A good writer is a good reader. Read authors that are intimidatingly better than you and try to find out what makes them better. Read authors that you might not think you’d enjoy and try to find out why others enjoy them.
Jordan Mund – 27 July 2020
The Back Flap
The Old Man, as he’s come to be known, was born during a time when Mortals and Immortals coexisted. Back then he had many Mortal friends, but that was over 400 years ago. Before they all grew old and passed away. Since then he’s been living day to day, spending his time trying to maintain the memories he has of them.
His world, in what has been dubbed the Eternal Era, is one that never changes. No one dies, but no one is born either. Eventually the Old Man takes matters into his own hands after discovering a way to reverse his immortality. Now nearing the end of his life, he sits down to write his memoirs, to tell about all those friends he loved so dearly, to explain why he did what he did and what it means for humanity’s future.
About the book
What is the book about?
It’s a dystopian/science fiction book about a future in which humanity has discovered immortality. But the procedure is such that immortals are only born in the Overman Project, a group originally made up of scientists trying to discover immortality but eventually growing into an authoritative force with the intended goal of immortal hegemony. The story is told from the perspective of an immortal in the distant future who is recalling the events of the early decades of immortality. Specifically, he is remembering his mortal friends who have long since passed away and telling their story of struggle against the authoritarian Overman Project.
When did you start writing the book?
I actually wrote it as a short story sometime around 2010, I think. I always intended to develop it into a novel, but life insisted on getting in the way. I was finally able to get to it sometime round 2016.
How long did it take you to write it?
Probably about a year.
Where did you get the idea from?
If I remember correctly, I saw a program on the news about the possibilities of immortality. I don’t remember any details about it but the idea of immortality being an actual possibility got me thinking. Then I began merging my concerns about class disparity and inequality with the idea of immortality and the rest just came about from there.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Yes. When I first wrote the short story, I wasn’t well equipped enough to really tackle some of the more complex elements of revolution and totalitarianism, so I spent some time reading about those topics. Certain books such as Origins of Totalitarianism, Anatomy of Fascism, The Shock Doctrine, while very interesting and extremely informative for the book, were also quite depressing. Not enough to ever put me off writing but spending time imagining how a group of people might apply the tactics from those books to subjugate another group was tiring and quite unpleasant.
What came easily?
I suppose the interactions between the main characters. A lot of which was taken from my own interactions with my friends and family, so it felt a bit like I was reliving some of my own memories.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Every character I’ve ever written is a composite of real people including myself. In fact, I’m sure I’m in every single character I’ve ever written in some way, even the terrible ones. But I try never to create a character who is exactly like a real person I know. Although a friend of mine did ask me once about a character whom he believed was based entirely on him, they even shared the same name, and although it wasn’t intentional after some thought I had to admit that there was a lot of him in that character.
Do you have a target reader?
Not specifically. I write mostly what I would like to read.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I give myself a certain amount of words to write every day, regardless of quality. I’m of the belief that the first draft is to just get the words on page and then make them sound good with the second, third, fourth, fifth, draft. Once I have it all down, I can rewrite chapters, move chapters, and do anything else I need to convince the reader I wasn’t just making it all up as I went.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I have very vague outlines that are prone to change while I write. Everyone is different but for me I like to see where the story goes and what develops as I write. Often the ideas that just pop out of the ether while writing are far better than the original ideas I intended to go with. Of course, you need some direction and an outline can provide that, but I think it’s a good idea to allow your goals and your intentions to change with what comes about. Writing is a very unpredictable process.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I go back and do some editing on whatever I wrote the day before. This also helps me get into the headspace to write the next bit. But I save any major editing until the first draft is done. I started doing this after spending hours editing entire chapters that ended up getting completely excised during the second draft.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I did not.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No. Too distracting.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did but I didn’t get anywhere with that.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I didn’t want to self-publish because I didn’t trust myself enough to allow myself complete control. I’m always concerned I’m missing something. Luckily, my publisher was both very generous in letting me keep what I thought should be there but also very clear on why some things just didn’t work. It was a great experience and one I would definitely do again.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My publisher designed the cover.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I am definitely winging it. That being said, there are a lot of ways for indie authors to get their work out there, the Indie View being a fantastic resource.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Keep writing! Even if it’s only a hundred words a day. And learn your craft. A good writer is a good reader. Read authors that are intimidatingly better than you and try to find out what makes them better. Read authors that you might not think you’d enjoy and try to find out why others enjoy them. And then write and rewrite.
About You
Where did you grow up?
On the Canadian Prairies.
Where do you live now?
China.
What would you like readers to know about you?
My favourite thing to do in the world is to sit with a cocktail and chat with people. I love conversation whether it’s with friends or complete strangers. And the cocktail just makes the conversation all the more enjoyable. I love to travel, to see exotic locales, experience different cultures and cuisines, but mostly because hotel room service is one of the things that makes life worth living.
What are you working on now?
A new novel. I’m going a bit lighter with this one. It’s still got a way to go before it’s fully come to life but so far it appears to be developing into a sort of farcical, magical realist novel. We’ll see what happens.
End of Interview:
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This was my favourite read of 2019.