My decade in review - lessons learnt, regrets and gratitude for the 2010s JP Writes 2026-09-18 | My decade in review - lessons learnt, regrets and gratitude for the 2010s
Creating a special edition of my book | Bookcloth and HTV vinyl JP Writes 2024-02-10 | After getting inspired by Instagram and Tiktok, I decided to try my hand at bookbinding and create a special edition version of my book! Unfortunately, turning Powerless into a cloth-covered classic ended up being more difficult than I expected. Bleeding spray paint, peeling foil, annoying software, vinyl that wouldn’t adhere to the cover and poorly cut end pages were too small. It didn’t take me long to realise that bookbinding is not something one can pick up in an afternoon. In this episode, I recover my book using Chelsea bookcloth, and then decorate it using a spikey DNA design cut into Siser htv vinyl using a Cricut Explore.Again, this process took WAY longer than I’d expected – both because I have no idea what I’m doing, but also because my marriage fell apart in the week after my book launched. More on this at the end of the video.Some helpful videos on gilded edges and book binding (they’re all much more proficient than me!): @ingeniusdesigns - youtube.com/watch?v=Er3hIEUuCms - youtube.com/watch?v=bhaZ4znFvww @ThatsMyBookshelf - youtube.com/watch?v=fS-9MsCIFB0 - youtube.com/watch?v=pYl0FvUV0bE - youtube.com/watch?v=NwqhMbblpYQ - youtube.com/watch?v=yjxSaVlcBxM @AnnaMarieReads - youtube.com/watch?v=oOhSF7_Dq4c QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - Have you tried custom sprayed edges, book binding, or recovering books before? How did it go?TIME STAMPS:0:00 - Sprayed and gilded edges0:42 - Recovering my book3:00 - Applying the HTV vinyl9:05 - My crepe eraser saves the day!10:08 - Endpages12:14 - Lessons learnedABOUT POWERLESS: 📚 Get the first three chapters for free at jacquelinepretty.com 🛍️Order here: amazon.com/dp/B0BXFCQ32G 🔖Add to Goodreads: goodreads.com/book/show/123213427-powerless ⚠️Trigger warnings: Self harm, strong language, violence #bookbinding #selfpublishing #indiepublishing
I tried making a special edition of my book | Gilded edges (not a book binder!) JP Writes 2024-02-07 | After getting inspired by Instagram and Tiktok, I decided to try my hand at bookbinding and create a special edition version of my book! Unfortunately, turning Powerless into a cloth-covered classic ended up being more difficult than I expected. Bleeding spray paint, peeling foil, annoying software, vinyl that wouldn’t adhere to the cover and poorly cut end pages were too small. It didn’t take me long to realise that bookbinding is not something one can pick up in an afternoon. In this episode, I cover two versions of page edges – custom sprayed edges and gilded edges. It took WAY longer than I’d hoped. Some helpful videos on gilded edges and book binding (they’re all much more proficient than me!): @ingeniusdesign - youtube.com/watch?v=Er3hIEUuCms - youtube.com/watch?v=bhaZ4znFvww @ThatsMyBookshelf - youtube.com/watch?v=fS-9MsCIFB0 - youtube.com/watch?v=pYl0FvUV0bE - youtube.com/watch?v=NwqhMbblpYQ - youtube.com/watch?v=yjxSaVlcBxM@AnnaMarieReads - youtube.com/watch?v=oOhSF7_Dq4c QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - Have you tried custom sprayed edges, book binding, or recovering books before? TIME STAMPS: 0:00 - IngramSpark Digital Cloth 2:30 - Bookbinding Instagram! 2:58 - Gilding my book edges (attempt 1) 8:20 - HTV vinyl for the cover 9:04 - Peeling the foil (attempt 2) 11:12 - Designing the cover 15:38 - Attempts 3 and 4 16:52 - Page splitting shenanigans 23:46 - Sprayed book edges 28:47 - Foiled again! 31:17 - Solved! ABOUT POWERLESS: 📚 Get the first three chapters for free at jacquelinepretty.com 🛍️Order here: amazon.com/dp/B0BXFCQ32G 🔖Add to Goodreads: goodreads.com/book/show/123213427-powerless ⚠️Trigger warnings: Self harm, strong language, violence #bookbinding #selfpublishing #indiepublishing
I tried to make a special edition version of my book, Powerless! #bookbinding #selfpublishing JP Writes 2024-02-04 | ...
Live interview about my debut novel, Powerless! JP Writes 2023-06-15 | Excited to chat to Nicole Wilbur LIVE about my debut novel, Powerless!📖 About Powerless 📖When Hanna was eight, her older sister burst into flames—the first of her siblings to get superpowers. Eight years later and Hanna now has three other superpowered siblings, while she remains disappointingly powerless.Hanna’s father, Artem Super, is the scientist responsible for discovering the super gene mutation. She has been working in his lab, desperate to find a way to unlock the powers hidden in her DNA before his patience runs out. Unfortunately for Hanna, a suspected research leak is all the reason Artem needs to have his superpowered children force her out of their home. She has one shot at redemption—if she gets powers, she can come back.Hanna’s quest leads her to tangle with the Russian mafia and learn dark secrets about her father’s past, prompting her to question where her loyalties lie, and just how far she will go to prove herself.
How to get your book in stores JP Writes 2023-06-10 | That’s how it works… right? 😂#bookmarketing #indieauthor #indiepublishing #selfpublishing #authortube
#editing 😅 JP Writes 2023-05-24 | You know that moment when you find a problem in your draft, but solving it will make the rest of the story collapse?Yeah, me too 😅#writing #authortube
My self-publishing journey with Powerless, and how much it cost JP Writes 2023-05-17 | It's less than one month until Powerless comes out! So I thought it would be a good time to take you through my publishing journey, from writing the book through to some of my marketing plans, including how much the self-publishing process cost. (Spoiler - it was a lot more than what many indie authors spend).If you prefer to read, here's a blog post where I outline the self-publishing process, with some more detail on costs, timeframes, and what I would/wouldn't recommend: jacquelinepretty.com/powerless-self-publishing-steps-cost TIME STAMPS: 1:16 - Write the book!2:11 - Beta readers3:31 - Manuscript critiques10:43 - Copyedits12:53 - Page design14:47 - Proofread15:48 - Cover design19:32 - Distribution21:58 - Marketing23:26 - Competitions and conferences ABOUT POWERLESS:📚 Get the first three chapters for free at jacquelinepretty.com🛍️Pre-orders: amazon.com/dp/B0BXFCQ32G🔖Add to Goodreads: goodreads.com/book/show/123213427-powerless⚠️Trigger warnings: Self harm, strong language, violence #selfpublishing #indieauthor #indiepublishing
Powerless cover reveal! JP Writes 2023-03-10 | It’s finally here! I’m so excited to reveal the cover of my debut novel, Powerless! Isn’t she pretty? 🥰Powerless tells the story of Hanna, the only ‘normal’ girl in a family of superheroes. When she is kicked out of home with the ultimatum to get powers, she tangles with the Russian mafia and learns dark secrets about her father’s past, which prompt her to question where her loyalties lie and just how far she’ll go to get powers.The eBook is up for pre-order on Amazon, with the paperback and hardcover still to come. And, if you’d like a sneak peek of the content, you can sign up for the first three chapters on my website at jacquelinepretty.com🗓️ Release date: June 13📚Free chapters: jacquelinepretty.com🛍️Pre-orders: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BXFCQ32G (other retailers coming soon!)⚠️Trigger warnings: Self harm, strong language, violence TIME STAMPS: 0:10 - About Powerless0:40 - My book cover design brief8:14 - How I worked with my cover designer11:50 - The cover!!!12:04 - My cover thoughts FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jacquelinepretty.com Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #coverreveal #indieauthor #authortube
Why Im self-publishing my debut novel JP Writes 2023-02-25 | I wrote the first draft of Powerless for Nanowrimo in 2019. When I revisited it a few months later, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I liked the story, and I thought I had a chance of getting it traditionally published.Over the next year, I got beta reader feedback and manuscript critiques. I revised the book. And in April 2021, I sent my first queries.Almost 18 months and over 80 rejections later, I'd decided that clearly this book wasn't good enough to get published, so I was going to put Powerless to the side and focus on something else. But then I won an award. And was shortlisted for another one. And got great editor feedback. And was accepted into a selective writing workshop based on pages from Powerless. Maybe it wasn't that bad after all?In this video I share why I decided to self-publish, which is both exciting and also terrifying.PRE-ORDER POWERLESS:Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0BXFCQ32GADD POWERLESS TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR:goodreads.com/book/show/123213427-powerlessFIND ME ONLINE:Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writesWebsite: jpwrites.coNanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites#selfpublishing #writing #authortube
When the name you made up for your books fictional country already exists... JP Writes 2023-02-22 | I swear it was an original name! We spent months brainstorming - something that would fit with the other countries in the Baltics, something that would sound like it was a real place... only to discover that my book's fictional country used to be a real place. 😭 FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
Did I accidentally plagiarise my book? 😅 JP Writes 2023-02-15 | There are only so many stories that yours can be compared to before you start to wonder if you have any original ideas 😅 FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
When your editor makes 5k changes... because your book is good? JP Writes 2023-02-08 | When you send your book baby off for copyedits, and your editor makes nearly 5,000 changes. And when you reach out (burning with embarrassment) to apologise, she tells you that the reason she made so many changes was because your book read well... which meant she edited more aggressively than usual? 🤔FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
2-week book challenge - the final 48 hours | Writing vlog JP Writes 2023-01-15 | Part 2 of my attempt to write a book in two weeks!It's 2023 and I'm self-publishing Powerless, with a planned release date in June! But first, I need to figure out it Powerless is going to be one book or two - at the moment, there are some things I've left open, and if it ends up being a standalone book, I need to tie up those loose ends before sending the manuscript to my copyeditor on January 16th.But how to know? I've never written a sequel before, which means I'm not sure if I can.Enter: The challenge! Write the sequel to Powerless in the two-week Christmas shutdown at work (December 24th to January 8th). 60,000 words in 16 days, or 3,750 words a day. That sounds doable... I think 😅QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:- Should I vlog the rest of the journey when I pick up Powerless 2 again?FIND ME ONLINE:Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writesWebsite: jacquelinepretty.comNanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites#writingvlog #writing #authortube
Can I write a book in 2 weeks? | Writing challenge vlog JP Writes 2023-01-12 | It's 2023 and I'm self-publishing Powerless, with a planned release date in June! But first, I need to figure out it Powerless is going to be one book or two - at the moment, there are some things I've left open, and if it ends up being a standalone book, I need to tie up those loose ends before sending the manuscript to my copyeditor on January 16th.But how to know? I've never written a sequel before, which means I'm not sure if I can.Enter: The challenge! Write the sequel to Powerless in the two-week Christmas shutdown at work (December 24th to January 8th). 60,000 words in 16 days, or 3,750 words a day. That sounds doable... I think 😅 QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - Do you think I'll hit the 60,000 word goal? And do you think I'll finish the book? TIME STAMPS: FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writingvlog #writing #authortube
Why Marcus is the only character in Arcane stuck in a state of penance | An Arcane video essay JP Writes 2022-02-07 | I don't know about you, but I found Marcus to be a very interesting character in Riot's Arcane (and not just because I'm a fellow Aussie). What I found interesting was that, while several of the characters have made big mistakes in their pasts - mistakes that had cost relationships, lives and more - Markus seemed to be the only one who wanted to make amends, but who also couldn't.He wanted to repent, but was too trapped to do so in Acts 2 and 3 of Arcane. And this meant his character was stuck in a perpetual state of limbo - a purgatory of penance, if you like.It got me thinking about the necessary steps to complete the ritual of penance, and why he was stuck while other characters (like Vi, Jinx and Vander) didn't seem to be - at least not to the same extent.Anyway, here are those thoughts - welcome to yet another Arcane video essay!Other Arcane essays:- Loyalty and Leadership in Netflix's Arcane: youtu.be/hapflnWC0aA- Watching Netflix's Arcane as a Big Sister: youtu.be/Qc0eVSnKU9U- How Arcane Masters Tragedy: youtu.be/4Jkf2622v5w#arcane #videoessay #marcusarcane
Loyalty and leadership in Netflixs Arcane | An Arcane video essay JP Writes 2022-01-05 | In Act 3 of Arcane, there's an arc where Silco might lose his position of leadership in the undercity. The Chem Barons are dissatisfied with the way he is running things, and Finn wants to oust him.He approaches Sevika about joining him as an ally, and this leads to a scene where Sevika, Finn and Silco are all around Silco's desk, and it's not clear whose side Sevika is on as she draws her knife.Then Silco starts talking about loyalty, and this struck be as odd, because we've seen that Sevika isn't the most loyal person - she sided with Silco against Vander in Act 1. It got me thinking - what were the differences between Vander and Silco, that led to Sevika being loyal to one and not the other?Other Arcane video essays:- Loyalty and Leadership in Netflix's Arcane: youtu.be/hapflnWC0aA- Watching Netflix's Arcane as a Big Sister: youtu.be/Qc0eVSnKU9U- How Arcane Masters Tragedy: youtu.be/4Jkf2622v5wFIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #arcane #videoessays #sevika
Reacting to Arcane as an older sibling | An Arcane video essay JP Writes 2021-12-24 | @schnee1's video on watching Arcane as a younger sibling popped up in my YouTube recommendations, and I immediately started thinking about my experience watching Arcane as an older sibling - especially when it comes to Vi and Powder's arc in Act 1, and how Vi spends Acts 2 and 3 trying to restore what they have lost.So, here is MY reaction to Arcane as a big sister. I felt so strongly for Vi - for Powder too, of course. But I felt for Vi in the position of a big sister and a leader who's trying to do the right thing - leaving Powder behind to protect her, stepping away to grieve - only to have it blow up in her face, and for their relationship to be irreparable.Other Arcane video essays:- Loyalty and Leadership in Netflix's Arcane: youtu.be/hapflnWC0aA- Watching Netflix's Arcane as a Big Sister: youtu.be/Qc0eVSnKU9U- How Arcane Masters Tragedy: youtu.be/4Jkf2622v5wFIND ME ONLINE:Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writesWebsite: jpwrites.coNanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites#arcane #videoessay #vi
How Arcane masters tragedy - a video essay (spoilers!) JP Writes 2021-12-15 | So I've watched Arcane twice (probably closer to three times after doing this video), and I can't get it out of my head and my heart. It's epic and hopeless, and my life is now meaningless because I will never create anything this beautiful. 😭But why has Arcane stuck with me? I'm not a League of Legends player, so it's not due to having a previous relationship with the world. And the art is stunning, but there are plenty of shows that are gorgeous without being so impactful. For me, I think it's the story - especially how Arcane masters tragedy.Other Arcane video essays:- Loyalty and Leadership in Netflix's Arcane: youtu.be/hapflnWC0aA- Watching Netflix's Arcane as a Big Sister: youtu.be/Qc0eVSnKU9U- How Arcane Masters Tragedy: youtu.be/4Jkf2622v5wTIME STAMPS: 01:32 - Powder06:13 - Vi11:43 - Vander15:13 - Silco18:34 - Jayce FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #arcane #videoessay
Nanowrimo week 4 vlog, with only 30k words to go! A writing vlog JP Writes 2021-12-04 | It's now officially December, which means National Novel Writing Month is over. Unsurprisingly, I didn't win this year 😅QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:- What are your writing plans now that Nanowrimo's over?TIME STAMPS:00:00 - Nanowrimo day 2203:30 - Nanowrimo day 2307:01 - Nanowrimo day 2712:22 - Nanowrimo day 2817:33 - Nanowrimo day 2919:02 - Nanowrimo closing thoughtsFIND ME ONLINE:Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writesWebsite: jpwrites.coNanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites#nanowrimo #writingvlog #authortube
Nanowrimo week 3 writing vlog - realising Im not going to win Nano 😢 JP Writes 2021-11-25 | In which I realise that I'm not going to catch up in Nanowrimo - I started the week 10,000 words behind, missed two days, and then realised that with my job I'm not going to be able to make up the difference before the end of November. 😢By November 21st, I was officially over 20,000 words behind on my Nanowrimo goal (and sneak peek for week 4 - I haven't caught up). I am feeling a lot better than I was at the beginning of week 3, though. For me, Nanowrimo is about getting back into writing, which I've been doing. If I don't hit 50,000 words, that's a shame, but it's not the primary goal of the challenge.I also forgot to finish filming on Sunday, so things end a little abruptly. 😅 QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - How's your Nanowrimo going? TIME STAMPS: FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #nanowrimo #writingvlog #authortube
Nanowrimo week 2 vlog - still 10,000 words behind! (A writing and travel vlog) JP Writes 2021-11-16 | It's week 2 of Nanowrimo! This week my husband and I were on holiday in Porto, Portugal, and I thought I'd be able to use the break to catch up on my writing. Alas, while I did get writing done, I struggled to close my 10,000 word gap. 😢QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:- How's your Nano going? If you're on track, how did you keep up? If you're behind, how are you planning to catch up?TIME STAMPS:00:20 - Nanowrimo day 7 - no writing01:36 - Nanowrimo day 8 - still no writing04:16 - Nanowrimo day 9 - writing! Finally!07:54 - Nanowrimo day 10 - visiting Livraria Lello19:51 - Nanowrimo day 11 23:53 - Nanowrimo day 1328:51 - Nanowrimo day 14FIND ME ONLINE:Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writesWebsite: jpwrites.coNanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites#nanowrimo #writingvlog #authortube
Nanowrimo week 1 writing vlog! And Im already 10k words behind JP Writes 2021-11-07 | It's week 1 of Nanowrimo, and while I started the week with the best of intentions, I finished 9,636 words behind on my book. This is also a bit annoying considering I did about 5,000 words on my Nano project in the three days before November 1st - maybe I should have held off? QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - How's your Nano going? If you're on track, how did you keep up? If you're behind, how are you planning to catch up? TIME STAMPS: 00:00 - Nanowrimo day 1 - no writing01:31 - Nanowrimo day 2 - the official start03:39 - Nanowrimo day 306:23 - Nanowrimo day 407:13 - Nanowrimo day 5 - being an influencer for my company 11:06 - Nanowrimo day 7 - thoughts for the road ahead FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #nanowrimo #writingvlog #authortube
Prepping for Nanowrimo in Nice! A travel and writing vlog ft. Nicole Wilbur JP Writes 2021-11-03 | Ooh - two videos in a week! 😂Back in August, I got an email from my friend and fellow authortuber @Nicole Wilbur, letting me know that she was on the same continent as me, and we should do something! We checked out calendars and settled on a mini writing retreat in Nice at the end of October - just in time to prepare for Nanowrimo.The most surprising part? I actually wrote something! It's only been a year and a half 😅FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writingvlog #nanowrimo #authortube
Everything I read in Q3! (It wasnt much 😅) JP Writes 2021-10-29 | Once again, time has done it's thing, which means another quarter is over and it's time for another reading vlog! Though this time I didn't read a lot... four books, to be exact.Wondering why? I recently moved countries - you can see that saga at QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:- What was your favourite read recently? Please share all your book recommendations! TIME STAMPS: 1:22 - Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn3:56 - Nemesis by Brendan Reichs9:30 - Necrotic Apocalypse trilogy by David Petrie: Ravenous, Revenant and Rend FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #booktube #bookreviews #reading
Moving to Switzerland vlog! JP Writes 2021-10-02 | Our long-awaited move is finally here! After planning to move to Switzerland since April 2020, when I first interviewed for my current job, the time has finally arrived - our residence permits are approved, our visas have been organised, we've given notice on our apartment in Estonia and our flights are booked.Unfortunately, moving to Switzerland is a little complicated, with a lot of red tape and no single source of truth about processes. All I can say is that it's been a journey! FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #movingvlog #internationalmove
Outlining my new novel with Save the Cat, Story Engineering, Story Circle and Take Off Your Pants! JP Writes 2021-08-07 | It's time to start writing a new book, and because I haven't been brave enough to completely pants a project yet, the first step is outlining it. Over the past couple of years, I've created a tradition where I trial three new plotting methods when I start a new project. This time, though, I decided to cherry pick my favourite outlining exercises, including:- The story core from Take Off Your Pants by Libbie Hawker- The beat sheet and board from Save the Cat by Blake Snyder- The structure from Story Engineering by Larry Brooks- Dan Harmon's Story Circle, for filling in the Story Engineering structureIt took over a month, but now I have a sort of outline for me new book! Next step - writing it 😅QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - What's your favourite plotting and outlining method? Let me know! TIME STAMPS: 2:42 - Take Off Your Pants story core9:16 - Save the Cat beat sheet19:12 - Random thoughts and reflections on the beat sheet24:35 - Story Engineering structure28:50 - Starting again because I packed all my notes 😅33:46 - Story Circle (and circles, and circles...)38:21 - Save the Cat board39:25 - Closing thoughtsBOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO: - Take Your Pants Off by Libbie Hawker amzn.to/2AMP7dI - Save the Cat by Blake Snyder amzn.to/2oqanU7 - Story Engineering by Larry Brooks amzn.to/2nrnx2L RELEVANT VIDEOS AND PLAYLISTS:- Plotting playlist (excuse the terrible video quality at the beginning - my iPhone was not up to the task of authortube) - youtube.com/watch?v=TsPIBG3Kir4&list=PLlUUfy9MJDuQ0UgRqD5V20e3UvU0BSPZm&ab_channel=JPWrites- Tyler Mowery's channel - youtube.com/channel/UCFnskmQu5NjjJ2rooCSF7twFIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #outlining #savethecat
Everything I read in Q2! (Mostly superhero books and rom coms) JP Writes 2021-07-25 | It's July. How is it July? But July means it's now Q3, so it's time for a Q2 reading wrap up! In Q2 I read 25 books (though two were short stories, so 23 books and two short stories, if you want to get technical). I dove into superhero fiction, since I'm currently querying Powerless, and got lost in the Murder of Crows/Post-break world books by Chris Tullbane, and the Don't Tell My Parents series by Richard Roberts.On the rom-com side, I loved the Chance of a Lifetime books by Kate Clayborn.Other than that, the top reads of the quarter were definitely Reverie by Ryan La Sala and The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen - both highly recommended! QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - What was your favourite read recently? Please share all your book recommendations! TIME STAMPS: 00:56 - Please Don't Tell My Parents series by Richard Roberts04:06 - Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain08:20 - Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew up the Moon10:19 - Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have Henchmen11:35 - Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have a Nemesis15:13 - Please Don't Tell My Parents You Believe Her16:42 - The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen20:15 - A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy26:05 - Reverie by Ryan La Sala29:02 - Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland32:34 - Heist Society by Ally Carter34:58 - Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson37:16 - Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne40:10 - Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas40:57 - It Happened in Nashville by Sarah Adams41:30 - Chance of a Lifetime series by Kate Clayborn45:11 - Murder of Crows series by Chris Tullbane45:58 - See These Bones48:05 - Red Right Hand48:59 - The Storm in Her Smile50:20 - The Stars that Sing51:10 - Empire of Pain by Pattrick Radden Keefe54:01 - No One Would Listen by Harry Markopolous55:07 - Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #booktube #bookreviews #reading
A rambly writing chat about self-doubt and my new writing project while I pack for our move JP Writes 2021-07-10 | My husband and I are moving to Switzerland in less than a month! So while I do a test pack (yes, we're testing packing before we have to do it for real 😅), I touch base about my new writing project, as well as self-doubt about starting something new when it's been so long since I last completed a manuscript.QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - How long did it take for you to build confidence in your writing? For you to get past that stage where you feel like the last project is the last good thing you'll ever write, and to have faith in your ability to write new things in the future?- What helps you get through the awkward initial stages of a new writing project? FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #writer #authortube
How do you query a book that isnt marketable? #querytrenches JP Writes 2021-06-27 | I'm currently querying my YA superhero book Powerless, and I recently realised that I don't have any good comps (comparison titles) to include in my query letter.This is not a good sign - comps tell an agent or publisher how much of a market there is for a certain type of book, and I can't find anything published in 2020 or 2021 which is a good fit, which doesn't give me much confidence about the current market.So now I'm trying to figure out what to do now - should I keep querying? Put the book on hold? Self-publish instead? QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - What would you do in this situation - keep querying, put the book on hold until the market/your success as an author changes, or self-publish?- If you're a hybrid author, did you find that your self-publishing experience helped or hindered your ability to find a traditional book deal?- How do you get past the 'is it good enough' concern when self-publishing? FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #querytrenches #authortube #writer
Its been a while! Heres a rambly chat about where Ive been and whats next JP Writes 2021-06-12 | It's been a while!FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writer #authortube
Where to draw the line between plagiarism, and taking inspiration from another piece writing? JP Writes 2021-04-24 | A couple of years ago, I was listening to the Story Grid podcast and was fascinated by a short series within the show called The Masterwork Experiment. The idea was that you could dissect an original piece of work (a masterwork) to figure out all the key elements and beats that made it work. Then you could use that dissection as a template for creating a new piece of work.As someone who loves structure and outlines, this idea fascinated me, and I always thought it would be interesting to try. Then, when I was dissatisfied with the FFVII remake, I thought, what if I tried this for FFX - the Final Fantasy of my heart?This then led to me thinking about plagiarism - at what point is something like this plagiarism, versus having taken inspiration from an existing piece of work?QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - Where do you think the line should be drawn between plagiarism vs. tropes and conventions vs. taking inspiration from an existing piece of work? And if something is inspired by an existing piece of work, should it be published and sold as an original piece of work, or should the creator be acknowledging the owner of the original IP somehow? FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #plagiarism #fanfiction
Everything I read in the first quarter of 2021! JP Writes 2021-04-17 | Here's everything I read in Q1 of 2021! TIME STAMPS: 1:15 - Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess3:44 - Stray Souls (Magicals Anonymous #1)7:03 - Take a Hint, Dani Brown9:39 - This Savage Song12:55 - The Litigators15:15 - The Rapture18:22 - Six Wakes20:00 - The Hating Game21:33 - 99 Percent Mine23:15 - You Deserve Each Other25:49 - Jurassic Park28:25 - To Have and to Hoax30:25 - The Kiss Quotient31:46 - The Bride Test33:05 - Us Against You36:14 - Emerett Has Never Been in LoveQUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:- What's your top read of 2021 to date? FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #booktube #bookreview #reading
I tried writing a query letter in the style of 10 different authors JP Writes 2021-04-10 | I'm about to start querying my YA book Powerless, and the query letter is not going well. How do you condense a 79,000 word book to just 200-300 words? Definitely not my forte.So I decided to look at some agented authors who had written successful query letters. More specifically, I took my top 4-5 agents, looked at their client lists (specifically, clients writing YA sci fi and fantasy), and then I Googled every one of those authors to see if I could find a query letter.Five hours later, and I had a short list of 10 query letters I wanted to emulate. See the results here: drive.google.com/file/d/1hfy22X83NFKUc1oh3OTrttetXbxGeRPP/view?usp=sharingNow, on to the query trenches! Being a writer's fun. 😅QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - Which of the queries do you like the best? TIME STAMPS: 0:00 - It's time to query and I'm freaking out0:56 - An intro to query letters3:08 - Victoria (VE) Schwab's query letter5:18 - Victoria Lee's query letter9:51 - Query 1: In the style of VE Schwab12:53 - Query 2: In the style of Victoria LeeUSEFUL RESOURCES:-Victoria Lee's query letter blog post: victorialeewrites.com/querying-a-complicated-book-dissecting-the-elephant- Victoria Schwab's query letter: veschwab.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/wednesday-breaks-down-the-query- The Query Shark blog: queryshark.blogspot.com#writing #authortube #querytrenches
I tried 5 plotting methods to fix a scene | A writing vlog JP Writes 2021-04-03 | I'm in the process of revising my YA manuscript Powerless before sending it to a book coach, and there's one scene I just haven't been able to crack. So I decided it was time to go back to my writing basics, and take some advice from some of the craft books I've used over the years to fix it.After looking at the magical cookies method, Story Genius's scene cards, The Anatomy of Story, The Story Grid and Story Engineering, I THINK I've gotten somewhere, but the book coach will be the judge of that!QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - What do you do when you have a scene that just isn't working? Have you found a method that works? TIME STAMPS:01:20 A beginner's guide to Powerless02:35 The scene that isn't working04:57 Magical cookies08:10 Story Genius's scene cards11:52 The Anatomy of Story14:06 The Story Grid17:44 Trying to apply Story Grid after drafting the scene27:49 Incremental vs. transformative changes31:40 Story Engineering RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO: - Story Genius by Lisa Cron amazon.com/Story-Genius-Science-Outlining-Riveting/dp/1607748894- The Anatomy of Story by John Truby amzn.to/32wWLaP- Story Grid by Shawn Coyne amzn.to/32vuuRR- Story Engineering by Larry Brooks amzn.to/2nrnx2L- @abbie emmons' scene cards video: youtube.com/watch?v=JCmvNvUjqvg- @susan dennard's magical cookies blog post: susandennard.com/2013/10/21/how-i-plan-a-book-part-4-coaxing-out-the-magical-cookies FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #writingvlog #scenecards
Camp Nanowrimo is coming! Goals and projects for April JP Writes 2021-03-27 | Camp Nanowrimo is coming! Here I discuss my plans (both Powerless and Fantasy Hot Mess are featured) and goals for Camp Nanowrimo in April 2021. QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - Are you doing Camp Nanowrimo in April? What's your goal and project for the month? FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #campnanowrimo #nanowrimo #writing
How do you know when to give up on a writing project? Returning to Powerless! JP Writes 2021-03-20 | I was chatting to a friend last week, and it turns out she's doing a book coaching accreditation and has an assignment where she needs to critique a completed manuscript. Then she asked me - did I have a complete draft she could review?My mind immediately went to Powerless - my 75,000-word YA book where superheros meet the Russian mafia. 6 months since I got my beta reader feedback, and I was so excited to get back into it!But where does that leave my current writing work in progress - my Fantasy Hot Mess? Here I talk about the factors that helped me decide to focus on putting that book on hold so I can prepare Powerless for a book coach.QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - How do you decide whether to put a writing project on hold? Are the factors different when putting a project on hold temporarily, versus 'giving up' on it permanently? FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #writer #authortube
Being a full-time writer for a week - writing vlog part 2! JP Writes 2021-03-13 | Part two of my attempt to be a full-time writer for a week, where I discover I might need to get rid of one of my main characters to make my book work. 😭😭😭We also took a day trip to Narva and waved at Russia across the river.QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - How do you approach complex plots? Do you try to figure it all out in advance, or do you start with a simple skeleton that you then build on?- Do you like getting a behind-the-scenes look at writing thought processes like this? Do you want to see a video of me figuring out whether to keep Aubrey in the book? TIME STAMPS: FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writingvlog #writer #authortube
I tried being a full-time writer for a week! A weekly writing vlog (Part 1) JP Writes 2021-03-06 | I had a week off work and, after having made very little progress over nearly two months, I decided it was time to forge ahead with my Fantasy Hot Mess.It didn't exactly go to plan. I mean, I made progress, I thought, I wrote... but somehow I'm at the exact same part of the story as two months ago. 😅 QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - Are you a full-time writer? How do you structure your time?- Or, if you'd like to become a full-time writer, what would an ideal week look like for you?TIME STAMPS:2:25 - Rewriting a scene for the 4th time10:20 - Recap of this book so far12:51 - Figuring out my different characters14:30 - The problem with unpicking scenes...17:25 - Do I really need these scenes?22:07 - More time doesn't = more mental capacity23:54 - Scenes need purposes, and what to do with Aubrey28:20 - Reading counts... right?32:29 - Introducing my antagonist33:28 - I have 27,258 words!36:55 - I have 38,000 words! FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writingvlog #writing #authortube
Perceived urgency in writing and publishing - do we need it? A writing ramble JP Writes 2021-02-28 | With Nanowrimo encouraging people to write their book in a month, hustle culture telling us we need to grit our teeth and work all hours of the day and night to pursue our dreams, and the traditional publishing process taking years, it can feel like we need to get our books written and on submission NOW.But is this thinking helpful? Does pushing ourselves to write lead to better, more consistent work, or burnout? If we sacrifice our wellbeing as writers in the short term, will our future author selves thank us in the long term?I've been thinking about this a lot lately - the perceived urgency created by the length of the publishing process (once I finish the book, it might take two years to find an agent and another year to find a publisher and another two years to make it to print, so I'd better hurry up!), and whether it's helpful to writers. Or whether it's better to just let go of the expectation of producing great work quickly and enjoying the process.What do you think? Do you feel like there's a sense of urgency to complete the writing process because the (traditional) publishing process takes such a long time? Or would you consider writing without even thinking of getting published?LINDSEY'S QUERY VLOGS:- Part 1: youtube.com/watch?v=1xChFmn7JWQ- Part 2: youtube.com/watch?v=JrbSIrHGrRsFIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #writer #publishing
I tried writing from the office for a week | A weekly writing vlog JP Writes 2021-02-06 | My writing hasn't been going that well in 2021. In fact, since the New Year's long weekend, I've barely written anything. Honestly, it's been cold and dark and snowy, and all I've really wanted to do is laze in bed with a book. 😅So I thought - what if my environment's the problem? Or, what if changing my environment would help me feel more motivated to write?I decided - for one week I would try writing from the office (i.e. the place where I go for my day job). I would get to the office early to write before work, I would stay late to write afterwards. I'd even try going in on the weekend.What happened? I had my best writing week since that long weekend! Though now I'm stuck again... this is the book that would never end. 😅 QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - What are the best environments or location for your writing? Where are you the most productive, and where do you do your best work?TIME STAMPS:1:33 - Why am I going to the office to write?2:48 - Writing progress for 2021 (so far)3:32 - Day 16:25 - Day 212:22 - Day 423:24 - Day 626:16 - Lunchtime walks in Tallinn28:55 - Thoughts on the week!FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writingvlog #writing #authortube
When writers keep telling the same story... JP Writes 2021-01-30 | So I was reflecting on my writing projects and I realised - I seem to be writing the same story.While the individual characters and worlds are different, common themes keep coming up. My antagonists tend to be parental figures (particularly fathers). Sibling relationships are at the heart of my stories. 'With great power comes great responsibility' is a recurring theme in my world building and macro conflict. And in every dark night of the soul I've written or outlined, I've locked my characters up.Then I noticed that VE Schwab, one of my favourite writers, does the same thing. I've read at least three of her books that have 'hard girl/soft boy' dynamics for the main POV characters. I've also noticed evangelical motivations behind her villains in another three of her books. Yet I still like most of her books.So I'm wondering - is this a problem? While any writer will likely have themes she wants to keep exploring, when does it become a problem? Let me know your thoughts! FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #writer #authortube
The most important questions for writers | Beating writers block JP Writes 2021-01-23 | I started the year with the goal of finally finishing my fantasy hot mess. I've written this book twice now, and am currently working on the third draft, but I keep starting to write and then getting stopped, and I haven't been able to figure out why.So I started writing a summary of everything that was happening in my book to see where the gaps were, and I discovered two common questions popped up:- Why?- Why now?Why are my characters doing this? Why do they want to do it? And why are they doing it NOW, versus yesterday, or five years ago, or five years from now?More often than not, my answer was: 'because plot!' Because I wanted the characters in a certain place so they could meet other characters and the story could get started. The problem with this approach, is it means things keep happening in my story that don't seem to have any logic or reason behind them.So here I try to explain why these two questions are so important for writers, and how they relate to my book. It's a bit of a ramble! QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - What are your top questions for filling plot holes, or defeating writer's block?FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #writersblock #authortube
Trying to figure out how to fix my book... and now I need to write 1.5 books??? JP Writes 2021-01-16 | I have a book that I've been trying to figure out for 15 years. I have two drafts, and this year I started my third, only to hit 30,000 words and realise that I needed to start again. 😭So, I decided to take a step back and do some more thinking (though after three months on The Anatomy of Story, I'm surprised I have any thoughts left!). I started trying to organise everything like Brandon Sanderson recommends in his BYU lectures (these are awesome, if you haven't seen them yet - youtube.com/watch?v=-6HOdHEeosc&list=PLSH_xM-KC3Zv-79sVZTTj-YA6IAqh8qeQ), but got overwhelmed with six separate characters to coordinate.Then I decided to look at something that I thought handled multiple storylines well - the TV series Imposters. And I realised - each storyline was a complete story. They could have made an entire series about each one. Shouldn't I do the same thing in my book?So, now I'm writing my book from two point of views, and I'm also going to try two beginnings (up to about the 25% mark). So I'm writing 1.5 books to try to figure out one. Somehow, this still feels like the best plan. 😂 QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - What types of author gymnastics have you done to get a book out? TIME STAMPS: 00:09 - My failed attempt to write a book in a week01:53 - The Brandon Sanderson approach05:44 - Learning from Imposters09:17 - Writing my book twice??10:16 - Having alternative beginningsFIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writing #writer #authortube
How Im tracking my writing in 2021 | New writing tracker! JP Writes 2021-01-09 | As I started writing in the new year, I came across a blog post by Brandon Sanderson called 'The State of the Sanderson', which is a yearly piece he does outlining his work for the year and the progress he's made on various projects - brandonsanderson.com/state-of-the-sanderson-2020One of the things he mentioned is that he tracks all his writing in a spreadsheet throughout the year, and I thought, 'I like spreadsheets! In fact, I use spreadsheets when I'm doing Nanowrimo, so why not track my writing for the whole year?'So here's the writing tracker I'll be using to track my progress in 2021!QUESTIONS FOR YOU:- How do you track your writing progress?- Are there tools and tricks you use to boost your productivity as a writer?FIND ME ONLINE:Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writesWebsite: jpwrites.coNanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites#writing #authortube #writingtracker
I tried (and failed) to write a book in a week! A writing vlog JP Writes 2021-01-02 | I had a week off! So I thought, what better way to use my time than to attempt to write (or, re-write) a book in a week?The book in question is my Fantasy Hot Mess - a book that has lived in my head since I wrote the first draft 15 years ago, and one that I've been trying to re-create using The Anatomy of Story over the past three months. What prompted this challenge was skimming the most recent draft last week - I realised that the overall sequence of events in the second half seemed to work, and from 25-50% of the book had the right focus, even if it was a bit bloated, so maybe it wasn't as much of a mess as I thought?Unfortunately, the writing wasn't as smooth as I hoped. I loved spending some time actively writing again, rather than outlining, revising or imagining, and I also had some great epiphanies. The downsides were that one of the epiphanies means I might need to throw out everything I wrote this week. 😅The result was I got nearly 30,000 words into my next draft (so 30% of my goal), only to realise that I need to do some more planning to fix the mess.QUESTIONS FOR YOU:- It's 2021! What are your writing resolutions for the new year? FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #writingvlog #writing #authortube
My plans and hopes for 2021 - writing, publishing, relocating and more 😁 JP Writes 2020-12-26 | As the year comes to a close, I've been thinking about my plans for 2021, as well as realising that I didn't achieve any of my goals for 2020. 😂 QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS: - How was your 2020? How did you go with your goals, considering what a mess everything was?- What are your biggest hopes and goals for 2021?Liked this video? Subscribe at www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuMeK6Go50kkc1DtGW1qwQ?sub_confirmation=1FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #2021goals #2020review
Figuring out the moral argument of my books with The Anatomy of Story (Part 4 of ???) JP Writes 2020-12-19 | Yes, I'm STILL making my way through The Anatomy of Story. Do you remember in the first video when I said I was worried this book might be too smart for me? I think I might have been right.In this video I attempt chapter 4, which is on creating a moral argument. This was the most challenging chapter to date, partly because I struggle with the black-and-white language around morality and immorality, but also because I wasn't sure whether the immoral actions your hero takes should be related to the overall moral argument, or whether they can be immoral actions in general.For example, if the moral argument is around self knowledge, and the moral choice your hero needs to make is between coming clean about who she is versus catching a killer, does stealing or hiding evidence count as an immoral action? While those actions are immoral, they aren't directly related to self knowledge... as you can see, I'm struggling!Liked this video? Subscribe at www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuMeK6Go50kkc1DtGW1qwQ?sub_confirmation=1QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:- How do you find your books' moral arguments?- Does the moral choice need to be directly related to the theme line?- Should the immoral actions be related to the moral argument, or can they just be generally immoral?TIME STAMPS:00:00 - An intro to the experiment00:28 - What is the moral argument?01:03 - The book ideas03:04 - The moral argument process04:10 - The theme line08:23 - The hero's moral choice13:17 - Characters as variation on the theme14:53 - Story structure and moral argument17:04 - The Incredibles moral argument!21:45 - Questions about immoral actions28:41 - The Anatomy of Story is HARD! 😭30:38 - DID Mystery moral argument33:51 - Fantasy hot mess is still a hot mess42:02 - Closing thoughtsOTHER VIDEOS IN THE SERIES:- The Anatomy of Story Premise video - youtube.com/watch?v=Ongj-xLr4L8- The Anatomy of Story Structure video - youtube.com/watch?v=F61vAtsNkrk- The Anatomy of Story Character video - youtube.com/watch?v=eYQIigK6TUE FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #anatomyofstory #moralargument #writing
I tried fixing The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab... (Spoilers!) JP Writes 2020-12-12 | I recently read The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab and... I didn't love it. I didn't hate it either, but it was just okay.But the more I thought about the story, the more frustrated I became. VE Schwab had such a good premise, and I thought the book had so much potential and it wasn't what it could have been. Don't get me wrong - I'm a long-term VE Schwab stand, having loved the Shades of Magic, Archived, Monsters of Verity, Villains and Cassidy Blake books, but Addie Larue left me cold.Until I couldn't sleep at night. I was thinking about everything that annoyed me about the book, so I wrote a review on Goodreads. But I still couldn't sleep. Instead, I was thinking about the small changes that would have made it a better book, without fundamentally changing the story...All of this led to this video - my attempt to fix The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, putting my 18 months of writing experience up against Schwab's decade. Enjoy! 😅Liked this video? Subscribe at www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuMeK6Go50kkc1DtGW1qwQ?sub_confirmation=1QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:- If you've read Addie's story, were you underwhelmed like me? How would you have changed it?TIME STAMPS:00:49 - What is The Invisible Life of Addie Larue?01:29 - My problems with Addie Larue15:12 - The plan - how am I going to fix it?16:34 - Intro to Story Engineering's structure20:02 - Initial thoughts on new plot22:19 - Using the Story Clock to organise the new version of Addie Larue22:53 - Story time! Jacqui's take on Addie Larue FIND ME ONLINE: Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes Website: jpwrites.co Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites #theinvisiblelifeofaddielarue #writing #writer
A week in Cyprus! A travel and writing vlog JP Writes 2020-12-05 | We're on holiday! Drew and I went to Cyprus for a week to relax and get some sun (it's now very dark and grey in Estonia), and I also tried to catch up on some writing and plotting work. Just a laid-back, chatty travel and writing vlog. 😊Curious about the plotting work I was doing? You can see that video here - youtube.com/watch?v=eYQIigK6TUE (it's Part 3 of my series on outlining two book ideas with The Anatomy of Story by John Truby).Liked this video? Subscribe at www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuMeK6Go50kkc1DtGW1qwQ?sub_confirmation=1TIME STAMPS:0:00 - Hello!3:30 - Paphos Archaeological Park4:18 - Revising Powerless (again)6:56 - Tombs of the Kings7:43 - I broke my camera! 😭8:58 - Tala Cat Sanctuary10:16 - Agios Neophytos Monastery10:43 - Adonis Baths10:50 - I hurt my neck 😢12:21 - Reflections16:48 - Millomeris Waterfalls17:04 - Paphos in lockdown19:27 - We're home! Update and what's nextFIND ME ONLINE:Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writesWebsite: jpwrites.coNanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites#writingvlog #authortube #writer
Creating characters with The Anatomy of Story - Part 3 of ??? JP Writes 2020-11-28 | Part three of who knows how many in my attempt to outline three book ideas using John Truby's The Anatomy of Story! This week my hubby and I were in Cyprus, and I took the time to do all of John Truby's character exercises for two different book ideas.I'll admit, the character chapter did intimidate me. You see, I've always considered my self to be more of a plot-driven writer than a character-driven writer. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how this chapter got me thinking differently about stories. From fleshing out my characters based on the points he covered to finding their values conflict, it really helped me figure out where I went wrong in my fantasy hot mess, as well as flesh out the cast of DID mystery.The most challenging part was attempting his four-corner opposition exercise, a. I spent days thinking about it, and I still don't think I'm done. 😅Liked this video? Subscribe at www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuMeK6Go50kkc1DtGW1qwQ?sub_confirmation=1QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:- If you've done The Anatomy of Story, does my hero/opponent dynamic work, or does the conflict need to be more personal?- Can you think of a strong moral argument for someone to murder someone, and then frame someone else for the crime?TIME STAMPS:1:39 - The character web2:27 - My writing projects!3:43 - Exercise 1: Build your character web5:13 - Fantasy hot mess exercise 19:45 - DID Mystery exercise 115:23 - Exercise 2: Individulise your characters16:13 - Fantasy hot mess exercise 221:02 - DID Mystery exercise 227:53 - Exercise 3: Creating your hero29:26 - Fantasy hot mess exercise 339:48 - DID Mystery exercise 349:35 - Exercise 4: Four-corner opposition51:31 - Fantasy hot mess exercise 456:46 - DID Mystery exercise 4Excuse me now - I'm done. 😩OTHER ANATOMY OF STORY VIDEOS:- The Anatomy of Story Premise video - youtube.com/watch?v=Ongj-xLr4L8- The Anatomy of Story Structure video - youtube.com/watch?v=F61vAtsNkrk- The Anatomy of Story Moral Argument video - youtube.com/watch?v=Xfab1LY1OaUOTHER RESOURCES MENTIONED:- The Anatomy of Story by John Truby - amzn.to/32wWLaP- Plotting playlist - youtube.com/watch?v=TsPIBG3Kir4&list=PLlUUfy9MJDuQ0UgRqD5V20e3UvU0BSPZm- DissociaDID - youtube.com/channel/UC6kFD5xIFvWyLlytv5pTR1w- Mulitplicity and Me - youtube.com/channel/UC8JDIEFbQejP-meo1OwI0DAFIND ME ONLINE:Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writesWebsite: jpwrites.coNanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites#anatomyofstory #writing #character
