Monday, July 14, 2008

Interview with J.W. Coffey


Author Pen Name: J. W. Coffey

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

JWC: To be honest, I write in a large variety of genres; mostly because I read a wide variety. The current book, A Wager of Blood, is a modern ghost story/horror story. I’ve always loved a really scary story that has you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next but afraid to know. But I also love historical fiction—which is not always synonymous with “romance”; although, I’m starting to gain a love for that genre as well. Science Fiction/Fantasy is another genre that I love to write in. And I’m starting to explore the crime/detective genre. I have a series in mind that I may start on soon that will explore that one, too. I’m gaining a great respect for that. So, it really just depends on the story—where it takes me is what genre I’m writing in for that moment.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

JWC: When I was very young, actually. I started writing when I was in the fourth grade—I got a tape recorder for Christmas. And I wanted more than just music or to send the occasional recorded letter to my grandparents. So, I started writing these serial vignettes and sweet talked my brothers into doing them with me, like the old radio shows. Then, I started writing my own “fantasies” that dealt with love and romance and life in general. It blossomed from there.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

JWC: I had so many influences, really. My Grandmother Coffey was a school teacher and she influenced me by encouraging my imagination and giving me exercises to do that involved story telling. My Aunt Eleanor influenced me by introducing me to classical literature at an early age. I was about 10 when I started reading Poe, Shakespeare, Hardy, Dickens. And my Mom really influenced me by encouraging me to read and then find my own. She always listened, always helped me understand what I was reading and writing. She was my biggest fan, always believing in my talent. And of course, the masters themselves—if I hadn’t read their work, I wouldn’t have been inspired to create my own.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

JWC: Right now, I have a full time day job, so that eats up a lot of my work time. But since I got the “Stephen King Bug,” I crave the writing. Stephen King is notorious for his output of stories and work, writing constantly. I know that feeling all too well—it becomes a compulsion and a deep seeded need to create. So, as tired as I am, I still usually put in a good three hours in the evening at my craft—be it writing or editing. And weekends, are fair game! Count on at least ten to twelve hours a day.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

JWC: Scared but excited. Will it stand the test of readership? Will they buy it? Will they like it? Did I get all the details out? Did I write it well enough that it will entertain? Did I do right by my characters? I’m scared that the answer is a resounding NO to all of the questions. We’ll see, won’t we.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

JWC: A voracious reader. But I like to hike/walk, I love to just sit and enjoy the fresh air of a lovely day; I love to listen to good music; yes, I stare at the television a bit—some really good shows on the cable networks. I’m hugely into BBC America and the History Channel.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

JWC: I’ve written five, so far. The Savior, The Brothers Campbell, A Wager of Blood, and Illusions & Reality have all seen print. Although, the first two are now out of print (published through iUniverse which is a subsidy press) pending rewrites and I’ll be resubmitting those around. They were the first two books I’d ever written and you can tell—too many first timer mistakes. I&R is a short story collection that I put together for a book signing; it occurred before Wager was actually out and I needed something to promote myself and the coming book. Wager is my first “traditionally published” book. And I’m in the process of submitting my first romance, Wilde Mountain Time, around. So, we’ll see what happens there. I have so many more in the hopper, so that’ll be changing very soon.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

JWC: A combination of both, really. There are aspects of my characters that are based on my friends and me. I think adding that spice to characters makes them real in the readers’ minds—especially since they’re real in my mind. But I also add characteristics that aren’t from people I know. Because I think you have to have something that the readers can feel part of, like they know someone just like that or they do that same thing.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

JWC: Be ready to work. Unfortunately, this is not the literary equivalent of “If you build it, he will come.” Writing the story is only the beginning. There will be long hours of editing and rewriting. There will be long hours of submissions and you’ll be getting a lot of rejections before you find that one agent or publisher that thinks you got the right goods at the right time. There will be even more long hours of rewriting and editing because you’re going to get an editor assigned to you that will help you improve the story even more. Then, you’re going to spend even more days and weeks promoting that book—and you’ll be doing a whole lot more than you think you will, trust me. The idea that you’re going to be the next Stephen King or Anne Rice needs to be dumped right now—they were flukes. Rich flukes, yes; but they are not the norm. But if you’re prepared to work and put the time in, you can make a difference. You can get your work read by a steady following and you can make it in this very competitive industry.

And do your homework. Don’t just send something to a publisher or agent. Find out what genres they publish or represent. Find out who in that publishing company or agency represents your genre and what that person’s name is. Find out what their submission guidelines are and then follow those guidelines to the letter. Because if you do all that, they know that you’re very serious about your work and they’ll take you seriously in return.

Also, get moving on your cult following. Publishers and agents love to hear that you have fans. Get a blog and post daily, find mailing lists and join. Go to online communities like the CompuServe Lit Forum and join in. Anything that gets you out there in the public and gets you noticed. The more readers you garner, the more potential readers await you. And you’ll find other writers who can pass on hard won knowledge and wisdom. So, make a splash. Get noticed. Get ‘em reading.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

JWC: My website is http://www.authorjwcoffey.com/. I have links to contact me directly through email. And I have a place on the site called “The Library.” You can find links to all four books—Amazon still has copies of the first two available, as does Alibris—and how to buy them.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

JWC: My best advice is to please yourself and never give up on the work. I know it’s hard out there. And I know we’ve all chosen an incredibly competitive business. But that shouldn’t stop you. Don’t worry about writing the next Harry Potter or the next memoir craze. If you try to write in a trend; by the time your book comes out, that trend will be over. Write the story that pleases you, entertains you, scares you! Please yourself first! Trust me, there are at least a few million out there that think like you do and if it pleases you, it’ll please them.

And don’t ever give up. Yes, I have a drawer full of rejection notices. And I’m collecting more every day. It’s the nature of the beast. J. K. Rowling was rejected at least 200 times before Harry Potter finally sold. Stephen King, the same. Dan Brown, the same. Don’t give up. It may be as simple as the timing of the project isn’t right. Or, you have a great story but it needs a little more work. And something I’m finding out, with books that cross over into two or more genres, you’ll find agents who don’t know how to market it, so they won’t touch it. The Savior is such a book—it has elements of historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and romance in it. It’s a bear trying to convince someone that it can sell very well. But I’m not giving up on it. It’s a story that will strike a chord in all who read it and I’m proud of it. So, I’ll have to come up with some marketing ideas to pass on when I start submitting again, to give whomever an idea of who will love it and read it and where it will sell the best. It’s not a prerequisite—but it never hurts to show you’ve done your homework.


CA: JW thank you for such an awesome interview! I really felt like you were sitting here talking right to me LOL, I hope that shows the kind of interactive writing style that you have :)

3 comments:

Zulmara said...

What a wondeful soul...and spirit who loves writing and loves the craft...que cool...love teh candidness of the interview and the connection with fans...

ADELANTE!!!!

Zulmara

Anonymous said...

What a great interview. I like that you write in different genres.

LadyVampire2u said...

I love ghost stories so I'm looking forward to reading your book.