Meet Jon Gray Lang

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jon Gray Lang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jon Gray, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

For me, creativity exists in almost everything. From putting together a recipe from random items in the fridge, researching how a warp bubble theoretically functions, to a person’s reaction to an otherworldly being entering their room through their mirror. Every time I learn a new piece of information, it only grows the fount of questions that I have, and every question gives me the option to come up with an answer or many answers. Creativity can only grow with the more knowledge you gain.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I have been writing in various formats for quite some time. I started writing screenplays, segued into poetry, and am now an author with a completed 5-book science fiction series, Saga of a Space Freighter! My writing journey hasn’t stopped as I am currently working on a follow-up to a Western about a Nun with a Gun that I plan to release later this year.
I am also working on creating a Publisher’s Cooperative with a couple of other published authors. It’s been an interesting journey building this cooperative from the ground up. It initially began with creating a support group for social media, as well as hosting working tables at conventions, but it has grown into so much more! We have an in-group editor, a couple designers, and we have multiple books in the science fiction genre available. I look forward to seeing how we continue to grow.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One of the best qualities a person can have is perseverance. Talent will only get you so far, and skill will eventually outpace it. A person with perseverance will learn the skills needed to go farther and longer than those without. As a writer, writer’s block is a real thing, and the only way to get through it is with perseverance. Even if every word seems awful, once you get through that block, there is a sense of accomplishment. Editing will fix the rough spots!
Another quality I will always recommend is to question everything, but also to do real research. There are as many answers out there as there are questions. Make sure to back up your thoughts with proven research, but always remember that the scientific method is adjustable as more information becomes available.
Lastly, even the worst-written thing can teach you something, if only to not do it that way. Don’t be afraid to check into other genres and formats. The best movie will teach you some things, but only in comparison to an awful one. Everything is a teaching aid.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Feeling overwhelmed is something that I’ve had to deal with more than once, and it’s ground me to a stop at times. But what is being overwhelmed really, a series of tasks that all come up at the same time? Each large task is made up of smaller ones and if I focus on those smaller ones, that overwhelming feeling lessens. As each of those small tasks are completed, that bigger task gets smaller. Perseverance is the key. Small steps make for long trails.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jongraylang.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jongraylang/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonGrayLang/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/machines-of-the-infinite-press/