It’s my pleasure to welcome author J.D. Oldenburg to my blog.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’ve always loved good stories about the human condition spiced up with magic, fantasy as the shell of a deeper story about being alive, and that’s what I aim to write and read.
How long have you been writing for?
I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember, and writing them since I was about 9.
What is your writing process like?
Most of it is cooking up an idea, imagining, telling it to friends and finding out new things about it each time I tell it. When I finally feel ready to write one, I get it out as fast as possible. If I abandon it for more than a day before a draft is ready, I have to read the whole thing again to keep going and some excitement gets lost with each break.I’ve learned to keep the first draft to myself, and come back to it a month or so later, detached
I’ve learned to keep the first draft to myself, and come back to it a month or so later, detached from it, so I can chop it up without feeling guilty.
My first drafts are usually rough as hell and make me wonder why I thought I was any good at this. Something happens after, though, like I’m being rewarded for sticking to it.Do you have a writing routine? If so, what’s a typical day like for you?
Do you have a writing routine? If so, what’s a typical day like for you?
When I’m pushing for that first draft I try to get up really early, work out and go to a library or café. I find home distracting. I have to, and love to, dive into into the world I’m creating, play all of the characters in my head,
the faster I get that draft out the better.
What motivates you to write?
The power that main stream stories have to move masses and make them think of something they wouldn’t necessarily if it wasn’t hidden in entertainment really excites me. A good book can entertain me and inspire me to be a better person.
I also just simply love telling stories. It’s a good way to spend time.
What was the first thing you did when you found out your book was being published?
Well, I published it myself. After a few encouraging rejection letters I decided a publisher was not some magical entity I needed to be picked by, they were simply businesses, and if I could learn how they did it, I could do it myself.
I also had a friend who was published by a big time publisher, and his experience with the process and how things panned out really turned me off to that system. Publishers care about authors who can sell books, new authors are mostly on their own. I embraced that and created my own team.
I love them, wouldn’t be here without them.
Are you currently working on anything new?
Yes, I’m working on a coming of age horror that explores growing up sexually confused in a world where werewolves (and any other creature of the kind) are real. It may be called The Feeder, or Narcissist, I’m still not sure. It’s inspired by a short film I directed coming out of a film program in Los Angeles a few years back. [YouTube]
If you weren’t a writer, what would your career be?
I’m about to launch products on amazon. I have a line of greeting cards I’m really excited about because I give royalties to the artists who paint them for me. I’d like to continue to become some kind of patron of the arts. Selling products and paying royalties is a fun a way to do it.
I believe in passive income. When not writing, I like to create the most income with the least work and have time to enjoy the world and my family.
What is the easiest part of writing for you? What is the hardest part?
The easiest part is dialogue, I guess I have a gift for that. I’m really observant of people and how they talk.The hardest part would be waiting for a good idea to come through. It takes months of freewriting
The hardest part would be waiting for a good idea to come through. It takes months of freewriting thoughts and turning dreams into short stories, so I guess sleeping a lot and taking notes, until something that really excites me comes through.What’s one thing you learned through writing that you wish you knew before you started?
What’s one thing you learned through writing that you wish you knew before you started?
The process is the gift, not the result. The result is just a reminder. That means you have to have fun doing it. It’s really not that serious, you are just writing stories, so have fun, and the final product will remind you that you did.
What is your favorite book or genre? Is there a special book that made you realize you wanted to write?
It’s a bit odd I guess, but my all time favorite book is non fiction. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. The understanding of self I’ve gained through reading and re-reading this book over and over has made me a writer of better characters and relationships. Jim Henson, J.K Rowling and Neil Gaiman have done a lot for my writing as well.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Write every day and have a job. A job will take the pressure off your stories.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Thank you for taking the time to read about my work. I hope you enjoy reading and listening to Horatio and the Fear of Dying as much as I enjoyed creating it. Remember the book comes out for pre-sale through Kickstarter on October 3rd.
About J.D. Oldenburg
J.D. Oldenburg is a Venezuelan author who lives in Los Angeles. He works in film as a camera operator and loves to write in the fantasy and magic realism genres. His stories are most often thoughtful and aim to leave the reader with a hopeful and inspired view of life. J.D. believes work is play and thrives to take nothing too seriously. He loves to travel and spend time with his family.
Connect with J.D. Oldenburg
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