Welcome James V. Jacobs, author of No Ordinary Season to my blog.
Tell us about your book and how the
story came to be.
I was inspired by my older daughter Angel’s participation in cross
country. She—along with her high school teammates—worked so hard, running and
training in the summer of 1986 that they entered the season that fall in such
good condition that they went on to win the conference championship. I was also
impressed by the fact that earlier in my daughter’s career as a runner, she was
just considered average, but she proved through hard work she could excel. I
first wrote the story in long hand, and as often happens, other things in life
got in the way, so I put it up. When I retired in 2004, I was determined that I wanted
to spend my time writing, so I dug out the story. It didn’t take long for me to
realize that what was developing was a tale about more than cross country. That
sport was simply a vehicle to deliver a subtle message about teen angst,
bigotry, and taking a stand for right. In other words, I had a YA novel that
dealt with values. Not in a preachy way, but displayed through the choices and
actions of my main character, Cassie Garnet. Of course, what with the
revolution in technology, 2016 is a far cry from 1986, requiring me to update
the story to the present. What I believe I created is a novel that combines
values with realism. How do I know about teen angst, especially as experienced
by young women? Well, my wife and I raised two daughters, and the best answer I
can give is that my involvement with their growing up gave me good experience
and a reference point to tell this story.
Also, it would be remiss of me not to mention the counsel I received
from my editor Erin Liles and the mystery writer Susan Van Kirk. They were a huge help.
What three words best describe your
main character?
underachiever, developing, committed
Do you have a method for creating
your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?
My method is simple: At least for No Ordinary Season I observed the young
people around me and those I had in class—46 years as a teacher. The book I am
working on now, which is being written under the working title Beat
Not the Air, is based more on my
experiences as a kid growing up in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. I call
it a YA novel for old baby boomers. Names? I try to pick names that are common
to the era. I had to “modernize” a number of the names in Season to fit this time.
Truthfully, the names of my characters don’t contain any hidden meanings. As
far as believable, I listen to the language of the time, observe the trends,
and research that which I don’t know much about or don’t understand. In the
case of No Ordinary Season, when I was nearing the final draft, I put a
hard copy of the manuscript into the hands of my beta readers—five teenage
young women—and sought their unvarnished input. Believe me, they didn’t hold
back, and I took their advice seriously.
Do your characters follow your plot
path or do they take on a life of their own? Do you keep them in check?
Martin Litvin was a writer from my hometown who had some measure of
success, but had a wealth of experience. He once advised me to “write the
story, and then put it together.” I start with a good grasp of who my
characters are, at least in a general sense. For example, I knew when I started
Season,
Cassie would be a high school student struggling to overcome the
“stigma” of being mediocre—striving to be significant. But that was about it. I
took off writing the story, and over time I standardized place and time,
refined the plot, and allowed the characters to develop with the story. But,
yes, there are times when I have to pull back some of my characters. For
example, in Season, I was forced to rein in Cassie, because she was
becoming a little too “rebellious”. Certainly, she is no saint, but she is for
sure not an out-of-control hedonist either. She, like most teens, is struggling
as she approaches adulthood.
Have you ever suffered from writer’s
block? If so, how did you overcome it?
No, I never had a problem
with it. I think maybe that’s due to the method of writing the story first and
then putting it together. In my case—and this is strictly in my case—I view the
novel, novella, or short story as being like construction of a building. It
begins with the architectural drawing—the rough draft—that gives an overview,
and then as it develops it becomes a schematic, as fine points and details are
created and sanded to bring the story alive, just like the building comes to
completion. I would also mention that I do a great deal of my writing when I am
walking or jogging— head writing. Then,
upon returning home, I immediately put those thoughts on paper.
What types of books do you like to
read?
Although I have great
respect for writers of fantasy, futurism, the magical, and the supernatural, I
don’t read those books. I like stories about the life most of us experience.
The writers who I have read the most are the black writers: Ralph Ellison, Zora
Neal Hurston, James Baldwin, and Richard Wright. Yes, I know, that they don’t
seem to fit the YA genre, but that’s who I like the most. I also have been
influence by John Steinbeck, Philip Roth, Saul Bellow, Flannery O’Connor, and I
especially like Larry McMurtry’s The Last Picture Show. I also like
the “cozy” mysteries of Susan Van Kirk; not well known out of mystery readers’
circles, but an entertaining author who weaves a quiet message within her
who-done-its. Of course, most of these writers have written about young adults,
but with more naturalist themes and settings. Mind you, I am in no way
comparing myself to any of these great authors, but those are the kinds of book
I like to read.
What do you like to do when you are
aren’t writing?
Spend time with Hattie,
my wife, and with our daughters, granddaughters, and sons-in-law. I read a lot
too and jog 20 miles a week, often with Sweetie, our dog.
What’s next for your writing? Are you
working on a new story?
I am working on the
previously mentioned Beat Not the Air and a novella with
the working title, Freeing Jocko. As I said, Beat Not…is a YA novel set in the
early 1960’s.
Freeing Jocko is for older readers.
What is the best piece of writing
advice you’ve received?
This came from both Susan
Van Kirk and Martin Litvin: As much as is possible, make writing a job. Set
aside time. Discipline yourself to write even when you don’t feel like it or
aren’t “inspired”. Also, read a lot, because reading and writing are welded
together. Finally, I try to carry around something to write with and something
to write on, so that any ideas I have I can jot down and not forget.
No Ordinary Season will be coming out sometime between mid-December to early
January. I don’t have a release date yet. My book can be found on Amazon,
Barnes & Noble, on my publisher’s website (fatherandson.com), in some book
stores, and it can be ordered from me at my website, jimjacobswriter.com. I
should add that those who order directly from me will receive a discount.
I have had the pleasure of reading this book. My Review: I loved it. I love reading books where I can connect with believable characters. If I can run like that when I'm not in shape, what could I do if I am really fit? Maybe C.R. Simon can help me answer that question. Cassie is a typical teenager that readers can relate to. She deals with problems most teenagers face. Enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more books by James.
Excerpt:
Zach tore into Jake. The two swung wildly,
mostly hitting nothing but autumn air, but every now and then landing a blow.
Then Zach tackled Jake. The two tumbled to the edge of the bank and rolled
around like a couple of groundhogs trapped in a drain pipe. A huge crowd
gathered around them, yelling first for one, then the other. I rushed from the
car and pushed my way to the front along with Marlo.
Now, the two gladiators were on their feet
circling each other, fists up and ready. Jake swung
and
missed. Zach smacked him in the right eye. Jake grabbed the right side of his
face—his check and eye socket. Then Zach drove a right-handed fist into Jake’s
nose. Blood shot out, and down tumbled
Jake, butt over elbows into the chilled water of the Mississinewa.
Oh, God, I thought, I hope
he’s not seriously hurt.
Fortunately, the river was down and
running slowly. Jake rose and stood knee deep in the water flowing past him.
His white shirt was spotted with red polka dots as drops of blood dripped onto
his chest. Jake blotted his bloody nose with his shirt sleeve, and then started
up out of the Mississinewa, slipping on the bank and back into the river.
I rushed to him. “Jake, are you all
right?” I said, wading into the river, then wrapping my arms around him and his
soaked collar. Ignoring the blood, I pulled him down to me and we kissed.
“Hey, what the. . . you’re my date,” said
Zach.
Jake and I kissed even harder. Actually, I
felt kind of bad for Zach. He’d been a good sport, and
I’d used him. But an apology would have to wait. Right then, I was busy. I
mean, like my dad says: All’s fair in love and war.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
JAMES V. JACOBS
was
educated at Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan University) and Western
Illinois University. He worked in the Civil Rights Movement with Urban League
affiliates in Indiana, and taught fifth grade in the Galesburg, IL public
schools for thirty-five years. He also taught writing at Carl Sandburg
Community College.
Jacobs has
received awards for his teaching and commitment to human relations. They
include Award of Excellence from the
Illinois Math and Science Academy, League
of Latin American Citizens (LULAC)Teacher of the Year, Honored Teacher Award from the University of Iowa, Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from
Indiana Wesleyan University, Outstanding
Dedication to Education Citation from Boston University, and the Human Relations Award from the Galesburg
Human Relations Commission. Jacobs was also part owner of HRC, Inc., a business
that dealt with issues of racism through education and conflict resolution.
Jacobs’s
essays have appeared in The Prairie
Journal and The Zephyr, and he has
had an essay and short story published in
the literary/art magazine Phizzogs. Additionally, Jacobs authored A Teacher’s Guide to Voices of the Prairie
Land.
No
Ordinary Season
is
his first published novel.
