A NEW YEAR OF POSSIBILITIES

Like most people, I had New Year’s Resolutions. As for my writing, my goal was to work on my writing every day. That included getting up at 4:50 AM each weekday morning to write before getting ready for work. The month is coming to a close and I’ve kept my resolution.

The image above is all a white board of the current projects that I have out on submission. I used to only submit one project and wait for an answer. That’s a terrible way to get published. So, I worked and reworked several short stories and started sending them out. If one got rejected, I polished it up and sent it out again.

My private detective novel has been on submission by my agent since October. Any writer who has submitted a novel knows that it’s a long process of endless waiting. My agent sent my manuscript to a few markets and gave them gentle nags until Thanksgiving, when most publishers close down their acquisitions until after the first year. Two weeks into the new year, my agent started the process back up.

So, I’m staying a busy writer. I’m working on a short story for a charity anthology that will benefit the LA Fire victims. I’ve also got a short story that I’m working on that’s a retelling of Poe’s, Murders in the Rue Morgue.

One day, I hope to make these posts into a newsletter. Until then, only I and a few lost internet viewers will read it. If that’s you, thanks.

NOTHING IS INEVITABLE BUT CHANGE

I’m not going to get political on this post. But damn, what a crazy few months. Through it all, I’ve been pounding away at my writing. I’ve written more in the past few months than I have in years. Below are some bullet points of what’s been going on:

• Finished edits on my debut novel, TOADS, TWINS, AND TENACITY.

• My agent has submitted the novel to several publishers and we now play the waiting game.

• Finished a short story using the detective from my novel and submitted it to Alfred Hitchcock magazine.

• Finished and submitted a story about a Golem to a magazine.

• Finished and submitted a short story to an anthology about an aging werewolf with onset dementia.

• Currently working on a short story about the Florida Skunk Ape.

On the social media front, I’ve backed off my engagement on Twitter. It’s become way too toxic lately. I’ll keep my account so that I will maintain my name. However, unless things greatly improve, I won’t be posting much there.

I’ve opened up an account on BlueSky. You can find me under @jajensenbooks. So far, things are pretty chill there. I’m able to link up with other writers and subjects that I’m really interested in following. The platform is good at shutting down trouble makers. I hope it stays that way.

So, lots of irons in the fire for now. Hopefully, as my portfolio grows, so will my readers and connections. Here’s to hoping for a better 2025.

StokerCon 2024

I’ve had a full week to decompress from StokerCon, the Horror Writers Association’s annual convention. It was a whirlwind of activity since my local San Diego Chapter was in charge of putting on the event. After two years of planning, it turned out to be a bloody success and one of the HWA’s largest.

Between attending panels, volunteering, meeting with my new agent, and leading her husband on some tours of San Diego, I got to meet some of the best horror writers in the business. Whenever possible, a writer needs to attend as many author events as possible. The networking and learning you experience are essential to growing your career.

As you might have noticed, I mentioned a new agent. I’m now represented by Cherry Weiner. She’s a powerhouse in a small package. Her expertise has made my current novel 100% better. Keep an eye on this space for more news on future plans for my detective story, Toads, Twins, and Tenacity (A Fix Larson Investigation).

WHEN A LACK OF POSTS IS GOOD

I see it’s been well over a year since my last post. That’s actually a good thing. My writing life has never been busy as it was in 2023. I attended my first BoucherCon. Nothing stirs a writer’s soul like being among their peers and lovers of the craft. It was a crazy week of panels, parties, and networking.

2023 also saw a complete rewrite of my detective thriller, Guns, Grits, and Geckos. Thanks to the wise advice of a wonderful agent, I refocused the narrative and my main character and the story itself is so much better for it. I’ve finished the latest draft and am hoping that it’s ready to pitch. More to come as it happens.

My presence on social media increased also in 2023. I’ve connected with many readers and fellow authors on Tiktok, Twitter (X), and Threads. An author that wants to get ahead in the business can’t afford to stay on the sidelines.

Well, that’s it for now. I have my bookseller day job to get to and pay the bills that allow me to write. More soon.

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.

THE WILD WORLD OF TIKTOK

I first logged onto TikTok for the bookstore where I work. We were trying to broaden our social media presence and it was the latest and fastest growing platform. We already had store accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and two different Instagram accounts. But TikTok was supposedly for the New Generation. Ironically, they chose me, one of the oldest booksellers that they had to create our TikTok account.

I’m a quick study. I researched everything I could about the platform. I watched way too many Youtube videos. But, in the end, nothing quite prepares you for the experience. I didn’t truly begin to get a handle on things until I started my own account, promoting my writing.

The first lesson I learned?

Nobody knows what the hell is truly going on.

Oh, you have tons of videos claiming to know the current algorithm or just the right sounds to use. There was advice on whether or not to use hashtags. Some people said to break up your video into several small bites. Others said to write several paragraphs on the screen so people will watch the whole video. After all, being seen is the most important thing.

Nonsense.

Like any social media platform, the most important thing is to make it work for you. Get out of it what you need. And for my writing, that’s exactly what I do. I don’t care about how many followers that I have or whether one of my three minute videos goes viral.

I’m there to connect with other writers and readers.

That’s what I ask of TikTok and that’s what I get. I stay out of the drama. I don’t post politics. I sure as hell don’t trash anyone.. However, I do offer my advice as a writer and bookseller. I do listen to people that just need someone to listen. I do offer encouragement when I can. And I’m happy with what I get out of TikTok.

As the old saying goes, garbage in, garbage out. Use social media to let in what you want and keep out what you don’t. As with anything, all things in moderation. By the way, my TikTok account is @jensenjames06 . If you’re into writing, stop by and check it out. As with this website, I’d appreciate it if you leave a comment and just say hello. It’s nice to know sometimes that my tappings into the internet are actually reaching people and not being intercepted by ENCOM (look up TRON).

Have a great week humans.

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

Where have I Been?

Being a writer who has a day job to pay the bills causes some things to fall to the side. Although I’ve neglected this website, I’ve not neglected my writing. In fact, it’s been moving better than in a while.

About 40k into a historical novel that I was writing, an old character that I’d created for a short story kept nagging at the edges of my brain. I kept pushing him back, trying to stay focused on the novel in progress. But he refused to be put in the corner. So, I did the I’ll advised move of jumping to a new project.

Why not? There was a lot of potential energy there.

Last month, I finished that new book. Now, it sits with my agent, awaiting it’s turn for her reading. Meanwhile, I’ve started on book two of the new series. The enthusiasm for this character hasn’t dimmed one bit. Instead, it’s grown stronger.

So, what am I doing back on the website? Well, I’m early to a Bollywood party. Luckily, there’s a Starbucks to duck into for about an hour. Since I didn’t have a book and my book two is just in the outlining phase, it seemed like a good time to get this page back on track.

Oh, by the way, I’ve started posting on TikTok. If you’re on that crazy app, stop by and see me. I’m at @jensenjames06 .

Thanks for reading. Take second and say hello.

A BLANK PAGE

The blank page. Does it scare you? Or, does it excite you? Maybe a little of both?

For a writer, it means a new start. Whether it’s the start of sentence, paragraph, chapter, even a story or book.

For many us, it can mean a fresh beginning. Maybe it’s as simple as a new outlook. or as detailed as plan for a life change.

Either way, it’s a symbol for potential.

When I’m writing a story, each blank page has a potential to go in a million directions. Knock on wood, I’ve never had a blank page get in my way. When it comes to my fiction, the page fills up pretty fast. I’m just watching the mind movie and hope that I can capture it on my screen.

When I was a reporter, it was a bit different. There’s always a balance of narrative, style, information, and convention. Things had to follow a more strict format and often the word count and word limit were at odds. Opinion columns flowed well, while feature and news stories took a bit longer.

As for blank pages in life, I’ve had too many to count. In my Jr year of high school, my family moved from San Diego, California to rural Pensacola, Florida. I hated leaving my life-long friends behind. However, it was pretty exciting to start over where nobody knew me. I could create a brand new me.

A few years later, having no clear direction, I followed the example of my Dad and other relatives and joined the Navy. That was definitely a blank page and scary as hell. Although I didn’t make a career out of it, I had some great experiences and traveled the world.

There were even more blank pages to fill. After 10 years out of high school, I met the girl who sat behind me in Home Room and we got married. The next 26 years of marriage filled a whole lot of blank pages. It’s been a story that’s had as many ups and downs as a Lifetime movie. However, through it all, she and I have enjoyed a Mickey and Minnie love that’s never dimmed. In 2008, we both turned over a new blank page and moved to my childhood home of San Diego.

What’s next?

Well, tomorrow I’ll get back to work on my latest novel. I’m nearing the end and all looks like it will wrap up just the way I hoped. My wife and I work at the same bookstore. So, we’ll jump on the bus in the morning and continue working with words.

I’ll look forward to each new page. Hopefully, my life’s story will have several more chapters. I’ve got a great coauthor. I’m not ready for the denouement. However, I’ll take it one page at a time and enjoy the story.

Thanks for reading.