Interview With Author Jackson Selby
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I am Jackson Selby, an almost 14-year-old teenager and an avid enjoyer of cats. Currently, I have written three books and one published short story (see the Saga of Mr. Squirrel on www.purrfect-books.com), with more books in different genres (including fantasy science fiction and two books of cartoon illustrations) in progress. I also have a poem set to be published in Penpoint Literary And Art Magazine’s next issue.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest project was the Saga of Mr. Squirrel, which serves as a free prequel of sorts to my current project, Suitcase the Cat. I was going for a walk on a late Saturday afternoon and I saw a Squirrel stealing a nut from a tree and running. Later, I told my co-author of the series about what I saw and from there the idea of a madcap walnut heist was born.
The Adventures of Suitcase The Cat has been a work in progress for almost six years. My co-author and I are working through the final edits with plans to publish the first book of the series this summer (2022). Then, we’ll work on editing the second book of that series.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I cannot write without music. I barely pay any attention to the words themselves, but the background noise really helps me get into the flow of things. In addition, I write with very irregular grammar on my first draft so as to not get bogged down in working out which words to use. That would cause me to lose the writing flow I am in. I go back and edit grammar after I finish the chapter I’m working on at the time.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I first got my start reading book series when I was given the Percy Jackson books in first grade. Those books lit the furnace of my reading desires and I have been hooked on reading ever since. Eventually, I began to write my own stories.
What are you working on now?
My current project is a book called ‘Suitcase the Cat’. It’s the story of a cat that whenever he is stressed, he turns into a suitcase and how he overcomes that problem and also finds his true family.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My co-author handles all of the administrative duties, while I get to do the fun stuff. We do have two websites which have lots of information about all our books. Check out www.atibooks.com which includes free story stretchers for each book and also go to our really fun, engaging website www.purrfect-books.com with games, puzzles and entertaining videos about two cats who are also authors of one of the books. The backstory on how that occurred is part of the website.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If I had any advice for up-and-coming authors, it would be this: Be open to change. Your story will naturally change and evolve, and you can’t always force an ending just because you like it. Do what feels natural for the story.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t focus on the end goal at the expense of the story. As you write, write each chapter as its own thing, not as a stepping stone to reach the end. The end goal of your story is where the story concludes, but the actual book is the journey to get to that point. You can’t rush through the everyday details to get to the end of the book.
What are you reading now?
Currently, I am re-reading the Morrigan Crow series which is a quite fantastic series of books that I really enjoy.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have a fairly fleshed-out sequel to Suitcase the Cat that I intend to move on to once the initial book is released that will cover the second half of his adventures. And I’m in the midst of creating a collection of short stories that are all related to a fantasy sci-fi world I’ve created.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d probably bring a good fantasy book – as that is my preferred genre – to keep me entertained during my stay. I’d also take an atlas, so I can figure out where I am and a local phonebook so that I could call someone in the area for help.
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