J.R. Kiefer is the indie writer of God Attacks! The horror/supernatural/ occult fiction/paranormal fantasy thriller explores a
controversial concept of God. Let’s learn more about J.R….Q: How long have you been writing and when did you decide to indie publish? What was the biggest hurdle in going it alone?
A: I have been writing on and off, in one form or another, most of my adult life. A lot of that has been boring formal writing and work for hire. I began writing fiction, the fun stuff, in my early twenties. I wrote a few short stories and started on a couple of novels that never really went anywhere. This “dabbling” in fiction for a couple of decades, more or less privately, very much relates to the second part of this question, because the biggest hurdle for me in indie publishing was wondering if my work was good enough to be published. I think that is a fairly common concern with indies: Is it good enough to be out there? I did get a good editor whose opinion I trusted, so I overcame that anxiety of the self-assessment of my work.
Q: You published God Attacks! in late 2012. Can you explain the idea behind the book? Where did the inspiration come from?
A: The concept behind God Attacks! is that God is not the creator, but the created. This “creation” of God occurs (for it is an ongoing thing) as a result of human thought and emotional energy fed to it and forming it over millennia, on a plane of existence where thought and emotion shape matter. Because of the conflicted beliefs and divergent views of the definition of God in religion, however, this created God is psychotic. Knowing of its deformity and dissonance, it desires to die. To die it must cut off (kill) its source of being, its human makers. From this concept the story of God Attacks! unfolds.
The inspiration for God Attacks! came from the concept of “thought-forms” and the reality and actuality of thought, as discussed in esoteric spirituality and the mystery schools and such. The story in God Attacks! builds upon this general principle and extrapolates and magnifies it to form the fictional premise that God was/is created by humans. Then I only had to consider what type of “God” this would be. Unfortunately, the horror present in real life related to ongoing and historical religious disputes made this easy to model in a fictional universe.
Q: God Attacks! is first of two books. When should we expect to see the second novel?
A: The conclusion to God Attacks! is due to be released in the fall of 2013! Wow, that is almost right around the corner. It is coming along nicely.
Q: What drew you to horror/ supernatural/ occult fiction/ paranormal fantasy? Do you plan to branch out to other genres as your career progresses?
A: I have always been fascinated with the unseen and unknown. My favorite reading is in these genres. I mean, I devour Stephen King’s work. As far as branching out, God Attacks! was a bit difficult for me to classify, as can be seen from the string of genres, or sub-genres, listed. I do have a few ideas for more straightforward, stay-between-the-lines, stories. I might even try my hand at a pure science-fiction novel idea that has been clanking around in my head for some time now.
Q: One of the MCs in God Attacks! is Kirt Tucker. Can you tell us more about him?
A: The reader meets Kirt Tucker at forty years of age and during a very dark time in his life following a heartbreaking divorce. He hates his job selling used cars—it is much too unethical for him and too greed infested. During this time of his remaking, Kirt needs a big change in his life. He is waiting for it to happen but feels powerless to cause it. He feels the pawn to forces greater than himself. Then he finds out he is correct, and change finds him. Oh, and Kirt is also a part-time nerd (think Star Trek), has a sense of humor, and hates baby toys (have to read the book for that one).
Q: How about Roland? What’s his story?
A: Roland is Kirt’s good friend. Roland is unattached and carefree. He is a golf-pro and works at a golf course. He enjoys life on his decrepit ancestral farmhouse in rural
Q: Finally, the third MC in the book is Celia. What’s she like?
A: Celia is an intelligent, independent, and capable woman in her late thirties. Her business is being a psychic, a gift she has had since childhood. Celia is perceptive and speaks her mind but is also empathetic and kind. She is easy on the eyes, enjoys archery, can make a mean homemade mac-and-cheese, and can do some interesting things with Tarot cards.
Q: How do you come up with the names for your characters?
A: Kirt’s name is drawn from the protagonist in several of my unpublished short stories. I had the idea to write a series or a collection of short stories with Kirt as the hero, but settled instead for a single novel, the first half of which is God Attacks! Roland and Celia I just pulled out of the air. I may have been influenced partially with Roland’s name from such sources as King’s the Gunslinger series, or maybe from Warren Zevon’s classic song: Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner. There are characters in God Attacks! whose names took more research, however—Gaelic speaking druids and Scottish mystical knights were a bit harder to decide upon and certainly did not role off the tip of the tongue.
Q: Chicken or the egg question. Do you create a character and build around him/her? Or do you imagine a concept and create characters which fit the idea?
A: In God Attacks! I always had the idea of Kirt Tucker as the central character because I had cast him in prior stories as an occultist who solved mysteries of an occult nature (extra-planar intrusions, for example). The concept of God Attacks! melded perfectly with my short story protagonist of old. Usually, however, I conceive of a concept and then populate it with appropriate characters.
Q: How do you avoid writing a Mary Sue or Marty Stu when most writers can’t help falling desperately in love with their creations?
A: For characterization and dialogue, I imagine the characters facing the exact circumstances I am writing about. I try to let each character live the scene, and from that, I draw the character. They actually develop as I write. This makes the rewrite more difficult because I then have to change the early character to match the later evolved one. I guess I avoid a Mary Sue or Marty Stu by looking at my characters as multi-faceted personalities, which includes all the flaws we humans have.
Q: Do you use anything to inspire you while you’re writing? Music, visual aids, etc? Also have you found ideas come to you more freely in particular places or at certain times of the day?
A: It varies. Sometimes, the slightest noise is intrusive, and sometimes I write to background music that I think inspires or fits a scene. Most times, I just drink a lot of hot tea or coffee and peck at the keyboard until I have to recharge and step away. With regard to time of day, I am a morning person. The first few hours of the day (I get up pretty early) are my best and most creative. Sorry, day-job boss.
Q: When an idea hits you, do you start writing immediately or plot it out first?
A: I think about ideas and allow them to grow on their own for a few days. Then, I step in with the shears and mower to cut away and shape them. That is for the big ideas, the vast concept ideas. Most of my everyday ideas come as I am writing. I have a general plan as to where I am going but the real story occurs and unfolds as it happens.
Q: When you read less than fawning reviews, how do you know when to use the critique to improve your future writing and when do you chalk up the criticism as different strokes for different folks?
A: As a new indie writer, I look to every review with an eye to learning how to improve. Without honest feedback, I think it might be difficult for a writer to judge their own writing. That dovetails into what I said above about the biggest hurdle for me in indie publishing being the worry that the work is not good enough. In that regard, reviews can be very instructive. I think style choices and tastes vary quite a bit among readers. If I think the review deals mainly with tastes and style choices, I am probably more prone to chalking it up as different strokes for different folks.
Q: I’ve read criticism from particular bloggers (Fangs for the Fantasy being one) about the lack of people of color and different sexual orientations in fiction. Do you take this lack of diversity into consideration when creating plots and characters?
A: Actually, I don’t. I think if I took it into consideration that might lead to some sort of contrived circumstances for the purpose of promoting diversity. I have nothing against diversity. It is the way I think naturally. If a person of color or less-than-common sexual orientation fits in the story naturally, then it happens. I just don’t think about it. God Attacks! features characters of several colors.
Q: Do word counts mean anything to you? Do you find your books top out at around the same lengths?
A: Well, this is my first novel, and God Attacks! came in at 78k words. For volume 2, the word count is projected to be 60-80k (underway). Maybe this question would be better answered after I have written several more books. Invite me back in a couple of years, Angela!
Q: How big a deal is writer’s block for you and how do you shake it off?
A: Writer’s block is not really a big deal for me. I write when I feel like writing, usually without any pressure to meet a deadline. When I do have a schedule to keep, it is a little more difficult when I need to write but am blocked. In these situations, I like long walks in a nature setting. There is a park near where I live that is beautiful and has many walking paths along streams, etc. If I can’t walk, I like to take a long drive and clear my head. I find that after a refreshing walk or drive, I am usually good for a while. But most of the time, it really isn’t writer’s block that keeps me from writing. When the desire is strong, I write; when it is not, I don’t.
Q: What books did you enjoy most in 2012?
A: I re-read Stephen King’s the Gunslinger series. That was the one I enjoyed the most. It had been a few years since I had read the series, and even that was broken because of the length of time between releases. I read it from book one to finish and loved it.
Q: What trends do you hope die in 2013? Are there any you hope take off?
A: This is a difficult question for me because I am so new to indie publishing that I am not aware of what is trending. I am just coming onto the scene and I can’t tell what has recently come and what is in store. I will take a stab at one area, though. I hear that audiobooks are growing in popularity because of the ease of distribution and changing lifestyles (you can hear it on your phone). I would like to see that trend take off, as God Attacks! will soon be available in audiobook (about a week).
Q: What are you plans for 2013 as an indie writer?
A: I will be completing and releasing the conclusion to God Attacks! Apart from that, I am learning the self-promotion and marketing side of trying to sell books. That takes some time and learning!
Find God Attacks! at Amazon. Follow J.R. at his website, Twitter, and Goodreads.
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