Coffee Talks

With Jeff Norton

Hi, Jeff, thank you for taking the time to get involved with Coffee Community. It's great to hear from authors like yourself and get to know a little bit about what motivates you to write longer works of fiction.

Thank you so much! It's a pleasure to share something of the creative journey as one of the joys of Wattpad for me has been meeting so many incredibly talented storytellers.

So, to begin, tell us a little bit about yourself as an author on Wattpad. For anyone who hasn't met you before, how would you describe your fiction?

I actually came to Wattpad late. I was a published author, with my first book- METAWARS, which is a high-tech thriller (sometimes compared to Ready Player One) published in paperback by Hachette. I'd met the wonderful - AshleighGardner and she convinced me to join the community.

I put the entire first MetaWars novel on the site and it found a global readership. I loved the idea of connecting with readers around the world. One of the frustrating things about being an author published in "paper" is that I get very little feedback from readers. My book goes out into the world and unless I happen to meet a reader, or get some fan mail, I have no idea if people are actually enjoying the book.

Since MetaWars, I wrote my first original story for Wattpad called Star Pressed, which is a love letter to science fiction in the spirit of Lost in Space, and it too found a very supportive readership. I then put up something younger, a sci-fi comedy called Alienated, which is a true labour of love.

And my latest project is called Looking Glass and is for a more mature readership. It's pretty relentless and violent and I'm writing it in a serial fashion, so the chapters are a bit rougher than I'd normally feel comfortable sharing material...but that's another joy of the platform: sharing  work in process.

Writing for sustained periods is a hurdle that every writer, beginner or experienced, faces from time to time. What powers you through those longer bursts of creativity and keeps you focused?

I'm pretty disciplined and have a set routine. I write every morning. I get my word count done and move onto my "day job", which is developing and producing TV shows.

What top tips would you advise for getting a novella or a longer piece of fiction off the starting line? What kind of story developments motivate you to see it through to the end?

I'm a huge believing in beginning with the end in mind. For me, it's like setting out on a big road trip. You want to know the end destination, but also want to be free to deviate from the route along the way. If you know your endpoint – and I mean the emotional end state for your main character – then the rest kind of takes care of itself....so long as you follow the mathematical formula for writing: butt + chair = word count.

How much do you edit on the fly? Or do you prefer to edit after you've finished the initial draft?

I believe that writing is rewriting. So I write, and then go back and rewrite almost everything. With Looking Glass, it's a scary prospect to essentially show the world my first draft, but I'm looking forward to incorporating readers' comments into my further drafts.

Personally, what kind of novella -- be it any style, theme, or genre -- would you like to see emerge from the Open Novella Contest?

I'm a sucker for science fiction. I like sci-fi because as a genre when it's done well, is a way to explore today's themes through a lens that allows for deeper exploration and introspection.

Lastly, because we're always curious... What was your ever first experience with the power of the written language?

Wow, that's a great question...

I read a book as an older boy, perhaps I was about 11 or 12, and it was called 'After the Bomb.' It was about the aftermath of a nuclear explosion and it scared me to death. That was the first time I felt true fear from nothing more than black ink on a white page. If that's not power, I don't know what is.

It's been great hearing from you, Jeff, and thank you for sharing your valuable knowledge in storytelling.

My pleasure, I can't wait to read some of the novellas!!

Best wishes for your future endeavours from Coffee Community.

Our goal is to bring you many more exclusive interviews with people who aren't just Wattpad Stars or Staff, but also some pretty awesome authors.
In that quest, next we will be talking to OwainGlyn, so stick around for more fun!