Featured Author, an Interview with Jerri Perri

Happy timezones, everyone! Today, we have a special treat in store as I’m happy to publish an interview I did with author Jerri Perri! On his blog, Jerri writes on all types of topics such as relationships, politics, and business. Also, he is a very talented poet and has also delighted his readers with short stories and inspirational posts! There is something for everyone’s taste.

So, let’s begin the fun!

Why did you begin blogging? I started blogging because I have a passion for writing and the best opportunity for me to share what I feel I have, seemed to be through the limitless audience of bloggers!

How do you come up with your story ideas? The fiction part of my story ideas are a part of me. The ideas have been in me from my growing days, mostly influenced by events around my immediate environment, to which I will create the stories in the way I would rather things are! The myths I write on are inspired by oral sources from very elderly folks in my tribe.

Which character is your favorite and why? All my characters are a favorite, especially since I have various storylines and each with different characters.

What has been the most difficult to write so far, and why? I can’t remember anything that was difficult for me to write on! I write and create prose and poetry with optimum ease since from when I started writing in my adolescent years.

Is there anything you wish was different about your story? No. I write my stories the way I wish them to be, however, I had always hoped some of them make a hit, as in being a movie piece or bestsellers!

Do you have advice for any other writers who may just be starting out? Anyone that wishes to be a writer must believe in themselves and persevere to always be the best. They should use simple language and base most of their stories on real-life experience or practical things.

What are the challenges of bringing your characters to life? None

Would you like to share an excerpt from your story or a summary of your story? Or both? *Please note that the below selection contains sexual references and may not be suitable for younger readers*

Here is an excerpt from one of my short stories, “The 5 Guardian gods Of Kaltungo”

Monje Ngumyu

“…After they took over the land, the goddess, Monje Ngumyu joined them. She loves sex more than anything and was able to satisfy the desires of all the four gods. Only they could not satisfy hers. At a point in time lust overwhelmed her to the point of death, such that the goddess of love Venus had to rescue her by giving her a supernatural dildo. This dildo is made from iron, rocks, and flesh. It was the only thing that satisfied Ngumyu’s crave. The dildo was fixed to the Earth, nothing could move it. Often in the night, passing near her settlement “Popandi”, one could hear her moans of pleasure. When her pilgrimage ended, she had to leave her toy because it was permanently fixed to the Earth. Seeing this and also not to cause sorrows on the human folk that will fill the land, she freezed the toy on the day she was leaving. The toy is now a landmark and the tallest dyke in my country, 887metres above sea level, the “Pand Ki-Lang” so named because of its height which will take the best mountain climbers six hours of nonstop climbing to reach the peak. Ki-Lang means “that which will take long to reach the top”. There is no land mass or mountain in the region with its height. When approached from a particular direction, specifically Boh, it looks like an erect phallus! In days past, people were afraid of going near it, but these days, climbing it is a common pastime. The full account of Ngumyu’s story and that of the other gods will be given at a later time, in which it will be discovered that the pand Ki-Lang actually has life in it which is erroneously assumed to be volcanic and dormant! It used to cast it’s shadow at noontime every Friday and whoever the shadow falls on, will automatically have extraordinary sexual abilities. Climbing it to the peak heals sterility and gives an individual the sexual prowess of gods, either male or female…”

Does writing energize or exhaust you? Writing energizes and makes me feel happy and alive!

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? I try as much as possible to be original, cause if I should give readers what they want, I may not be able to pass across my message.

Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly? Yes! Sometimes there are those that have a natural flair for writing and yet don’t feel strong emotions for it, due to certain reasons. Such types can write as a pastime.

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power? That was when I was in the secondary school. I was fourteen years old and our English language teacher asked each one of us to write a poem. Mine was the best and it almost made my teacher cried! It was an ordinary poem, but I felt it’s power on my teacher!

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/animal? I would chose either a mountain, a waterfall, a horse or a sheep.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex? There is nothing difficult about doing that, all I needed to do is to imagine how they will act in the role I assigned them by being in their element!

How do you select the names of your characters? I always prefer my tribal names especially those of my clan “Kaljau” as well as names of gods and goddesses from any mythology that I have access to.

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer? I have given up everything that I can think of that was standing between me and writing. The biggest was my civil service job as a junior accountant.

Do you believe in writer’s block? Yes I do

Which writers inspire you? Sidney Sheldon, JRR Tolkien, Dan Brown, Robert Greene, Isobel Bird, Agatha Christie, John Grisham, Shakespeare, Khalil Gibran and many others.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is special? I don’t have a particular main character, every plot has it’s characters.

What made you decide to sit down and actually start something? Soft music, natural environment, the presence of a beautiful lady and good sex, or anytime I feel inspired and this comes very often, mostly in the wee hours after midnight or when everywhere is quiet.

Do you have a special time to write? Not really, but I enjoyed writing when everywhere is calm or quiet, which is why I write mostly in the late hours of the night.

What is the hardest thing about writing? Not having the will to write when you want to, is the hardest, cause often when a story is rife, if there is no motivation in the form of willpower, it is almost impossible to write!

What is the easiest thing about writing? The easiest thing about writing is when you think you have a good story (bestseller standard)! You will finish it the moment you start to write it!

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? Yes, I do. My favorite authors are those I mentioned earlier, the ones that inspire me. My favorite book is The Holy Bible, which I try as much as possible to read every day and to read all of it at least twice a year.

Do you proofread/edit all your own writings or do you get someone to do that for you? I do everything, sometimes even the publishing!

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? It would have been a book of several stories, each a masterpiece that will transcend time. This is because I want to live in the hearts of as many people as are sands along a seashore, causing them joy with every memory.

Any writing rituals? None, but I would have loved to always have a very beautiful girl cuddled either awake or asleep beside me while I write. If drinking tea throughout the time I’m writing or reading is a ritual, then I do it 24/7.

What’s more important: characters or plot? Plot!!!

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Thank you so much, Jerri, for graciously allowing me to interview you! You have provided a lot of useful insight into the craft of writing!

If you would like to read our featured author’s blog, it can be found here:

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Author’s Note: If you are a blog author (it does not have to be The Sims related) and would like to be featured in an interview, please send me an email using my contact form below! I would love to interview you, too!