First Cup of Coffee with Jeffe Kennedy

A run-down today of how I analyze royalty statements, including the new challenge of figuring out Ingram Spark's arcane reporting system. And a bit of gushing on a lovely blurb from Grace Draven.  Support the show

Reminiscing about my Brother Correctronic and how that likely shaped the way I write for discovery - and how I shape Act I of any book in general. Also news on the cover of Lonen's Reign! Support the show

A short podcast today, as I have a lot going on, with musings on the desire for seclusion from the world warring with the need to participate in society.  Support the show

I got to be outside today! Talking about my initial steps in starting a book and my template document. Also a cool dream I had, thoughts on SFWA elections, and balancing writing with other activities. Support the show

A new week and a new book! Some thoughts on not "saving" stuff for another book, plus musings on characters and why we love to follow them through series, True Detective, Game of Thrones, and bird song. The book I mention is WALKING ON ALLIGATORS: A BOOK OF MEDITATIONS FOR WRITERS, by Susan Shaughnessy . (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1581822.Walking_on_Alligators) Support the show

Quick update on progress on LONEN'S REIGN, and some exciting news on my upcoming Forgotten Empires trilogy. The photo is Jackson finding his way to the top of the high kitchen cabinets where he's never been before. Yeah - everybody is getting tired of being stuck inside! Support the show

Discussion today of the movie The Prince and Me, and how movies portray romances compared to novels, and associated ramblings. (Also how hugely the sequel sucked.) And also, a bit about intuitive eating, though I think I slipped and said "intentional eating." Support the show

A quick check-in today as I'm still circling the end of this book. And news that I'll be on the SFF Marketing Podcast ! (https://www.marketingsff.com/) Support the show

Acknowledging (yet again) that I slow down as I reach the end of writing a book - and planning for that. Also a bit of weekend recap, thoughts on conversational French, Facebook, and spring agues.* (Though it turns out I should've been pronouncing it "AY-gyu." Now we know.) From Merriam-Webster: (https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/illnesses-ailments-diseases-history-names...

A report today on how I got mauled by a wild animal in the night, and also thoughts on pre-plotting vs. "pantsing," and why I prefer the metaphor of gardener vs. architect - springing from musings on George R.R. Martin's storytelling in A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. Also how and why the show just isn't the book and it only hurts us in the end to try to make it be...

How I handled a slow writing day and picked between three options to move forward. And also a bit on Valentine's Day, what it does and doesn't mean, and my plans for the evening. (Spoiler: none.) Support the show

Being careful not to harsh someone else's creative process, how emails create a sense of obligation that we have to work against, and why very few things are real emergencies that require immediate attention.  Support the show

Thoughts on how Dread & Procrastination act like ice slowly freezing up creativity, and why this metaphor works better for me than the term "Writer's Block," which I find to be damaging and misleading. Also a recap of my weekend, getting business items off my list, and how nifty technology is. The phone app I mention is ClearScanner (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id...

How I discovered I'm a Trekkie, and other random musings on life, art, Queen, and living with yourself.  Support the show

Reporting on some adjustments I made to my writing schedule yesterday that really made some huge differences in my efficiency and how I felt. Also musings on yoga, being luminous, and thoughts on memoir-writing.  Support the show

Traditional vs. self publishing and how knowing what you want out of being a writer lets you process opinions on how you should be running your career. Also thoughts on seeing The Favourite, why fantasy seems to so often look backwards, and the fine line between fantasy/alternate history/historical fiction. That's Jeffe's robin in the photo. If you zoom in, you can kind of see the mutant...

A bit of a touchback to Friday's podcast - which blew up more than I expected! - on thanking authors for blurbs. A few people mentioned to me, and Darynda Jones commented on the website post here (https://jeffekennedy.com/first-cup-of-coffee-february-1-2019/) that we should cut these others a break because they may not feel confident in addressing an established author, or realize that thanks...

A bit of a rant today on being gracious to other authors and watching what you put on social media. Also an explanation of how blurbs work and why it's a big ask.  Support the show

Noticing the absentmindedness that intense drafting can bring, and thoughts on whether ALL scenes in a story need to move the plot forward. Associated thoughts on cheesecake, sparkly nails, my plans to sew an evening gown, and other things that make us happy.  Support the show

How to work through those sluggish writing weeks with low wordcount and why having a writing habit is key especially then - and how creativity is more like a complex biological system than math. Also my first mention of the mutated robin that hangs around here, about Hopeful Monsters - both the evolutionary theory and my story (which you can find here : https://jeffekennedy.com/hopeful-monsters/)....

News on the release of ORIA'S ENCHANTMENT, book #5 in Sorcerous Moons, plus thoughts on writing good endings and meeting reader expectations.  Support the show

Some thoughts today on how to handle those New Shiny ideas when you're supposed to be working on something else. Also about being social, getting to see Amanda Palmer in concert during SFWA's Nebula Conference- plus staying home to get the work done. If you're interested in the signing I'm doing Saturday, January 26, 2019, with Darynda Jones, there's info here.  (Though th...

Busy day yesterday with cover reveals for two different Sorcerous Moons books - a new release and a French translation - the SFWA Fantasy Storybundle, chats and giveaways for WARRIOR OF THE WORLD. It never rains, but it pours, yes? You can find the Storybundle here.  Support the show

Exciting news about the cover reveal and release date for ORIA'S ENCHANTMENT, book #5 in the Sorcerous Moons series. (At last!) Also ruminations on dedications and my grandfather. I can't find the poem I mention and now it's bugging me. I thought it was James Wright, but I don't see it in my collection of his poetry (though I thought for sure it was in there). Does anyone know...

A surprise snowstorm and dealing with business stress. But it's Friday! Support the show