Jay Gilbert, author of There’s A Pony In That Car! and The Florida Motel, has a busy family life with his wife, children and grandchildren. In addition to that and writing, he runs a real-estate business, heads up a local group of writers, and is involved in various local organizations, including serving on the board of directors of SeaQuill Writers Co-Op. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Jay Gilbert, who has agreed to share some of his thoughts with us.

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Welcome, Jay, and thank you for taking the time to share with us.

You’ve written two books, one a collection of short stories, and the other a novel. How close to reality are the short stories?

The stories are all from my childhood growing up on a farm in Duluth MN. I took a little creative license to fill in some blanks I simply couldn’t remember. Every story happened and is as close to reality as I can recall.

What motivated you to publish them in a book?

I wanted to get them down on paper for my two sons and their children (our grandchildren). I also wanted to recognize and thank my parents for providing such a fantastic, fun, and truly unique childhood.

Have you always been a writer? If not, when did you start?

I always wanted to be a writer but didn’t invest the time until the kids were grown and I finished my first career. One exception is, I always wrote an annual letter to my boys at the end of each school year to acknowledge their accomplishments, provide a bit of age-appropriate wisdom, and simply tell them how proud I was to be their dad. I’ve continued that tradition to this day and added my two daughters-in-law to the annual letter.

Your newly released novel is also based on your life experiences. Was the Florida Motel a real place in Gainesville?

Not only was the Florida Motel a real place, our family owned and operated it in the seventies. The old motel was torn down in 2019. Thankfully, the City of Gainesville saved the iconic sign.

Your character, Helgi, has a Finnish name. Does your family originate in Finland? How did you come up with ‘Helgi?’

My great grandparents on my mother’s side immigrated from Finland. They were homesteaders in northern Minnesota. Also, when my dad was a ship chandler in Duluth, we made friends with many of the crews from the “salties” that came into the port. One of those friends was a chief steward on a Finnish ship. His name was Helgi.

Would you say The Florida Motel is a coming-of-age story? In what way?

Yes, Helgi comes of age with respect to girls, romance and love as well as his view on his life in general, and specifically the family motel business. He starts as a selfish and romantically naive eighteen year old guy and quickly grows, vis-a-vis life events, into a mature young man.

The Florida Motel has recently won some awards. Congratulations! What were they?

In 2020, it won the Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA) Silver Medal and, in 2022, it was awarded  the President’s Book Awards Silver Medal for Humor from the Florida Authors & Publishers Association (FAPA).

What advice would you give someone who has a story they want to write?

Pardon my choice of words, but sit down and just puke it out on paper or a PC. No rules, no filters about being “PC”, and no thoughts about who might read it. Don’t even think about proper formatting of paragraphs, sentences, grammar, spelling or punctuation. Treat it like a personal journal or diary. I actually do my drafting in longhand on a legal pad. I never took typing in high school and find it easier get the words from my head to paper using a pen. Pick whatever form or process that is easiest for you. Above all else, be truthful, brutally honest. This is not new or unique advice. I read this from many different authors and in books about writing; the most notable being Ernest Hemmingway. Finally, pick a topic that you are passionate about. Something you want to write about. Write for yourself first, audience second.

What do you consider the most important thing to do once the story is written and before it’s published?

In a word—editing. There are two levels or types, and both are important. The first is a manuscript review that looks at the flow, plot, character development, storyline, etc. It’s a macro review of your story. The second level addresses grammar, spelling, punctuation and format issues. I always have a beta reader or two read the entire manuscript before I send it out to an editor for a manuscript review. Beta readers will comment on the macro level as well, but they will help you catch and clean up all the little things before sending it off to an editor. Beta readers are much less expensive than editors, and I would rather my editor spend their time (and my money) on the manuscript review.

Writing is a solitary pursuit. How important is it to find a supportive group for feedback and friendship?

It’s extremely important. I credit my writers’ group with helping me get through my first book. Not only did they critique my work along the way, they helped me with all the steps and details to get it published. Most of all, they provided me with support and encouragement. Find yourself a writers’ group asap. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t penned a single word.

Thank you, Jay, for sharing your thoughts and insightful advice with us, your readers. It has been a pleasure getting to know you. We hope to see more of your work in the future.

To find Jay’s books, including an anthology of short stories which includes one of his, follow the links below.