Better Know An Author – Jack Brickhouse
Our weekly spotlight series on authors from around the world. This week we sat down with Jack Brickhouse!
Please give a brief introduction, including your name and where you are based
My name is Jack Brickhouse and I’m currently based out of Phoenix, AZ. I am an author, music composer, and business coach who has a passion for empowering others to be the best version of themselves that they can be.
What book or books have you published or are working on at the moment?
In 2016 I co-authored my first book, Cigarettes & Bad Decisions: The S**t I’d Wish I’d Known, which is a non-fiction book focused on assisting others with self-development. On September 11th of this year, I released my second book, Blind Drift: Something Like A Screenplay, which is a fictional story with four Acts. As I am not a big fiction reader, this second book was a challenge as I wanted to deliver these stories in a way that was easily digestible to fans, who like me, are not fans of the super descriptive texts that move most fiction books. Instead, this title is written in screenplay form, where short descriptive narrations combine with character dialogue to move the stories along. I actually began this second project in late 2014 ahead of my first book, but it proved to be an extremely difficult project for me to deliver not being a fan of reading fiction. My major motivation to deliver this project was to stretch my writing abilities to an opposite end of the spectrum and not become labeled as just a non-fiction author. An additional note for Blind Drift is that I composed a musical soundtrack to accompany the novel.
What drives you to write?
I discovered my writing abilities in high school when I realized that I was able to easily complete essay assignments and earn high grades with little effort. In adult life, I am motivated to deliver works that inspire other authors or would-be authors to pursue their dreams of publishing work. Coming from an underserved community in the midwest, the idea of being an author was not one that warranted much support from members of my community.
Where can folks find you online and on social media?
You can currently find me on Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram (Occasionally I take a break from this platform), Amazon, B&N (As well as other online book retailers), Apple Music, Spotify (As well as all other music streaming services). I also have a blog where I share my thoughts and also invite other authors to share their thoughts. You can find links to all these platforms as well as my websites through my Linktree account. https://linktr.ee/
What is one piece of advice you would give to another author out there who might be struggling?
The process of writing a book can be challenging and time-consuming requiring a high level of perseverance and commitment from the author. There will be many times when you want to quit and think that you will never complete your book project. My second book went through 4 rewrites and format changes before I landed with the format for the completed work. From there, the last year before release added another 10 rounds of edits. Writing is definitely a marathon, but by just chipping away at it you will eventually cross the finish line if you are persistent. It’s like eating your favorite pizza when your appetite is at its peak for the day. Although you want to devour the whole pie immediately, you can only finish the pizza by taking it one slice at a time.
What are some of your five-year goals with writing?
I am currently taking a break and just jotting down ideas as they come and storing them up for when the writing bug compels me to dive into my next project. My next book will likely be another non-fiction self-development book, but I have to live and experience some more of my life before I can share new thoughts with others. I have a loose premise in mind to create a spinoff for my next fiction book, but that’s at least five years away before I even begin to embark on that journey.
Final Thoughts?
In terms of writing, your only limit is yourself. There is a fan for whatever type of book you are considering writing and if there is 1 fan, there are definitely fans with similar entrance who will hang onto your every word and anticipate every work you publish.
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