Author Interview – James McDevitt – A Walk Among Heroes

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, James McDevitt opens up about his 15-year journey to complete A Walk Among Heroes, sharing raw insights into writing from personal combat experiences, battling the internal antagonist of the mind, and finding purpose after war.

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I interviewed James McDevitt about his life and career, the experiences that inspired him to write his new book, A Walk Among Heroes, and his creative writing process.

Tell me a bit about who you are.

I’m a Christian, a husband, and a father. I have an insatiable desire to learn. It’s hard for me to focus on one thing, so I’ve decided to stick to the 3 or 4 things I’ve come back to again and again. I’ve spent 21 years in the Army Reserve or National Guard. I’m a full-time firefighter. My first love was football; I spent 18 years playing and got as far as two colleges—the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Kentucky. I deployed to Iraq twice in between.

I try to sauna and swim before and after work at the Fire Department. We work 24 hours on and 48 off. On my off time, I work on the house and do jiu-jitsu. The joy in my life is being with my wife and daughter. I live every day for them. I never thought about death or dying until I had a family of my own. It’s hard for me to grasp the concept too.

When did you first WANT to write a book?

After watching The Hurricane with Denzel Washington. I wrote maybe a page, then I forgot about it. I’ve always been interested in a story and movies. I used to live in a movie theatre. My sister Michelle worked there for about 5 years, and all of my friends would come constantly to see anything and everything.

When did you take a step to start writing?

A 6th-grade teacher told me she liked my handwriting. It’s extremely small—the opposite of me. I write poetry, short stories, and children’s books, and then decided to write a novel. I treat the keyboard like a piano; the words flow as if I were playing a symphony. That’s where I find peace.

My writing? Hmmm. I love psychology, and if I were to describe how I write, I’d say I write to the emotion of others and what they’ll feel. Our stories may be different, but we all have the same emotions. I don’t know if I avoid any themes or words. I do not like the word farther; I’d rather say further. One is a measurement, the other is figurative, but to me, it sounds better. I was told I wrote the word chaos too much by my editor, so I’ll be sure not to use it in the future.

How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?

I’m embarrassed to say, but it took 15 years. I scribbled the idea down in my little black notebook in Iraq in 2010. I dabbled for quite some time until I realized I needed to stick to something I’m good at. When I put my mind to it, the book was on Amazon in about four months. I’ve spent hundreds of hours rewriting and restructuring A Walk Among Heroes. I’ve paid too many editors and spent too much money to make it the best I can make it. I’ve invested in myself.

What made you want to write A Walk Among Heroes?

I’m fascinated by words—by writing. I had a goal to read 100 books on my second deployment to pass the time. I got to 73. I guess you can say an idea sparked in my head. I think it was from the book Snowleg by Nicholas Shakespeare.

What were your biggest challenges with writing A Walk Among Heroes?

Attention to detail. I can write anything at any time on command—it may not be good, but the words will still flow. When you make me go back over it and fix the details, I’m terrible. That’s been the most frustrating part—going back over the book over and over to see what it’s missing and where I can put the chapters so they can flow smoothly.

Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?

My own experiences in life. I write from what I’ve known and what I’ve seen. This makes it easier for me to relate to T.J. And those in the story were my best friends and still are. The character dynamic is drawn from those I’ve spent years with in a combat zone.

Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?

My antagonist is internal. It concerns me that a little less than 5,000 service members were killed in combat in both wars, but there have been over 45,000 suicides since. The mind will always be the greatest antagonist. We fight memories, guilt, fear, insecurities, and having survived.

What is the inciting incident of A Walk Among Heroes?

The main character, T.J. Montgomery, sees he has lost his first love, Magdalyn, to another man. I’m afraid my romantic side comes from The Notebook and reading every Nicholas Sparks book. When I read A Walk Among Heroes for the first time, I sat back and laughed, thinking I had just done a remake.

What is the main conflict of A Walk Among Heroes?

Finding purpose. In my opinion, the hardest part is coming home from such an elevated status to nothing at all. A select few understand what it’s like. The transition is hard for both veterans and their families. Life still goes on whether we are present or not.

Did you plot A Walk Among Heroes in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?

Freely. I don’t think I can plot much in advance with anything in my life; my ADHD won’t let me. I write freely, and whatever happens, happens. I attempt structure, and I’ve promised myself I’ll be more thorough in the book I’m working on now.

Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did A Walk Among Heroes need?

Oh, did I… I got too much support. It was expensive. I had two editors, both male and female, for all the editing. Two line editors, two developmental editors, two proofreaders, and two copy editors. Talk about overkill. I’ve become obsessed with making it the best that I can. I also want a lot of perspective to make it as cohesive as possible.

What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?

Write it. Don’t stop until it’s finished and be consistent. One day at a time.

Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?

I have a goal of publishing in every genre. I’m 60 pages into a fantasy series—Interview with the Vampire, Constantine, and The Time Keeper. Here are the first two paragraphs:

I’ve committed suicide eighty-six and a half times, some more interesting than others. Each time I think I’ve figured it out. Somehow, I open my eyes. I lie there and imagine it actually worked. So much for being like the others. Why did God forsake me? He could have at least granted me the mercy to forget. Yet, I see it all as clear as I see this pen sketching my memoir on a piece of paper. I suppose you’d call me old-fashioned. Cursed through the endless corridors of time. Cryptic words whispered by His Son. An immutable, transcendent burden. Why me, you ask? I still haven’t figured it out.

And finally, are you proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?

Extremely proud. I’ve learned a lot about myself and who I am as a man. I’ve challenged myself to be consistent, and I’ve taken an extreme amount of time to finish. I know that whatever’s next will be a lot faster. Everything good and bad in life is always worth it. We must learn from the things that hurt us and brought us down because those very things shape us into who we are. We become better through difficult times than through good times. We should be thankful for the journey.

Pop all your books, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:

Kindle: https://amzn.to/45ZTX6h

Paperback: https://amzn.to/4pQ4Crx

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3NoLJyl