AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Michael Jensen

1      Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. Shortly after I learned how to read I started to keep a diary. The majority of my writing was for myself so I didn’t know I was any good at writing until I took a creative writing class in collage.  I also enjoy songwriting and have written a few musicals. Along with writing I also love to sing. I work as a probation officer for my day job which is a great source of inspiration and character study.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I find my best work comes in the mornings just after I wake up.  That’s when I’m most creative.  I have to schedule it or I find life gets in the way. If I don’t set the time aside to write it doesn’t happen.   

     How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I do most of my writing on my laptop in my living room at home. When I’m in the story development stage of writing I will often hand write my ideas on note cards.  I also use an excel spreadsheet to keep my ideas organized. 

4.     What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

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My favorite thing about writing is blowing my mind, reaching in to the brightest and darkest parts of me to create and experience things I might never know in real life.  There is nothing about writing that I don’t love.  I wish I had more time to commit to it.  But I will always write and I have many more stories inside me that will be told.  

5.     How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

     I started the story nearly a decade ago. I dreamed I died and came back as a ghost. Nobody could see or hear me.  It was surreal and I couldn’t wait to write about it. It wasn’t until I met my co-author David Powers King that that story developed into what it is now.  We worked on it for a couple years and we got our book deal with Scholastic almost a year after it was completed.

6.   What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

     Scholastic does a great job promoting Woven at the school book fairs.  David and I both have social media outlets that also help to promote the story. 

7.     What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I don’t have anything new out… yet. David and I are currently working on a sequel to Woven.   

8.     Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I always have something on the back burner.  I’m getting ready to start my middle grade wizard series. It’s nothing like Harry Potter, but it does have wizards and a world of magic.

9.     What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

     That’s exactly what I would tell them. Believe in yourself.  Your story is worth telling. Educate yourself, learn your craft well, then tell the story you were born to tell.

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Thank you, Michael!