Interview: J.P. Pressley

J.P. Pressley is another writer I met through the Lindenwood MFA program. He and I were in a handful of classes together, and I quickly became a fan of him and his writing. J.P. brings a literary sensibility to everything he writes, and his fiction is brimming both with cool ideas and beautiful prose. His dedication to his craft—J.P. makes it a habit to write. every. day.—has been incredibly inspirational to me.

Besides writing, J.P. is also the creator of The Young & Rising, a website devoted to providing advice and guidance for young professionals. He’s graciously taken time away from his writing projects and running The Young & Rising to answer the following questions:

What is your personal writing process like?

While the exact process may vary from work to work, I typically utilize three practices: music, review, and minimal outlining.

For each of my long-form works, I create a playlist. This playlist typically includes songs of various genres, time periods, and subject matter, yet all of which serve to trigger my ideas pertaining to that work. Due to this elicited response, I start this playlist minutes before getting set up to write, and I leave it playing on repeat until my materials have been put away.

Once my laptop is out, the document loaded, and my creative juices are flowing in tandem with the music, I take a few minutes to review both what I last wrote as well as where I’m at on my outline. Depending on where the section I’m about to write is set to go, I may also review previous chapters and specific sections, anything that ties into what is about to be put on the page in order to maintain consistency throughout the entire body of work. When this is done, I launch into the actual writing.

Upon reaching a stopping point, be it at the end of a section or the end of that particular writing period, I do some minimal outlining. This typically means writing just a few sentences about where to go next, how to do so, and possible items to throw in. Doing this allows me to review and continue along my original train of thought whenever I resume.

How big a part does reading play in your writing life?

Consciously? Not too much. That said, I am certain reading has a substantial subconscious effect on my writing.

Put another way, I rarely make a concerted effort to imitate a technique or element of craft found in the work of another. Nevertheless, I believe my work is somewhat influenced by the stories I read, just as my diction and general way of speaking is influenced by those I converse with.

How do you cultivate your ideas?

Great question! This can vary depending on the situation, but tying back to those playlists I mentioned, I’ll listen to music. Oftentimes there’s something—be it a play on words, a heartfelt emotion, a mood-setting melody—that can be the key to opening a whole other room of possibilities previously locked up in my mind.

I’ll also close my laptop in favor of a pencil and a notebook. Honestly, I feel like an entirely different creative muscle is exercised when I’m not looking at a screen.

Oh, and showers. Instead of singing in the shower, I develop story ideas…and sing.

How do you get "unstuck" creatively?

In basketball, the only way to get out of a shooting slump is to keep shooting. I’m of the mind that writing is the same way—you just have to keep writing.

Of course, that’s not to say that you need to keep bashing your head against the wall until you finish whatever work you’re wrestling with. Try something different. If you’re stuck trying to write a novel, write a poem. If you’re stuck on a poem, try a short story. If you’re stuck in the middle of a short story, try writing some non-fiction, maybe an op-ed. But whatever you do, just keep writing. And once your creative juices start flowing on your new project, you may very well find the breakthrough needed for your other one.

What's your "go-to" piece of writing advice?

Three words: butt in chair. Fantasizing about writing isn’t going to put any words on the page, nor will procrastinating. It’s always going to be easier not to write. You just have to make yourself do it anyway.

What story or book or poem inspired you to become a writer?

Honestly, I didn’t become a writer because of any given written work. My inspiration was a person, Dr. Don Bouchard of Crown College out in Minnesota. His constant encouragement since I was in high school is really what gave me the confidence to pursue this as a career path. Before meeting him, I’d been chugging along down the business route.

That said, Langston Hughes’ “Harlem” has been my favorite poem since my father first shared it with me, and it has remained a constant source of inspiration ever since, both in writing and life at large.

Where can people find you and your work online?

You can learn more about me and my work at  www.jppressley.com. Additionally, you can find me and my monthly writing goals on Instagram and Twitter.