Interview with:Jeff Adair [jeffadair]
WRITING
 | What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote? I remember as a kid, my mom bought me some books from some educational school or place. I really can't remember the books or where they came from, but I do remember they were way above the typical books of the time for kids my age. I loved them. |
| What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it? I prefer narrative fiction, although I'm a big fan of Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris' style of writing...so maybe there's a little autobiography streak running through me. I'm presently not in possession of a web site so there's no link...unless you want to come by my house and read some old typewritten stuff! |
| What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write? This is weird, but I usually get a little excited about the whole process of writing and finding the place and equipment to use and where I'm going to do it, but mostly I lose interest and nothing happens. It's unfortunately been like this for a few years now because of the brain thing but I think I'm breaking through the ice that's formed there. |
| What type of reading inspires you to write? For the longest time it was anything by Tennessee Williams. Lately, I haven't been reading like I should except for the odd Stephen King novel. Sometimes I'll get some books from the library with the intention of motivating me, but the last batch hasn't done much except entertain the new kitten we have running around the house. |
| What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story? I think character leads everything else, followed closely by place. |
| What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Usually first, but once in a while I'll play around with other voices just to see how they fit. |
| What well known writers do you admire most? I wish I had Augusten Burroughs' life and I think David Sedaris is adorable, but the one writer I admire the most is probably Tennessee Williams. Even though he is primarily known as a playwright, I've always loved his short stories. |
| What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours? Well, mainly I have to believe them or at least be able to describe their personality before I can put a word down. |
| Are you equally good at telling stories orally? I can't remember the last time I spoke to a crowd, but I think I can read a story fairly well. I should ask my little nephew how his Uncle Jeff reads to him. |
| Deep down inside, who do you write for? Primarily for me, but somewhere deeper is that mysterious person who will pass judgement on my work, giving it a thumbs up or down. I can usually tell when I'm not being genuine in my writing. |
| Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force? Absolutely. I think if more people wrote or were taught to write and express themselves honestly, we would have a lot less neurotic folks running around, and some really good stories as a result. |
| Does reader feed-back help you? Not while I'm in the middle of writing or creating. It actually annoys me. I have a fairly good idea of what I'm trying to accomplish and I don't want anything to distract me until I've finished. Then I'll listen to feed-back. |
| Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards? Not as of yet, but I have been thinking about it. I think NaNoWriMo is wonderful and someday I might actually contribute something. |
| Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust? Sure. I don't have a problem showing rough drafts and I will encompass other opinions and thoughts while I'm still writing. To me it's part of the cleaning up process. |
| Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for? I think you either have it or you don't. The more you search for it, the more elusive it becomes. |
| What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.? My life is fairly unstructured right now so goals aren't a problem for me. I can imagine one day having some structure to adhere to but I don't think that is really a problem for me. I usually do what I set out to do. |
| What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate? Nothing in particular. I just make sure I'm comfortable. I kind of like the hum of a computer. Some music is never a bad thing. But no TV. |
| Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process? I kind of go both ways. If I'm using a computer, I will correct as I go along. If I'm using a typewriter I will try to write my way out of a problem. |
| What sites do you frequent on-line to share experiences or information? Booksie, Bookgasm, MediaBistro, Shelfari...the list is endless actually. I'm always looking for new sites. |
| What has been your experience with publishers? None although I do read about horror stories from Predators and Editors... |
| What are you working on now? Nothing in particular. I guess it's time for a project. |
| What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone? Put them in a folder or notebook and keep them safe. Some day you'll want to compare your progress. Also, it's a great way to get ideas when you're stuck. |
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Jeff Adair
Wilton Manors, Florida, United States
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99761 interviews created
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