Q&A with Jo Morgan Sloan – Author Interview

Some stories entertain, some unsettle, and some stay with you long after the final page and Jo Morgan Sloan writes the kind that do all three. With a sharp eye for human emotion and a talent for weaving tension with tenderness, Sloan has built a reputation for storytelling that feels both haunting and deeply relatable. Her work invites readers into worlds where fear and vulnerability sit side by side, creating stories that are as thought-provoking as they are gripping.

In this Q&A, Jo Morgan Sloan opens up about her writing journey, the inspiration behind her latest book Scars & Honey, and the delicate balance of blending darkness with heart. Honest, engaging, and refreshingly candid, she shares the creative process behind her stories, the challenges of writing emotionally layered fiction, and what she hopes readers will take away from her work.

About The Author

Tell us more about you.

I’m Jo, a trans guy/enby originally from Colorado, and I am ridiculously good at winning items out of claw machines.

What are the three items you’d take on a deserted island?

• My ancient teddy bear (Bear Bear)
• My guitar
• As much candy as I can carry.

Who is your biggest role model?

My older sister, Roseann, who was named after the SNL character Roseanne Roseannadanna – it’s always something!

What is your favourite book and who is your favourite author?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will always be my favorite book, and I think Tolkien will always win the war of my favorite author. But I admire a number of authors and in several genres, so this is an open question that’s difficult to stray from the classics!

Do you prefer e-books, physical books or audiobook?

Physical books, particularly paperbacks, but that’s usually only because of cost. I have a habit of semi-destroying my books as I read, because I read things repeatedly and dog-ear pages. I know, I know, don’t come for me.

Is writing your full-time profession or a hobby?

Writing began as a hobby for me in 2013 as I was finishing my doctorate in audiology. While I still work full time as an audiologist and help people hear better all day, writing is much more than a hobby to me now, as I have dreams I never could’ve imagined when I first put words on the page back then. Seems like so long ago!

What social media platform do you like and use the most?

Links to my socials:

Your Writing Process

How do you go about starting a new novel?

I wish I were a plotter, I really do, but I tend to dive right in. Once I have an idea, I let the characters take it wherever it needs to go. I might have a few scenes in mind, but it’s mostly built around the climax and the slice-of-life moments with the characters that inspire me at the start.

Where do you like to write?

My favorite place to write is somewhere quiet, but that isn’t readily available when you’ve got two young kids at home. These days, I escape for writing sprints at my local Panera Bread and play windchimes through my headphones. I’m about to start a community writing meet-up twice a month, though, so wish me luck with that!

What do you like most about writing?

Getting to fall in love over and over again, as many times as I want to, with as many people as I want to. I feel it every time like it’s really happening to me. The endorphins are unreal!

What do you find stops you from writing more?

::Casually looks around my house:: Adult responsibilities don’t leave a lot of time or energy for writing these days, but again, I’m trying to build specifically-structured time into the schedule for that.

What genres do you like to write and why?

Before I tried my hand at fiction, I excelled at writing essays, and I suppose my personal voice in creative nonfiction is still my strongest. I enjoy writing that kind of content the most because it’s relatively easy for me and flows well. I always know how it’s going to end when I start, and I don’t have to wonder if the right voice is coming off the page – it’s my own, so I don’t have to prove that to anyone. Beyond that, I started writing fantasy because that was the setting of my fanfiction, and I enjoy making up my own rules for magic and setting.

That all being said, I feel because I have so much experience with creative nonfiction, my most heartfelt and sincere work is contemporary and deals with real life in some way. Whether it be dramatic and painful or funny and full of heart, I love to research how something might actually happen and integrate that knowledge into my stories.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring writers?

Get critiqued early, do it often, and learn which bits of advice are genuine and which ones to ignore. Writing in a vacuum, sharing your work only with a trusted few, won’t help you improve. You will have to rip off the Band-Aid and give your work to strangers who will rip it all to shreds.

Don’t be too proud to cry (I did so much after my first writer’s group meetup that I missed a day of work). You’ll then be faced with a choice – you’ll either improve as your work demands, or you’ll give up. The people who get past those first really painful evaluations are more likely to succeed at actually finishing their work and getting it out there.

Showcase Your Book!

How many books have you written and if more than one, what’s your favourite?

I have written ten full-length novels and a variety of short stories and essays. Of all my work, Scars & Honey is by far my favorite. I don’t know if anything I ever write will ever top it.

How long did Scars & Honey take you to write?

From its earliest drafts to its current form, Scars & Honey took twelve years to finish. It’s been through so many transformations that it bears almost no resemblance to that first iteration. I think if fans of the novel now got to read where it came from, they’d be surprised. Even though no one will ever see that original story again, I do read it from time to time. It always makes me bawl like a baby. I’m so proud of how far those characters have come, and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them.

Lastly, what is your favourite thing about being an author?

Beyond the part about getting to fall in love whenever I want, being an author has allowed me to learn about communities I never would’ve been exposed to, make lifelong friendships with some of the kindest and most genuine people I’ve ever met, and helped me explore parts of myself that I would’ve have had the courage to otherwise. Words are so liberating. I cannot wait to find out what else my mind has in store!

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