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Fiction Writer Career Interview
Jeff Jacobson is a writer with two novels published: Worm Food and Food Chain. He also teaches fiction writing at Columbia College of Chicago.
Fiction Writer Career Path
“I suppose it’s kind of a cliché, but I didn’t choose to be a writer; writing chose me,” Jeff explains. “I’ve been scribbling down monster stories since I learned how to write (and some would say that things haven’t changed much). It’s just something I’ve always felt, let’s say, ‘compelled’ to do.”
Jeff’s passion isn’t limited to the written word, however; he originally steered toward film.
“My love of stories has been equally split between fiction and film, and for a long time, I wanted to make movies, starting in high school,” he continues. “So I went to film school and started writing screenplays. Problem is, you need a ton of money and an army of people to make a movie. When you’re writing a book, all you need is just you and a keyboard.”
“So since I had neither a ton of money nor an army of minions (well, not yet anyway, but I’m working on acquiring the latter), I drifted into fiction writing, and I found that I still enjoyed it. I kept writing, and basically I was just too stubborn or dumb or both to quit.”
Fiction Writer Experiences
Jeff earned his Bachelor of Arts in film and video with a concentration in screenwriting from Columbia College of Chicago.
“Like I said, I didn’t have the resources nor the desire to move to L.A., and with no clear career path, I ended up teaching English in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, for a while,” says Jeff. “Then I worked in one of the largest independent science fiction, fantasy, and horror bookstores in the world, The Stars Our Destination, for about three years. I read a ton of books, met a lot of cool authors, and decided to go back to school to try and take my writing to another level.”
“I went back and got my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and with no other real marketable skills, I kind of fell sideways into teaching. I realized that I truly enjoyed teaching fiction writing, and it dovetailed quite nicely with my own goals of trying to write fiction, so the two really complemented each other.”
Jeff has been a teacher at Columbia College ever since, and he also had two books released this year: Worm Food and Food Chain.
Fiction Writing Degree Programs
Similar to many other creative careers, a degree isn’t absolutely necessary for one to succeed, but it does help to hone your talent.
“It’s one of the few careers that I know of where you simply don’t need any kind of degree,” Jeff explains. “You use skills that you will eventually figure out for yourself. However, a good writing program can help you reach the next level of your ability to tell stories much quicker than you can on your own.”
Education can also be a great way to work on your writing skills because it allows you freedom that you can’t find anywhere else.
“School is a safe place to experiment,” Jeff continues. “If you try something new in a story and it just simply falls apart, then you’ve learned something valuable, and can use this to get better. However, if you’re on the job, and someone is paying you to write, you better write something that doesn’t fall apart.”
Fiction Writer Job Description
When he’s not teaching at Columbia College of Chicago or spending time with his family, Jeff writes and writes and writes some more.
“I sit in the dark, making stuff up, and hammer away at the keyboard,” he says. “That’s all it is, really. It’s pretty simple. Don’t let anybody fool you.”
Fiction Writer Daily Routine
For most writers, even the professional ones, writing fills the gaps of their day-to-day lives.
“Every writer I know has a day job,” Jeff explains. “We tend to squeeze writing in whenever we get a chance. Most writers have no social life, especially if you’ve got kids. Then forget it.”
“I tend to write mostly late at night, once the kids are asleep,” he continues. “I try to get at least three or four hours of writing done. My desk is in the basement, and that’s on purpose. I face a concrete wall, surrounded by books and toy monsters, with a steady stream of heavy metal cranked to 11.”
Fiction Writer: Steps to Success
A successful writer needs tenacity, and a lot of it.
“I think people sometimes see it as glamorous, being the author of a book,” says Jeff. “It’s easy to forget that it’s all about the work you put into honing your stories because that’s what it is: it’s work. It’s work that would be impossible to do, at least for me, unless I loved it.”
If one wants to become a writer, he or she also has to figure out what success means because being a writer can have many different outcomes.
“Success, to me, was getting my novels published,” Jeff explains. “They didn’t pay me enough for me to quit my day job and become a full-time writer (although I’m not so sure I’d want to quit teaching even if I could afford to). So in any other field, if a guy couldn’t support himself by doing his job, he’d be considered a failure.”
“That said, I’m pleased as punch at being published,” he adds. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s pretty awesome.”
Fiction Writer Job Opportunities
“There are a lot of different levels here,” says Jeff. “If you want to be a writer, then go for it. Start typing. But if you want to be a published writer, well, then it gets tougher. There’s a lot of competition out there, and a shrinking marketplace for your product (at least for fiction). And if you want to be a bestselling author, well…good luck. You might want to try the lottery, too; odds are about the same.”
Fiction Writer Favorite Aspect
A writer always has to keep his or her audience in mind writing, and according to Jeff, seeing that audience react is the best part about his career.
“There’s nothing like it,” he explains. “When it’s going well, and you can manipulate their emotions in a way that seems effortless, that’s intoxicating. I suppose maybe that’s what real power must feel like.”
Fiction Writer’s Future Ambitions
“Probably getting paid enough to write full-time and to be able to teach because I enjoy it, not because I can use the money.”
Advice for Prospective Fiction Writers
Students should always fully examine what they want before diving into a career, especially for the torturous pursuit of writing.
“If you can live with yourself without being a storyteller, then find something that makes you happy and also gives you a way to earn a living. Writing is just very hard. But, if you don’t have a choice, if you can’t live without getting your stories down, then strap on your helmet and buckle down for the long haul. It’s not a career; it’s a life. Read as much as possible. Write as much as possible.”
Jeff also imparts advice from one of his favorite authors.
“When you’re starting out, learn a solid trade, like plumbing, so you can earn enough money to pay the bills while you write on your free time,” says Jeff. “That’s not much fun to hear when you want to be a writer, but it sure is good advice.”
