Some days, he dreams of twisted storylines, wicked villains, and Hollywood blockbusters. But most days, he simply wants his students to pay attention during class.
Welcome to the world of Craig Shaeffer (LA’96, MA LA’04).
Always a dedicated family man and ordinarily an unassuming middle-school English teacher, Shaeffer is at times someone else entirely—one Jonathan Janz, clandestine author of genre fiction. Together, the person and the persona captivate minds both in the classroom and on the page.
Shaeffer, who kept his writing career secret until recently, has published 19 novels and several short stories. His most recent works include the science fiction-horror novel Veil, which takes place on and around Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, and a short story that appears in a best-selling anthology of works inspired by Stephen King’s The Stand.
“I think being a writer helps me be a better teacher,” Shaeffer says. “I kept the Janz writing to myself because I worried about how people might react, but my students like the fact that I write, too. They respond better when I tell them to write, knowing that I understand the challenges, and they see that it’s possible to find the time to do things you love. It adds a layer of connection.”
Shaeffer has been fascinated by storytelling all his life, beginning when he first saw Star Wars at the age of 3.
“That experience was life-changing for me, even as a little kid, and I’ve been hooked on movies ever since,” he says. “When I was like 8 years old, I started making all these movie posters—I was convinced that I was going to make 100 movies in my lifetime!”
Shaeffer didn’t become interested in fiction writing until he was 14, when he read his first King novel, The Tommyknockers—and for years, he read almost nothing else. Shaeffer still sees the master storyteller as his greatest influence.
“Appearing in that anthology is huge to me—it’s such an honor,” Shaeffer says. “That’s probably the short story I’m most proud of, and it’s certainly the most important given the size of the audience. Plus, there was the simple thrill of being included in a work that has the blessing of Stephen King himself.”
Shaeffer’s own writing career took root late in his senior year of high school. He began visiting the writing lab at school, where he realized he enjoyed writing, but this newfound hobby took on increased meaning after a near-fatal car accident left him homebound with a concussion for several weeks.
“At first, I didn’t realize there was something deep within me—this powerful urge to write—but I immediately found it invigorating, like there was an emotional catharsis,” he says. “After the accident, I had nothing to do because I was home for such a long time. So, I decided to turn what I was writing in the lab into a novel. It was horribly written, but it was fun—and it was an escape for me at a time when I was struggling with missing a lot of my senior year.”
Shaeffer studied English at Purdue and continued to write, developing a pen name that combined his first name with his mother’s maiden name, but his career as Janz didn’t take off until he was in his late 30s. By then, he had already established himself as a teacher.
Shaeffer has now been an educator and coach for 29 years, including the last 23 years at West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School—where he has earned a Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching. In fact, he lives with his wife and three children in a neighborhood that is just steps from both the high school and the university.
So, is Shaeffer a teacher who writes or a writer who teaches? To him, the answer is simple.
“I’m absolutely a teacher first,” Shaeffer says. “I love being a writer, but being a teacher is who I am. I found my teachers to be role models. My grandpa was my father figure, and he was amazing, but I grew up without a father. A lot of my teachers helped fill that gap, and I’ll always remember how much they did to guide me through all the twists and turns of life. I want to be there for my students in the same way.”
“Victories & Heroes: Your Campaign for Purdue” is inspired by the powerful words of Purdue’s fight song, recognizing those who came before. If you have a Purdue hero in your life, we want to hear from you—share your story for an opportunity to be featured.
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—Aaron Martin
