Today we’d like to introduce you to Jb Stephens
Hi JB, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I think the first thing that I worked on was a school project. In order to get my older brother more interested in Language arts, my mom got a baseball oriented curriculum, (we were homeschooled.) One of the assignments was a creative writing project. We had to craft a short story or children’s book that was baseball themed. Now, I had very little interest in baseball, but I was really into mysteries at the time. So, I wrote a story about missing baseball equipment and a Private Investigator that had to track it down. It was very much a parodical piece that was based of the character of Sherlock Holmes. My parents were so proud of the story, which included my own illustrations, that they entered it into a homeschool academic fair, and a lot of people liked it! So, I figured maybe I had a knack for it.
As I got older, my interests changed and I developed a passion for science fiction stories, which was mostly spawned by my love of Jules Verne. Cinematically, I leaned towards Star Wars and Star Trek, but it was the writings of Verne that captured my imagination. I admired the level of world building that all of these stories were rooted in, but I was never one to engage in fan-fiction. I wanted my own world that I could manipulate without being at the mercy of someone else’s lore.
I was 14 years old when what would eventually become Explorer 2000 began. It started as a hand-drawn comic book series, and over time, quickly evolved into a much broader universe with more planets, more factions, more heroes and villains, slowly morphing into what we see today. I had a lot of ideas and snip its, but it was always undefined. I figured members of the Starguard would be the main characters, but nothing ever really came to life. All the stories I tried to write in the world felt like too much of a Star Trek or Star Wars knock off, and I didn’t want that. So, the “Star Guard Universe” really just sat dormant and nebulous in my imagination for about 20 years. And then I became a dad.
I didn’t actually get the idea for Explorer 2000. It was a gift given to me by my children. I will always give credit where it’s due, where that is concerned. The main cast, the basic plot, and most of the side characters and villains, all sprang from their creativity. I just gave it a voice and cohesion. 4 year old’s can tend to want to bounce from one idea to another rather quickly! In 2021, my son wanted to play a “space explorer” game as a family. He announced that his name was Captain Burnay Nado, and our silver van was the “Explorer 2000.” My other children followed suit rather quickly, naming their own characters and ours, and crafting one of the most exciting and heart warming plots I had ever heard. And to my great surprise, I found that the universe I had crafted so long ago suddenly had a story to fill it!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In late 2023, just before the holiday season, I was laid off from my job of almost a decade due to downsizing. Following unsuccessful interview, after interview, after interview, I found myself slipping into a deep pit of despair and desperation. Having exhausted all my own resources, I finally broke down and cried out to God, and said,” What do you want me to do?” And God brought to mind revelation 21:5 which says, “then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.'” Bare in mind, I had only just started working on the first few paragraphs of E2K, but I hadn’t gone any further. I had no intention of really doing anything beyond just writing it down, more as a hobby for my kids.
During the next month of unemployment, whilst continuing the job hunt, I penned the rest of the book, now with every intention of finding a publisher willing to take it. I had nothing to go on but trust that God would provide the right course of action and the right publisher.
For the most part, the actual writing process is pretty smooth. Once again, thanks to my children, I have no shortage of story ideas. It can be tough to get into that process though. Particularly when you’re working a full time job and being a full time parent.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
While I wouldn’t call myself a jack-of-all-trades by any stretch of the imagination, I’ve done a lot of things over my lifetime. I try to draw on as much relevant experience as possible. Working as a hotel desk clerk in my early 20’s revealed both the bright side, and the shady side, of salesman-ship. Which forms a good basis for any story where greed is a motivation for the characters.
I’ve spent decades as a playwrite. Funnily enough, my Associate of Arts degree is in theatre, not writing! I always thought I’d be an actor. But as I was told by a NY City casting director, I’ve got the hair for it, just nothing else! I never lost my love the stage though. Most of my writing talents were turned towards drafting scripts for church plays, or school plays, or skits and dramas for various purposes. At one point, I crafted a full length musical entitled “Hark! Harold, the angels are singing!” It is a Muppet-esk comedy that follows the exploits and adventures of the Wise Men as they journeyed to Bethlehem, accompanied by their talking camel and singing monkey. Alas, I cannot write music, so the musical remained unfinished for many years. So when I met a young woman who could compose exactly the style of music I needed, I married her! Turned out, her mother operated a small original works community theater based in the Atlanta area. Between the three of us, we have written and performed 4 full length original musicals.
As far as specifically in the science fiction world, I do draw on my experience working for nearly a decade in IT. Though I myself was not an IT specialist, it’s kind of hard to work in that field for that long and not pick up a thing or two about computer science and programing, or at least get basic verbiage surrounding coding and scripting. That is of course always very helpful to draw on. My latest occupation now has me diving into the world of chemical science. So will see how that influences future stories!
I’m most proud of the fact that it’s not mine. I’m proud that the creativity I showed my children inspired them to be creative and come up with this heartwarming tale about family and friendship.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Obviously I can’t say enough about my kids and their involvement in the project.
I’m thankful to have had a mom who encouraged artistry, and who, as we grew up, provided us with an atmosphere conducive to the creative process.
I’m thankful for grandparents who gave me every possible book they could get their hands on, including encyclopedias when I got bored!
I’m thankful for my dad, ever the coach, the cheerleader, the preacher, the teacher. Losing him was tough, and I miss his guidance.
And I’m eternally grateful to my publishers and our ever increasing fan base, who’s theory crafting has provided me with more subplots than I know what to do with!
And I couldn’t do this at all without my sounding board, my marketing manager, my booking agent, and my best friend – my dear wife.
Pricing:
- Paper back – $15.89
- Hard Back – $19.03
- Kindle – $8.99/Free with Unlimited
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jbstephensbooks.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jbstephensbooks
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/jbstephensbooks
- Twitter: https://x.com/jbstephensbooks
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/jbstephensbooks.com
Image Credits
Jb Stephens books – Photographer Rachel Stephens
