About DJ LeJeune:
DJ LeJeune sends his readers on near and far future Science Fiction adventures, blended with a dash of thriller and a lot of character. Grand Prize winner for the Summer 2020 Writing Contest at Short Fiction Break, he minored in Creative Writing in college, and is finally using that forgotten degree. He enjoys gaming, tech, and Donatello, because he's the MVP of the Ninja Turtles. Check out some of DJ's books today.
What inspires you to write?
The desire to experience future technologies or situations or far-off places we can't currently enjoy. I think that's one of the main reasons I love science fiction. It allows us a taste of what it might be like to walk across Mars, or live on a space station spinning at the edge of the solar system, or to step onto a virtual reality device and be "transported" to a real-as-life fantasy world.
Exploring the technology and day to day lives of the fictional people who inhabit my stories is a way to live those wonders today. I enjoy giving those experiences to my readers.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Adrian Tchaikovsky is a growing favorite of mine. But I also enjoy Blake Crouch, Andy Weir, and the legendary Issac Asimov.
Tell us about your writing process.
I'm a hybrid author. I outline the overall story based on a six-act structure. But the last third of the story tends to be fuzzy even if I know how I want it to end. I'll then brainstorm likely chapters for each act and even write brief summaries of the first chapters.
Then I write the first draft of each chapter, and this is where a lot of the discovery writing comes in. Also, as I near the middle of the first draft, the ending becomes more clear in my mind..
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I do a good deal of character background work before writing. Figuring out their backstory, flaws, fears, longings, that sort of thing. This also develops more as I write the story.
But other than this, I write scenes with the characters "outside of the story." A scene about what they do when they first come home from work or school. A scene at a dinner table with all the main characters in the story together.
What this does is help me flesh out the characters beyond what they "need to be" for the story.
What advice would you give other writers?
Allow the writing journey to take the necessary time. Most authors aren't going to write a first novel that shoots to the top of the charts and lets them quit their 9 to 5. It has happened, but that is exceedingly rare.
For most of us, it's about a longer process of getting a novel out there, making some ripples, putting the next novel out, and so forth.
Over time, you'll gain readers and fans and momentum. That's normal, and nothing to be ashamed of. But expecting that as the journey up front and being okay with it does wonders for motivation and drive.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I'm a self-published author. My decision was based on research and seeing that self-publishing has grown exponentially over the years. It is no longer frowned upon. It's not about paying a company to print 2000 copies of your book for you to have to sell from your garage. There's print on demand and ebooks, now. People are self-publishing novels that are just as professional looking and well-edited as traditional publishers.
On top of that, I've heard the horror stories of people who got a traditional publishing deal, only to have to market the book themselves, anyway. Unless the publisher knows your book is already selling (which how can they if you're a new author), they likely won't spend much money to get word of your novel out there.
I figured if I'd have to promote my novel anyway, I might as well go the indie route and keep more of the profits.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I see a tumultuous time in the near term with AI services like Chat-GPT. Already, some markets are suspending submissions because of the glut of AI-generated content.
But in the long run, I feel human authors who put original stories out there will continue to have a career. Especially if they work to improve their craft with every project.
I mean, just think about all the award-winning TV these days that is based on fiction novels. Good stories are always sought-after. There's lots of opportunity out there still.
What genres do you write?: Science Fiction, Gamelit / LitRPG, Fantasy, Thriller
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
DJ LeJeune Home Page Link
Link To DJ LeJeune Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
