“It’s amazing what a little terror can do for us, eh Jeremy? It can force us to do things that we never thought possible.” — Mr. Daymo, “A Cure for Nightmares”
I enjoy having the opportunity to write about Omaha-area creatives doing interesting things.
I was introduced to J.A. Ford (I know him as Jayson) several years ago by my good friend Barb Thompson.
“Dr. Ford Freud: A Cure for Nightmares” tells the story of Jeremy Bracken, an 8-year-old boy haunted by nightmares that have bored their way into his soul like the head of a pesky tick.
It is the first book in what the author refers to as the “Fordian Trilogy.”
Jeremy begins having the vivid dreams — involving a mysterious figure known as Mr. Daymo — after he gorges himself on Halloween candy, and has to have emergency surgery to fix a small bowel obstruction.
The nightmares become increasingly disturbing for the young boy. Anytime he tries to tell his parents, friends, or medical professionals about the dreams, his abdomen and groin are hit with an intense pain (and the boy is scolded in subsequent nightmares by Daymo).
Jeremy’s parents, Becky and David, seek the help of renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Ford Freud to help their son (he is described as a “medical doctor, a psychologist, and a certified public accountant, he has unique skills that no one else has.”)
Throughout “A Cure for Nightmares,” readers are treated to pop culture references from the 1960s and 70s — Vess Root Beer, Scooby Doo, Hardy Boys mysteries, G.I. Joe dolls, Saturday morning cartoons, and Captain Kirk...to name just a few.
There is also a recurring motif involving film strips strewn throughout the story (I haven’t seen film strips or film strip projectors in years, but they were a staple of my elementary school education in the late 70s and early 80s).
As you can imagine, a great deal of the novel’s narrative structure focuses on Jeremy Bracken’s dreams. Ford does a credible job drawing the random and bizarre structure nightmares can manifest in the subconscious mind.
Is Jeremy merely suffering from a medical condition? Or is something more sinister going on?
Because I know the author, I was able to ask him a few questions about his latest work, and his writing process (a luxury I don’t often have with other authors I review).
Ford says “A Cure For Nightmares” is influenced by writers like Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Lemony Snicket.
“The Lemony Snicket series of books had a big impact on me when I decided to write this trilogy,” says Ford. “The children in my books are wise beyond their years, much as Snicket’s orphans are clever and resourceful.”
You can see those influences in “A Cure for Nightmares.” I’d also suggest the story feels something akin to an old episode of “The Twilight Zone.”
Ford is reluctant to give up too many details regarding the upcoming books in the “Fordian Trilogy,” but did say, “all three books are linked in several ways.”
I asked Ford if the novel’s protagonist — Jeremy Bracken — was at all influenced by the author’s childhood experiences.
“There are a few things in Jeremy Bracken’s (life) that are taken from my childhood. The first nightmare I recall having was when I was about six years old, and involved sliding down a metal chute, whereupon I was deposited into a chair. Portions of this nightmare appear in the book. For the most part, however, Jeremy is quite different. Jeremy is much braver than I was.”
Readers of this blog know that I have dabbled in fiction writing over the years. I have a 90,000-word handwritten draft of a novel (finished in 2014) patiently waiting to be keyed into a word processor.
As a result, I am endlessly fascinated by the process various authors employ when crafting a novel. I was eager to learn what method Ford (a lawyer by trade) used when writing “A Cure For Nightmares.”
“I like to have at least a basic road map of where I’m planning to go,” says Ford, “but I don’t outline the entire story, per se. When I gave closing arguments, I typically typed them out word for word. However, I rarely followed the exact language I’d typed because I was living in the moment and reacting to the expressions of jurors.”
“When I sit down to write a book, I’ve already jotted down a number of scenes, characters, points of interest, and plot ideas in a notebook. I transfer those various elements onto Post-It notes, and stick them to the wall next to my computer so I can rearrange them to my liking.”
(Ford’s method of using Post-It notes is similar to the “index card” method described by author Elizabeth Gilbert in the book I’m currently reading titled “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear.”)
Ford also references Stephen King as it regards his writing process: “King talks about letting the characters declare themselves, and warns authors not to limit character development simply because it doesn’t fit with your initial plan for the story. I’ve found that advice to very wise.”
(Note: If you haven’t read King’s writing treatise “On Writing,” it is definitely worth grabbing from your favorite bookseller.)
“A Cure For Nightmares” is Ford’s first published novel. I’m looking forward to seeing what he has in store for the rest of his “Fordian Trilogy.”
“I’ve typically enjoyed writing short stories the most,” says Ford. “Unfortunately, publishers are not very interested in collections of short stories. The first book I wrote is a collection of dark short stories and remains unpublished. Before I started my first novel (this book), I wasn’t completely convinced I could write a full-length novel. After writing two novels — and working on the third — it’s actually a little more difficult for me to get all my thoughts into a short story!”
If you’d like to learn more about author J.A. Ford and “A Cure for Nightmares,” you can visit the author’s website at www.fordfreud.com.
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