Ask the Author: Jeff Lyon
Answered Questions (6)
Jeff Lyon
I write about real life experiences. I've had many interesting adventures of my own, but I also try to be aware of what people are doing around me. As a storyteller, I take great pleasure in embellishing the tale for the readers' enjoyment. A good story gets better with each telling.
For many years I wrote travelogues that were published in newspapers and magazines. Viewing things in a way that made them interesting and different from the average traveler was a splendid challenge. It always helped to utilize the characters around me to enhance situations.
Having the time to write is a priceless privilege. Growing up among great storytellers helps tremendously. Reading what the great writers have produced polishes the final product.
For many years I wrote travelogues that were published in newspapers and magazines. Viewing things in a way that made them interesting and different from the average traveler was a splendid challenge. It always helped to utilize the characters around me to enhance situations.
Having the time to write is a priceless privilege. Growing up among great storytellers helps tremendously. Reading what the great writers have produced polishes the final product.
Jeff Lyon
My fifth novel is a sailing adventure. The tale begins and ends in Miami. It's about a couple who retire, sell most everything and move onto a sailboat. They plan to spend their golden years cruising around the world. They get only as far as Georgetown, Bahamas before the dream unravels.
The book is based on a true story. In 1997 I flew to Georgetown to help a sailboat's owner bring his vessel back to Miami. His wife had suffered a nervous breakdown and left him stranded in the Bahamas. He hired me and a down on her luck, Canadian girl for the delivery. We overcame storms, a fire on board and smugglers during the journey. You'll have to buy the book to see how things worked out. I hope to have it finished by September.
The book is based on a true story. In 1997 I flew to Georgetown to help a sailboat's owner bring his vessel back to Miami. His wife had suffered a nervous breakdown and left him stranded in the Bahamas. He hired me and a down on her luck, Canadian girl for the delivery. We overcame storms, a fire on board and smugglers during the journey. You'll have to buy the book to see how things worked out. I hope to have it finished by September.
Jeff Lyon
The difference between writers, and everybody else, is writers write. Writing is a craft. Some writers have more natural talent than others, but all writers have to constantly work to become better. The most difficult part of writing for me is rewriting. It is a huge mistake to fall in love with what you've just written and convince yourself it can't be improved. I look back on books and articles that have been published and received good reviews that I know I could do a better job writing at this point in my career.
Writers also have to have thick skin. Rejection is part of the process. Believe in yourself, work to improve your product and acceptance will follow.
Writers also have to have thick skin. Rejection is part of the process. Believe in yourself, work to improve your product and acceptance will follow.
Jeff Lyon
Without a doubt, the best thing for me is hearing from a reader that I made them laugh or feel what I felt when they read my stuff. I like what I write. Most writers do, but to have a reader enjoy my work is much more rewarding. It matters what readers think.
Jeff Lyon
Writer's block manifests itself in different ways for each writer. I never feel as though I can't write. However, I will allow myself to be distracted by things when I don't feel like writing. If my mind is not focused on what I'm attempting to say, the result is always poor at best. So, I try to clear away all the nagging tasks on my routine agendas that keep me from working. Then, I can write without the thought of something else I should be doing or attending to creeping into my thoughts.
Jeff Lyon
I was the harbor manager in Chicago at DuSable Harbor for two years. Personal exposure to Chicago's politics and being directly in touch with people who worked and boated on the lakefront, made me want to write about DuSable. The constant attempts to bring gambling to Chicago and the presence of organized crime in the city, made for ripe material to mine.
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