Episode 154: From Navy Pilot to Published Author with Ryan Pote
Ryan Pote was an injured Navy pilot trying to heal from trauma and rebuild his life. His counselor suggested that he journal, but doing so in the first person felt too vulnerable. Instead, he fictionalized his experiences as a way to process his trauma.
In this interview, you’ll hear how God used his journaling to bring healing as well as lead him to a personal relationship with Jesus. Those journals also unearthed a love of writing fiction and paved the way for his current career writing thriller novels embedded with biblical truth.
More about Ryan
Ryan is a twelve-year veteran Navy helicopter pilot and mission commander who was part of a joint interagency special operations task force (JIATF). He did three deployments during Operation MARTILLO countering narcotics smuggling throughout Central and South America.
Ryan then served as a search and rescue pilot for the US Navy Experimental Test Wing and NASA. After getting out of the Navy, he was a federal investigator for six years on prototype aircraft development programs. He currently works for the Navy’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Test and Evaluation Squadron as the safety department head.
Before the Navy, he lived and worked in Hawaii as a PADI SCUBA Instructor and lab tech researching algal-biofuels for Shell Oil. Ryan’s been the director of an oil company, a bartender, and even a live musician. He attended college at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and earned a master’s degree in US History and Teaching from Ashland University.
Books:
Blood and Treasure (Berkley 2025), The Ghost City (Berkley 2026), CLIVE CUSSLER The Serpent's Eye (Putnam April 2027). Various other projects in print and Hollywood protected by NDA.
Find him at https://www.ryanpote.com and @ryanpotebooks (IG, FB, X, Goodreads, Youtube)
The Purposeful Pen is a weekly podcast for Christian writers designed to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. Each week you’ll hear practical tips and Biblical truth on topics such as improving your writing, honing your message, and managing your time. I always respond to listener emails and I’d love to hear from you! Amysimon@amylynnsimon.com
Disclaimer: I believe in and approach life (and writing) from a distinctly evangelical Christian perspective, but some of my guests may not. When I interview a guest on a specifically spiritual topic, I do my best to know in advance that I can support their theological stances on the topics that relate to our interview. When the topic is not particularly spiritual, our theological views may differ. My interviewing of guests and providing links to their work does not necessarily indicate a complete theological endorsement of all their written work.