Waking Writer
Interview with Gene S. Jones
June 1, 2024
When did you first consider yourself a writer? Are you a full-time or part-time writer and how does that affect your writing?
I’ve actually been a writer all my adult life. Until recently though, writing was only a part of my career. Since the pandemic, I’m now a full-time writer as I’ve retired from my role as a game show host to concentrate on writing books that enrich others. I really enjoy being a full-time writer, as it allows me the time to fully focus on subjects I’m passionate about. It was much more difficult to apply that kind of mental focus on writing while involved in a busy career as an entertainer and producer.
What inspires you to write? What made you decide to sit down and actually start writing this book?
This might sound corny, but I live in a world of continual inspiration. I have so many ideas to write about that my problem is deciding which ideas to pursue as projects. I call those ideas my ‘pipeline’. For me, the inspiration to write has to be passionate. I have to feel an urging deep inside commanding me to commit to a given project. My whole career has been driven by heartfelt passion. There’s a special feeling I get…something I call ‘brain burn’. When brain burn starts in my head, I have to pursue whatever ignited it, and I cannot stop until the project is completed.
The decision to write Consolidated Wisdom arose from brain burn, and my mind burned on creating this book for more than three years. The creation of Consolidated Wisdom was also a byproduct of the pandemic. I had always performed my game show for live audiences…not primarily on television. It was a touring show I performed more than 2500 times over more than thirty years. During those years, I collected inspirational quotes to use as questions in the show.
When the pandemic put a pause on live performances, I opened my large file of quotes and realized there was an enormous amount of useful wisdom in it, which inspired me to share that wisdom with the world. The more I studied the quotes, the more curious I became about the people who authored them. That inspired a three-year research journey in which I absorbed the history of the world through the prism of wisdom. At this point in my life, I’m always looking for ways to ‘give back’…to enrich the lives of others. Consolidated Wisdom is my current contribution designed to provide people with wisdom that helps them live happier, more fulfilling lives.
What are some day jobs you have held?
You might find my answer to this question a bit unusual. Shortly after graduating from college, I decided my whole career had to be in the world of entertainment. That decision led me through many twists and turns, first as a freelancer and then as the CEO of my own production company. I also served as Associate Editor of the Guinness Book of World Records for a number of years back in the 1980’s. Here are some other roles I’ve assumed in the world of entertainment: Music and talk show host on radio. Basketball color commentator on cable television. Booking agent and artist manager in the music industry. Professional juggler, fire-eater and saxophone player in my own one-man variety show touring nationwide for four years. Game show creator and host of the GIMME A HINT Trivia Game Show for 35 years. Arts administrator and convention producer as President of the International Jugglers Association for three years.
Do you have a special time of day to write, or how is your day structured to accommodate your writing?
I like to write when the spirit moves me. Fortunately, the spirit is constantly moving me. I’m not a morning person and live my life in a very free-form sort of way, so there’s no regular schedule I follow. However, over the years, a definite pattern has arisen in this regard. I tend to do my best thinking late in the day and best writing any time in the afternoon or evening.
I practice what I call a ‘daily download’ every night before going to bed. That starts my wheels moving while asleep, which leads to jotting down ideas in the morning. Then I go about my day. I always have a notepad handy, as I stash small notepads everywhere, especially in my car. I often have to pull over to the side of roads to write down new insights and ideas. Although it’s not scheduled, I usually find myself typing on the computer shortly after dinner, and frequently still writing at 2am. When I was writing Consolidated Wisdom, the writing process often started after lunch, and I would get so absorbed in writing that I’d forget about eating dinner until my wife came to pull me out of my office.
What have you written so far?
I’ve been writing professionally throughout my whole career in many capacities. The most lucrative writing I’ve done has been as a ghostwriter. For many years, I wrote speeches and presentations for numerous corporate clients. I also scripted all sorts of theatrical productions and murder mysteries for corporate and private clients. Those productions were each performed only once, and never for the general public, so I functioned as a highly paid unknown writer. That is a role I greatly enjoyed, because in addition to being paid in advance, I knew what I wrote was always going to be produced. The first full-length book I wrote was Younger and Wiser: Peaceful Words for a Troubled World. Consolidated Wisdom is my second book.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I think the two most important traits for a writer are passion and discipline. It’s essential to be passionate about whatever you write, but passion without discipline can lead to chaos. No matter what genre you are writing in, it’s essential to have deep knowledge of your subject. That requires disciplined research of some kind. In addition to the writing, it's also essential to be disciplined about editing your work.
Can you share with readers a little bit about your latest book? What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I enjoyed everything about writing Consolidated Wisdom. The extensive research became a fascinating learning adventure, and every minute felt like I was assembling a book that would benefit others. Consolidated Wisdom is a uniquely formatted book containing more than 1500 of the greatest quotes ever written. It’s arranged by subjects to make it easy for readers to navigate. The unique aspects of the book are my commentaries at the end of each chapter and the features of Great Minds Think Alike and Great Minds Connect that appear in every chapter. These features highlight the interconnections between all aspects of life throughout history.
Extensive research revealed to me that humanity has been dealing with similar issues since the beginning of recorded time. These issues also transcend all demographics and locations, so they are perpetual worldwide challenges to all of human nature. I believe the above-mentioned features create a wisdom story that encapsulates the human condition and offers readers a vitally important panoramic view of life in general. The other unique feature of Consolidated Wisdom is the chapter titled Wisdom Meditations in which readers can learn how to apply the wisdom quotes from the book directly to their personal challenges and problems. This chapter provides readers with a roadmap to their own inner greatness.
What role does research play in your writing?
The amount of research needed varies depending on what I’m writing about. With Consolidated Wisdom, a huge amount of research was necessary. It also proved to be most enlightening, as I gained a much better perspective about the history of humanity. I read more than 100 books and scoured magazines, newspapers and all media to fully research this project. Fortunately, all of the research was a joyous experience.
What do you do to get book reviews, and how successful has your quest for reviews been so far?
So far, the reviews have been extremely positive. Industry reviews from sources such as Publishers Weekly have been very positive, and reader reviews have been excellent. I’ve also received numerous personal messages from readers who are thrilled because they’ve put quotes from the book to productive use in their daily lives.
What one person from history would you like to meet and why?
Leonardo da Vinci has always been my guiding star. I have modeled my creative life after his iconic way of thinking in that I’ve always tried to think expansively and embrace numerous avenues both in my professional and personal lives. Leonardo was a master of many disciplines with unquenchable curiosity. His life has fueled me with perpetual inspiration to strive for excellence in everything I do.
What is one great lesson you have learned as a writer?
I’ve learned to trust my own creativity and intuition. . . to always follow my heart.
What is your next project?
I’m currently working on a book of my own original wisdom phrases titled Modern Wisdom. The book is currently completed and in design. I hope to have the book released on Amazon by early April, 2025. I’m also working on another book about how to live a productive and balanced creative life. I see these upcoming books as part of a trilogy that began with Consolidated Wisdom. The title of the creativity book is The Nine Pillars of Creativity.
My website genejoneswisdom.com has a free download of its outline for anyone who is curious about learning the keys to creativity.