Author Jay Cliffix On The Book That Changed His Life
An Interview With Jake Frankel
Take it slow and easy: stress leads to chaos, and luckily, I’ve now learned how to get rid of it.
Seek more help: I didn’t fully understand how complicated the creative industry was back then. There are many different talents in the industry that I need to reach out to if I want to achieve my goals. I used to work alone a lot, but I realize now that I may not be capable enough on my own.
Adopt a better digital marketing solution: there were fewer options ten years ago, making marketing far more challenging. However, I’ve now been well-trained as a marketing specialist focusing on digital and social media for over a decade. I’m confident I could come up with something new and fresh if I was asked to try a different approach.
Engage more with my readers: I was always hesitant about attending interviews or book sharing events. But if I want to be a successful novelist or creator, I need to be more open-minded and treasure the chances I have to face the public and let more people know about me and my work.
Don’t give up: Just don’t!.
Books have the power to shape, influence, and change our lives. Why is that so? What goes into a book that can shape lives? To address this we are interviewing people who can share a story about a book that changed their life, and why. As a part of our series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jay Cliffix.
Jay Cliffix is an author and entertainment industry professional based in Hong Kong. He published his debut novel in 2012 and has since worked as a movie journalist, columnist, and critic. The first two instalments of his fantasy adventure series The Star Souls Mythology are up now on Amazon.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory” and how you grew up?
As a young child, I had always dreamed of becoming a novelist. Even from a very early age, I had started crafting intricate stories in my mind, weaving together scene after scene. However, growing up in Hong Kong, I was constantly told that after finishing my education, I needed to secure a stable job at a large company. The idea was that this would allow me to save money steadily until retirement. The notion of being a novelist was dismissed as a mere fantasy.
Despite this prevalent mindset, at the age of 23, I published my debut novel in traditional Chinese, 光影星碎. Yet, shortly after, I found myself surrendering to societal expectations. I took a job in the movie industry, spending my days promoting movies, interviewing celebrities, and reviewing the creative work of others, rather than focusing on my own unfinished novel series. This cycle of discontent continued for years — I would resign, try to reignite my writing career, only to end up accepting another job, and the pattern would repeat. Finally, last year, I managed to break free from this cycle. I rewrote my first novel into an English adaptation, titled The Star Shards of Auras/Umbras, and also published my second novel, The Wish Fulfilment of Life/Death. Regardless of whether these works garnered public interest or substantial sales, I considered this a personal triumph. I had reached a major milestone in my life by staying true to my passion for storytelling.
Let’s talk about what you are doing now, and how you achieved the success that you currently enjoy. Can you tell our readers a bit about the work you are doing?
Interestingly, I received a new job offer right after publishing my second book. I’ve now taken a position at an organization that promotes performing arts and cultures. Yet, I have no intention of abandoning my writing. In fact, I will start working on the sequel, The Providence of Creation/Annihilation, once I’ve settled into this new role.
Aside from that, there are countless other creative endeavors I’m eager to explore. I’m determined to make time for everything and won’t give up this time around. For example, a few years back I wrote an online novella, and I intend to add some fresh chapters to it. Additionally, if the opportunity arises, I hope I can learn digital drawing techniques to transform my imaginings into tangible images.
At the end of the day, the key is perseverance, is it not? I’m certain every novelist and creator has faced similar trials and tribulations. But the message is clear — never stop pursuing what you excel at. Your remarkable work may very well be discovered by the right people someday, somewhere.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Perseverant: as I’ve emphasized, maintaining a “no pain, no gain” mindset is absolutely crucial for a novelist.
- Observant: I am constantly attuned to the people and world around me. I remain endlessly fascinated by the activities and conversations I witness on the streets. In fact, casually overhearing these everyday exchanges often sparks remarkably compelling ideas that I can translate into my writing.
- Empathetic: I can quickly grasp the emotions and atmosphere of a given situation. This heightened empathy allows me to deeply understand human psychology and interpersonal dynamics. As a result, I can imbue my characters with rich, multifaceted personalities that feel vivid and lifelike to readers.
What’s the WHY behind the work that you do? Please share a story about this if you can.
Growing up in Hong Kong, I was influenced not just by local entertainment, but also by the worlds of Japanese anime and video games. As a child, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the fantastical elements woven into these animated and interactive narratives, sparking the eventual development of my own ideas for original fantasy stories. At first, these concepts were little more than random, ever-evolving scenes that spontaneously arose in my mind. However, over time, a cohesive plot began to emerge. I wrote the first draft. It’s called ”TPSE Planet Wars.” While the initial effort was far from perfect, and my writing skills were still quite immature, this early project planted the seeds that would blossom into my journey as a storyteller.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the editor of my debut novel. It has been many years since we last spoke, but I have never forgotten the invaluable contribution she made to my first book. At the time, I was thrilled that she found my story appealing and believed it had real marketability. I now want to share the joy with her that I have finally published the sequel, and I will always remember how instrumental she was in helping me take that crucial first step.
Awesome! Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. I’m an author and I believe that books have the power to change lives. Can you please tell our readers about “The Book That Changed Your Life”? Can you share a story about how it impacted you?
Not long after I “confirmed” to myself that I would like to grow up as a novelist, I stumbled upon a news article about Christopher Paolini’s Eragon, which was taking the literary world by storm at the time. The fact that he had written and published his debut novel at such a young age was truly inspiring to me. Brimming with curiosity, I immediately purchased a copy of Eragon using my own pocket money — the first English novel I had ever bought for myself.
As I delved into its pages, I found myself utterly captivated. The richly named characters, places, and magical elements — it was all so brilliantly crafted. Up until that point, I don’t believe I had fully grasped how a mainstream fantasy novel could be so beautifully written and masterfully marketed. While I had read other fantasy novels, such as the Harry Potter series, Eragon was a different breed of fantasy that resonated more closely with my own imaginings.
In many ways, Eragon became a fantasy bible for me, not only teaching me the fundamentals of crafting a well-structured, traditional yet stylish fantasy narrative, but also igniting a deep, internal spark. I began to truly believe that I, too, could one day craft such spellbinding tales of my own.
What was the moment or series of events that made you decide that you wanted to take a specific course of action based on the inspiration from the book? Can you share a story about that?
As I mentioned, Christopher Paolini’s young age when he published Eragon truly awed me. I was so encouraged by his success that the first thing I did after graduating from school wasn’t to hunt for a job, but rather to stay at home and focus on completing my own novel as quickly as possible. I have to admit, I nearly burned myself out during those intense writing days, having vastly underestimated the demands of the process. However, I don’t regret that single-minded determination, as it allowed me to ultimately achieve something I’m still proud of to this day. If I could go back in time, though, I would tell my younger self: just take it slow and easy.
Can you articulate why you think books in particular have the power to create movements, revolutions, and true change?
Umm, I think it’s not just books, but rather “concepts” that can emerge from a wide range of storytelling mediums — whether it’s a novel, a movie, a video game, or an animation.
A book has many aspects, of course. For example, you have the writing style, the narrative tense, the topic, the genre, the design, the cover, the size, etc. In your opinion, what are the main, essential ingredients needed to create a book that can change lives?
At the heart of my storytelling is a deep desire to forge a personal connection with my readers, regardless of genre. I believe that imbuing my plots and characters with genuine emotion and authenticity, drawn from my own experiences, is key to creating moments that resonate — making readers laugh, cry, and reflect on their own lives. Even in fantasy, I strive to ensure the characters’ real, relatable emotions compel the audience to empathize and imagine themselves in the narrative, asking “If I were this character, what would I do?”
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started My Career” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Take it slow and easy: stress leads to chaos, and luckily, I’ve now learned how to get rid of it.
- Seek more help: I didn’t fully understand how complicated the creative industry was back then. There are many different talents in the industry that I need to reach out to if I want to achieve my goals. I used to work alone a lot, but I realize now that I may not be capable enough on my own.
- Adopt a better digital marketing solution: there were fewer options ten years ago, making marketing far more challenging. However, I’ve now been well-trained as a marketing specialist focusing on digital and social media for over a decade. I’m confident I could come up with something new and fresh if I was asked to try a different approach.
- Engage more with my readers: I was always hesitant about attending interviews or book sharing events. But if I want to be a successful novelist or creator, I need to be more open-minded and treasure the chances I have to face the public and let more people know about me and my work.
- Don’t give up: Just don’t!.
The world, of course, needs progress in many areas. What movement do you hope someone (or you!) starts next? Can you explain why that is so important?
With the abundance of arts and entertainment options nowadays, readerships are somehow restricted. To attract more readers, I hope I can diversify and evolve my storytelling into other creative forms. Incorporating text, visuals, music, and more into a single journey is challenging, but I believe this will be the way I present my work in the future.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Please visit my personal website at jaycliffix.com. You can find links to my social media sites as well as Amazon pages for my novel series. I hope you enjoy reading my books!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us and our readers. We know that it will make a tremendous difference and impact thousands of lives. We are excited to connect further and we wish you so much joy in your next success.
