Is the Black Science Fiction genre unfairly overlooked? What's the best advice a writer wishes he'd never taken? "Take 5" with motivated author Jarvis Sheffield below and find out:
1) Is the Black Science Fiction genre one that tends to be unfairly overlooked?
Black science fiction usually does not get the attention it should. This is has been partially due to racial reasons as well as monetary. The creator of any fiction draws from their own experiences, biases and world view. All of those factors come out in their writing and creations. From a monetary perspective, corporations generally want to target the largest possible audience to reap maximum profits. So, targeting smaller niche markets is not their top priority. To me, this leaves room for entrepreneurs and niche creators to fill that void. The marketing of these creations will be key to their success. That is where Black Science Fiction Society shines; We have our own marketing vehicles to get the word out about our member’s projects. We have our own international social network, online radio show, print & e-magazine, and anthology series. We also utilize other social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, etc…
2) What led you to embrace the genre as you have?
Oh, I’ve enjoyed science fiction since I was very young. I would watch reruns of science fiction shows with my older siblings like, Star Trek, Lost in Space, and Twilight Zone. When star wars came out that was a major turning point. It was so exciting and there was a black actor playing a major roll that I thought was cool; Billy D. Williams as Lando Calrissian was then my idol. I wanted to be him and he was my favorite among all the action figures my parents got me to play with. Since then I have consumed thousands of shows and movies. The one thing that has been lacking was more science fiction that I can relate to; This led me to create www.BlackScienceFictionSociety.com in 2008. Since then I have connected with likeminded people around the world that share stories, books, comic, videos, conventions and anything that relates to Black Science Fiction. We collaborate on projects so that the younger generation will have more Sci-Fi that they can relate to and emulate.
3) Is Genesis destined for the big screen someday?
I’m glad you asked that. Genesis is an anthology with numerous stories in each volume.
Genesis Book I was published in 2010 is about 300 pages and Genesis Books II which we recently published is over 600 pages. We have started development of our own digital production studio to facilitate the collaboration between the writer and our production team to develop the stories and distribute them independently. Our first feature length movie, “Earth Squadron” is in pre-production right now. Earth Squadron is a film about what happens when planet Earth's rejects are the only ones that can save them from an unknown alien foe bent on world domination. The short story was originally published in Genesis Anthology Book I in 2010. This movie showcases positive and uplifting Black leads and multicultural characters. I have been encouraging everyone to contribute to our crowd funding campaign to help finance the film. More info on that can be found at: www.EarthSquadron.com.
4) What's the best advice you wish you'd never taken?
The best advice I never took was you can’t do that. LOL
Allot of times people in your life, family, friends and associates try to spare you from failure because something hasn’t been done before or they don’t think you can do something because of where you come from, what you look like or your financial situation. I never took that advice. I have always been fearless when trying something new. Sometimes you fail some time you win. If you are resourceful you can finds ways to accomplish things you are interested in. Doing research, training and making calculated risks has served me well.
5) What 3 words best describe Jarvis Sheffield?
I would describe myself as optimistic, committed and driven. I try to always have an optimistic attitude about what can happen and what can be done. When I was young my teachers would tell me that your attitude determines your altitude. This simply means that your attitude will determine how far you make it in life. I am committed to things I feel passionate about and I generally go above and beyond to make things happen. Commitment requires sacrifices of time and effort; this in my view is integral to success in any endeavor. Lastly, I am driven. Once you determined what your life’s purpose is, it gives you clarity, determination and drive to accomplish whatever it is in life you set your mind to.
https://www.BlackScienceFictionSociety.com
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