park hacks with the audience!”

“I love the interaction with the park fans…,” Kunze says. “Each year I get to know the audience better. They are very helpful.”

The information-share led to a co-author for the 2018 edition of park hacks.

“Krystal Curtis was one of the most helpful people from the audience,” states Kunze. “She responded to my early blog posts. As a mom of young kids, her input has been very helpful in making the book better.”

The local author points out that while he’s “not affiliated or a representative” of Kings Island he has shared the books with its public relations and merchandise personnel. An updated 2019/2020 edition will be released in late June, he says.

“Once that is done, I will finally complete and release ‘Walt Disney World Park Hacks’,” the book I was born to write!” Kunze exclaims. “Watch for that this fall!”

Amusement park hacks aren’t the only subject of interest to this local author.

Park hacks were “a good topic for me to get my feet wet as an author,” Kunze says, adding “I nearly shut the park hacks series down last year to concentrate on other topics. But the book’s increasing sales and the fun I’m discovering developing relationships I have with the audience and other amusement park enthusiasts have convinced me to keep it going.”

“I have many other books I have made and plan to make,” he continues. “I helped my mom republish two of her books that had gone out of print. I’m also writing fiction books in various categories that I will release under different pen names…”

In fact, Kunze is partnering with a friend, his former boss, “to create some highly influential leadership books,” Kunze says. “Watch my website -- mikekunze.com -- for those announcements.”

A love of reading began in childhood.

Since childhood, this local author has “loved the great children’s books of Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak. The first thick book I remember reading for pleasure was ‘The Adventures of Dr. Dolittle,’” he recalls. “I also enjoyed “Encyclopedia Brown” and the ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books. I’m a huge fan of ‘Moby Dick.’ I read it about once per year. I like Tom Clancy’s books a lot, too.”

However, most of Kunze’s reading time is devoted to non-fiction. Authors Tim Ferriss, Dan Miller, Dr. Tomas Stanley, Cal Newport, and Dave Ramsey “have guided me,” he says. “John Acuff showed me how a regular guy can use his witty personality to attract an audience and help people make their lives better. Jeff Goins taught me I could actually be a real author without anyone giving me permission.”

As both fan and writer, Kunze has arrived at several conclusions :

“Writing is a skill…”

“...It can be learned by reading, by reading about reading, and by practicing! I always enjoyed telling stories and teaching through my writing. Later, I learned how to write with active language, which is more enjoyable to read and makes for better content on blogs.”

A routine helps...

“I have a wife, three kids, a fulltime job and a busy life. I get up every morning at 5 to write. I also try to add to it later, when we watch TV in the evenings. My mom always had me hold a book or do some work while the TV was on. That helps me make progress every day.”

The challenge : to sell to your audience, know your audience…

“The thing I didn’t understand at first is that you’re writing for your audience. I tend to let my personal taste get in the way sometimes. I’m naturally a non-conformist and a rebel. Market research helps me see what people are buying. Once I’m clear on that, I get a lot of creative satisfaction from making a book that stands out on its own merit, while still satisfying the market’s wants... I use Amazon and other tools like Publisher Rocket (KDP Rocket) to find out what books people buy.

“From there, I put on my designer hat. Before I write anything beyond general notes, I use my intellect to plan a book that will accomplish something for the audience. They must be able to recognize the value through the cover design, the book’s description and the table of contents.

“Having that groundwork makes it far easier to do the actual writing. Writer’s block is a silly concept. With a structure and research completed, you just fill in the rest with words that are clear and engaging.”

Add illustration…

“I have an advantage with my experience as an illustrator, photographer, and graphic designer. I can easily add a picture or a diagram any time I want. I should do more with imagery in my books.”

Adapt to deadlines...

“I don’t stress about deadlines or word count. When I’m close enough, I set the final release date and make sure I don’t miss it! Launching first on Kindle is good because you can update the book any time. Paperbacks aren’t as easy to change.”

To sum it up...

“Research, gather the audience, design the product, write the thing, edit the thing, write some more, share some of it with your audience to get them excited, format the cover and inside content. Assign your ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and get it set up with a printer. I use Ingram Spark. Then put the Kindle version on Amazon’s KDP for sale...

“After that, get reviews -- probably the hardest part of the whole process -- and tweak the keywords, description, and advertising. Interact with the writing community on social media platforms.”

More information about Mike Kunze is available at :

https://www.mikekunze.com/

Information about the park hacks series is available at:

*https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mike+kunze&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

MidPointe Library loves local authors!

Today’s featured author was one of many who greeted the public at MidPointe Library’s ReadLOCAL event last year at its West Chester location. In the photo above about half of the participating authors are shown. Mike Kunze is at the far left.

We’re proud to feature writers like Mike Kunze on this monthly blog accessible via:

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Local authors are welcome to write and do research at any of MidPointe’s five locations : Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe, Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center).

Writers can also reserve meeting rooms at four MidPointe locations : Middletown, West Chester, Trenton or Monroe, by clicking on :

https://www.midpointelibrary.org/page/meeting-rooms