Interview with Jackson Dickert, (hilarious) author of the debut YA fiction The Quest for the Golden Plunger

Not so long ago, Jackson was just a guy who wanted to write a story. A really BIG story, an epic fantasy in the footsteps of Brandon Sanderson. So he started with great enthusiasm.

Then he realized he had no idea what he was doing. It turns out writing epic fantasy was HARD.

He almost gave up, believing he could never write a book when his creative writing professor said: “Just write what you know and the story will come.”

Jackson thought: “What do I know? I’m just a guy in college, what could I possibly write about that people would enjoy reading and I would enjoy writing?”

And then he remembered…

...how much he loved being a Boy Scout. And a kid. And going to camp. And having madcap adventures.

The story poured out of him...and when it was done he called it…

The Quest for the Golden Plunger

(as one does)

But let’s get to the good stuff. I’d like to thank Jackson for taking time out to share his answers with us despite his busy schedule as Chief Marketing Officer at Campfire Technology (which is a lovely tool that helps authors plan, write and tell their stories). I’m not an affiliate, btw, just sharing the love!

So Jackson, Golden Plungers? Wait, maybe let’s not start there…

E A: Tell us a little bit about your backstory to your book, what gave you the idea for it?

Jackson: I got the idea for the book from my creative writing professor, basically. I was having a tough time deciding what to write, and was especially struggling with dialogue. I avoided dialogue like the plague in all my early short stories, it all sounded paper thin to me and the characters lacked personality. He suggested I write something I'm more familiar with than hellish apocalyptic city-scapes or far off fantasy worlds. I was a Boy Scout for more than 7 years, and thought that was a setting with a lot of wiggle room for fun, so that's what I decided on! The first chapter I wrote was actually the car scene that is now Chapter 2. So I didn't get the idea from a stroke of genius in the shower or on a quiet, reflective walk... It's just what made the most sense for me to write. And, as I started it, the dialogue was much easier to write. I found it much easier to get into the head of a rambunctious teenage boy, which I think is reflected in the copious amounts of dialogue in the book!

E A: Are any of the antics in your book based on real-life experiences?

Jackson: Haha, of course some of them are! Let's see... There was actually a kid who pretended he could talk to a Devil Rock. He got in all kinds of trouble over it, it was hilarious. One of the leaders hid the rock from him, but I saw where it was hidden. I told the kid where it was, and in the middle of dinner he made a big show about how he could hear the rock calling to him. The troop leader was horrified when the kid actually completed the impossible task of going straight to its hiding spot. One time I got in trouble and had to fix benches as community service. We actually had to do stuff, though, unlike Do-Over and Shovel. Camp Winnebago is based on the camp I went to every summer, Camp Buck Toms. The Culling is based on the Order of the Arrow's mysterious "Ordeal". We all had nicknames every summer, of course. Mine was Napoleon one year. (Like Napoleon Dynamite. My poofy frizzy hair along with my glasses made for a direct parallel.) Annnnd we always joked about stealing kayaks to row across the river to a fictional girl's camp across the lake. We never did. There was no Girl Scout Camp across the lake, after all, but it was fun to mess with the younger kids.

E A: How did you craft so many different (and totally believable) characters? In other words, if you have any tips to create great, relatable characters we’d like to hear them!

Jackson: There's a part of me in every character. Every single one is a reflection of me in some way, how could they not be? I created them. If you want to create an unhinged character like Uncle Ruckus, find that part of yourself. If you want to create someone who's a little dopey and maybe doesn't always pick up on the obvious like Shovel, find that part of yourself. If there isn't a little part of you in all of your characters, you're going to have a much harder time. It's easier to find those parts of yourselves with more life experiences because you'll have more to draw from so... If you want to write, I don't think you should sit in a room staring at a keyboard all the time. Go out and do stuff, even if it doesn't always sound like fun. You can also steal little bits of other people. Listen closely when people talk. You can use pieces of other people to create the characters and, again, they'll feel that much more real. They aren't just characters, they need to have pieces of humanity to be real.

E A: How did you come up with all these random events that unfold for your characters, because it’s extremely hilarious when all the events begin to intersect. Did this layering of various threads just happen naturally in the course of the writing or was it carefully planned out?

Jackson: I started with a list of funny things that could happen at camp. I put the list of things in an order that made logical sense and would have a "misadventure" feel to it with the reader constantly swept from point A to point B. I started down the path I created, and after a few chapters... I veered off course. I'm a pantser through and through, so I have a hard time following my outlines. I get bored, and it's more fun when the characters do what they want. I didn't end up using all the funny events I initially wrote down, but I used a lot of them. Even as a pantser, it was nice having an idea of things I could write towards. Sometimes things would pop up and surprise me, characters would take a left turn, or I'd get a new idea. But I'm happier with the way the story turned out than the initial outline I created.

EA: If you could have five dinner guests from any time period - who would you have a dinner party with tonight?

Jackson: If I could have five dinner guests from any time period... Well, first I'd want to have a stegosaurus. He'd sit to my left, and we'd get to laugh at how many people don't think stegosauruses are capable of speaking English. The fools. To his left, I'd put a Viking. Any Viking will do, I suppose. I'm considering writing a story about them for my third novel, so it seems like top notch research. The stegosaurus would be able to protect me in case the Viking got too rowdy. The third guest would have to be Julia Davis Chandler, the woman who first published the recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It'd just be great to shake her hand. I have so much respect for her, and I have enjoyed her work all too many times to not show my gratitude. The fourth guest would have to be Taylor Swift. It might be my only shot to make her fall in love with me. After all, who could resist the wiles of a man with a stegosaurus? The final guest would be myself from 2050. If that guy doesn't show up, then I'd know there's no point in saving for retirement which is a very freeing prospect. No point in penny-pinching if you aren't going to make it that long! If he shows up, though, I'm most interested in seeing if he still has his hair. God, I hope he still has his hair.

5 Top Tips for YOUR writing journey!

As a bonus, Jackson has shared his top five tips from his own book writing adventure…because writers love to help writers!

Tip #1 Be accountable!

To help motivate yourself to write, share your intentions on social media to write and what your writing goals are so you’re accountable to others for your progress (and they’ll be asking!)

Tip #2 Build the story and characters first

To create an unforgettable world (even one in the here and now), think about the story and characters first. Focus on developing that in your mind and then as you write you can refine and improve on it. Don’t create the world first and then try to make the characters and story fit the world.

Tip #3 Don’t sweat the small stuff

If you’re a pantser, it’s critical to have a story bible (a document /spreadsheet / notebook where you note details of the characters, world, etc) where you can keep track of details you might forget, like the color of a character’s eyes

His tagline is: “We’ll fix that later, in the next draft.” Just focus on the story. Don’t stress over the details.

Tip #4 Give everyone a secret!

One great way to build suspense is to give each of your characters a secret. You don’t even have to share it with your readers, just give each character a secret that helps you understand their motivations and goals (this also gives depth to your characters and makes your story feel realistic to readers!)

To keep up the pace, end each chapter on a cliffhanger, so when you next sit down to write you get to begin writing at the ‘fun’ part. This kind of writing also keeps the reader turning the pages.

Tip #5 Listen to the crowd

If the feedback from multiple beta readers is the same, it’s good to listen, because this kind of feedback helps make your story better (and can give you great new ideas, too!)

In case you are wondering….here’s my review of The Quest for the Golden Plunger