This Friday morning I transport to pick up Jefrey Martin, and once again, I end up getting nudged out of the way of the control settings and soon we are whisked away to parts unknown. (What is it with these pushy authors, think they can take over my transporter anytime they feel like? Lol Just kidding.) Anyway, I'm a little wary because we've ended up at a strange house somewhere in possibly forgotten territory and...well, I'll let the Mr. Martin take it from here.
Today, I’m conducting research in an abandoned house of sorts. I guess you could venture on even calling it haunted, especially since, some people would say my evil minions aren’t human… Ah, here comes the arachnid of the hour. The Brown Recluse and its’ special love potion… hehe... Hold on, while I collect my sample for testing… I’m sure my female antagonist of my next work. “Weaving Evil” will be elated; I have gone the extra mile, for her.... not so much for her victims though... Hmm, it seems my Robophone is vibrating. Yes! This is him friends and fans. Mr. Stephen Brayton is on the line... btw I have checked out his website, and I wanted be the first to congratulate him on his publishing contract. You guys need to check it out as well. Here's the addy...www.stephenbrayton.com
Stephen are we ready? Let the interview commence...
1. Who is Jeffrey Martin and what makes you the most fascinating person in your city?
I am many things… A Law Enforcement official, a father to three young girls, a former semi-pro athlete, and now… it seems I have taken refuge in creating many tales of murder and mayhem. I think putting these all together have a direct correlation to where I envision myself in a few years. I think most people can be fascinating, and all possess something which propels them to higher echelon for what their niche is. No pun intended… So, in that regard, I’m just a little fascinating.
SHH… One of the spiders is trying to struggle in my grasp. Good thing, I have latex gloves on…
2. Without revealing a deep dark secret (unless you want to), what one thing would people be surprised to learn about you?
I see dead people…no just kidding.
When I was in high school, I competed in Bible Quiz championships throughout the country. Yes, I know it vastly different than what kind of work I pen now…
3. What interested you to be become a writer rather than something else such as becoming a nuclear physicist?
One, I would look even more demented in the trademark pointdexter glasses, so a career in physics is definitely out of the question. Two, I left writing for many years before, I finally came back to it, in the early spring of 2007. Creating stories was how I spent a large amount of my childhood years, and sooner or later, I knew it would find its’ way into my life again.
4. Writers are readers. With which author(s) would you enjoy sharing dinner? Why?
Hmm, it’s really dark in here…I think there something else is down here.
I have always been a voracious reader of suspense novels, and I can tell you there are two authors in particular, whom I attribute my interest in pursuing the writing field. The first is, John Saul. I remember reading his books in high school, and the teenage protagonist was perfect for me. Mixing in horror and suspense was something I believe he did with perfection. Plus, being a teenager myself, I could truly identify with his main character. (No, I didn’t kill any adult in a horrific manner… lol.)
The second author is John Sandford. I read his books, while I was in the Marine Corps and the Lucas Davenport series was one of the best I have ever experienced. Using a Midwest Law Enforcement official hit close to home, because I was from there, and it was easy to identify with the places he mentions in his work. To this day, I think Lucas Davenport is out there, catching evil-doers and running his software company… (Maybe he could help me with Madden 2011, there’s gotta be someway to beat the Saints.)
5. If I were stranded on a deserted island (or suffering a four hour layover at the airport), why would your book(s) be great company?
I enjoy creating a work that is a quick read for people who like to read thrillers, about serial killers. I keep word counts to a minimum, by not trying to add words just for the sake of upping the page count. Every word I put on the page is important to me, and I hope my readers can feel that as well. I try to entertain with a plot line, that is something different, and use my Law Enforcement background to create scenes, mood, characters and emotion, that will keep them coming back for more.
Behold, another spider has surfaced in front of me… let’s grab a syringe to extract the good stuff.
6. Share the Martin process of writing in regards to: idea and character development, story outline, research (do you Google, visit places/people or make it up on the spot?), writing schedule, editing and number or rewrites.
Hmm, I see you want to know the method of my madness. The first part of my writing process is, to create a list of characters I want to use in a story. I do put a few “real” places in my work, but most of the time, I just create new cities, and work from there. After I have those picked… sometimes, I even let my fans help me decide, by involving themselves on my website. I list a host of names, and they vote on which sounds best. After I have all the players established, I create an outline of the story. This is usually the first ten chapters or so. From that point, I judge it for flow, and plot line. If I like how it sounds, I move forward and chapter eleven is my focal point. But if the story sounds rushed or just not what I think it should be, I will delete everything except the characters and start over.
So, let’s talk about a writing schedule. That is an interesting topic. I will tell you, while I’m in the creativity mode, I write all the time. I may plan for an hour a day, and within fifteen minutes of starting, I know, I’m going to need, three five hour energy drinks and my spouse is texting me to come to bed. So a schedule doesn’t work so well for me.
The editing phase consists of three separate edits. After I have completed the rough draft, I will go back and scour the work for plot issues. Once I have those ironed out, I will wait about a week and get caught up on my iTunes purchases and Netflix movies before moving forward. After I have my iphone loaded up with new music, I start a second edit, with emphasis on sentence structure, style and fixing small errors. Depending on how long my novel is, this process lasts for 1-3 months. Once, I’m satisfied the second editing phase is complete, I forward the document to my “Guru editorial advisor,” where she will go through my second edit, like a woman possessed. All errors are identified and I have a third edit to complete. This includes the rewrites of chapters as well.
7. “I think I have a god idea for a story, but I don’t know where or how to begin. Your process may not work for me. Any advice?”
My advice is simple. Everyone has their definitive style when it comes to creating a work. I suggest, if someone wants to write and is serious about it, they do a few things. First, look for an online writing community, which will answer questions for you. I know many of the sites out there are helpful, and the knowledge a new writer gains from testing the waters, will be beneficial to their growth. Also, joining a writing group in your area, can be one of the best ways to get feedback from others looking to accomplish the same thing you’re looking for. Listen and learn and it will prove to be rewarding in more ways than just writing. The camaraderie of others may prove to earn you long lasting friendships.
8. I saw a great T-shirt the other day which read “Every great idea I have gets me in trouble.” What is your philosophy of life?
Damn. I think something just bit me…
“Sometimes a man can find his destiny on the road he traveled to avoid it.”
For me, this is the philosophy that has come into play. I once was an avid writer, and all of a sudden, I just stopped. Twenty some years later, I have picked it up again, realizing it was a mistake for me to have abandoned it.
9. Please tell me you’re not going to stop writing? What’s next for you?
Have you ever seen a Brown Recluse bite? This doesn’t look good.
My next work is in the research stage. It’s called Weaving Evil, and the premise is something quite scary…
A killer uses the toxins of the Brown Recluse, Black Widow, Banana Spider, and several others to murder her male victims. I don’t want to divulge too much, but will say one thing. Some will be afraid… very afraid. (LOL)
10. Where can people find more information on you and your projects?
Personal web site is… http://www.jeffreymartinsnovels.com. You can learn all about me and my demented writings.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1401920522
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Jeffrey-Martin-Jr/86427366235
I think this is going to leave a mark… hehehehe….
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