About J.S. Manning:
I am an Australian and I work abroad as an international teacher. I find writing a bio is the most difficult thing because I don't know what to filter out. Originally, I planned my life to be an artist but life steered towards writing. I travelled to many countries and I sketched while I was there. Mostly travelled by myself and was immersed in the cultures. People in these foreign countries would invite me, a stranger of a completely different race, into their homes. I would ride a bike purposely to get lost in some neighbourhood or village, and yet I was perfectly safe even in a Middle Eastern country. Most of the countries I have travelled to are the ones that the media says are our enemies.
What inspires you to write?
When my sister and I were young, my sister who was excellent at English and writing, I asked her why she wasn't writing a book. She replied that she didn't have any ideas for a story. I was a daydreamer and coming up with a story wasn't a problem. I wasn't an English major and I didn't pursue writing novels for many years because I believed I wasn't qualified. If they rejected Harry Potter, what chance do I have? One day, it dawned on me, that every thought and idea I have will die with me if I don't put them down on paper. If I had my way, I would rather a more talented writer have my ideas and do them justice.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
H.G. Wells introduced me to science fiction that wasn't laser guns and flying saucers when I was young. He also introduced me to plausibility; that science fiction shouldn't be that far-fetched. As well as speculative science fiction; what the world's direction will end up if continued on the path it was going on during his time.
Tell us about your writing process.
Most writers have a nice little den in their homes, I, however, do everything on my mobile phone. While waiting for the teachers' shuttle bus, I'll type a few paragraphs. When I have a ten-minute break in between classes, a few more paragraphs. When my wife sees a sale, a dozen paragraphs. A nice walk through the park, a ride on the subway, or lying on the sofa, is where I do all my typing.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I talk to myself. I have full discussions and debates and if anyone saw me, they would put me in a straight jacket. The only excuse for this that would justify this is that I write books. When I am in public, I chew gum so people can't see me talking to myself. I don't speak out loud, but my mouth is moving. Therefore, chewing gum disguises my conversation to myself. I need to do this when two characters are arguing.
What advice would you give other writers?
Self-publish. 100% control and 100% own. The reason why publishers rejected Harry Potter was because they didn't think it was the trend at the time. "A school for wizards? Kids won't like that!" I don't want to change something in my story to cater to a current trend. Or to appease a certain special interest group's ideology. I write to get the story out of my head exactly as it is.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Self-publishing was the only option for me. Neither any literary agency nor any publisher in Australia wanted me. The story of my life is that no one believes in me and will reject me but when I find a way to bypass them, I excel.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I guess AI.
What genres do you write?: science fiction
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Link To J.S. Manning Page On Amazon
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.
