Meet the Author: John Matthew Fox

 

Today I am delighted to welcome author, John Matthew Fox,  to Books, Life and Everything to talk about his writing life and his latest book,  The Linchpin Writer, which was published by Boxfox Press on October 25th 2022.

Welcome to Books, Life and Everything, John.

When did you first realise you were going to be a writer?

I read “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard, and I knew I wanted to make magic with language the way she did.

If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

I’d probably do SEO for companies. My literary blog Bookfox gets about 3 million visitors annually, and I know how to write things that get eyeballs.

What is your favorite childhood book?

“Where the Red Fern Grows.” Probably because it was the first book that made me cry. I love dogs and it simply broke my heart.

Where were you when you heard your first book was going to be published? How did you celebrate?

I celebrated by immediately contacting all the other publishers where my book was still out and telling them they could submit competitive bids.

I ended up getting a few bids from other publishers, and ending up choosing a different publisher than the other who had originally accepted my book, because I liked their contract, offer, and platform better. You have to advocate for your career and not jump at the first publisher who wants you.

Tell us three surprising things about yourself.

I’ve raised chickens for their eggs for most of my life, from childhood up to adulthood. I love the simple nature of chickens.

I know how to write shorthand. In college I found a used book called “Gregg Shorthand” and taught it to myself. It meant I could take ridiculously fast notes in college classes (and also they were secret and unreadable to anyone other than myself).

I’ve roasted marshmallows over lava. This was in Guatemala, on the top of a volcano. They tasted like marshmallows still, but maybe with a tinge of sulfur in the aftertaste.

Tell us about your latest book without giving the plot away.

“The Linchpin Writer” is a nonfiction book that helps writers with the crucial points in their novel. Things like the end of chapters, the climax, the surprises, the deaths of characters, and the first line of dialogue.

I tell some stories about the writing life and also give lots of great examples from novels. If you want to improve your fiction writing abilities, this is the book for you!

How do you plan to spend publication day?

Marketing. Doing interviews, podcasts, social media blitzes, and contacting all my friends.

What are your writing routines and where do you do most of your writing?

I wake up before everyone else and start writing about 6 and write until I take my kids to school at 7:25. I built a back office in a shed during COVID, and that’s where I’m writing. That separation from the house is key – lets me feel like I’m going to the “office.”

How difficult was writing your second book- did having one published change how you went about it?

I had traditionally published my first book, but I wanted to be in control of marketing other aspects for this second one, so I indie published. It’s important to realize that traditional publication and indie publishing are the right choice for different types of books – I’ll stick with traditional publishing for fiction, but for nonfiction speaking to my fellow writers, I’ll probably continue to self-publish.

How long on average does it take you to write your first draft?

This took me maybe two months to write. Nonfiction is very easy to write. I just unlock my brain and pour everything out of it. I’ve been teaching writing for twenty years now, since I was 23, so the real problem was condensing it down to the most important elements.

Fiction, on the other hand, takes me much longer. It’s nearly impossible to get everything right. It’s not that I finish a story as much as abandon it because I can’t fiddle with it any longer. 

Do you have any other writers as friends and how do they influence your writing?

Many years ago I went to a conference and roomed with two great writers who each had a book out. I thought I read a lot because I read 70 books a year, but as they started talking books, I realized I was out of my depth. They were reading about 150 books a year.

And then they started talking about writing, and they mentioned that they wrote for five hours a day. Even when at the conference, they were still writing three to four hours a day. And I was struggling to get one to two hours a day, and wasn’t even bothering writing at the conference.

I realized that my main hinderance in my writing career was that I wasn’t spending enough time on it. They were going to be much more successful simply because they poured so many more hours into reading and writing.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Write ten times as much. Spend 10x as long as writing. And don’t be afraid to tackle a big novel – I stuck with short stories for too long because they felt more manageable.

Do you believe in writer’s block? What do you do to break its spell?

I think that people who believe in writer’s block has a wrong view of their humanity. They think they should be robots, pumping books out like a conveyor belt in a factory. But if you have a good sense of who you are as a human, then you completely understand that you will have fertile periods and fallow periods, and you will accept the soar and ebb of your inspiration. So writer’s block is just a natural part of the creative process and I never fret about it.

Do you have any unfinished or unpublished books hidden away?

Yes, I have 3 novels that will never see the light of day. And tons of unpublished short stories. It’s just part of the process.

Can you give any hints about any upcoming books you have planned?

I’m working on a novel that takes place entirely on a cruise ship. It’s a voyage of conservative Christians, and then a global disaster strikes them.

Thanks so much, John and good luck with your writing!

About the Author

 John Matthew Fox helps authors write better fiction. He is the founder of Bookfox (thejohnfox.com), where he creates online courses for writers, and his first book, "I Will Shout Your Name," was published by Press 53. After earning a creative writing MA from New York University and MFA from the University of Southern California, he taught writing at the university level for a decade before devoting himself full time to Bookfox, which has been noted by The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Writer's Digest, Publisher's Weekly, and The Huffington Post. His writing has also appeared in the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. Currently, he lives in Orange County, California.

You can follow John here: Instagram  |  Youtube   |  Website / Blog

                                        |  Tiktok   |  Facebook  |  Twitter 

Book Spotlight - The Linchpin Writer 

In every novel there are pivotal places that can make or break a book. Write them well, and you’ll have your readers begging for a sequel. Write them poorly, and your book will get scathing reviews and sell only a handful of copies. These pivotal places are “linchpin moments,” and in this book you’ll learn how to nail these moments.

Based on real advice from editing hundreds of novels, John Matthew Fox guides writers through the process of creating a novel that soars in the reader’s imagination. After reading this book, you’ll be a better storyteller, a better self-editor, and a better writer.

In this book you’ll learn how to:

• Flood your readers with strong emotions
• Create memorable beginnings and endings
• Describe characters for the first time
• Make readers swoon in romantic scenes
• Kill off characters (without enraging your readers)

Harness the element of surprise

Book link:  Purchase The Linchpin Writer