Welcome to the tenth edition of Cheri's 20 Questions! My interviewee today is the amazing Jeff Messick. Welcome! Jeff lives in South Central Texas with his wife, kids, and a boat-load of animals.
Hi Jeff! Please tell us a little something about what you write:
I write across all genres, except Romance. I have a special affinity for Fantasy and anything Paranormal.
Interview Questions:
Cheri: What is the first book that made you cry?
Jeff: A Child Called "It".
Cheri: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Jeff: Depends on where I'm at in the story. I'm energized at the start and the end. In between, I'm normally exhausted.
Cheri: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Jeff: Keep feeding the writing beast. It's the only way to shut it up, if only for a bit.
Cheri: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Jeff: I outline a tad bit more, to remember important things for the story.
Cheri: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Jeff: Purchasing Scrivener to write in. Powerful software for writers.
Cheri: What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Jeff: My dad was military. Overseas, you learn a little bit of the language, just a little, the population will fall all over themselves to help you, since you tried first. Powerful.
Cheri: As a writer, what would you say is your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Jeff: Any animal with laser focus and the....oh look! A bird!
Cheri: How many published, unpublished, and half-finished books do you have?
Jeff: 1 Published (soon to be 2), 2 unpublished (Soon to be 1), One nearly finished, one started, two in plotting, and about 13 more germinating.
Cheri: What does literary success look like to you?
Jeff: Having the lifestyle that allows me to sit and write every day, not having to worry about splitting time with a regular job.
Cheri: What do you feel is the best way to market your books?
Jeff: The best way is through readers that like your work, spreading the word. The only control I have over that process is putting out the best material I can.
Cheri: What kind of research do you do, and how much time do you typically spend researching before beginning a new book?
Jeff: Research? Not much, at least at the start of a project. At that point, it’s all the story idea, I’ll research necessities when I get to that point.
Cheri: How do you select the names for your characters?
Jeff: Names for my characters I come up with on the fly. I like it to sound close to I see/hear my characters.
Cheri: Do you hide secrets (or Easter Eggs) in your books for people to find?
Jeff: Easter Eggs, not really, except in the upcoming Magehunter Saga, there is a shout out to another author in books 2 and 3 so far.
Cheri: What was your hardest scene to write?
Jeff: My hardest scene to write so far is a tie, both dealing with the death of someone close to the main characters. It’s difficult to make sure everything maintains consistency.
Cheri: What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Jeff: The most difficult part for me is the part between the starting chapter (my strong point) and the wrap-up chapter. Everything in between is really hard to push through, for me.
Cheri: How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?
Jeff: On average, it takes about a year, though the second book in the Magehunter Saga was written in around 6 months, so I’m getting better.
Cheri: What is your favourite childhood book?
Jeff: My favorite childhood book, believe it or not, was any one of the Lord of the Rings novels. I’ve read that series nearly 30 times in my life.
Cheri: Where/when do you find yourself most inspired?
Jeff: There is no rhyme or reason to when I get inspired. Ideas hit me all the time, but some overwhelm me, and they get turned into stories.
Cheri: Lastly, do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Jeff: For aspiring writers, my advice remains the same as every other author tells you…WRITE. However, I will add on to it to not lie to yourself about what you do. You’re not “a writer by hobby” or a “part-time novelist” If you write, even if you’re not looking to be published, you’re a writer, and stay true to that when you think about yourself and what you do.
Cheri: Thank you so much for answering my questions, Jeff, and letting us get to know you better! It's been a pleasure having you! Next month the wonderful Joanna Evans will be joining us, so stay tuned!