2026 Reading Challenge

Ask the Author: J. Shep

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Hello! Regarding The December Issue, I am curious to know, what was your motivation to writing a novel that has the main character being a retiring writer that addresses the growing lack of respect in today's society, as his last piece? And when do you think you started to notice this change in our society?
J. Shep Thanks for this question! I think it's really interesting that you used the word "respect" and not "class," which was the topic of Paul's column. I am not sure I can recall my motivation for writing this book, but I do know at the time I wrote The December Issue, I cared about the ways people spend their time. I care about this topic to this day. I noticed that one's time can get frittered away with the most pointless activities, ones that don't better ourselves, others, or our worlds in any way. I placed Paul at this intersection between a fulfilling career and a fulfilling retirement, but he is grappling with what a fulfilling retirement means; in other words, he is exploring how to spend this newfound time. Exploring this topic may have been my motivation. Similarly, exploring the topics of class, offense, and responsibility, even as they intersect with respect, may have been another motivation. I just found them interesting to me and wished to present some views on them, placing them on the path of Paul's search for how to spend his retirement.
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The best part of The December Issue was the way the plot unrolled. Those three parts were, to me, novel. They aren't like typical parts in a novel. How did you get the idea to structure your novel in this way? Thanks for such a thoughtful, warming, page turner of a book.
J. Shep Thanks for the question. I sometimes wonder how the three-part structure of the novel lands with readers, and I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! While I do wonder how readers will react, I am happy with the choice. So far, the response to that aspect of the book has been favorable. Initially, I wrote the first part of the book and ended it; it was a novella. When I decided to develop the story, I knew I wanted to keep the integrity of the novella, so I didn't dive into that and expand. Instead, I continued the story. I think I knew there was a little more story to tell with Paul and these characters, so I picked up where the initial novella stopped. The second and third parts developed thoughtfully and realistically, and I was happy with the overall story as well as the arcs. Where much deliberation came in were the divisions. If I ended part one where it currently ends, there's not much of a cliffhanger. Had I added one more chapter before ending part one, it would have ended on a cliffhanger. I decided, as you know, to make each part its own, seemingly discrete story. I am grateful that you used the words "page turner," because my decision to delineate each part as I did doesn't, in and of itself, spur on a reader to turn the page once a section ends. I hope that's where enjoyment of writing style, characters, and themes comes in for readers!
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A big shout-out from the Pacific Northwest! December Issue was recommended to me and I loved it, and then I just finished After Me and loved it too. Reading December Issue and seeing Lake Superior as this beautiful backdrop with the lighthouse, the way people interact with it, the community evoked a lot about Washington State. Do you plan to do a reading out this way? Our area would appreciate your writing.
J. Shep Thanks for the question and the well-wishes from the Pacific Northwest! I am glad you liked both books as they are quite different. I do wonder if (and hope that) those living in America's beautiful coastal areas, from the Pacific Northwest to New England, from other Great Lakes states to the South, would connect with The December Issue for the way I incorporate setting, from the fictional Lake Superior lighthouse to the residents' interaction with the lake. I hope that those living anywhere in the world might appreciate the book without necessarily connecting with the setting on account of the novel's other elements like characters, relationships, plot, and themes. That you see something about Washington State evoked in this novel helps me see the reach of this book in terms of the setting and community I present. Thanks for sharing that. As far as a reading out your way, if a bookstore or other venue reaches out for a reading and anticipates some profit in it for them, I would do my best to make that work!
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J. Shep
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