By David Doub
Most Readers know you from your Sabina Kane and Propero’s War series, but in recent years your focus has a changed a little like with High Lonesome Sound. Is this a conscious change of your writing or a more organic evolution? It was both. When I wrote High Lonesome Sound, I was doing an MFA program at Seton Hill and needed a novel to write as my thesis project. I wanted to use the program as a way to stretch my chops a bit, so I decided to try something new. At the same time, Urban Fantasy was sort of dying out in the market, as far as traditional publishing is concerned, so I knew I needed to start thinking about what I wanted to try next. All of that came together in HLS, which was an idea that had been whispering to me for a few years. The story of a small mountain town with a strange annual ritual, a mourning husband who’d do anything to get his wife back, and a teen girl with the powers she hasn’t yet realized. You offer a lot of writing advice one your site, Twitter, your Wells Writing Workshop newsletter, workshops and seminars through Writing Workshops Dallas and so on. Why do you do offer so much advice and lessons for other writers? Part of the reason I went back to get an MFA so far into my career was that I felt I finally knew just enough about writing after ten years to be able to teach it. Getting the degree was partially an attempt to ensure I knew how to teach well. Also, few writers manage any sort of longevity in this business without having side gigs. It happens that I love teaching, and it felt like a natural evolution for me to mentor newer writers. I just started Wells Writing Workshop because so many people who don’t live in North Texas have asked how they can learn from me since they can’t take my local classes through Writing Workshops Dallas. Right now, the subscription to the newsletter is free, but soon there will be a section of paid subscribers to access my writing lectures, early drafts of my craft books, discounts on my online classes, and initiations to write-ins and retreats. You can see what it’s all about for free until Feb. 1 here: https://jayewells.substack.com/ You worked with FenCon for many years. What is it like working with a convention and can you tell us a little bit more about FenCon and your experiences there? I didn’t actually work with FenCon. I attended several times, and I was a GOH as the Writing Workshop Faculty one year. Unfortunately, my schedule hasn’t allowed me to be able to attend in a few years. But what I really like about FenCon and fan cons of this type is that is begins to feel like a family. You see the same fans and pros year after year, and everyone is there because of shared love of geek culture. What are your thoughts of the recent boom of conventions, be them comic cons or nerd cons or the like? I think if the con is well-run by people who respect both the pros’ and the fans’ time and needs then it’s a good thing. I love going to events where I can connect with my fans and maybe have a chance to earn some new ones. I also enjoy being able to discover new writers, artists, and the like to become a fan of myself. What are some of the most common questions aspiring writers ask and what seems to help them the most? Most new writers are far more worried about selling their work than they are writing great stories. If you haven’t finished a single story, don’t add stress to yourself by trying to learn who the best agents are and what you’ll wear to the Nebulas when you win. Write first. Learn craft first. Once you start getting a handle on the tools of the trade and you’re finishing stuff, then you can worry about where to sell and what you’ll say in your award acceptance speech. It’s important to find joy in the process of creating. If you’re too dependent on things you can’t control—advance, awards, bestseller lists—then you’re setting yourself up for heartache. How much is your writing influenced by the south and North Texas in general? I’ve never actually written a story set in Texas. I’m not sure why except that my work has always had a supernatural or arcane bent and Dallas isn’t the most woo woo city. I’ve written several things set in New Orleans, and High Lonesome Sound was set in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, and early on I wrote a couple of stories set in North Carolina, where I used to live in my late-20s. So the South has definitely been an influence as far as settings go. But I honestly think the biggest influence North Texas has been on my writing has been that it’s an incredibly affordable place to live, which is really important when you’re a full-time writer. Are they any good resources in Texas you have found that have helped you and others in your writing? Texas has so many writing groups, retreats, and conferences that you almost never have to leave the state to get your career going. Dallas Area Romance Authors was a huge influence in my early writing career in terms of mentorship and resources, but I have sadly quit RWA recently due to the much-publicized race issues and toxic leadership in the organization. Luckily there are other great groups offering classes and mentorship, like Writing Workshops Dallas, where I teach and mentor. https://writingworkshopsdallas.com/ In addition, WORD is a great web site that offers a calendar of writing classes and events https://www.wordwriters.org/ Are there creators in Texas that you are enjoying their work? What other creators are you enjoying? If I listed the writers I admire in Texas then the list would be booklength. The amount of generosity and talent in our state when it comes to fiction is pretty staggering. But I’d be afraid of forgetting someone if I listed names and then risk making a friend mad. On my substack newsletter, I do a weekly Woo Wednesday post where I list all the things I’m loving that week, including books, shows, movies, etc. Those posts will always be free on the newsletter, so if you’re curious about what I’m digging at the moment, check it out here https://jayewells.substack.com/ What upcoming writings do you have coming up that you can share with us? I’m just coming off of a sabbatical from writing, so anything I’m working on now is in such early stages I don’t feel like I can share details yet. But you can find a list of all of my published work at my web site http://jayewells.com/ Otherwise, I just wrapped up a six-month mentorship through Writing Workshops Dallas with six talented writers. I hope to offer another one later this year in addition to the Wells Writing Workshop online. |
AuthorNorth Texas Nerd is a site for news, reviews, interviews, and opinions about all pop culture and geeky things happening and being made in North Texas. Archives
April 2020
Categories
All
|