First Cup of Coffee with Jeffe Kennedy

Answering questions and responding to comments on Tuesday's podcast on success and our personal earnings ceilings. Thus I'm explaining a bit about how money in publishing works and how "good" books don't always sell well. Tuesday's podcast is here if you missed it (( https://blog.jeffekennedy.com/2021/08/17/first-cup-of-coffee-august-17-2021 ). Check out the gorgeous...

My head is full of big thoughts on success, our personal ceilings of success and how those work, and how we can move past our self-imposed limitations to increase our reach as creatives. Or if that's even important. Amanda Palmer's book THE ART OF ASKING is here ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20980987-the-art-of-asking-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-let-people-hel ) Find DA...

An alternative to writing with a wordcount goal-and how to know which method is better for you as a writer-along with words to search for when polishing, and a pervasive device I really don't like and why. Find DARK WIZARD and BRIGHT FAMILIAR here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/series/bonds-of-magic ), the Forgotten Empires trilogy here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/series/forgotten-empires ), and t...

On making choices - how we decide what to prioritize in our lives and how making time to write fits into that. Spoiler: it involves sacrificing some things and making hard decisions. See also: why I don't have transcripts. Find DARK WIZARD and BRIGHT FAMILIAR here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/series/bonds-of-magic ), the Forgotten Empires trilogy here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/series/forgotten...

On what a great tool tracking your own productivity can be, how to treat the information like useful data without emotional investment, and what I've learned about myself recently from over a decade of tracking. Find my Bonds of Magic series here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/series/bonds-of-magic ), the Forgotten Empires trilogy here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/series/forgotten-empires ), and th...

I touch on a number of things today - being nickel and dimed (yet again) on workshops, writing our characters as avatars of ourselves and how it's a problem, and celebrating books like TWILIGHT and 50 SHADES OF GREY. I mention my Covenant of Thorns trilogy and you can find that here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/series/covenant-of-thorns ). Find my Bonds of Magic series here ( https://jeffekenne...

I geek out on the science lessons today, waxing nerdy on lily pad blossoms, phototropism, thigmotropism, and also the COVID vaccine. You never know what will be served for breakfast here! Also a heartfelt thank you. Find DARK WIZARD here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/dark-wizard ) and THE ORCHID THRONE here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-orchid-throne ). If you want to support me and the podcast, cli...

Making the distinction between writing your way through a sagging middle and finding that path as an intuitive writer, and other thoughts on structure and productive creativity. Also Taoism and keeping your eyes on your own work. Find BRIGHT FAMILIAR here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/bright-familiar ). You can watch the Love's Sweet Arrow panel that I mention here ( https://www.youtube.com/watc...

On the great value of unplugging for a day, getting away from the To Do List, and rediscovering a mental space that isn't being online. Also the tale of my bookshelves and how I became a trope of myself. Victoria Helen Stone's phenomenal and brilliant JANE DOE is here ( https://victoriahelenstone.com/book/jane-doe/ ). You can watch this podcast on YouTube here ( https://youtu.be/GXo5H3J8...

How our author assistants are actual human beings with names, and who are our friends, treating assistants of all types well, the attempts at rebuttal and shaming I've been receiving, and an actual update on WRITING! Victoria Helen Stone's phenomenal and brilliant JANE DOE is here ( https://victoriahelenstone.com/book/jane-doe/ ). You can find the link for the Love's Sweet Arrow pan...

I'm going full rant today because I'm just baffled by the bizarre responses - and cray pushback I'm getting - for daring to suggest writers should be paid fair value. And I'm emphasizing, people, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORK FOR FREE. You can find the link for the Love's Sweet Arrow panel here ( https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-fantastic-evening-virtual-event-tickets-163283708969...

Examining the trope of the Reluctant King (are there ever Reluctant Queens??) and what we're really trying to show with that characterization. Also some interesting comments I've gotten on paying presenters. Happy Release Day to A GOOD DAY FOR CHARDONNAY by the fabulous Darynda Jones! Check it out here ( https://darynda.com/books/a-good-day-for-chardonnay-sunshine-vicram-series-volume-2...

Why asking presenters to "graciously donate" their time creates a problem just by asking, and other thoughts on the price of volunteering, business models predicated on low or no pay, and how it disproportionately affects marginalized groups. I can't find a legally shareable graphic of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, so you'll have to Google it :D  Scalzi's post is  Stra...

How working slowly doesn't mean higher quality output, how what creators love best isn't always (or often) what their audience loves best or will buy, and how decoupling these ideas can be important for creative careers. You can find WEDDED TO DARKNESS here ( https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/product/B099BP5RC2 ). You can watch this podcast on YouTube here ( https://youtu.be/BQ2Si7Kvq1...

One of the critical jobs revision should perform and other thoughts on seeding, layering, and creating internal consistency in a novel. Because writing a novel takes a long time and it's natural to forget stuff. You can find WEDDED TO DARKNESS here ( https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/product/B099BP5RC2 ). You can watch this podcast on YouTube here ( https://youtu.be/s5zk7LCMskM ). First Cup...

The importance of Platform for an author and what aspects of it are under your control and what isn't. See also: phenoms. We all want it to happen, but there are no magic formulas or handy algorithms to produce one. You can find WEDDED TO DARKNESS here ( https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/product/B099BP5RC2 ). You can watch this podcast on YouTube here ( https://youtu.be/3CNdTXgBfjI ). First...

A bit of a rant this morning about how Romance isn't antimatter and combatting other annoying prejudices. Also why marketing advice doesn't always work and why algorithms don't capture what makes art resonate. You can find WEDDED TO DARKNESS here ( https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/product/B099BP5RC2 ). The blog post I mention is here ( https://blog.jeffekennedy.com/2021/07/14/hig...

I'm revealing the Sekrit V project today! I'm also talking about the nature of burnout, stress, and the implications of going from the huge slowdown of the pandemic to resuming a faster pace - and what to watch out for. You can find BRIGHT FAMILIAR here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/bright-familiar ). You can watch this podcast on YouTube here ( https://youtu.be/1bqz16Pktio ). First Cup of...

A special celebrity interview today with fab author and great friend, Minerva Spencer! We talk about historical romance, why there's so much set in the Regency Period, gender flipping, and Scotland as the original Las Vegas. You can find OUTRAGEOUS here ( http://minervaspencer.com/minervas-upcoming-releases/ ). You can watch this podcast on YouTube here ( https://youtu.be/ANIxpg7Y3x4 ). First...

Happy Release Day to BRIGHT FAMILIAR ! And thanks to you all for giving me my personal best on preorders!! Also thoughts on Cruella as the perfect villain origin story, how DIY is an illusion, and time vs. money. You can find BRIGHT FAMILIAR here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/bright-familiar ). And BBeBooks is here ( https://bbebooksthailand.com /). You can watch this podcast on YouTube here ( https:...

A special, on-location, guest interview with J. Barton Mitchell at our favorite coffee shop. He talks about screenwriting, his career path from film to books to podcasts, not hating what your create, and his new project, FATHOM. To listen to FATHOM, check it out here ( https://podfollow.com/derelict ) or here ( https://www.derelictpodcast.com/ ) or to find out more ( https://www.fathompodcast.net/...

A shout out to Minerva Spencer today on her new release OUTRAGEOUS. Also on the salient benefits of time off to refill the well, a worldbuilding master class I'll be teaching, and a worldbuilders chat today. You can find OUTRAGEOUS by Minerva Spencer here ( http://minervaspencer.com/minervas-upcoming-releases /). The Worldbuilders chat is here ( https://www.twitch.tv/worldbuilders ). And my B...

On the majesty of nature and her omens, a peculiar episode with my green man and woman, and how I learned from teaching Tai Chi that it's a bad idea to have family members edit your writing. Minon Faget is here ( https://www.mignonfaget.com/ ). You can watch the You Tube video of the podcast here (https://youtu.be/Oe3oRIQfgDM) . First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You c...

A #FaRoFriday shoutout to Jennifer Estep's CAPTURE THE CROWN. Also first experiences on receiving jewelry from people who aren't family, whether it should be GREY MAGIC or GRAY MAGIC, and other ditherings. You can find CAPTURE THE CROWN  here ( https://www.jenniferestep.com/books/capture-the-crown/ ). You can watch the You Tube video of the podcast here (https://youtu.be/BxbMeptBKcE) . F...

Today is a milestone, halfway through 2021 and I'm taking over as President of SFWA. I'm also preoccupied with my glorious fuchsia success and happy dancing that my proofreader loved BRIGHT FAMILIAR. You can find BRIGHT FAMILIAR here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/bright-familiar ). And THE LONG NIGHT OF THE CRYSTALLINE MOON is here  ( https://jeffekennedy.com/the-long-night-of-the-crystalli...