J.C. King shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi J.C., thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I check my sales report on Barnes and Noble press everyday in hopes that it no longer shows zero. I guess my delusions are growing stronger by the second because sure I have no sales right now but no one sees the process or how much actually goes into any one of my books. Yes, they are short reads but the inspiration behind them took months and some took years.
But without doubt, I am proud of my books. Every one of them, with and without sales, because sales do not reflect impact or influence. And I honestly think the numbers game has actually destroyed people’s understanding of what creativity actually looks like and what it produces. I have an extensive portfolio from blogs, to books to collaborative credits, so the work will always be done no matter what.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure, my name is J.C. King. I am from Hartford, CT but now reside in north Texas. I am a writer of stories and poems, hoping to land myself on someone’s shelves and change their perspective on life and culture, etc. And I’ve been writing for quite some time now, so you definitely have to get familiar with my work.
Trust and believe, you’ve never read anything like what I’ve written. Authenticity and originality are some of the innate driving forces behind my work, so yeah, check me out.
As for what I’m working on right now, I can’t give out all the details but I have a short story collection that will be releasing summer 2026, so stay tuned and I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was told “being epileptic wasn’t as bad as it seems” and for those who didn’t live with my condition or have any knowledge of it, sure, things could always be worse but I would not wish epilepsy on anyone. Not even my worst enemy.
I once let having this ailment define and hinder me but no more. I went through a major procedure in 2019 and to have gone through that among other things in life and still be able to perform and write as well as I do, you can tell that this art is a pure gift from God and I will not allow it to be buried or burdened by a spontaneous yet unavoidable condition.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
Video games. Music. Movies. Food. Basketball. Not necessarily in that order either. And sure enough, I’d also write rhymes or stories describing how I felt in the moment especially if it was overwhelming to the point I’m on the verge of tears. But particularly music helped and still helps me through a lot. So many songs [lyrically and/or sonically] assist me in understanding what’s happening around me and how to best move forward.
There isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not listening to music. I feel like Bleek from Mo’ Better Blues, “I know what I want, my music. Everything else is secondary.”
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
Everyone I’m inspired by, I rely on them when I cannot really put my own thoughts into words so I take their struggle and success into consideration hoping that it helps but more importantly, I rely on sage advice from God who’s never steered me wrong. So talking to Him makes everything a bit clearer and if there’s physical representation to what I’m going through [those I’m inspired by] I am sure to check in and see what’s what and how they overcame said obstacles.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What pain do you resist facing directly?
Admitting and accepting that I may not be good enough for the world stage but good enough for the vision I have for myself and if God accepts me for who and what I am even where I am in life, I’m perfectly fine with that. Because that’s what matters most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/staytrueking
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoetryKingJC
