Ask the Author: Jerome Jewell
Answered Questions (7)
Jerome Jewell
The past, present and future enter a bar. It was really tense!
Jerome Jewell
The best thing about being a writer is the opportunity to dig deep into matters of importance and present our thoughts for consideration and criticism by others...AND the fact that we can own this process without interference, if we're lucky.
As an "interrogator" of the world around me (yes, I enjoy asking probing questions), I find solace and stimulation in being able to sit down and take time to gather and assess the responses the world brings me. The responses bring me joy and pain, surprise and boredom, anger and embraces, but all of them open my eyes and enlighten me.
As an "interrogator" of the world around me (yes, I enjoy asking probing questions), I find solace and stimulation in being able to sit down and take time to gather and assess the responses the world brings me. The responses bring me joy and pain, surprise and boredom, anger and embraces, but all of them open my eyes and enlighten me.
Jerome Jewell
Chocolate chip cookies and absence. When my words start to smell bad...when I feel the fatigue or lack of creative juice, I have to walk away. Sometimes this is for a few days, but more often it's for a period of months. I've learned that I have to be in the mood to write well. Hell, I have enough trouble writing suitable paragraphs when I'm fully engaged. Anything less is a disaster....for me.
To get really good answers to this question, please study writers who have a real track record of successful writing. I've written one book. That is NOT a track record of anything.
For example, Ernest Hemingway kept a pretty disciplined daily routine that included some writing, some fishing, some naps, some drinking, some sex...and voila! Look at the result of this balanced approach. Study him, along with others such as Tahir Shah, Margaret Wheatley, Deborah Tannen, Thomas Friedman, and other renowned authors. They'll show you a path.
To get really good answers to this question, please study writers who have a real track record of successful writing. I've written one book. That is NOT a track record of anything.
For example, Ernest Hemingway kept a pretty disciplined daily routine that included some writing, some fishing, some naps, some drinking, some sex...and voila! Look at the result of this balanced approach. Study him, along with others such as Tahir Shah, Margaret Wheatley, Deborah Tannen, Thomas Friedman, and other renowned authors. They'll show you a path.
Jerome Jewell
If you're passionate about a subject and have something to contribute to a dialogue, then let nothing stop you from writing. If possible, try NOT to make it "work" (even if you're paying paid). Instead, try to hold onto the childlike joy of writing. Don't be afraid to let it remain fun. It you focus on the need/desire to making a ton of money, you'll spoil all the fun.
Also, if you're having trouble getting started, consider keeping a journal as your start point. Try to stick with it, and when you look back over the months and years, you're likely to see more strength in your writing than you may have detected originally. My journaling, which began in 1984 while on the way to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, provided many of the detailed recollections (particularly the emotions) that formed the basis of many of my chapters.
Also, if you're having trouble getting started, consider keeping a journal as your start point. Try to stick with it, and when you look back over the months and years, you're likely to see more strength in your writing than you may have detected originally. My journaling, which began in 1984 while on the way to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, provided many of the detailed recollections (particularly the emotions) that formed the basis of many of my chapters.
Jerome Jewell
I get inspired by observing the movement of the world around me. This makes it inevitable that I will want to write about what I hear, see and experience. I'm curious about "stuff"....from "The Big Bang Theory" to the homeless guy in front of my favorite cafe, to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to the eyes of the grad students who I get to coach at my alma mater. These are all in motion, changing the world...and they all have a story to be told. I'm slowly learning how to listen better, which improves my storytelling, which improves my writing.
Jerome Jewell
I’m writing the 2nd edition of “On The Balcony”. It will contain some new stories…inspiring stories of struggle and triumph as experienced by people other than me. I will also delete some of the less meaningful chapters, based on feedback received from readers and trusted advisors.
Jerome Jewell
Two wonderful forces conspired to encourage me to write “On The Balcony”.
First and foremost, I’ve had the honor of reading and becoming addicted to good storytelling all my life, it seems. My first significant book memory was “The Spirit of St. Louis” by Charles Lindbergh, where he tells a detailed story of the first solo transatlantic flight. I had to do a book report on it in the 4th grade (50+ years ago) and I remember not being able to put the book down at night. Ever since, I've found stories…the process of bringing facts to life by providing context…simply fascinating. Along the way, authors such as Tahir Shah, Rachel Naomi Remen, Thomas Friedman, Erma Bombeck have fueled my appetite.
The second major influence was my clients and seminar attendees. About 15 years ago, while delivering leadership development seminars to corporations, I began experimenting with ways to make the concepts more memorable…ways to make them “stick”. So I began telling short stories of how the concepts applied…describing the errors and asumptions we made on the path to lessons and how peoples’ lives were impactd by our failures and successes. My clients began asking follow-up questions, sometimes weeks later, not about the theory or concept, but about the STORY.
They asked questions such as:
- “Can you tell us more about what happened?”
- “How did people react initially?”
- “Were they frightened? enthusiastic?”
These kinds of questions show that people are doing more than listening. They are embracing a subject and placing themselves “there”.
Eventually, people starting asking me explicitly, “When are you going to write a book with these stories?”
“On The Balcony” is the result.
First and foremost, I’ve had the honor of reading and becoming addicted to good storytelling all my life, it seems. My first significant book memory was “The Spirit of St. Louis” by Charles Lindbergh, where he tells a detailed story of the first solo transatlantic flight. I had to do a book report on it in the 4th grade (50+ years ago) and I remember not being able to put the book down at night. Ever since, I've found stories…the process of bringing facts to life by providing context…simply fascinating. Along the way, authors such as Tahir Shah, Rachel Naomi Remen, Thomas Friedman, Erma Bombeck have fueled my appetite.
The second major influence was my clients and seminar attendees. About 15 years ago, while delivering leadership development seminars to corporations, I began experimenting with ways to make the concepts more memorable…ways to make them “stick”. So I began telling short stories of how the concepts applied…describing the errors and asumptions we made on the path to lessons and how peoples’ lives were impactd by our failures and successes. My clients began asking follow-up questions, sometimes weeks later, not about the theory or concept, but about the STORY.
They asked questions such as:
- “Can you tell us more about what happened?”
- “How did people react initially?”
- “Were they frightened? enthusiastic?”
These kinds of questions show that people are doing more than listening. They are embracing a subject and placing themselves “there”.
Eventually, people starting asking me explicitly, “When are you going to write a book with these stories?”
“On The Balcony” is the result.
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