Interview with Jean Gilbert

Jean always has the best covers. I'm so glad you could join us and share some of your story with us.

Tell us about your latest novel or project:

I’m a science fiction writer. That is what I love. However, I’ve strayed from that path to tell another story, a true life story about Face Blindness. I won’t lie; it is difficult to write something so personal and sometimes painful. When my tale is finished, I hope it will help readers understand Face Blindness better and to teach a life lesson. Chase your dreams. Don’t let anything hinder you.

What got you started writing?

I’ve always had a desire to write. I started writing for fun as a teenager but stopped when the children came along. However, it wasn’t until my oldest son who, funny enough, became a screenwriter, pestered me into taking it up again that I listened and started to write again.

What challenges did you face when you first started writing?

My biggest challenge was my own insecurities. I kept reminding myself that I was writing because I loved the process. I loved the stories and the characters I created. If others liked them too, well, that was a bonus and a pleasure.

Do you ever get the opportunity to travel for your writing? Either to market or to research.

I went to San Diego Comic-Con in 2013. While exploring the main halls, I ended up in the writers’ alley and was very impressed with the writers and their stalls. I wanted to do that too. After the first book of The Vault Agency series was out, I started presenting at local events here in New Zealand. By the time the series was finished, I had done several book shows - Auckland Armageddon, the Keltic Fair, NZ Book Festival, and Awesome Con in Washington D.C. just to name a few. I gain great pleasure in meeting and talking to fans and to those who share the love of reading.

I'm jealous, I so want to go to Comic-Con in San Diego.

Who in your life is your greatest cheerleader or support in your writing?

My oldest son, William Dresden. He is my constant support. Being a writer himself, he understands the problems, the ups and downs, the joys, the pains. Because we think so much alike, we decided to take on a dual project. Light in My Dark was our first co-authored book. The second one in the series called The Gore Stones is due out this October.

What is it like writing in New Zealand that would be different if you lived anywhere else?

What I love about New Zealand is the landscape. It is so inspiring, so breathtakingly beautiful. It is easy to find inspiration when the land itself comes straight out of a fantasy novel. Who wants to write at a desk when you have all the impetus for your imagination right outside your front door?!

Where do you get your ideas? Is there anything about New Zealand that has inspired you to write? Some of my ideas are born out of the loneliness that comes with Face Blindness. I can’t remember people. So I create my own within my imagination. Stories are created from this process and refined. That is how I developed The Vault Series. New Zealand doesn’t play much into those novels. The settings take place mostly in the U.S. and England. However, when William and I were developing Light in My Dark series, we decided to take some of New Zealand scenery and incorporate it into the Icelandic Island landscape. It made the writing much more real for me.

Why do you think readers are fascinated by books written about New Zealand?

New Zealand has been the best-kept secret for decades. With the release of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies, it has opened up New Zealand’s beauty to the rest of the world. And it’s magic here. Real magic. It has caught the world’s imagination. I think that people hope to capture some of that magic when they read work produced here. They won’t be disappointed.

What advice would you give for other writers in New Zealand?

Even though we are a small country, the world can be yours. As a writer, that fact is crucial. You are not limited by where we live. And you are not alone. Find other writers, even if it’s only on the web. Having support is very important.

Do you get to network or meet up with other New Zealand authors?

I run the central North Island meetings for SpecFicNZ, a speculative fiction organization. Meeting up with fellow writers is very important to me. Writing can be a lonely career. It is imperative to receive support and to be supportive in return, no matter the level of experience you’ve required. I have a great belief in giving back to other writers.

What was the first thing you did after your first book was published?

I printed off the manuscript, slapped it onto the coffee table, and did a victory dance around the living room.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you handle the good and the bad ones?

I will read personal reviews. The rest I may run my eye down. But to be honest, I’m too busy with my writing projects to worry about reviews. I write for me. Because I love the story.

It seems like everything has Easter Eggs (surprise reference to your other work) do you have any Easter Eggs in your books?

I’ve written a short story called Pride. That story takes place in a much bigger story which should be ready for release in 2019. For any who have read Pride, you will be pleased with the little Easter Eggs to follow.

How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have any secrets to productivity?

Plotting out a book makes me a quicker writer. Because of the Face Blindness, I have to spend quite a bit of time developing and documenting characters down to the finest of details. I need the physical record to remember them as I write. Simultaneously I will do a plot outline. After the characters and world are worked up, I am ready to write. It takes me four months to write the first draft if I’m not distracted by other writing projects and life in general. Besides writing, I work part-time outside the house. I schedule specific hours of writing around my work schedule, and I stick faithfully to it. I don’t stop writing until I’ve reached my minimum word count. This process keeps the project moving consistently forward.

Where did you get the idea for your first or latest book?

I love time travel. It goes hand-in-hand with the ‘what if’ game. What would I have changed in my life if I could go back in time? The answer was always the same - family. That’s how Shifters was born. Light in My Dark has a much deeper subtext. Yes, it’s a young adult novel. On the surface it’s about the struggles of teenage love. Underneath it addresses the consequences of our parents’ actions. It’s not just about good and evil, but about what would I sacrifice in the face of evil. Would I give my life to save others, even those I despise? Would you?

Do you have any writing rituals?

I prepare a drink: hot chocolate or Earl Grey tea. I put on my headphones. Read the last page or two and any notes I left. Click on the music track that suits the scene and start writing.

What is your best experience meeting a fan?

I love receiving emails from my fans. That always makes my day. It’s even better to meet them in person. One woman specifically came to an event just for me. She was very keen for another book in The Vault Agency series. I will get to write it someday. Tanner’s and Sharra’s story is far from finished.

If any of your books were to be made into a film, which one would you pick and who would you have play the main characters?

I’ve written Shifters with television in mind. I am also a screenwriter. The pilot based on Shifters has been written. It needs a few touch-ups before it goes to the producer. As far as who would play the main characters, that’s a problem for me because I can’t remember people(including actors). There are no faces in my mind. Not even my own. It’s a dilemma.

How important do you think marketing is for authors today?

Extremely important. The market is saturated by books both from independent and traditional authors. You need to work hard to stand out among the millions of published books. It takes persistence, determination, and a plan.

Do you have any book you have written that won’t ever see the light of day and why?

Not yet. I won’t say that it will never happen because it could.

Many authors have a word or a phrase they automatically use too often. Do you have one?

It used to be ‘but’ and ‘and.’ I’ve learned to be more aware of my ‘word problems’ in the process of writing and either change the sentence or shorten the sentence. When I go back and edited, those are the first words that get cut.

What quirk or trope of your genre do you like or dislike?

One of my series centers around time travel. I love the concept. Nonetheless, it is easy to irritate the reader if the time travel rules are not set in place by the author and evident in the writing. I love any Robert H. Heinlein time travel novel. His work opened my inquisitive mind when I was a child and stuck with me to this day. I also enjoyed Millennium by John Varley.

Often writers get to approach some serious subjects. Which serious subject are you most proud to have written about or was the hardest to write about?

An underlying factor I write about is the need to belong which is something that I constantly struggle with because of my cognitive disorder. You can see it woven into whatever story I write. Sometimes it is very subtle. Other times it is the central theme even though the story is science fiction or fantasy. The hardest one to write is the novel I’m working on right now about Face Blindness. It is a very personal account and exposes things that are difficult to talk about. At the same time it has been therapeutic. I keep reminding myself that my personal account will help other people and that keeps me writing.

Wow, amazing. Thank you for sharing your own story with us and good luck with your next project.