I recently heard somebody say that they don’t read fiction because it didn’t really happen. So, why would you bother to invest time into reading a made up story? Author Jon Coffey has found an answer to this mindset by taking personal events and spinning it into a fictional high school tale with superhero elements added in. Below is my interview with Coffey about his book, Super: A Memoir, his writing process, and his wildest dreams.

About the author

Name: Jon Coffey

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About Super: A Memoir

Book Title: Super: A Memoir

Genre: YA Fiction/Coming of Age

Link to Buy: Super

Book Summary: Spider-Man meets Friday Night Lights. Big changes in JJ Morris’ life lead him to the brink of everything he’s ever wanted. But is it all enough? Or is there somehow something more?

Book excerpt

“You know… I miss you, JJ,” she said. “You and Thomas.” She looked away.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to figure out what I should say. “Yeah.”

“I miss history class with you guys,” she said. “Things are just… well, they’re just different now. Boys complicate things.” She seemed sad.

“Hey,” I said, sarcastically. “I resent that.” She laughed.

“Yeah, but you know what I mean,” she said. “Sometimes, I wish I could go back in time… I don’t know. I wish I could go back and make different decisions. I could make things the way I want them… I guess I need to figure out how to get superpowers or something so I can do that.”

Superpowers. The word sizzled in my ears.

In the months since Christmas, I had thought it briefly only a couple of times in the back of my mind, like hearing some faraway storm rumbling in the distance. Thomas and I had, of course, talked about it, but never at length. It felt like dangerous territory to enter.

This was the first time it felt real; the first time I let myself be fully connected to the word. It was the first time I had come to grips with the idea—standing up in front of it and looking it in its eyes: I had superpowers.

“Yeah, superpowers,” I said with a slight smile. “I guess that would help.”

Review excerpts

“What a fun book! I loved this story angle in the super hero genre. Characters are believable and the story draws you in. Wasn’t sure about the “memoir” style at first, but after just a couple chapters it made the most sense to tell this story. Highly recommend!!!” – Amazon Reviewer

“I loved this book. The author does a fantastic job of capturing what it felt like to be a teenage boy in high school and adds the intriguing element of what it would be like to do it with newly developed super powers. I love the realization that even with special abilities, wading through relationships with friends, family, and the opposite sex doesn’t become any easier.

Well written, witty, emotional, and fun. I would highly recommend for young people and grown ups alike.” – Amazon Reviewer

“Coming from a 21 year old male here, this book was a very easy, enjoyable, relatable, and uplifting. I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone needing to find their worth, or to rethink where they’re at/where they’re going in life.
Very powerful.” – Goodreads Reviewer

Talking Shop

What is the central theme or message of your story? What do you want readers to take away from it?

I started out wanting to write a self-help book about growing up. I’ve known plenty of people who just wanted to get rich and be famous. That was their plan for their life. I wanted to address that. But the more I thought about it, I knew that book wouldn’t be very good.

So, I thought about how I could speak to the ideas of growing up and embracing your gifts through a story. At its core, Super, even though it’s hidden beneath a bunch of sports, superhero stuff, and dating drama, is really about learning to see the world as bigger than just yourself and your own happiness, and then figuring out how you can make a difference with the talents and abilities you possess, whatever they may be.

Did you use any professional services before publishing your book? Are there any you recommend to Indie authors?

I used a professional editor and beta readers before I published. In my own experience, it is crucial to have other people read your work and give you real feedback. Maybe that one part of the story doesn’t land the way you hoped it would, or that one character isn’t funny, he’s just annoying. Working that stuff out can be the difference in a 3-star or 5-star review. I also happen to be married to a graphic designer so I was a lucky in that regard, but I would recommend investing in your cover artwork. Even online, the cover is the first impression people have of your work, and a low quality cover can be enough to make them continue shopping elsewhere.

Name a fact or detail about your story that can’t be found within the pages of your book.

Almost all of the stories about JJ and his love interests in the book are reworkings of real things that happened to me and my wife, who was my high school sweetheart. She was the first person who got to read the manuscript of Super, and it was really fun to watch her roll her eyes or laugh at some of those memories.

What’s the best review/compliment that you’ve received about your book?

I’ve had several high school students tell me they enjoyed the book, and then follow that up by saying “and I don’t even like to read!” One of my goals was to write something for people who aren’t readers. So I was careful to make the chapters short, write at an approachable reading level, and keep the whole book under 300 pages so as not to be too intimidating.

How active are you in the online writing community? How has this community helped you as a writer?

I’m fairly active and involved with the #writingcommunity on Twitter. I’ve met a lot of great people and talented writers through it. And I have been encouraged by the sheer volume of other people who all seem to face the same challenges and disappointments that I do as a writer (and as a person for that matter). I think having a community where you can go and use the same jargon, share common experiences, and talk through new ideas and techniques is invaluable.

What famous books can you compare to your own?

This kind of feels like a trap question because it’s hard to say that anything I’ve done is anywhere close to something that has achieved nationwide, if not international, acclaim. That said, I drew a lot of inspiration from S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, and Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. I wouldn’t say that Super is on the same level as either of those works, but I tried to weave in elements of both into my own.

From The Outsiders I really loved the real-life, social aspect of the story. Even if you never experienced the soc’s and the greaser’s, there were different attributes of the story that ring true to your own experience. The themes of friendship and dealing with tragedy really hit home for me. In Ender’s Game, I loved the introspective nature of the story and how Ender begins to realize that being different is okay and, in fact, gives new meaning, responsibility, and purpose to his life.

How long did it take to write your book from the day you got the idea to write it to the day you published it?

I stewed on the idea for the book for probably a year-and-a-half before I ever actually started writing it. I’d wanted to write a book for a long time and I had several ideas I was debating between. But, I just couldn’t get Super out of my head. So I started writing it, seriously, in March of 2017, and it went live on Amazon May 10, 2019.

How long have you considered yourself a writer? Did you have any formal training, or is it something you learned as you went?

I went to Michigan State University to study journalism. Now I work full-time as a content writer and editor for a church just outside of Houston, TX. I’ve been writing nearly all of my life. But I started taking myself seriously as a writer when I began writing a blog my sophomore year of college. That was the first time I really wrote my own stuff and barred my soul through my words. I’m not saying I was always good at it, but that’s where it really started.

How well do you handle criticism, either while writing, editing, or reviews?  Do you ever use that criticism to change your story?

You always want everyone to think your writing is the greatest thing ever, but the truth is all art is subjective. Name any movie, and you can probably think of at least one person who likes it and one who doesn’t. Write the best book you can. Do everything you can to make it a project you’re proud of, and then publish it. Once you do, it’s out of your hands. Hope for the best, do the hard work of promotion, and then don’t sweat a few bad reviews.

What is the most fun part about writing? The most difficult?

The most fun part about writing is that you can literally do anything. C.S. Lewis said, “You can make anything by writing.” Your perspective, your ideas, your message, your passion – no one else can do that the way you can! On the flip side, the hardest part is writing what you want while still bending to readers’ tastes and what is popular. There are times you see fantastic books, movies, paintings, photographs, but if the majority of people don’t “get it” then it’s going to have a tough time having a long life and widespread exposure.    

“What if” scenarios

If your book ever becomes a movie, and you get final say over the cast, which actors would you hire to play your characters?

The landscape of actors would certainly look different by the time this movie would be made. But if it was going to happen today I would probably push to cast Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, The Perfect Date, Sierra Burgess is a Loser) as protagonist JJ Morris, even though he’s a bit older than a junior in high school. Joe Keery (Stranger Things) is basically who I had in mind as I wrote Thomas Winters.

My first choice for Charlie Haines would be Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) with Idris Elba (Thor: Ragnarok, Beasts of No Nation, The Losers, Luther) playing her father, Coach Haines. Ben Foster (Hell or High Water, 3:10 to Yuma) would be great as Hank, while Penélope Cruz (Vanilla Sky, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) would make a wonderful Suzy Morris. Hopefully the film is well funded in this make-believe scenario.

If you could be in a writer’s group with up to four famous writers, who would they be?

I’d love to sit across the table from Stephen King and talk stories and characters. On Writing was such an influential book for me as a writer, being able to have him apply some his knowledge and feedback to my ideas would be incredible. Plus, it would be a lot of fun to get more of an inside look at his process and methods.

Another writer I’d love to learn from and work with would be C.S. Lewis (they can be from any time right? If not, I’m altering the rules for myself). His ability to simplify complex ideas and succinctly address some of life’s big questions is truly amazing. Also, watching Lewis and King dialogue about writing would alone be worth it. Naturally, I’d love to talk to J.K. Rowling and learn how to plot like a wizard. Also, I’d also be enthralled to talk to Justin Cronin about world-building and epic storytelling.

You’re offered a contract to rewrite your book in another genre. Which genre do you choose and why?

I’ve actually thought about this before. Super could work as a few different genres, but I’ve secretly always wanted to write a western, so I might try to adapt it to gunfighters and cowboys, though I doubt that would be the best bet in terms of marketing.

Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?

I would want to keep my current day job. But I would try to work something out to move to a part-time position and then make plans to start writing another book, granted I could capitalize on that momentum and make a legitimate career as an author.

Would you rather own your own book store or your own publishing house, and what would you sell or publish?

I love the idea of owning my own publishing house one day and helping new writers gain a platform and momentum. Personally, I’m passionate about writing that makes us think, inspires, uplifts, or catalyzes change. So, any genre could potentially accomplish that.

Buy it!

Buy a copy of Super: A Memoir here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.

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