From Fantasy to Reality: Jeffery “Falcon” Logue
Jeffery “Falcon” Logue is a fifth-year senior from Anderson, SC, majoring in English with an emphasis in Writing and minoring in Life Science.
When it comes to plans for after graduation, nothing is set in stone yet. “One perk of having your job not tied to any particular place is that I can choose to go anywhere,” says Logue, “My current plan is to stay local, at least, until the fall of next year, and then the sky is the limit.”
Logue specializes in writing fantasy with worlds taking place in both fantasy-based worlds and simulated ones created in the “real” world. His most notable series takes place in a world where gods, goddesses and magic are ingrained in everyday life. Logue has a love for creating the creatures for that world and utilizes his knowledge in science to flesh out the monsters in a way that could anatomically make sense and feel real to the reader.
When asked about his favorite story he has written, he pointed to his first novella called “Milly’s Story.” The story features one of Logue’s favorite characters and showcases the fun, strong person she is. “She isn’t afraid to speak her mind, throw some punches, and manipulate anyone when it comes to keeping her people safe,” says Logue on Milly’s character. “I’d like to write more on her and other characters in the future when I have time.”
In the spring of 2015, he discovered a website where authors could post their work and have them read and critiqued by strangers. Logue used this opportunity to write more stories and, slowly but surely, gain his following of readers. By November of 2015, Logue wrote the story that would become his first published work.
In terms of challenges, Logue has encountered quite a few. “I’ve dealt with a number of challenges over the years, from logistics to financial support,” says Logue. “An author starting out like me, who was also a full-time student, could not afford a fancy cover art or a professional editor for instance.” However, over time, success followed, and those issues were not an issue anymore.
One might think that being a writer and a full-time student is difficult, but Logue assures that it’s not that tricky. “Balancing writing and school has actually not been that bad, especially once I changed to the English major, but certainly as my full-time job it has taken away time from the ‘full’ college experience,” notes Logue. “However, I’ve had quite a blast getting to know fans, and meeting someone who shakes your hand and thanks you for your work really makes it all feel worth it.”
Logue points out that there are pros and cons to self-publishing. On the one hand, the writer has complete freedom, and on the other, it can be quite risky investing time and money into something that depends on the whims of the people. When asked if he would recommend it, Logue said absolutely. “I use Amazon for my self-publishing, which allows me to keep the lion’s share of the profit, as opposed to a traditional publicist who takes most of the profit. I can also work on my own time with my own schedule, and as I said previously, I can travel anywhere to do it.”
His recommendation does come with a few disclaimers. Job stability entirely depends on publishing speed and quality, and this job doesn’t come with any job perks. Logue also warns that the extroverted type is not meant for this sort of job. “It’s certainly a job that requires concentration and time, often in a space void of people so that you actually get some work done,” says Logue. “I advise getting a dog, at least to drag you out of the workroom if nothing else.
Not only does Logue write fantasy novels, but he also creates video games based on them. The idea stemmed from a reader who was interested in working together to create a video game with his books in mind. Although they established a game-plan and put together a group to help build it, nothing came to fruition, and the reader drifted away.
Instead of admitting defeat, Logue took on the challenge for himself. “I decided that if someone was going to make a good game based on my stuff, it was going to be me,” says Logue. Starting in January of 2018, Logue began teaching himself how to create his video game with tutorials and practice. Over the past year, he has gone from having zero programming experience to knowing everything from pixel art to artificial intelligence (AI) programming. He even has a fully employed team to help him turn his fantasy into reality.
Logue has a few words of advice for anyone thinking about self-publishing. “You need to find an audience before you publish; Establish yourself somehow in the world of reading, and even then it’s all about practice like anything else.” He also suggests to pay no mind to haters; “Either ignore them or use them to write better.” And lastly, Logue says never think that you aren’t good enough to write. “Everyone has a story to tell; all it takes is gaining the experience to get it out.”
Written By: Hannah Rohaley
12/6/2018