NO NANOWRIMO FOR ME

First, let me start by stating that I’ve got nothing against NaNoWriMo. A few years ago, I participated as well. So, I wish all that participate the best of writing wishes.

Now that’s out of the way, let me tell you why I won’t be participating in NaNoWriMo.

Writing is a craft, a skill, an art. As with any work of art, one needs the correct tools to assist in completing the piece. With painting, an artist may use a myriad of tools to get paint to canvas. Brushes, knives, sponges, and even fingers are used to create the visual image.

The tools of a writer are limitless. First and foremost is our imagination. We create whole worlds out the firing of synapsis in our brain. From there we use the tools of media to bring the images to the visual. Whether it’s pencils, pens, computers, or wooden blocks of type, we use the tools that work best for us.

NaNoWriMo is just another tool for a writer’s art box. For many, this tool allows them to focus intense energy into getting 50k words committed to a project. By providing the structure of daily word counts and fellowship with other writers, many people have achieved their goal of finally writing the book that they’ve only talked about for so long.

For me, it’s a tool that works against my goals. I’m currently 65k into a detective thriller and things are going great. My biggest fault as a writer is wanting to get to the end. I begin a novel knowing where I want it to end. As I move along, I get so excited and caught up in the story, that I tend to rush things. I want to get it all out of me in one big rush and point at it and say, “Look! There it is!”.

However, that’s not a good template for writing detective thrillers.

I need to slow down and take time to build all of the layers. My time as a reporter taught me how to cut out the fat of the story. But, as with cooking, when it comes to writing a good novel, fat is where the flavor is at. True, you can add too much. Still, it’s got to be in there to provide the richness.

So, NaNoWriMo is not the right tool for my style of writing. If it is for you, great. Use the tools that work. Either way, I hope that November is a productive writing month for everyone.

A FLY ON THE WALL

THE ALGONQUIN ROUND TABLE

From a writer’s perspective, let me talk to you about feeling like an outsider.

Last Saturday, I attended the San Diego Writer’s Festival. Although there were several talks and booths to explore, I only attended three panels. Two of them were about mystery writing and one about historical fiction. Since I write both, they were the only subjects that interested me.

The second mystery panel was moderated by a thriller author, Matt Coyle. I met Matt several years ago when he came into the bookstore where I worked and handed me his debut novel and asked me to try it out. Since then, I went on to introduce him at a few of his signings and we always go out of our way to greet each other when we meet.

Because of my bookselling job, I’ve met many well known authors and have grown to know some of them on a first name basis. Luis Alberto Urrea is one of the sweetest guys that I’ve ever met and I love everything he puts his pen to. Jonathan Maberry is the kind of writer who believes in paying it forward and he’s a mentor and cheerleader to so many of us struggling beginners. Both, and Matt included, have always treated me like a member of the writing tribe. Whenever I speak to one of them, they go out of their way to ask about my writing as well.

And yet, I still feel like an outsider.

Maybe it’s because I came to the professional writing gig late in life. Or, maybe it’s because, all though I’ve written three novels and have an agent with a prestigious literary agency, I’ve only sold short stories to a few anthologies and won a couple of writing contests. Whatever the reason, when I’m around these wonderfully accepting people, I still feel like I’m an outsider.

It’s getting better though.

Over the past 12 years, my writing skills have developed to the point where I’m pretty proud of the stuff I put down on the page. And, I’ve read all of the stories about other authors that toiled for just as long or more before they had their first book sale. There are no overnight sensations. So, I’m gaining confidence. I push myself to talk to other writers at gatherings. I try not to be a fly on the wall, watching but not participating. And, if you’re like me, I encourage you to do the same. Because, I’ll tell you the secret that I learned by being around all of those great authors- they have the same doubts as we do.

Oh, and the photo above, that’s the Algonquin Round Table. It was a salon of writers, critics and actors that included such personalities as Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Harold Ross, Robert Sherwood, Noel Coward, Harpo Marx, Tallulah Bankhead, and many more. 12 Years ago, I could never envision sitting at a table with them. Now, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Of course, they’re all dead. So, that’s easy to state. Anyway, you get the point.

Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment below. A writer likes to know that his words are at least hitting one pair of eyes.

TOO SENSITIVE OR NOT TOO SENSITIVE?-THAT IS THE QUESTION

So, I wrote a book.

It’s been said, “write what you know”. That advice can be tricky. If you write about a serial killer, maybe you shouldn’t follow that advice. What if you’re writing about an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh? Is it wrong to try to get inside their head and create a character with which you have no cultural or physical connection?

I’m working up to a point.

A few years back, I wrote a detective short story. I wanted my main character to be unique. He had to avoid being the stereotypical private eye. Even more, I wanted him to be someone that could be underestimated. It would be that characteristic that he could use to his advantage. I had just finished watching Game of Thrones and was impressed by the Peter Dinklage’s portrayal of Tyrion. Here was a character that defied expectations and went on to become a leader (spoiler alert).

I knew a had an image for my detective, Fix Larson.

From the outset, I knew that I had to be careful and make his character as true to life as possible. Fix could not be a stereotype of a person with dwarfism. So, I put in many hours of research. I studied the forms of dwarfism, their symptoms, their challenges, everything I could find. I read blogs and watched posts from people in the Little Person community. Then, I sought out people with dwarfism and asked them to beta read my novel to make sure I got things correct. And I’m glad that I did. For the most part, my portrayal was spot on. However, one awesome reader pointed out some nuances that I got wrong.

I got the novel completed and edited. Then, I sent it to my agent.

That’s where I hit my first wall.

More in my next post.

Please feel free to comment. Also, check out my writer advice posts on TikTok at @jensenjames06

WHAT ABOUT BOOK REVIEWS?

Books live and die by them. Authors both love and hate them. Yes, we’re talking about the book review. A review is simply when a writer or reader decides to praise or pan a book based on their subjective opinion of what they read. And that’s what it is, an opinion. And as my dad always colorfully stated it, “Opinons are like ass*****, everybody has one”.

Being a bookseller as well as a writer, I write reviews. I have a Twitter account just for reviews (@mini_bookreview). Although, I’m woefully behind on posting reviews there. Writing has been taking a front seat this year. Still, I do use that Twitter account to re-tweet other authors, publishers, and bookstores. Occasionally, I’ll have a short review posted in the bookseller review space in the San Diego Union Tribune newspaper.

Unlike some book reviewers, I don’t post bad reviews. As I mentioned at the start, a review is an opinion. Granted, it may be a learned opinion, but an opinion none the less. As such, I refuse to trash a writer’s work just because it didn’t fit my needs or expectations. There are too many good books to say good things about. So, I stay on the positive side. When I post a review, I tag the author as well as their publisher.

Now, remember, I’m a writer as well. So, I long to get a good review on what i’ve written. Don’t believe any author that says a bad review doesn’t affect them. Unless you’re an AI program, you care about what readers think about what you’ve written. Since I’ve only published two short stories in anthologies, my exposure to reviews is limited. Thankfully, I have not received a bad review. However, I’m sure when my novel finally gets published, there will be folks who don’t like it. They might not like it enough that they’ll even take time to write a bad review. It’s part of the game.

What I can’t abide are two types of reviews:

• THE HATCHET JOB REVIEW: This is the type of review where a person goes after an author simply because they don’t like them or what they’re writing about. Often, you can tell they haven’t even read the whole book. They’re just pissed at the world and want to take it out on a writer. You’ll often find them lurking in the shadows of Amazon or it’s subsidiary, Goodreads. They’ll toss out a 1 star review and state they wish that they could give it a negative 4 stars. Take these reviews with a grain of salt.

• THE MAMA REVIEW: This is the type of review that you would expect one’s mother to write. It has nothing to say except that the writing is the best thing out there and everyone should buy one for themselves and all of their friends and relatives. I dislike this kind of review because I can’t trust it. If the reviewer has the same last name as the author, beware. I get it. Everyone wants to help out their friend or family member get good reviews. But, if you’re not being honest, the reader that takes your advice and finds it was a whitewash, they’re going to be pissed at you and the writer. So much for more sales.

Listen, their are two important things that you can do for an author. First, buy their book. That’s right. Don’t ask them for a comp copy unless you’re a professional reviewer. Most writers are doing it for money. Yeah, we love the writing. However, we all want to get paid. The easiest and least expensive thing that you can do for a writer is to read their book and post a well-reasoned and honest review. It will make the writer believe that they’ve not wasted their time and it might get them some extra sales. And like I mentioned above, tag their publisher in the review as well. If their self-published, hashtag the genre in which they write.

So, please take the time to give writers some feedback. It means a lot. However, like your mama said, “If you can’t say something good about someone, keep your mouth shut.

Thanks for reading.

MAKING TIME FOR WRITING

Unless you’re among the extreme minority of writers who make a comfortable living off of those words you create, time is never on your side. Long gone are the days of wealthy patrons who adopt a poor writer and set them up in a spare room on their estate. Or is that just a fantasy we writers like to dream that there used to be?

My bills are paid by my day job as a bookseller. Actually, I live in San Diego. So, it takes my bookselling job and my wife’s bookstore job, and her library job to pay the bills. Even when I was a full-time reporter, I didn’t make a living at it. I’ve always had to juggle my writing time around the paying bills time.

If you have the same problem, I’ve listed below the ways I fit time for writing into my daily work life. Hopefully, some of the ideas will work for you as well. Also, if you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.

• PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A WRITER’S FRIEND: Taking the bus to work gives me 30-40 minutes of uninterrupted writing time on the way to and from work. Either I carry my laptop or use my cell phone to type away on my current WIP or work on notes.

• CARRY YOUR WORK WHEREVER YOU GO: I use the Scrivener writing program. It allows me to go back and forth between my laptop and phone with ease. Anything I write is updated on my other devices. Whenever I’m stuck someplace with nothing to do but wait, I can whip out my phone and knock out a couple of paragraphs.

• TURN OFF DISTRACTIONS: TV and social media are time suckers. Limit your social media time. If you’re on social media, try to make it benefit your writing by sticking to writing groups and posts. Watching TV is fine. But limit it to set times.

• GET YOUR FAMILY INVOLVED: I don’t mean have them help you write. Although, my wife is a great beta reader for me. What I mean is to have your family understand and support your writing goals. Let them know that you’ve set aside time to write and ask them to help you stick to it. I tell my wife that she’s free to nag me when I neglect my writing.

• STAY ORGANIZED: Writing is work. Plan your writing time. Keep your projects organized so you can drop in and out without getting lost. I have a separate email account just for my writing. I use it to email myself story notes, research, and other things directly related to my writing. In that email account, I’ve created folders for each project as well as markets, research and more. That way, I never have to go searching very far for my information.

• KEEP OTHER PROJECTS GOING: I say there’s no such thing as writer’s block if you have more than one project going. If you’ve hit a spot in your novel where the path has grown dark, jump onto another project and dedicate some time there while you give the other project time to rest. It could be something as simple as a short story or even an outline. Not writing is a creativity killer.

All of the above have helped me out. However, I admit that I sometimes get sidetracked and have to correct my course. One thing that’s helped is that I’ve tried to make writing a daily habit. After a couple of weeks of setting aside a certain time to write, you will become uncomfortable if you don’t do it. It will become something you have a desire to do. Try it.

I hope that some of the above ideas help you. Writing isn’t easy. Like anything worthwhile, you have to make it a priority. Give it some dedication, and your writing will reward you. Now, quit reading this and go write.

Thanks for reading,

J.A. Jensen

WHAT SCARES YOU?

Ask a dozen people what scares them and you’ll get a dozen different answers. For our little discussion, let’s put aside the “Real World” terrors such as cancer, job loss, Covid-19, or speaking in public. Instead, let’s dip our toes into the murky waters of supernatural horrors.

For me, it’s a tie between ghosts and demons. Ghosts in general don’t scare me as much as the idea of them popping out unexpectedly. If I was on a ghost investigation, I’d expect a ghost to show up when asked to appear. However, the thought of that ghost showing up in my bedroom uninvited, sends chill bumps down my arm.

Although, I’ve been in situations that were ripe for the opportunity to encounter ghosts, I’ve never seen anything. I’ve been to the notoriously haunted Whaley House, spent the night four different times on the Queesn Mary, and have visited graveyards all around the Deep South, nothing. Sure, there were creepy vibes. However, I didn’t see or hear anything supernatural.

Having been raised in a Southern Baptist background, demons are another subject that will give me the creeps. Unlike ghosts, demons are supposed to be intentionally malevolent. What makes it worse is that religion teaches that even discussing or studying about them can call in all sorts of bad things into your life. When I was in elementary school, I made the mistake of sneaking out to the family room to watch a late-night screening of The Exorcist. When the image of a demon flashed for an instant on the screen, I was terrified that it wasn’t a part of the film. Instead, I was scared that the image was just for me. I stayed that way until I found another kid who saw the movie and confirmed what I saw.

What adds to my fears is my near-sightedness. So, things in the dark are even harder to define. Add to that a vivid imagination, and the shadow of a lamp becomes a wraith hovering in the corner. Oh, and don’t get me started about the latest reality ghost shows that purport to show videos of little “shadow people” skittering along darkened hallways. And the demon that appears in the darkened corner of the opening episode of the new show, Evil? Good God, that creeped me out.

My biggest fear is a darkened window. I avoid looking into darkened windows for fear I will see a ghostly or evil face staring back at me. Even since I can remember, I’ve had to have the curtains drawn at night. Without knowing it, my mother fed into this fear one night long ago. I was sitting at my desk, doing my homework. The night before, I lay in my bed, listening to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater (this was in the 70’s). The story had a ghost that would appear along with a sweet perfumed scent on the night air. This particular night, the Jasmine outside of my window was in full fragrant bloom. My mom thought it would be funny to scratch at the screen of my window. According to her, I slowly stood up and backed out of the room without ever looking towards the window.

So what supernatural thing scares you? Do you fear monsters? Do zombies haunt your dreams? Leave a comment below with your fears or stories of terror. And please stay away from my window at night.

ANGELS AND DEMONS

As well as being a writer, I’m also a bookseller. More specifically, I’m a bookseller at an Indie Bookstore. As such, I abhor what Amazon has done to small businesses, particularly small bookstores. Profit margins are razor-thin for any small business. For bookstores, that margin runs the average of 30-45 % on a good day. Since Amazon has little overhead and can afford to slash book prices in order to gather more Prime customers, they can dominate the market. There’s hardly a day goes by that a customer doesn’t ask if we will match an Amazon price.

Now, with the explosion of online publishing, anyone and their grandpa can publish a book and sell it a dozen different ways. Granted, that means there’s a lot of crap out there. Agents, editors, and publishers have always acted like a filter. True, crap still got published. However, there was some level of professionalism. Also, there was a lot of cookie cutter stories and an industry that didn’t pay much attention to writers that wanted to experiment with the written word. For that matter, they also didn’t pay much attention to when readers wanted to read something fresh and different. If it didn’t meet the established mold, it wasn’t going to hit the big box bookshelves.

A lot of those types of writers and readers flocked to places like Amazon when it started it’s publishing division. Here, they found a place that would print just about anything. Additionally, writers were actually making some money. A lucky few were even making good money.

But there’s a catch.

There’s an ocean of content out there now. Writers have to spend as much time promoting themselves as they do actually creating. Gathering followers and garnering “likes” has become a part of the whole writing process. We’ll do anything to get the reader’s attention.

That’s where I come to my dilemma. As a bookseller, I hate Amazon. As a writer, I want readers. I have an agent. I’ve been published in two anthologies and they are on sale in the bookstore where I work. I’m working on a novel that I hope will be picked up by a traditional publisher. However, I also want to reach more readers. There are so many stories and characters that I want to get out there.

So, I went down to the crossroads and did a little deal with the devil. The crossroads is called Kindle Vella. It’s a place where I can submit a serialized story. It allows me to experiment with a character and hopefully get some reader feedback. I try to sooth my conscience by telling myself that such a work wouldn’t be carried by a bookstore anyway.

Still, I feel a little dirty.

BTW, you can find the story here: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/episode/B09J38Q784

Thanks for reading.

SOCIAL MEDIA: NECESSARY EVIL?

Once a month, a group of fellow writers attend a group meeting called The Writers Coffeehouse. First created by NYT Bestselling author, Jonathan Maberry, there are several Coffeehouses across the states and I believe in the UK. Since Covid, the meetings have been over Zoom. We talk about some of the latest publishing trends as well as discuss best writing practices and celebrate recent successes.

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about social media. Most authors these days know they have to have some sort of social media presence. However, some authors are saying agents and publishers aren’t even interested in your pitches don’t include your social media tags. At the very least, you need to be on Facebook and Twitter to reach readers. LinkedIn is expected if you want to network with other writers , agents, and publishers. Some adventurous writers are even attempting to crack the code of how to use TikTok.

One piece of advice about social media that I’ve taken to heart - keep politics and religion off of your author sites. Take a tour through my author Twitter or author Facebook and you’d never know where my thoughts on those subjects reside. I don’t even click like or comment on other writer’s posts on those subjects.

Many writers have no problem using their author pages to espouse their views. Most of them are well established with loads of fans and enough royalties coming in to not worry about fallout too much. Since I’m still trying to break into the business, I don’t have that luxury. To be honest, even if I did have the following of Stephen King, Don Winslow, or Chuck Wendig, I’m not sure if I would have the nerve.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m quite opinionated. My personal Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are fair game for my personal views. For my political soapbox, I have an anonymous Twitter account. I take a perverse pleasure in poking fun at people drunk with power or spouting nonsense.

So writers, how do you handle social media? Comment below.

WIP - A Florida man....

I’ve written two short stories involving Sherlock Holmes and one novel based on the twin brother of Hercule Poirot. A novel based on Edgar Allen Poe’s Auguste Dupin currently sits at 40k. However, the photo above represents my current project.

As you can imagine, my present work is not my usual historical mystery. In fact, it takes place in contemporary Northwest Florida. Why there? Well, aside from the fact that I was born there, like Carl Hiaasen, I know that Florida is ripe with colorful, crazy characters.

My private detective lives aboard a converted tugboat, much like the one above. That’s only one thing that makes him unusual. Most notable, he’s 4’6”. Having a detective with dwarfism is not unknown. George Chesbro had a detective named, Dr Robert Frederickson (known from his circus days as Mongo). Mongo is a professor of criminology as well as a black belt in martial arts.

My creation, Butch Larson, known to his friends as Fix, is full of surprises as well. Although not a black belt, he learned self defense from his Navy Seal stepfather and is quite adept with using a tactical baton. This talent comes in handy since he’s a terrible shot and doesn't like guns.

Like the best detectives, he has his flaws. He’s currently separated from his wife and has a habit forgetting to attend their daughter’s school activities. Although he’s a loving father and husband, his intensity and habit of getting obsessed with his investigations have taken a toll on his family. Like many people with his form of dwarfism, chronic pain with his joints and bones causes him to suffer with bouts of insomnia.

His current case has him searching for a missing young boy at a Civil War re-enactment campground. Throw in homicidal twins, reptile smugglers, and a cross-dressing unfaithful husband, and the stage is set for some crazy times from the pine tree lined farms to the sugar white sands of a 19th century fort.

It’s time for me to get back to it. I left him ducking bullets.

Least Favorite Word

As writers, we love words. When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do at my grandmother’s house was break out the dictionary and encyclopedias. In elementary school,, vocabulary quizzes were my jam. To this day, I still just like looking up new words.

However, we all have words that leave an awful taste in our mouths. Words that are either used wrong or just plain gross can ruin our reading or discussion with someone you thought you respected.

I asked several writers what were their least favorite words. Here are some answers:

Kira Jane Buxton (author of Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures ) - chafe or giblets.

Jonathan Maberry (author of the Joe Ledger series) - decimate.”People us it wrong all the time”

Christopher Moore (author of Noir) - “If it’s for misuse, unique”

Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat) - Gravy

S A Cosby (author of Razorblade Tears) - mucous

Ok, and mine? Literally. Like Jonathan and Christopher say, people use it incorrectly all of the time. I’m sure that I could come up with more. However, that’s at the top of the list.

Post your least favorite words in the comments.

In the meantime, go out and buy the books mentioned above.

See you next week.