First Cup of Coffee with Jeffe Kennedy

About the story told in the article Bad Art Friend and its implications for how we approach writing and gleaning details from others that we weave into our stories, including blender settings and not being cruel. The article, Bad Art Friend, is here ( https://archive.is/zYweu ). If you want to support me and the podcast, click on the little heart or follow this link ( https://www.paypal.com/paypal...

How to recognize creative burnout, what to do about it, and how writing every day helps. Also mud-stirring, both the creatively productive kind and the painful emotional variety, and how they can be the same thing. You can apply to join the FaRo Author Discord here ( https://farofeb.com/author-discord-community/ ). If you want to support me and the podcast, click on the little heart or follow this...

Body image and how that's influenced by Instagram and other media like women's magazines, how physical attraction, "instalove" and ageism play into that - along with some spoilers for my recent book. Find THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-dragon-s-daughter-and-the-winter-mage ). If you want to support me and the podcast, click on...

Some changes in how traditional publishing is treating submissions, especially those on spec, even from established authors, and a discussion of how advances work, when authors get paid, and why 4+ book deals aren't great. If you want to support me and the podcast, click on the little heart or follow this link ( https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/jeffekennedy ). You can watch this podcast on You...

I go long today talking mostly to the authors out there about buying ads, marketing, and promo - and why putting time, money and attention into writing instead will not only make you happier but more successful in the long run. My first book, the essay collection WYOMING TRUCKS, TRUE LOVE, AND THE WEATHER CHANNEL is here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/wyoming-trucks-true-love-and-the-weather-channel )...

Plot holes, suspension of disbelief, refrigerator tropes, and Scooby Dooing the endings of supernatural thrillers. Also coping with the expectations of others while you write and trying to create for yourself. The book I talk about is THE WITCH HUNTER by Max Seeck and you can find it here ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52322799-the-witch-hunter ). Find THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WIN...

Really well done supernatural suspense in a book I'm reading, how voice works, and an example of male gaze creeping into the depiction of a female character. Also when not to take advice from successful authors. The book I talk about is THE WITCH HUNTER by Max Seeck and you can find it here ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52322799-the-witch-hunter ). The Cory Doctorow essay is here ( ht...

Today is the release day for THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE! I'm talking about choosing release days, why it's traditionally Tuesday, making lists and why writers should focus on One Thing. THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE is out today! ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-dragon-s-daughter-and-the-winter-mage ). The whole series, which is on sale! is here ( https...

Why telling writers to develop a thick skin isn't very good advice and is, in fact, the wrong metaphor entirely, along with other thoughts on being a creative and therefore open and sensitive person. You can find my Kindle Vella book, WEDDED TO DARKNESS, here ( https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/product/B099BP5RC2 ). You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( http...

My experiences with Kindle Vella, so far, and thoughts on the gossip about it. Also, I uploaded a new episode! And I'm giving updates on my current projects, including the novella in FIRE OF THE FROST. You can find my Kindle Vella book, WEDDED TO DARKNESS, here ( https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/product/B099BP5RC2 ). You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( ht...

A bit of a rant today on "clean" romance and why I object to the term, why my answer is wanting to write dirty romance, where all the sex involves dirt, the YA rating system kerfuffle, and other related thoughts. The article I mention summarizing the YA rating system is here ( https://www.themarysue.com/yabooksratings-emails-authors/ ). My book formatter, BB eBooks is here ( https://bbeb...

Side gigs, hustling, and predators who take advantage of those trying to piece an income together - and how LuLaRich is fascinating to watch. I'm also asking for suggestions on what midwinter holiday novella I should write! The documentary I mention, LuLaRich is here ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15213278 /). You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( https://jeff...

THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE is done!!! I did a marathon day yesterday finishing it off - wrote almost 5K - and I'm celebrating this win. Also a bit about intuition, subconscious, and consciousness. You can find the first of the Writing Excuses deep dive into the MICE Quotient here (https://writingexcuses.com/2021/08/29/16-35-what-is-the-m-i-c-e-quotient/ ). You can preorder...

How various approaches to learning craft can also be useful in analyzing your work in progress, particularly if you're an intuitive writer like me, along with other thoughts on the MICE quotient. You can find the first of the Writing Excuses deep dive into the MICE Quotient here (https://writingexcuses.com/2021/08/29/16-35-what-is-the-m-i-c-e-quotient/ ). You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DA...

How to put action in action scenes. How some authors like to write sex scenes and others action scenes, but rarely both and why. I'm also offering advice on how to get past writing the thing you don't like to write. The Ursula Le Guin essay I mention is here ( https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/ursula-k-le-guin-the-carrier-bag-theory-of-fiction ). You can preorder THE DRAGON'S...

Fessing up to a mistake I made (sorry Kobo readers!) and talking about making mistakes in general and how to handle that. Also progress on THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE. You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-dragon-s-daughter-and-the-winter-mage ). Find DARK WIZARD and BRIGHT FAMILIAR here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/ser...

Talking a book recommendation today, and also exploring my own reader foibles on aspects of books I can't get my writer brain past. Also a peril of self-publishing and observing how authors improve-or worsen-over time. Maria V. Snyder's Navigating the Stars is here ( https://www.mariavsnyder.com/books/navigating-the-stars.php ) You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER M...

Chronic disease and the Val Kilmer documentary - how it made me think about life, art, fame and what is truly meaningful in our lives, including why we are artists in the first place. The Val documentary is here ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14731254/?ref_=fn_al_tt_ 1). This is the Hugh Jackman bit ( https://twitter.com/RealHughJackman/status/1433767826414788632 ). You can preorder THE DRAGON&apo...

On protecting early drafts and new story ideas from the wrong critics - and why I compare it to shaken baby syndrome - evaluating and remembering ideas, and why the proliferation of plot bunnies can be a good sign. You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-dragon-s-daughter-and-the-winter-mage ). Find DARK WIZARD and BRIGHT FAMILIAR here (...

Dreams of houses and what they mean in subconscious imagery, and my own house dreams and a new development in them. Also decision energy, intense mental work, business, and our upcoming holiday fantasy romance anthology! You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-dragon-s-daughter-and-the-winter-mage ). Find DARK WIZARD and BRIGHT FAMILIAR h...

As promised I'm discussing how to spot scam or vanity publishers, what the red flags are and what the difference is between those, traditional publishing, and self-publishing.  The blog post I mention is here ( https://sffseven.blogspot.com/2021/08/does-boring-writing-mean-boring-reading.html ). I also mention THE MARK OF THE TALA ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-mark-of-the-tala ), THE PAGES O...

My musings on story openings today - how much is genre-specific, how much dictated by a culture increasingly accustomed to click-bait entrees, and how to draw the lines between what you want to create and satisfying reader expectations. You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-dragon-s-daughter-and-the-winter-mage ). Find DARK WIZARD and B...

I'm addressing the challenge of book marketing, how it varies by platform and how there's no formula and only one "trick" that works. Also about openings, cuing where the story is going, and the importance of genre cues. If you're curious about the Missed Connections books that I mention, you can find them here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/series/missed-connections ). You ca...

First podcast in a week! I'm back, talking about time off, unplugging our brains for maximum productive creativity, advice for creatives who can only work at the end of the day, Nomadland, and how grief can paralyze. You can preorder THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER AND THE WINTER MAGE here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-dragon-s-daughter-and-the-winter-mage ). Find DARK WIZARD and BRIGHT FAMILIAR...

A shout out to L. Penelope on the release of REQUIEM OF SILENCE. Also repairing Grace Draven's rep and a discussion of process types and why pre-plotting and outlining isn't the only or even best way to write a book. You can find Leslye Penelope's REQUIEM OF SILENCE here ( https://lpenelope.com/book/requiem-of-silence/ ). Check out the gorgeous cover for THE DRAGON'S DAUGHTER A...