Jo Salazar
1. Can you please provide a brief introduction of yourself and your background as an author?
Jo Salazar grew up in the river bottoms of west central Illinois. Today, she lives in Chicago with her husband, Uli and their dog, Data. Her fascination with zombies started after she watched Night of the Living Dead at a friend’s house as a little girl, then refused to sleep alone for weeks.
2. What inspired you to write your book?
I've always loved the idea of a zombie apocalypse. When I was a kid, I loved/feared Night of the Living Dead. When 28 Days Later and the remake of Dawn of the Dead came on the scene in the early 2000s I became obsessed. I read and watched every apocalypse story I could get my hands on. I read The Stand, Sarah Lyons Fleming, Mira Grant, Kate L. Mary, and of course The Walking Dead comics. I had never really considered myself a writer, but about five years ago I found myself wanting to create my own story. I'm a social worker by trade and I've worked in some pretty intense environments, so I decided to draw from some of my experiences. I set my story in a residential treatment center and decided to write about twelve troubled, and deeply flawed girls, fighting their way through the apocalypse. Of course, none of the girls in the story were based on real people, but my experiences definitely shaped the story.
3. Can you share with us the creative process behind the development of your book?
My creative process is a mess! I'm not a classically trained writer, so I don't know any tricks for getting my story out and onto the paper. I just write and write until I have something down on the page. Then, I go back and rework it again and again, until the story finally takes shape. I almost picture it like molding clay. With each pass, the story looks a little bit more like a sculpture, instead of a big lump! haha!
4. How do you approach character development and world-building in your writing?
My professional background has definitely helped me a lot with character development. I've spent most of my career studying the process of social and emotional learning - how we learn to process and manage emotions and how we learn to understand others and form relationships. I think this helped me create characters who can take the reader on a deeply emotional ride. When it comes to world-building, I didn't have to get too creative. The Dead Weight is set in West Central Illinois and follows the Illinois River south. I just added zombies. All the places my characters visit exist in real life, and most of the locations from the book are places that are meaningful to me. The boatel, the farm, and even the casino are all places that built who I am. It was fun sharing those places with my readers. To see all the real-life locations, readers can watch the mini-documentary on my website.
5. What themes or messages do you hope readers take away from your book?
I like to let my readers decide what to draw from The Dead Weight. I've found that people come away with lots of very different messages, which I love. Some people can deeply empathize with Quinn, and others see her as more of a cautionary tale. Some just see the story as a fun adventure. I love all of those viewpoints!
6. How do you stay motivated and overcome writer's block during the writing process?
I've been pretty lucky so far - I haven't experienced writer's block yet. I stay motivated through consistency. I wake up early before work and I make sure that writing is the first thing I do. I write something every day, even if it's just a few words, and I never beat myself up for having a short writing session. As long as I get a few words on the page, I count it as a win. I've found that as long as I stay consistent, the story materializes.
7. What advice do you have for aspiring authors who are looking to publish their own books?
My best advice for aspiring authors is to hire a fantastic editor you can trust and then listen closely to their advice. My editors made my story stronger, made sure I didn't fall victim to beginner mistakes, and helped give me the confidence I needed to keep going. I wouldn't trade my editors for the world. The Dead Weight simply would not be as successful without them.
8. Where do you see your writing career going in the future?
I hope to have a long writing career and I'm excited for the future! I'm planning to release another book (the second part of The Dead Weight) this year. I also have a few more story ideas up my sleeve that I'm really excited about. I'm just so grateful to everyone who has taken a chance and picked up The Dead Weight. My readers have been incredible cheerleaders and I know I owe them everything.