We recently connected with Dino Jones and have shared our conversation below.
Dino, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
I’d like to go on living even when I’m gone. Through my writing, my feelings and ideas on life and my memories will live on within the stories I’ve written. Anyone can pick up my work and experience an aspect of my personality within it. That is the beautiful part of creating art of all kinds.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I decided to pursue a career as a writer because I wanted to create stories that move people. Whether through laughter or tears, I’ve wanted to create characters and stories that people can connect with. I have wanted to get into writing stories since I was a child. Back then I had the desire to create my own animated series. These days I created my own universe that’s far from what I wanted as a kid.
I released my second novel, ‘Some Things Last…’ almost six months ago. It deals with a lot of mature themes that I’ve felt a great desire to delve into these past few years. I’m currently working on a short story collection that will contain stories of various genres ranging from romantic to horror.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
As a self-published author, the biggest hurdle I’ve encountered is getting the word out about my work. My family has helped spread the word, which has helped my work grow a small audience. I’m praying that more people will discover my work and enjoy it as time goes by.
I don’t let sales dictate my creative output. If I did, I’d have given up a few years ago and never released my newest novel. I’m extremely proud of ‘Some Things Last…’, which I released in December 2022 after two and a half years of work. It was a lot more work on the second book compared to the first, and I had to turn down a lot of social occasions to work on it, but in the end, I finished it, and it’s finally out there!!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
When I released my novels, ‘Born From A Wish’ and ‘Some Things Last…’. it certainly was a learning experience both times. I set time limits and had to make deadlines so I could release my novels at the stated release dates. It was stressful, but I’m proud to say I made those deadlines.
I write stories that only I could come up with, I feel. That being said, I do like to reference other works, whether it be music, movies, or video games, in my work.
I like to jerk those tears. When I come up with ideas, I tend to lean more toward the emotional melancholic side. I find stories like that to be quite interesting. If I can stir emotion within the reader and even jerk a few tears out, I feel like I’ve accomplished my goal and then some.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20981755.Dino_Jones
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinojones1988
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DinoJones88
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BanksianCentral
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HTM1LYP
Image Credits
‘BFAW’ cover drawn by Jaylen Morris. ‘STL’ cover drawn by Leah Albert. Artwork 7 (“Vicky Tesson Lee”) and 8 (“Diana”) are copyrighted by Dino Jones.