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Jeffrey Allen Mays

Goodreads Author

Born

Memphis, TN, The United States

Website

http://jeffreyallenmays.com

Genre

Thriller, Philosophy, Paranormal

Member Since

March 2010

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Jeffrey is a book-lover and writer. His articles have appeared in Catapult/Topology, God and Nature, and Please See Me. His short story "Malefic" appeared in the 2013 eco-horror anthology Growing Concerns. His debut novel The Former Hero was published in 2014 by AEC Stellar Publishing, winner of the 2015 Texas Association of Authors Book Award for Suspense/Thriller and finalist with the Nation Indie Excellence Award. His short story "Concho Diary" won the 2017 Texas Authors award for contemporary fiction. He lives with his wife in Austin.
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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Jeffrey Allen Mays First we need to ask 'what is writer's block?' I don't think it is a real, clinical condition the way it sounds. It's just a state of mind in which yo…moreFirst we need to ask 'what is writer's block?' I don't think it is a real, clinical condition the way it sounds. It's just a state of mind in which you are not being particularly creative. For mere mortal writers, I think it is fairly common and nothing to worry about. Quotes you see on FB to the effect that for 'real' writers there's no such thing are not only annoying, but an expression of arrogance coming from one who apparently has a lot of natural activity in the creative part of the brain. But even Hemingway lost it toward the end of this career after having the ability to write great stuff seemingly effortlessly, and then wax philosophic about it.
So, I take 'writer's block' down a few notches. Don't look to pharmaceuticals, and don't define yourself by it. I use a combination of going somewhere new, reading literature that I find the most brilliant, and then, and this is the main thing, I muscle my way through - I sit in front of the blank page/screen for a long time doing nothing but thinking. Then usually after 2 or 3 hours (interrupted by coffee refills, ordering lunch, going to the bathroom etc.) I give up and just write something stupid: "Dave was walking down the sidewalk" or something, and from there I ask myself, what did Dave see? What happened to Dave? And then I come up with, "Dave found something meaningful on the sidewalk" or "Dave had just emerged from donating blood, so he was woozy" or "Dave saw a homeless man lying still and feared that he might be dead..." And away I go.(less)

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What are you currently working on?

Jeffrey Allen Mays I have been working on a particular short story for about a year and a half and have had much trouble getting it right. At this point it is uncertain …moreI have been working on a particular short story for about a year and a half and have had much trouble getting it right. At this point it is uncertain if it will ever see the light of day unless I get some inspiration about how to make it worthwhile.
I have plans and some ideas for at least one sequel to The Former Hero. I would like to write more books set in the same location because I like the setting so much and enjoy going back there in my mind.
Finally, it has occurred to me to write a screenplay of The Former Hero. Many of my readers have told me that the book would make a fabulous movie, and although I didn't have that in mind when I wrote it, I agree that it moves along fast enough, and has so much visual material, that it would translate well onto the screen(less)

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Jeffrey Allen Mays’s books

Average rating: 4.06 · 17 ratings · 8 reviews · 1 distinct work

The Former Hero

4.06 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions

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Jeffrey is Currently Reading

Jeffrey Mays is currently reading

Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet

by Jennifer Homans

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3 hours, 14 min ago

Jeffrey Mays is currently reading

Red: A History of the Redhead

by Jacky Colliss Harvey (Goodreads Author)

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May 24, 2023 09:12AM

Jeffrey Mays is currently reading

Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

by Anton Chekhov

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May 24, 2023 09:12AM

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Jeffrey Mays is currently reading Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jeffrey Mays rated a book really liked it Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jeffrey Mays rated a book it was amazing The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3 hours, 20 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jeffrey Mays has read The Sufferings of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Did this on Librivox audiobook. With the speed set to 1.7x. It's the only way it would be tolerable. ...more
3 hours, 21 min ago · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Sufferings of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Sufferings of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jeffrey Mays is currently reading Red: A History of the Redhead by Jacky Colliss Harvey (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 24, 2023 09:12AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Red by Jacky Colliss Harvey. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Red by Jacky Colliss Harvey <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jeffrey Mays is currently reading Complete Works of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jeffrey Mays rated a book it was amazing The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jeffrey Mays rated a book liked it Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 24, 2023 09:03AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Jeffrey Mays rated a book it was amazing The Buddha in the Attic (Pen/Faulkner Award - Fiction) by Julie Otsuka	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Very cleverly written historical fiction account of the plight of Japanese mail-order brides in the early to mid-20th century. The women immigrate to America to become wives of Japanese men who were already in the United States to work. A glimpse int ...more
May 24, 2023 08:55AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">