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INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
What initially got you interested in writing?
Ever since I studied developmental psychology at Cornell University and earned a Master’s degree from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, I’ve been intrigued by human behavior and personality disorders. Some would say my interest in this subject should have motivated me to seek out therapy. Instead, it inspired me to become a writer. Previously, I wrote a full-length screenplay entitled COMPLETELY INCOMPLETE and decided to adapt the script into a novel.
This is the first book in a trilogy starring JESSICA, KEN, RYAN, and GINA.
How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?
After earning a Master’s degree from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, I foolishly sidestepped my dream of being a writer by working in marketing and advertising — culminating in a soul-crushing position as Vice President, Creative Services for a Wall Street conglomerate.
Drained from wearing a tie and overusing words like “synergy,” I became a film professor and founding director of the Television and Film Arts program at SUNY Buffalo State. Hoping to impress my parents, I wrote a fairly well-reviewed book entitled, “Reflections of the Shadow: Creating Memorable Heroes and Villains For Film and TV.”
I also wrote feature screenplays and wrote and directed short films and a TV pilot, but embarking on a novel was always a dream.
Thus, the birth of COMPLETELY INCOMPLETE.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
While the story is essentially a romantic comedy, I think I have created a sense of realism re: the characters and their predicaments. Prior to writing the book, I worked with a successful therapist / marriage counselor in New York City to better understand how she approaches couple’s therapy. She provided me with great insights as to how she approaches working with couples and the challenges they all face.
I also wanted to portray a realistic working relationship between JESSICA (a psychologist with a Ph.D.), and KEN (a psychiatrist with an M.D.), so I consulted with professionals in those areas to better understand how they approach therapy and how their approaches differ from one another.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
Creating characters, getting into their heads, figuring out their motivations (Why do they do what they do?)
What do you find most challenging about writing?
Writing.
What advice would you give to people want to enter the field?
Writing is all about re-writing so learn how to take criticism in the spirit of making your work better.
What ways can readers connect with you?
– READ the first 6 chapters for FREE and PRE-ORDER the book, COMPLETELY INCOMPLETE: https://www.inkshares.com/books/completely-incomplete
– The COMPLETELY INCOMPLETE Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/completelyincompletebook/
– Author Jeffrey Hirschberg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHirschberg