Jo is a post-modern reject who spent most of his time writing jokes only Norm Macdonald, Thomas Pynchon, and Rachel get. Exempli gratia:
Much to his amusement, his newest book, the controversial Surviving Gen X has been banned by churches, certain nation states, and from his mother’s house.
When not being the top-ranked feline whisperer of Minnesota, Jo juggles his time between academia, his podcasts What’s Kraken? and Streamin’ Demons, and his websites HauntedMTL.com, a haven for horror enthusiasts, and Czykmate.com, a platform dedicated to the art of writing and helping others find their voice.
Surviving Gen X plot summary
A potent tapestry of humor, heartbreak, and raw human resilience, this narrative unfolds with the surreal quality of a fever dream. Oscillating between the chaos of a city that never sleeps and the quiet moments of vulnerability shared between its two protagonists, Surviving Gen X isn’t just a story—it’s an experience. An experience that delves into the desolation of a generation caught amidst the disintegration of societal norms, searching for meaning in a world that seems to have forgotten them.
The interview
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I never purposely wrote with genre in mind. I think the old saying “write what you know” comes to mind. But what if you don’t know anything? Then what do you write?
Nobody really told me, so I started writing with nothing in mind. Sometimes the nothing becomes a something. I’ll let the critics, who are professionals far smarter than I, put the stories neatly into their respective slots.
Do you keep a notebook of ideas?
I write from scratch. The stories are done in my head, somewhat fully, before the first word hits the paper. That’s not to say I am opposed to notebooks for ideas. I’m just far too lazy to use them. Why write something twice? I’d rather have it in my head and throw it on the page.
I do, however, have a notebook (computer file) called “cuts” where I’ll put the lines I that I edit out in a story if I really liked the line. The idea is to use some of those lines later in another story, but the reality of it is I couldn’t find that file if my life depended on it. I think it’s more of an exercise to allow the words to exist. In a sense, that file is a way to quiet the voice in my head.
Do you have a muse?
I used to, but since inflation happened it became too expensive to keep buying cheese. Oh, wait…that’s a mouse.
Are you more of a fan of plot-driven stories or character-driven stories?
I pull mostly from life and either transcribe things as they were as accurately as I can (which really isn’t too accurate as memory is mostly a story you tell yourself), or I spin them in to a “what if.” What if this would have happened instead of what historically happened?
However, it’s the characters that have to drive the car. Plot driven stories feel fake to me. A story should have the character be the prime mover, not just random things that string along hollow people. What’s the interest in that?
Give your characters a chance to become flesh and blood. I think it’s a more rewarding experience for both writer and reader.
Fill in the blank: “People will like your book if they like stories about…”
People will like my book if they like stories about actual life, sometimes twisted and carnivalesque, but real enough. Oh, and if they know what the word carnivalesque means without looking it up and if they know it in the sense of Bakhtin.
What are your thoughts on typewriters?
I’m old enough to have used them because it was that or a pencil. One of the best classes I took in 7th grade was typing. All the guys made fun of me. They thought it was not the most masculine thing to do, apparently. Most of them took wood shop or metal shop or woody-metal shop. Joke’s on them all.
Besides the obvious change of company kept during those classes, typing became invaluable as the internet started coming to life. However, it also meant I would break a lot of keyboards once computers became common place. We really had to bash those metal keys on the typewriter, and plastic keyboards don’t stand up to the pounding.
Would you rather own a bookstore or run a library?
I am spoiled. I went to Oxford University and their library spent over 52,000,000 pounds British (ßyes that many zeros) in 2018-2019. I’ve also a membership card to the Vatican library. So, when you say “library” do you mean a major library with every book in the world or something like a small college library with one room?
Bookstores are a bit the same, really. Are we talking about a modern bookstore that sells mostly candles and coffee mugs or one run with love of the written word? I grew up with a Book World that was no bigger than my family’s trailer. Then there is that one seaside used books store in Morecambe, England. It goes quite deep and it’s off the coast a bit.
If I had to pick, I would say I would rather own a book-bar. That’s where you have books and booze. Something with comfy chairs and a fireplace would do nicely. A place where people could come and have a crack when reading or just relax after work with a pint and the latest Dragonlance novel.
How do you name your characters? If you write nonfiction, do you ever change the names of your characters, and if so, how do you decide what names to change them to?
This current book, Surviving Gen X, is nonfiction (as Norm’s memoir is also nonfiction). I changed the names to things that represent them the most in real life. It’s a symbolic renaming of people. I think there is a chapter that addresses this in my book. Names are weird because they are given to you by strangers who don’t know who you are.
For fiction, I might throw in the name of a friend if I miss them. I also get names from random words, but I don’t put much thought into it other than “this sounds cool.”
What is your favorite website that you use to promote your writing?
My favorite website to promote my writing must be yours, of course 😊
If Hollywood bought the rights to your book, would you want it to be turned into a movie or series?
If Hollywood bought the rights to Surviving Gen X, I would want it to be a musical.
Who is your dream audiobook narrator?
Funny enough, we are working on the audiobook right now. Here is the real answer—I looked up prices for the people I wanted to do the entire thing and, for the most part, went holy crow no no no no no.
Then I thought, what if I pulled most of the book narration myself and then hired some people to do some character voices like Gene or Bean or Annie. I am slightly approaching Danny Trejo for Bean. Although unlikely, a wish list for Gene is Christopher Lambert.
There was also a time when I thought voice actors like Charles Martinet, Maurice LaMarche, and Rob Paulsen would be a scream for the book. However, the grounded answer is: Right now, it’s down to line count and expenditures.
How many words or pages do you typically write in one writing session?
I don’t count words or pages when I write. I just write. I think anything that limits yourself (a word count or hitting X words/pages), is counterproductive. You write until you are done or, more accurately, until it is done with you.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Yes, but I was able to summon Satan only that one time.
What writing rules do you look up the most often while you are editing?
I don’t look up rules when I am editing, but I do look up words. There are moments where I think “Is this a real word or did I make it up?” I don’t change the word if I made it up, but I do make a mental note so when my editor kicks back the note of “Did you make this word up?” I can give a quick answer with the ever-present thought “Aren’t all words made up?”
Have you made any public appearances to promote your book?
This current book, Surviving Gen X, is in that stage now. It will be my first book tour in 20 or so years. I like public appearances because I like meeting and getting to know people. I think that’s part of the reason why I like interviews. I get to see what is important to the interviewer.
For example, this list of 25 questions came from you. It shows a bit about you and what you care about. I dig that.
Who would you most want to read your book?
Is it telling that the first four people that came to mind are all dead?
Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of greatest/inspirational authors (choose four authors)?
Theodore Roosevelt gets to be on the list for literal and figurative Mt Rushmore.
Stephen King gets on easily as I’ve read him since I was five.
Emily Dickinson penned more than a few of my favorite poems and her style reflects the concept of living poetry.
Finally, Jaimee Wriston Colbert is the best writer I know. Her books make me want to give up writing because I’ll never be that good.
Is there a book that somebody gave to you that helped you pave the way to becoming a writer, or is there a book on writing that you recommend all writers read?
My aunt left her copy of The Stand by Stephen King after visiting one summer. I think I read that entire thing in a weekend locked in my bedroom.
For years, I shifted between King and Weis/Hickman’s Dragonlance novels. That was the “I want to do this with my life” moment. For a “how-to” book, I have two recommendations: On Writing… by Stephen King and Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. Snyder’s is more for screenplays, but you can adapt the points to most writing.
Have you ever mentored another writer with their writing?
The university that hired me to teach writing sure hopes so. Privately, I mentor people still. I think it’s important to give back to the art and help new voices emerge.
Is there an idea that a non-writer has pitched to you that you have considered writing?
For pay or…? For pay, yes. It’s called being a ghost writer. For non-pay? No.
Do you ever use dreams as inspiration for your writing?
Dreams? Never. Just nightmares.
Are you a big reader? Do you own a large collection of books, or are you more of a borrower?
I wouldn’t say I’m a big reader. I’m more of a tall reader. My books are many and scattered through time and space. I think I am a “lender of books” that don’t get returned and then “re-buyer of that same book my friend/s never returned to me.”
Have you ever gone away to work on a piece of writing? If not, where would you go if you could?
I think some writers get caught up on the “perfect place” or “perfect office” or whatnot. If I have to go away to write, then I think I’m forcing it.
Writing is something you’re either doing or you’re not. A change of venue won’t make you a better writer. It will make you a (financially) poorer one.
What is an annoying thing that a non-writer has assumed about writers or the act of writing?
There can be a bit of tension when non-writers think writing is easy. As a reformed ghost writer, I can say there are a lot of great non-writers out there who need help writing their stories. There are also a lot of people who say “Hey, I have the idea and that’s the hard part! All you have to do is write it! Anyone can write!” **face palm**
How do you measure the success of your writing career?
I measure my writing success the way I measure everything—by height.
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