Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Mess Welcomes J. H. Bográn

Happy Saturday, my Mess-y friends.  This week we welcome J. H. Bográn, another of my fellow authors I had the privilege of meeting on Twitter..  He was born and raised in Honduras and is the son of a journalist. He ironically prefers to write fiction rather than fact. José’s genre of choice is thrillers, but he likes to throw in a twist of romance into the mix. His works include novels and short stories in both English and Spanish. He’s a member of the Short Fiction Writers Guild and the International Thriller Writers where he also serves as the Thriller Roundtable Coordinator and contributor editor their official e-zine The Big Thrill.

He is also the author of Firefall. Here is a brief description:
The problem with being reborn from the ashes is, you have to die first.
New York City firefighter, Sebastian Martin, seeks sanctuary in spiraling alcoholic oblivion following the loss of his wife and child in an air crash. Consumed by rage and resentment, directed against his brother and uncle, he takes a last-ditch job in Dallas, Texas, investigating insurance fraud.

You can find his book at:

So settle back with your morning coffee and enjoy a great piece.

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Combining a Day Job with Writing

As many authors do—dare I say most?—I also have a day job to pay the bills. More than a job, in my case, it is a 20-year profession that had been so satisfactory that even took my mind off writing for the good part of fifteen years. Since the early 90’s to the around 2005, I had stayed away from writing plots. Of course, I was kidding myself and eventually returned to the fold.

Giving our times, and the access to technology, it is perhaps easier than ever to combine two professions, let me give you an example. . .
. . . See that? I just left this unfinished blog entry to type a couple of urgent emails from work. But here I am now.

There are three major forces in my life: my family, my work and my writing. The order of the three was intentional. The work, at least until writing full-time becomes my work, should take precedence over my writing because, well, quite simply, work puts food on my family’s table, right?

So I play with the time: my family supports my writing by giving me some of their time to let me pursue this dream profession. I involve them as much as I can, naming characters after them, running some plots through them (oh the things they’ve made me realize how stupid they were).

In the past, short breaks at the office used to be for getting coffee or have a smoke. Nowadays, you can use a smart phone to do some writing work. Perhaps not the writing itself, but doing some of the related tasks like getting into media sites, reading and commenting a blog like this one, reply to a few emails, you name it. Oh, but let’s not forget about the coffee. It’s the fuel of generations of writers and office workers around the world. Best beverage invented after wine and beer.

Another tip for people on the go is to carry either a notebook or a recording device. I prefer the latter because I drive a lot, so it is easier to grab the recorder and save the thought in digital form instead of pulling over to take out pen and notebook.

A few years ago we heard quite a lot about how women were good at multitasking. I can safely say, multitasking is not a skill dominated by the female anymore. We men can come up with ways to do a bunch of things at the same time. Really.

Another tip: write faster. Yes, I mean that. Okay, since it takes me about two years to write one single novel, I know I’m not the best to dispense advice on this, but I have friends who do. I’d recommend thriller writer Karen Dionne’s advice on this subject.

Now, a day job is something you have committed yourself, and therefore, it’s nothing you should neglect or give less than your 100%. Perhaps I’ve been lucky to have work in a company, and industry, that I like. If you enjoy what you’re doing, then you’re off with a great start. Never complain about taking away time from writing.

Which brings me to another point: writing should be fun. If you’re not having fun while playing god with your characters, then I’d say you’re not doing it right. It is not an obligation to write, it is something that must grow out of love and care, enjoyment for what you’re doing. 

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You can find Jose at:
Website at: www.jhbogran.com 
Facebook profile: www.facebook.com/jhbogran 
Facebook author page: http://on.fb.me/ZJwEq0 
Twitter: @JHBogran

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Did you enjoy what you read?  Leave me a comment and then join me at The Mess that Is Me on Facebook!

Meet some other great writers ~ The Mess Welcomes Kenneth Kerr 
                                              The Mess Welcomes Stephanie Neighbour 
                                              The Mess Welcomes Vanessa Wright 

Thanks for visiting The Mess! Keep chasing your dreams!







2 comments:

  1. Hi Robbie, thank you for letting me steal the limelight for a while.

    José

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was great having you, Jose! Visit any time.

      Delete