First Cup of Coffee with Jeffe Kennedy

How to know where to start a story and why this can be such a struggle even for experienced authors, how to take critique and make decisions on what to fix and how to go about it - and beginnings and endings in general! First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts! Support the show

Creating the shape of your life on a daily basis, how THE PROMISED QUEEN was my pandemic year book, tips on writing Dedications and Acknowledgments and the upcoming @farofeb event! You can find the FaRoFeb Facebook group here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/429207234870645). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic...

I'm sideways! (Only on video though.) And back from holiday, talking about rest and recovery, lessons of the pandemic year, and how writing must always take priority. First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts! Support the show

CW for writing about sexual assault and how we do and don't handle those issues when writing fiction. Also discussion on some cool stuff I've been reading and watching. The books I mention are Alice Sebold's (I was right!) The Lovely Bones & Lucky .  Also Chanel Miller's Know My Name. The movies are Let Them All Talk and A California Christmas. First Cup of Coffee is part o...

On nurturing inspiration, taking care of new, shiny ideas so that you avoid shaken baby syndrome, and not giving your fire away too soon. The quote I mention is correctly "Be careful how quickly you give away your fire," by Robert Bly. You can read my post about Shaken Baby Syndrome here (http://lovepowerandfairytaleendings.blogspot.com/2011/07/shaken-baby-syndrome.html). And you can rea...

I'm breaking down how I track revising - both how to avoid the negative wordcount blues and tracking pages revised to predict how long a revision will take. First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts! Support the show

Talking today about balance, focus, building a foundation for productive creativity - and what to do if someone knocks you off your pillow. You can read up on #DisneyMustPay here (https://www.sfwa.org/2020/11/18/disney-must-pay/). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts! Support the show

A bit more on what "not making it in trad publishing" does and doesn't mean, along with some inside information on what's not always clear to the reading public. Also adventures in trying to buy books. You can watch the online panel I mention here ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwRMBPUdfFo&fbclid=IwAR1XHyiIgqH3oF_A_io07ITd6C3yFqKLGv-z17g_ltZc-CfxYG_9ZlVGIi4 ) First Cup o...

Why it's important to learn what YOUR process is and own it, plus a bit on keeping sane in an insane world, using pennames, and updates on new books! The books I mention are: Petals & Thorns Sapphire The Golden Gryphon and the Bear Prince First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts! Support the...

Geeking out over structure today - of a book and a series - and extending the analogy of being an architect or a gardener. All spurred by being nearly done with THE GOLDEN GRYPHON AND THE BEAR PRINCE. First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts! Support the show

Sharing my news on DARK WIZARD today, along with a frank discussion of how even established career authors may suffer from Disappointed Hopes - but how sweet grapes is really a thing. Jennifer Udden's freelance editing site is here (https://reedsy.com/jennifer-udden) First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.med...

Romance Author Mastermind weekend, the various reader communities out there, and the many different goal posts we're shooting for as authors. Also a shout out to Alexandra Ivy's DON'T LOOK. You can read up on Alexandra Ivy and DON'T LOOK here ( https://alexandraivy.com/books/dont-look.php ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstandin...

Some advice for authors on thinking in terms of long-term planning and cultivating relationships with readers instead of falling prey to short-term thinking. Also a bit on Romance Author Mastermind weekend. Yesterday's podcast is here if you missed it ( https://blog.jeffekennedy.com/2020/12/03/first-cup-of-coffee-december-3-2020/ ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Y...

Why authors shouldn't review their own books, how it's bad form and has nothing to do with being proud of or standing by your books. Also various metaphors on trying to get through a plot difficulty. The Cary Library panel is here ( https://tinyurl.com/y4ol29hb ). The movies I mention are The Five Year Engagement and Mortal . And this is the calendar I ordered ( https://www.llewellyn.com...

What do you call your writing space? Thoughts on office vs. study, and more on deliberately creating inspiration by feeding your creative subconscious with the input it craves. First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts! Support the show

The lowdown on how agents work, why you should NEVER pay one, when you need one - and when you don't - and red flags to watch for. Also, a shoutout to sister Frolic Podcast Network show, Learning the Tropes! You can find Learning the Trope here  ( https://learningthetropes.podbean.com/ ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subs...

How do you know when what you've written is good, especially when someone you should trust says it isn't? Also thoughts on agents, trad publishing and author careers. The essay I mention is The Bridge Dog here ( https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/the-bridge-dog ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscrib...

My conversation with Nalini Singh, including thoughts on shapeshifting and conservation of mass, wrestling long series and how to name them, and the time she broke down crying on her tatami mat. Read more about Nalini and Archangel's Sun here ( https://nalinisingh.com/ ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Froli...

Recognizing the role of serendipity in our successes and giving gratitude for that, along with thoughts on phenoms and what we really deserve. The blog post I mention is here ( https://blog.jeffekennedy.com/2020/11/22/the-simplest-and-most-profound-expression-of-gratitude/ ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic...

Join me for a chat with celebrity guest Grace Draven as we discuss writing process and our stories in UNDER A WINTER SKY. You can buy the book here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/under-a-winter-sky ). The movie Grace mentions is The Doo r, here ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1194577/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_26 ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcast...

It's release day for UNDER A WINTER SKY! So, I'm burbling about that *and* about the #1 New Release Bestseller ribbon on Amazon!! Also news and upcoming appearances. You can buy the book here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/under-a-winter-sky ). The Hampton Library event is here ( https://www.eventbrite.com/e/science-fiction-fantasy-writers-live-author-panel-tickets-129325591325 ). First Cup...

On the ups and downs of author careers and persevering through a sometimes difficult business. Also on owning your process - but also being honest with yourself and tips on tweaking to make it better. If you missed yesterday's podcast, it's here ( https://blog.jeffekennedy.com/2020/11/16/first-cup-of-coffee-november-16-2020/ ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Y...

The dangers of thinking that 110% effort is possible - and why it's really okay to give some things 80% or even less - and how perfectionism can interfere with productive creativity. AKA: why I'm not buying a ring light. If you're interested in learning more about my Productivity Mastermind services, you can read up here ( https://jeffekennedy.com/mastermind ). First Cup of Coffee i...

A lot more today on fast drafting and the pros and cons of writing so fast that it requires huge amounts of revising time vs. taking more time while drafting so there's less revising time. As always, it depends on what you're trying to do! The snippet I posted to Facebook is this: “Will you be needing a lady’s maid, Lady Zephyr,” the page inquired. “Moranu, no!” Zeph replied, a bit too f...

I'm showing off the cover of Rebecca Roanhorse's Black Sun. Also talking about the downsides of blending fantasy and romance, navigating Thanksgiving during a pandemic, and a bit on fast-drafting. The jewelry store I couldn't think of the name of is Borsheims ( https://www.borsheims.com/ ). First Cup of Coffee is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podc...