Interview with The Triple “S”

Interview with The Triple “S”

Where does your writing.com pen name come from?

Well, I’ve always been interested in the sea, despite being a Midwesterner raised far from it. I’m in a sea service, the Navy, and if I ever wanted to change branches, it would have to be the Coast Guard. So I definitely will remain attached somehow to the Sea Services. And the scrolls are all of the papers I written in the collective. Watch out, there are quite a lot of them.

Where does your other usernames come from?

Well, it's actually an acronym. I'm Jontue Gillen from Kansas City, MO. JGKCMO

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Life is the best source. Shift happens more often than you know. There was one poem I wrote when a romantic interest of mine was suffering domestic violence from her then boyfriend, reminding her she needed to drop him like a stone. Another I wrote when a friend of mine wanted a kid at 16. I think it’s best to write what you know.

We’ve seen you around on the net a bit, haven’t we?

I bet you have:

http://profiles.yahoo.com/jgkcmo
http://www.livejournal.com/users/jgkcmo
http://www.myspace.com/jgkcmo

What has recently been lighting your pen?

Trial and tribulation. As I said before, life I write from. But I have a special reverence for young women who face up to the odds. You might think I speak in a purely romantic sense, but I'm thinking of when it was just me and my mom. I remember when it was just me and her, and my dad was nowhere to be found. So, I'm trying to write more that reflects my personal experience with women being forced to hold their own alone. To every sista who think no brotha cares, I do. For every woman who tries to make the ends meet, and someone moves the endposts, I care.

I notice you don't use much slang or jargon ...

I can't afford to. My writing has to be comprehensable to everyone from a 20-something Italiana from New York, to a 40-ish Black man from Virginia. I'm sure it's not perfect, but I try to avoid regionalisms for that reason. Now, if my writing is geared towards a region (for example, my native Midwest), I can say "pop a squat" (take a seat), or "Watch out for 5-0." (Be leery of police) and be understood.

Are any of your poems/stories true?

It's a matter of interpretation, but mostly, no. I'd say the poems, on average are 80% true (or what I believe to be true in opinion poems), and 20% is imagination spun.


What is writing.com to you?

It's a clearinghouse, among other things. I can come here and figure out what works, and more importantly, what does not. I write my own books, and the primary premise on what goes to print is what the people here think merits it. If it doesn't, it doesn't go.

Is this just a hobby for you? Or are you trying to make a living from this?

I do eventually want to, I wouldn't spend my 3AM's reading, rating, and reviewing if I didn't want to make a run for it.

Do you see yourself staying into poetrywriting, or branching out into more?

Well, this is my home. But eventually, I'll have to spread out mainly into nonfiction, actually. I love politics, and will someday write about that, too.

Special Projects?

Of course. There is one I'm working on right now that I plan to be an unique mix between the Chicken Soup series and the Darwin Awards, tailored to military life. If you have an interesting story, inquire within, please ...

What ports does a average Joe or Jane need to see?

Well, I’m an erotica fan so nightwriter or aspenflayme should hit the spot quite nicely.

So, what do you think of the Navy?

Well, there are some parts that are a pain, but the travel experience is worth it.

Quick, gimme your vital records ...

Well, officially, I'm PC2 now, "no wife, no kids, no cat, no dog ...". Well, I haven't lived in the states since Dec 04, and I don't forsee myself moving back there before Dec 08, so ...

Yep, by the time I'm approaching my 25th birthday (I'm 23 now), I will have spent 1/6th of my life outside of the states. I think the weirdest thing about this life is that it feels normal ...

Recent surprises?

Well, I published a book, What I Have Learned In This Life. I was surprised when I saw it on http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com had it online. That publisher has been doing their work apparently. Writing seems not to be as diffucult as the marketing, especially being out of the country at the moment. THAT is killing me! So, the web, esp. my publisher's bookstore at http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/SearchCatalog.aspx has been VERY helpful.

Best Skill as a Writer?

I think unusual title creation is rare skill of mine. On a rare occasion, I will write a title, then write the book or poem behind it. I think up some of the weirdest ones some times. Also, weird quotes, openers, and transitions are becoming items in my poem books.

Oh, you suck …

… as a short story writer. Tried my hand at it, USUALLY I'm not very good at it. I plan to make "Invalid Item"  a great exception to the rule, sort of the crown in my portfolio. How it is easier to put erotica to poem versus a story, damned if I know. But, my previously mentioned cohorts are VERY good at it.

You can’t WAIT until …

… I can write from the road. Wheather it be writing my books, or (more relistically) writing for a paper, I want to travel the world.

Ever had to research for a poem or story?

Well, while I know about ship life, I don't know too much about food at all. So I had to do a little bit of research for "Invalid Item" . http://www.wikipedia.org/ is a little lifesaver. Use it ...


What subjects even you can't touch?

Well, soley religious poems get damned to the Boneyards off of principle. It takes me longer to mass sexual poems, but they WILL come out when the time is right. NOTHING else is holy: racism, sexism, politics, nothing is above rapprochement.

Mottos and Phrases

“Faith, Fidelity, Family” is the phrase I invoke when I need to do something incredibly harsh to protect me and mine, or to make the same group do something they probably don’t want to do. The tattoo I have has three arrows:

Home – Friends, Romantic Interests, and a family I create
Family – The family I was born into
Career – The catch-all that covers money in either direction, and culture and education.

“The American Dream …”

Is something I'm not sure how it applies to me. But I have a pefect photo of the American nightmare: my writing goes bust, I can't make it in the Administrative field, and my printing press goes flat. That would suck.

Actually, I believe in more of a world dream: security and happieness for you and yours. I don't think that is too much to ask. I don't need everything ever put on wheels worth more than $50k (€40k). Hell, if I've hit the bigtime, I wouldn't need a car at all (think about that for those who mistake horsepower for something that compensates well).

Any Quotes?

Well, there are several that come to mind. But seeing how I'm observing people piss away their time and energy on tasks beneath them. So:

Make your arrows count - don't shoot at the trees!

Be thoughtful where you swing your ax, for when you need it, you need the blade to be sharp.

Speak to the people ...

Thank you. I've gotten support from those I don't even know. There are those who buy my books, and are pleasantly surprised. Those who are willing to give those words of encouragement through periods of writer's block. Those who, through design or accident, give me matierial to keep my quill fed quite appropriately.

Final Thoughts?

Imitating death through inactivity is a waste of life.

Fiat Lux! (Let there be light.)

Any more questions? I’ll slap them to the interview – feel free to ask!