Ask the Author: Jeff Shear
Answered Questions (4)
Jeff Shear
Sorry for taking so long to reply. I've been on hiatus. Your questions are good ones that a lot of writers jiggle with. Look for my actual answer a little further down in this reply. So, please read on.
I've been composing fiction on a daily basis for the last five years. As I saw the field marching in. It's tough. There are exceptions. If for instance, you come from the Iowa Writers Workshop (or any prestige MFA program)and have a professor who is excited about your work and your attitude, you'll get a chat with agents and publishers. You're the writer they want.
The other pro is someone who pounds the slicks and keeps the clips. That takes a lot of time. But editors and agents are on the lookout for those people. Think: Stephen King. (Maybe a British accent helps, dunno.)
I'm not that guy.
I came from journalism and, while agents knew me, no serious agent would stroll me down Broadway. Fifteen percent of a $25 K contract isn't worth the effort (to an agent who's capable of conjuring a $25 K deal for an out-of-the-gate unknown).
Circumstance is not a measure of success.
To keep my story simple, I wanted to write a novel because fiction was the only way I saw of telling the truth. (That's a laugh line.) I had to turn to fiction to tell the story I saw.
The only obvious and reasonable alternative for me --without an MFA or a reputation in my field, etc.-- was Indie publishing.
This is where ecstasy comes in, not the chemical kind, but the kind that makes sitting down to write special...
Special for me was the wild freedom I felt at not having to please anyone or write x number of words. What a joy --no monkey-editor on my back. But by itself, was that success? Not yet.
Success didn't come until I rewrote the last chapter of my second book. It was in that moment, when I saw the story demand a proper resolution, that I lit up.
And so I went back to what was my third book and tore it apart. I poured everything I learned in the last chapter of my second book into the re-write.
Which brings me to your question. What is success? This. I know I've written a solid book. I'm sure my copyeditor will kick me around, but she can't touch the fact I've got humans for characters and a story to tell. No one can take that confidence from me. Do I think I can do it again? Yes.
And there's your answer: if you work with dedication long enough to recognize the best in yourself as a writer, you feel it. Feelings are like memories; you can't take that away.
What other people say, no longer matters -- love it or leave it; the important thing is that I DID it. Now I've got to sell the sonuvabitch. That's got to be easier than writing, and I can't fail there because I've got my books and my pitch and the delight I feel in my work that I want to share with others.
I've been composing fiction on a daily basis for the last five years. As I saw the field marching in. It's tough. There are exceptions. If for instance, you come from the Iowa Writers Workshop (or any prestige MFA program)and have a professor who is excited about your work and your attitude, you'll get a chat with agents and publishers. You're the writer they want.
The other pro is someone who pounds the slicks and keeps the clips. That takes a lot of time. But editors and agents are on the lookout for those people. Think: Stephen King. (Maybe a British accent helps, dunno.)
I'm not that guy.
I came from journalism and, while agents knew me, no serious agent would stroll me down Broadway. Fifteen percent of a $25 K contract isn't worth the effort (to an agent who's capable of conjuring a $25 K deal for an out-of-the-gate unknown).
Circumstance is not a measure of success.
To keep my story simple, I wanted to write a novel because fiction was the only way I saw of telling the truth. (That's a laugh line.) I had to turn to fiction to tell the story I saw.
The only obvious and reasonable alternative for me --without an MFA or a reputation in my field, etc.-- was Indie publishing.
This is where ecstasy comes in, not the chemical kind, but the kind that makes sitting down to write special...
Special for me was the wild freedom I felt at not having to please anyone or write x number of words. What a joy --no monkey-editor on my back. But by itself, was that success? Not yet.
Success didn't come until I rewrote the last chapter of my second book. It was in that moment, when I saw the story demand a proper resolution, that I lit up.
And so I went back to what was my third book and tore it apart. I poured everything I learned in the last chapter of my second book into the re-write.
Which brings me to your question. What is success? This. I know I've written a solid book. I'm sure my copyeditor will kick me around, but she can't touch the fact I've got humans for characters and a story to tell. No one can take that confidence from me. Do I think I can do it again? Yes.
And there's your answer: if you work with dedication long enough to recognize the best in yourself as a writer, you feel it. Feelings are like memories; you can't take that away.
What other people say, no longer matters -- love it or leave it; the important thing is that I DID it. Now I've got to sell the sonuvabitch. That's got to be easier than writing, and I can't fail there because I've got my books and my pitch and the delight I feel in my work that I want to share with others.
Jeff Shear
Best thing? Writing fiction. Why? Creating characters and shaping them out of words that breathe life into their unique behaviors is spooky-good fun. And annoyingly difficult. :-) Getting those "living" characters into situations -- where decisions are called for or dangers arise -- sharpens your logic. BTW, you must be cruelly honest with your text, which surprisingly is a special pleasure in itself. Setting a scene raises your attention levels. You find the tiny elements that comprise character through social settings. It's in these details and interactions that you discover a person's soul. (Here, I need more practice.) You learn to watch for behaviors, as poker players look for tells. BTW, you'd be surprised at how much you notice about people/characters when you're not trying! For instance, you begin to notice how people use their hands or shift their weight. Foreheads are expressive and become a big deal. :-) Sitting is an art. TV drama is great practice for writers. Actors are just characters stuck on a stage instead of a book. Finally, as other elements of your career develop, you become a better, more insightful member of the audience. That gets a Wow! In sum? There are many "best things" about writing. I've mentioned just a few. Thank you for asking! It's an honor to answer questions like yours.
Jeff Shear
Let me shock you. I don't believe in writer's block, although I have my moments, mostly from boredom during rewrites. If a writer knows where he or she is going, there's nothing to stand in the way of progress. There's no blockage. When a writer gets stuck it's usually because he or she doesn't know what they want to say. Does that mean I'm immune to the problem? Dunno. But if I get writer's block, you'll be the first to be informed! :-) Thanks for asking. (Now I'm worried.) :-)
Jeff Shear
Hi Bonnie, thanks for writing. This book started out as a non-fiction investigation into the workings of a Wall Street warlord. I was disabused of the idea that I could finish the work in a single lifetime. :-) So I turned to fiction. The plan was for a group of fictitious Congressional aides and public information officers (PIO), who met regularly for drinks on Capitol Hill, to follow his money trail. But the number of characters became awkward, hard to herd. Because the amounts of money involved in the Warlords story was large enough to influence foreign policy, I focused on the PIO for Senate Foreign Relations. I named him Jackson Guild after a late friend. To give him depth, I created a backstory of his early career as a reporter, where he witnessed -- and possibly participated in -- the ambush and murder of British artillery spotters. The guilt and PTSD from the event destroyed his life and left him a functioning alcoholic. It did not erase his inborn impetus to root out evil. And that's how I came up with Jackson. I'm glad you asked. It may me think.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
Jan 12, 2023 10:10AM