Interview with Jordan Ekeroth, author of 'The Fulton Incident'
Jordan Ekeroth is a young man with a clear voice, wisdom beyond his years, and always a story to tell. From a young age, you could find him either buried in books or bearing the adventure of his imagination into the great outdoors. He’s met some people and seen some things that have given him a radical desire to impact the world in a positive way. A person of deep faith, his dream in writing is to take people along on the adventure of a lifetime, while simultaneously creating a space for them to learn about themselves and the world around them.
His latest book is the adventure/suspense, The Fulton Incident.
You can visit Jordan Ekeroth’s website at www.jordanekeroth.com.
Q: Welcome to The Writer's
Life! Now that your book has been
published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the
beginning? Where did you come up with
the idea to write your book?
Last spring I was
volunteering in the slums of Uganda and feeling despondent at the weight of an
emotional burden that I'd brought with me and which had been in no way relieved
by the pressure of try to do good in the face of such abject poverty and ruin.
This book started as a story that was meant to give a shape to what I was going
through. Over there, away from cell service and Facebook and Netflix Instant, I
found the ideas flowing fast and strong, and with a little determination began
finding ways to turn my stress into creative energy. What resulted was The Fulton Incident.
Q: How hard was it to write a book
like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the
journey easier for other writers?
It was very hard to
write like this. I don't recommend it. If you can find a way to make your life
really easy and then write a book, do that. Of course I'm not sure if that's
possible either. I would say this: no matter where you are right now, if you
want to write a book, sit down with yourself first and think through your
motivations. Refine them if necessary. Your reason for writing is what will get
you through fruitless and distraction-filled days.
Q: Who is your publisher and how
did you find them or did you self-publish?
I self-published.
Q: Is there anything that
surprised you about getting your first book published?
I was very surprised
by how easy the actual self-publishing process was via Amazon's Kindle Direct
Publishing program. Anyone can do it. Whether or not just anyone should is
another story.
Q: Can you describe the feeling
when you saw your published book for the first time?
It was like riding a
bike without training wheels for the first time. It was out there, and it was
going. There were people cheering me on, and I felt like I could do anything.
Q: What other books (if any) are
you working on and when will they be published?
I have a
post-apocalyptic trilogy called The Impure in the works. It will have a much
more elaborate plot than anything I'm used to, so I'm taking plenty of time to
plan and develop everything before I share too much more about it.
Q: Fun question: How does your
book contribute to making this world a better place?
Funny you should ask.
The book itself directly addresses this issue. Various answers are explored,
but finally, at the end of it all, the main character makes some radical
choices that he hopes will improve the world in a tangible way. Some may take issue
with these choices, but I hope for the book to stand as a challenge rather than
a prescription; provoking people to think about this very question.
Q: Finally, what message (if any)
are you trying to get across with your book?
That a hard truth is better
than a comfortable lie, and that "seeing the light" can actually show
us some very disturbing things.
Q: Thank you again for this
interview! Do you have any final words?
Thanks for having me.
If anyone reads the book, I would love to hear what you think. You can connect
with me on Twitter (@jordanekeroth) or email me directly!
(jordan@jordanekeroth.com)
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