Interview with Sheryl Keen, author of "Journal According to John"

About the Author:

Sheryl A. Keen has a bachelor´s degree in History with a minor in English Literature from the University of the West Indies. She lives in Canada where she works in Administration.

In addition to prose, Sheryl also writes poetry. When she is not writing, one of her other loves is painting.

You can visit Sheryl A. Keen´s website at http://www.sherylkeen.com/

About the Book:

Following a nasty bar brawl, John, a twenty-eight-year-old man, follows a close friend´s advice and begins keeping a journal. He´s recently divorced from his wife, Debbie, and he hopes the journal will provide a tool with which to make sense of his brief, failed marriage and to determine why he is so emotionally challenged.

As a therapist specializing in behavioral issues, he knows he has to pull his own life together. If he tells people to clean up their own lives, modify their thoughts, and learn new, more appropriate behaviors, he knows that he´s got to step up and follow his own advice. Early on, he realizes that his mother, the curator of a gallery that specializes in steel art and other nontraditional works, has largely shaped his thoughts and actions. But just how much can he blame her for his current state of affairs?

Soon the words in the journal are flowing easily and quickly. When painful thoughts are no longer avoided and dreams provide fuel for his writing, the journal takes on a life of its own. Will John discover the reasons for his dysfunctional situation? Can keeping a journal help him improve his life?

Sheryl agreed to an interview with me. Here's what she had to say:

Where are you from?

I am from the Caribbean.

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing from very early, in fact ever since I can remember. I started writing because it came naturally to me and writing stories is a great way to implicitly express ideas.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Very early, probably at the age of eight or before that. I was always making up stories and I would enjoy class assignments where the teacher would say write a story about your life as a penny.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I was motivated to write an emotional story from a male´s perspective but doing it in a way that is not traditionally male. I don´t think that many men write in journals and the novel is made up of actual journal entries. So I asked myself what if there was a man who wrote in a journal about his divorce and the reasons for his shortcomings. What would he say? Who would he blame? And how would he reconcile his situation?

Do you have a specific writing style?

I try to use metaphors and imagery to convey ideas in what I hope is an interesting way. Someone also recently commented to me that I write without a lot of fluff. I tend to be straightforward. But in the end, I think about the readers and the clarity of the ideas that I am trying to impart.

How did you come up with the title?

The novel is about John, a twenty- eight-year- old man divorced man, who is keeping a journal that he hopes will provide a tool with which to make sense of his brief, failed marriage and to determine why he is so emotionally challenged. He is writing from his own point of view but there could be other perspectives. It´s a subjective viewpoint and John´s perspective is definitely skewed. Hence, the novel´s title" "Journal According to John."

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

One of the things that I thought about when I was writing the novel was how much blame can you place on anybody for how your life turns out? I have learnt that in spite of what other people may do in my life, I am ultimately responsible for my own reactions and actions. Readers may also grasp this.

How much of the book is realistic?

None

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

No. The only thing in the novel that is real to my life is that I do keep a journal and I find it helpful.

What books have most influenced your life most?

There are so many of these but there is "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. I read this book in High School and never forgot it because it´s about good and evil, prejudice but also taking a stand for what´s right. "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding also taught me about human nature and individual interests as opposed to the benefit of the group. It´s also about good and evil and how anarchy can happen when the laws we know are suddenly removed.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I don´t have a writer that I would consider a mentor simply because I have never received any direct advice from any of them. However, I do have writers that I admire and would love for them to give me guidance. These are writers like Toni Morrison, Colin Channer, Margaret Atwood etc.

What book are you reading now?

I am reading "The Shack" by William P. Young.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Although Sue Monk Kidd is probably not really a new writer, she has just recently grasped my interest. I read the Secret Lives of Bees not too long ago and it was the best book that I have read in a long time. I am interested in reading something else that she has written.

What are your current projects?

I am working on a young adult novel about four girls who are lost in the woods and the things they find out about themselves before being found. I am also working on a novel that is set in an office. It looks at everyday issues that employees face like nepotism and favoritism, the confusion of "business casual" and fear of job loss.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Literature teachers and Lecturers.

Do you see writing as a career?

Definitely. That is my goal.

What do you think makes a good story?

There are many things that make a good story. Of course there is the writing style, the plot, great command of the English language and the fluidity of words. However, for me what makes the story good is the universality of it and whether it can stand the test of time. A good story always reflects the human condition today, yesterday and tomorrow. It´s always relevant in spite of when it was written.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I have learned that sometimes we hang on to past hurts for too long and that can end up being detrimental to a good, healthy life.