> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://justincox.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Write Now with Justin Reed - URL: https://justincox.com/blog/2022/03/write-now-with-justin-reed/ - Published: 2022-03-16T11:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2023-06-16T23:42:18.000Z - Description: Learn more about how Justin Reed wrote his latest novel, HOWEVER LONG THE DAY, and how he chases creative euphoria in today’s interview. - Author: Justin Cox - Tags: Interview, #justin-reed **Justin Reed and I may share a name, but our preferred writing environment could not be more different. Right now, the blinds are open, the sun is shining, and the TV is playing a never-ending stream of commercials (is morning TV just one long commercial?). While a lot of people, including Justin Reed, would find this distracting, I find it stimulating. Though, at the same time, I can also write in complete silence with the blinds closed. Learn more about how Justin Reed wrote his latest novel, [HOWEVER LONG THE DAY](https://justinreedwrites.com/?ref=justincox.com), and how he chases creative euphoria in today’s interview.* --- ## Who Are You? My name is Justin Reed, and I’m a novelist from Boise, ID. ## What Do You Write? I write novels and short stories in multiple genres, including historical fiction, contemporary fantasy, and upmarket fiction. I don’t think of myself as a genre writer; I write in whichever genre most fits the stories I’m interested in. I started writing in eighth grade, but I had many interests, so I studied computer science in college. Writing novels and writing software have more in common than I expected, and both produce the euphoria of creation. I returned to writing after fifteen years in software because it was time to pursue my dream. I avoid profanity and the word **that*. On the vulgarity front, I figure if I ask my four children to have clean mouths, I should follow suit. A quote I heard long ago on the subject stuck with me: “[Profanity is the effort of a feeble mind to express itself forcibly](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/62039-profanity-is-the-effort-of-a-feeble-brain-to-express?ref=justincox.com).” The problem for a novelist is that people swear. Some of us, at times, have feeble minds. I encounter moments of hand wringing and consternation while debating word choice. As for **that*, I found early in my professional career I treated it like Lowry’s Seasoned Salt and shook it liberally over my written communication. **That issue we discussed that is still outstanding that you were going to ask James about that day…* Gross. I chose to expunge the word except in the most extreme circumstances. That just felt right. I love what I do because of the aforementioned creative euphoria, which is especially strong when creation builds up, entertains, and/or enlightens others. ## Where Do You Write? I write in my office, seated at my desk (my desk is adjustable, but I never stand while writing). I use Google Docs on my 2012 MacBook Pro. A copy of Roget’s is on my desk at all times, and a copy of Webster’s is on the shelf next to my desk. I have several other lesser-used dictionaries for etymology and editing. Several large (19x25cm) Moleskine and Fauxskine notebooks used for plot/character/theme sit on the desk in vertical organizers. I keep sticky notes in several colors handy, along with a water bottle and fan. Uniball Signo 207’s in every color they make wait in the pencil holder, though the black pen is usually on the desk next to a notebook. When I write, the blinds are always closed, the phone is always in Do Not Disturb mode, and my earbuds are always playing 14 Hz binaural beats. ## When Do You Write? I write with a word count goal, anywhere from 500 to 2,000 words, depending on the writing phase and the other projects I have going on in my life. When I have higher word count goals (1,500 or 2,000), I will write in the morning and early afternoon. When I have other things going on and need to write fewer words, I write in the early afternoon. I keep track of word count progression on a series of sticky notes on my office wall. Nobody imposes my word count goal, but I often share my goals with others. It’s too easy to stop achieving if I don’t. ## Why Do You Write? The twice-mentioned euphoria of creation. To put a finer point on it, I want to do what all writers want to do: entertain, enlighten, and inspire. I don’t have specific causes for which I carry the banner. Instead, I hope to reflect the world as it has been, or is now, or might be in the future, or might be if we all lived in a fantasy, by telling compelling stories that cause readers to reconsider what they see every day. ## How Do You Overcome Writer’s Block? Making my word count goal public (or at least public in my daily sphere) is the most powerful means by which I overcome writer’s block. I have yet to find anything half so effective. The counterintuitive heart of this method is this: the way to overcome writer’s block is to write. It’s like a basketball player shooting his way out of a shooting slump. Writing begets more writing, even if the original words are garbage. ## Bonus: What Do You Enjoy Doing When Not Writing? I love to spend time with my wife and children. We play a lot of games in our house (Cover Your Assets, Yahtzee, Qwixx, Seven Wonders, & Dutch Blitz are all popular). I love to play and watch basketball. I love to cheer for my Wolverhampton Wanderers. I love to fly fish in the beauty of Idaho’s rivers and streams. And I love to read. --- **My thanks to Justin Reed for today’s interview.*