Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Although I’ve been writing since picking up a crayon in pre-K, I only have two works actually ‘published’. I wrote for the newspaper in high school and college, various media projects for friends, a blog for many years and a lot of technical writing projects for work. In the past few years, I’m moved toward focusing on book projects – largely thanks to all the tools available for writers to get their works published!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s called ‘The Survival Job’, and the idea for a story came into my head after I read an article about the surge of ‘Butler Schools’ popping up to meet the demand for rich foreigners from China and the Middle East who consider it a status symbol to hire an butler from North America or England. It gave me the idea a guy running his own wacky apprenticeship program to train a butler, and the kinds of strange experiences that would lead to.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can only write when I’m wearing a hockey helmet.
Actually, I wish I had something unique like that but I don’t. I do a lot of writing during my lunch break at work and on the weekends.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love stories that have characters so real they can make me laugh, that you forget someone is writing the words and it’s more like they are saying them and you can hear them in your head. Carl Hiaason is one of those. Elmore Leonard was a master at dialog that felt tangible and comfortable. That’s the kind of characters I strive for.
What are you working on now?
I’m finishing a story called ‘The Titan Sky’, about a group of people who volunteer to go on a long, one-way space voyage to claims rights to a distant planets mining rights. It sounds very serious, maybe sci-fi but I’m hoping it’s funny with interesting twists to keep the pages turning.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll have to let you know when I find one. I’ve used Kindle Direct, and that worked pretty well, and tried a multitude of promotion sites and tools, but so far haven’t had huge luck with it. The downside to book publishing access is the sheer volume of books out there, all clamoring for attention.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I think like any hobby or passion, you have to love it and want to do it because you enjoy it. If that’s the case, then you’ll find communities of people out there with the same desires and people looking to share what they’ve written with you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
‘Don’t quit your day job.’ But that was because I wanted to be a professional hockey player, and it clearly wasn’t going to work out. I’m not sure I’ve heard great inspiring advice related to writing, although Garrison Keillor has a lot of really good motivational quotes on his site, one of my favorite is: “Beauty isn’t worth thinking about; what’s important is your mind. You don’t want a fifty-dollar haircut on a fifty-cent head.”
― Garrison Keillor
What are you reading now?
I read a ton of crime and police procedural novels. I just finished ‘Fidelity’ by Thomas Perry. I really enjoy the way he paints a picture with his descriptions.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to finish the current book and get to one of several outlines I have waiting.
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?
‘Somebody Owes Me Money’ Donald E. Westlake, ‘The Zen Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance’ by Rober Pirsig, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ by Mark Haddon and ‘Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams
Author Websites and Profiles
JW Fagan Website
JW Fagan Amazon Profile
JW Fagan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile