JP Writes
Figuring out my antagonists w/ On Writing and Worldbuilding by Hello Future Me
updated
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 edges
0:42 - Recovering my book
3:00 - Applying the HTV vinyl
9:05 - My crepe eraser saves the day!
10:08 - Endpages
12:14 - Lessons learned
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
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
📖 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.
#bookmarketing #indieauthor #indiepublishing #selfpublishing #authortube
Yeah, me too 😅
#writing #authortube
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 readers
3:31 - Manuscript critiques
10:43 - Copyedits
12:53 - Page design
14:47 - Proofread
15:48 - Cover design
19:32 - Distribution
21:58 - Marketing
23:26 - 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 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 Powerless
0:40 - My book cover design brief
8:14 - How I worked with my cover designer
11:50 - 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
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/B0BXFCQ32G
ADD POWERLESS TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR:
goodreads.com/book/show/123213427-powerless
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#selfpublishing #writing #authortube
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
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.writes
Website: jacquelinepretty.com
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#writingvlog #writing #authortube
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
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
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/4Jkf2622v5w
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#arcane #videoessays #sevika
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/4Jkf2622v5w
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#arcane #videoessay #vi
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/4Jkf2622v5w
TIME STAMPS:
01:32 - Powder
06:13 - Vi
11:43 - Vander
15:13 - Silco
18:34 - Jayce
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#arcane #videoessay
QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENTS:
- What are your writing plans now that Nanowrimo's over?
TIME STAMPS:
00:00 - Nanowrimo day 22
03:30 - Nanowrimo day 23
07:01 - Nanowrimo day 27
12:22 - Nanowrimo day 28
17:33 - Nanowrimo day 29
19:02 - Nanowrimo closing thoughts
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#nanowrimo #writingvlog #authortube
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
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 writing
01:36 - Nanowrimo day 8 - still no writing
04:16 - Nanowrimo day 9 - writing! Finally!
07:54 - Nanowrimo day 10 - visiting Livraria Lello
19:51 - Nanowrimo day 11
23:53 - Nanowrimo day 13
28:51 - Nanowrimo day 14
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#nanowrimo #writingvlog #authortube
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 writing
01:31 - Nanowrimo day 2 - the official start
03:39 - Nanowrimo day 3
06:23 - Nanowrimo day 4
07:13 - 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
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
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 Kuhn
3:56 - Nemesis by Brendan Reichs
9:30 - 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
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
- 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 structure
It 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 core
9:16 - Save the Cat beat sheet
19:12 - Random thoughts and reflections on the beat sheet
24:35 - Story Engineering structure
28:50 - Starting again because I packed all my notes 😅
33:46 - Story Circle (and circles, and circles...)
38:21 - Save the Cat board
39:25 - Closing thoughts
BOOKS 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/UCFnskmQu5NjjJ2rooCSF7tw
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#writing #outlining #savethecat
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 Roberts
04:06 - Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain
08:20 - Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew up the Moon
10:19 - Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have Henchmen
11:35 - Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have a Nemesis
15:13 - Please Don't Tell My Parents You Believe Her
16:42 - The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen
20:15 - A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy
26:05 - Reverie by Ryan La Sala
29:02 - Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland
32:34 - Heist Society by Ally Carter
34:58 - Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson
37:16 - Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne
40:10 - Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
40:57 - It Happened in Nashville by Sarah Adams
41:30 - Chance of a Lifetime series by Kate Clayborn
45:11 - Murder of Crows series by Chris Tullbane
45:58 - See These Bones
48:05 - Red Right Hand
48:59 - The Storm in Her Smile
50:20 - The Stars that Sing
51:10 - Empire of Pain by Pattrick Radden Keefe
54:01 - No One Would Listen by Harry Markopolous
55:07 - 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
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
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
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#writer #authortube
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
TIME STAMPS:
1:15 - Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess
3:44 - Stray Souls (Magicals Anonymous #1)
7:03 - Take a Hint, Dani Brown
9:39 - This Savage Song
12:55 - The Litigators
15:15 - The Rapture
18:22 - Six Wakes
20:00 - The Hating Game
21:33 - 99 Percent Mine
23:15 - You Deserve Each Other
25:49 - Jurassic Park
28:25 - To Have and to Hoax
30:25 - The Kiss Quotient
31:46 - The Bride Test
33:05 - Us Against You
36:14 - Emerett Has Never Been in Love
QUESTIONS 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
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=sharing
Now, 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 out
0:56 - An intro to query letters
3:08 - Victoria (VE) Schwab's query letter
5:18 - Victoria Lee's query letter
9:51 - Query 1: In the style of VE Schwab
12:53 - Query 2: In the style of Victoria Lee
USEFUL 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
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 Powerless
02:35 The scene that isn't working
04:57 Magical cookies
08:10 Story Genius's scene cards
11:52 The Anatomy of Story
14:06 The Story Grid
17:44 Trying to apply Story Grid after drafting the scene
27:49 Incremental vs. transformative changes
31:40 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
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
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?
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Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#writing #writer #authortube
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:
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Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#writingvlog #writer #authortube
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 time
10:20 - Recap of this book so far
12:51 - Figuring out my different characters
14:30 - The problem with unpicking scenes...
17:25 - Do I really need these scenes?
22:07 - More time doesn't = more mental capacity
23:54 - Scenes need purposes, and what to do with Aubrey
28:20 - Reading counts... right?
32:29 - Introducing my antagonist
33:28 - I have 27,258 words!
36:55 - I have 38,000 words!
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Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
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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=JrbSIrHGrRs
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Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
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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 1
6:25 - Day 2
12:22 - Day 4
23:24 - Day 6
26:16 - Lunchtime walks in Tallinn
28:55 - Thoughts on the week!
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Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#writingvlog #writing #authortube
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!
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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
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 week
01:53 - The Brandon Sanderson approach
05:44 - Learning from Imposters
09:17 - Writing my book twice??
10:16 - Having alternative beginnings
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Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
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One 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.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#writing #authortube #writingtracker
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
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?
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Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#2021goals #2020review
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!
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QUESTIONS 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 experiment
00:28 - What is the moral argument?
01:03 - The book ideas
03:04 - The moral argument process
04:10 - The theme line
08:23 - The hero's moral choice
13:17 - Characters as variation on the theme
14:53 - Story structure and moral argument
17:04 - The Incredibles moral argument!
21:45 - Questions about immoral actions
28:41 - The Anatomy of Story is HARD! 😭
30:38 - DID Mystery moral argument
33:51 - Fantasy hot mess is still a hot mess
42:02 - Closing thoughts
OTHER 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
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! 😅
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QUESTIONS 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 Larue
15:12 - The plan - how am I going to fix it?
16:34 - Intro to Story Engineering's structure
20:02 - Initial thoughts on new plot
22:19 - Using the Story Clock to organise the new version of Addie Larue
22:53 - Story time! Jacqui's take on Addie Larue
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Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#theinvisiblelifeofaddielarue #writing #writer
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).
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TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Hello!
3:30 - Paphos Archaeological Park
4:18 - Revising Powerless (again)
6:56 - Tombs of the Kings
7:43 - I broke my camera! 😭
8:58 - Tala Cat Sanctuary
10:16 - Agios Neophytos Monastery
10:43 - Adonis Baths
10:50 - I hurt my neck 😢
12:21 - Reflections
16:48 - Millomeris Waterfalls
17:04 - Paphos in lockdown
19:27 - We're home! Update and what's next
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#writingvlog #authortube #writer
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. 😅
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QUESTIONS 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 web
2:27 - My writing projects!
3:43 - Exercise 1: Build your character web
5:13 - Fantasy hot mess exercise 1
9:45 - DID Mystery exercise 1
15:23 - Exercise 2: Individulise your characters
16:13 - Fantasy hot mess exercise 2
21:02 - DID Mystery exercise 2
27:53 - Exercise 3: Creating your hero
29:26 - Fantasy hot mess exercise 3
39:48 - DID Mystery exercise 3
49:35 - Exercise 4: Four-corner opposition
51:31 - Fantasy hot mess exercise 4
56:46 - DID Mystery exercise 4
Excuse 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=Xfab1LY1OaU
OTHER 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-meo1OwI0DA
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: instagram.com/jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/participants/jpwrites
#anatomyofstory #writing #character


