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:
Rebel
E Publishers: http://rebelepublishers.com/about/our-books/firefall/
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/355941
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/firefall-j-h-bogr-n/1116911999
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
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/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
Thanks for visiting The Mess! Keep chasing your dreams!
Hi Robbie, thank you for letting me steal the limelight for a while.
ReplyDeleteJosé
It was great having you, Jose! Visit any time.
Delete