NW Missouri Times

A senior instructor at Northwest Missouri State University is marking the publication of his 20th book. Jason Offutt, who teaches mass media at the university, released “Chasing North American Monsters” on September 8. The book is a collection of monsters and folklore creatures from Greenland and the Arctic Circle to Panama. It is the second installment in his “Chasing Monsters” series, following his 2019 book “Chasing American Monsters.” Offutt said he plans to publish a third book in the series next year.

“For anyone who has played ‘Dungeons and Dragons,’ it’s sort of a real-life monster manual,” Offutt said. “I hope they (readers) just have fun.”

Offutt explained that his interest in monsters began in his childhood in Orrick, Missouri, where he was drawn to stories about creatures like the Loch Ness Monster and television shows about Bigfoot. He also recalled reading “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” as a child, which inspired him to become an author.

“The unknown has always fascinated me, and it still does,” he said. “I’ve never grown out of that.”

After a 17-year career in journalism, Offutt joined Northwest Missouri State University in 2005 to teach courses on reporting, opinion writing, communication law and ethics, and photojournalism. He said he uses his own writing and research experiences as teaching tools.

“Good writing is good writing,” Offutt said. “The methods of putting words together I use in my work are the same I teach in class. As for research and interviewing, I teach those same skills I use in my books. There are good sources and bad sources. I teach my students which are which.”

Offutt’s writing style has earned him several awards, including best horror novel from the Independent Book Publishers Association in 2022 and best audio horror novel in 2023.

“As an established author, I have access to bigger publishers and all their benefits,” Offutt said. “Now, instead of simply writing a book and trying to get it published, which of course I still do, a couple of my publishers are happy enough with my work they ask me to write more books. That’s a great feeling.”

Offutt maintains a routine that he says helps prevent burnout, dedicating two hours each day to his writing in a consistent environment. He encourages his students to keep improving through regular practice.

“Have really think skin,” he said. “And just don’t give up.”