Publication date: November 12th, 2020
Synopsis:
When dystopian fiction becomes real...
Val Haverford's Sci-Fi and Western novels made him a household name But that was then. A decade of creative stagnation and fading health has left him in the literary wilderness.
Attempting to end his dry spell and secure his legacy, Val pens a dystopian conspiracy theory set in the tangential universe where alien invaders eliminate 'undesirables' perceived as drains on society.
But as he digs deeper into violence plaguing his adopted home of Chicago, he discovers unsettling similarities between his work in progress and a life he thought he left behind. Soon he finds his fictional extremists are not only real--they're intent on making sure his book never sees the light of day.
As he pieces together haunting truths about his city and his motives, Val realizes his last chance to revive his career and reconcile the past could get him--and the people he loves--killed.
Will he make the right choice? Or will it be too late?
Edge of Sundown is a provocative story that shows how the desperation of lost opportunity can lead to drastic and unexpected consequences.
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Guest Post
What are they currently reading?
I tend to read multiple things at once. Right now: Hunger and Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, Inside Voices by Sarah Davis, Invisible 2: Personal Essays on Representation in SF/F edited by Jim C. Hines, and Ryunosuka Akutagawa's short story In a Grove for research (did you know Rashomon was based on a short story? I didn't).
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapter first? What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I usually pants flash stories.
I wrote a synopsis for the novel rather than an outline; outlines are too much like math. And they remind me of my 8th grade research project, which was hell on crackers. By telling a truncated version of the story to myself, I felt like I had free rein to write it the way I wanted rather than following rules. But the next novel (I think?) needs to be outlined the old fashioned way, because I'll have multiple points of view and timelines to keep straight.
Organization is key! Keep everything. Make notes about what each document contains or very soon you'll end up with a mess.
I bought a tickler file for Novel #2, so hopefully that will keep things from going awry.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Social Media. It's addictive and constantly updating, and when you're trying to build a community, it's hard to designate small nuggets of time to this and discipline yourself to stick to it. And I think there's some sort of time warp connected to the login. You enter at 9am and don't come out until 11:45.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Ha! I have no idea what readers want. It's a mystery. I try to be original in the sense that I love trying new things, even if those things are old hat to many people. For instance, I'm intrigued by the Kishotenketsu method of writing, which is less focused on conflicts and more on complications. It seems like a more natural way of telling a story and testing a character's mettle. And I do love torturing my characters.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
"Quit putzing around and do it already."
I wish I'd gotten more serious much earlier, learned that critique isn't so bad when you find a community who has the same goals, and realize that classes and workshops don't all lead to reading your work out loud (terrifying). I wasted a lot of years worrying about not being good enough or what people might think.
Turns out most writers feel the same way, even after multiple publications, awards, etc. The difference is, they're working instead of wringing their hands. I could have at least studied the craft more, so I'd be further along today.
Also: "Rethink that pastry degree."
Though you don't need an MFA to write fiction, at least I would have been true to myself. I loved baking and had big dreams of owning a dessert/small plate restaurant-and-music venue, but if I'm being honest, I got the degree because I was too shy to join the writing community. Bad, bad Jenny.
What's the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
I actually found writing men to be easier; writing women is hard! I love strong female characters but keeping them away from the stereotypes I dislike is a challenge.
I'm trying to improve with every subsequent project. I'm looking forward to writing a picture book about a girl who discovers she doesn't need boys to have fun, thanks to some insects with great timing.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
I only wrote one so far and it took about six years. I'm hoping the next one isn't as time-consuming, because I learned that level of meticulousness is a bit wasted. There will always be typos (I apparently hate articles, especially 'a') and the more you read your own work, the more blind you are to bloopers.
Do you believe in writer's block?
Yes! It's a real thing, no matter what others tell you.
Okay, it's a thing with caveats.
When I use the term, I mean I'm humming along and suddenly get stuck. Either I'm mid-scene and the words aren't flowing, or I find myself in a mess I can't write my way out of, or I have no idea what comes next. Maybe this is why I don't write linearly; it's too confining.
I think the term is often used to describe low inspiration--another awful predicament to be sure--but at least that's an easy one to get out of. Read more, engage with the humans, experience life. Eventually the block will go away.
This is another good reason to keep a file of ideas handy. You don't have to come up with a new concept while you're already stressed, just freewrite some details for one that's been waiting.
If Jennifer were to make a deal with the Devil, she'd ask to live--in good health--just until she's finished reading all the books. She figures that's pretty square.
In case other bibliophiles attempt the same scheme, she's working hard to get all her ideas on paper. She writes multi-genre fiction and the occasional essay, and is currently working on a collection of shorts and two picture books that may or may not be suitable for children.
Edge of Sundown is her first novel. She's always been drawn to "what-ifs" and flawed characters, and has never quite mastered the happy ending.
Jennifer is a member of Chicago Writers Association and Independent Writers of Chicago, and works at a private university library.
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