Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John McGuire. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi John, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

In ways, I see missed opportunities throughout my life mostly due to not knowing what the next step might be. Of course, at the start, I certainly didn’t know what my first step was supposed to be. Growing up, you read these novels or comic books, and imagine yourself writing the stories. I wanted to find a way into that club, but the bad and the good thing is that there is no set way… which means there isn’t always a road map to follow and certainly no easy button to push.

I was in my mid-twenties when I finally found a group of like-minded individuals who also wanted to find a way to get their words in front of others. But even then, I think I allowed myself to be limited by not going after projects aggressively and leaving my fate in other people’s hands. If I had a plan at all, it was very nebulous. The kind that is:

“Write”

“Something”

“Now I’m a writer”.

I still struggle with that at times, but what it really goes back to is taking more chances to find work all those years ago.

John, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is John McGuire. By day I design roads, and by night I write.

I don’t know that I “always” wanted to be a writer, but I definitely wrote off and on throughout my childhood. Whether it was a random short story or a comic book idea, I had (and still have) a spiral notebook with various adventures contained within.

It wasn’t until after I graduated college that I found a local writer group who met in a comic book store and slowly we started writing comic books. And when that wasn’t enough, I decided to give novel writing a try. Over the years I’ve done client work for the Centers for Disease Control promoting STD and HIV awareness with a motion comic called Kabi Chronicles. I’ve done story pitches and film scripting for clients as well.

As to what I am most proud of… it’s being able to collaborate with another creative. As a writer, there are so many times where it is you against the keyboard, but on those projects where you can bounce ideas off of someone else, you always end up with a stronger project than you had before. Those are the moments when real magic happens.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I saw so many people reach for some form of entertainment to help get them through those dark days. Whether it was Netflix or novels or comics or music or games, without even realizing it, we all went back to the entertainers and asked: “Do you have something for me?”

But we forget so quickly about the comfort they provided when things are going good. I would love to see more people supporting their local artists. They have voices and perspectives that will give you a greater picture of the world. And that can never be a bad thing.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Having someone read my work (and liking it).

I’d be lying if I said I only wrote for myself. While that is a big piece that helps me power out the words on a given night, I so desperately want other people to read the story. I want them to hang out with me in a world I created. I want them to get to that point late at night where they have the internal monologue of “sleep” or “one more chapter”.

Contact Info:

• Website: johnrmcguire.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmcguire40/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGildedAgeComic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mcguire-85352b21/
• Twitter: @JohnR_McGuire