First Cup of Coffee with Jeffe Kennedy

Dedications, acknowledgments and faulty memories - oh my! Also some musings on knowing when your juice is there and taking time off between books.  Support the show

I'm happy today because copy edits for THE ORCHID THRONE went swimmingly yesterday, and are done! Talking a bit about a debut fantasy romance coming your way from Maxym M. Martineau, along with random musings on quilting, sewing, a new grandchild on the way, and why we have to focus on certain activities and give up others.  Support the show

I'm excited to report today that I've finished Oria's Enchantment! I'm also sharing the title of Sorcerous Moons Book #6, telling how Minerva Spencer fought a blizzard in white jeans, and about having drinks with Katie Lane.  Support the show

On the home stretch of finishing Oria's Enchantment today - also random thoughts on editing, revision, Irish harps and day job stress.  Support the show

Popping in to update on Oria's Enchantment, Sorcerous Moons Book #5, and assorted ramblings from a book-fogged brain.  Support the show

A cheerful rant today ranging from sports bra inserts to author flame wars - along with suggestions on how to deal with both.  Support the show

A special release day reading! Chapter One of WARRIOR OF THE WORLD, book three in the Chronicles of Dasnaria trilogy.  Support the show

Heading into the second week of 2019 feeling good about ORIA'S ENCHANTMENT, and offering thoughts on working out plot issues and how a story belongs to the reader.  Support the show

Why the advice "if you're bored, the reader will be bored, too" is really terrible, how being a writer is a job and requires work. Also trusting your gut and deciding what to work on next. Support the show

Creaking back into the working schedule and talking about more about habit and routine - and how those fit into the creative life, or anything we try to do. I also talk about obsessiveness and why we need that, ponderous prologues, and three strikes that let me bail on a book. I also rant a bit about banishing the trope that with the loss of tech, human societies revert to male domination.  Suppor...

Welcome to 2019! I'm talking about how time off lets us rebuild - or form - habits with mindfulness. Also some about my preparations for the new year and maybe a bit too much information on how crunching financials on self-published projects works. The blog post I reference is Rejuvenation and Goal-Setting .  Support the show

Last episode of 2018! On being a career author, self-employment, and being a good boss to yourself, in all areas of life. Talk to you in the new year! Support the show

Looking at granularity of tracking word counts especially evaluating writing goals and time management. Also a bit about Christmas magic and feeling your way to the correct ending of a book.  Support the show

How we get through Mondays - and all kinds of work, creative or not. (Why I don't really believe in writer's block.)  Support the show

On working through the rough periods in writing a book, setting stretch goals, and learning to value failures as much as successes. Also tips on learning three-act structure by watching favorite movies and timing the beats. And tiny rant on THAT guy who thinks it's funny to joke about my name.  Support the show

How to figure the beats and three-act-structure for the overall arc of a series, particularly one set up as more of a serial. And yes, this is about Sorcerous Moons Book #5, officially now ORIA'S ENCHANTMENT.  Support the show

On why powerful endings can make or break a book, thoughts on Burlesque, and why I mix up celebrities.  Support the show

Recap of a busy weekend, along with musings about organize time as a writer to optimize creativity. Also thoughts on Jacqueline Susann and how our partners in life enable us to do extraordinary things.  Support the show

Low wordcount day yesterday, so I'm musing on that - and various assorted ideas like language drift, holidays in the Southwest, and the prospect of snow. Here's the article from The Mary Sue that I mention.  Support the show

Talking today about XKCD and watching creator's work evolve - how it's akin to a writer producing a million words to refine voice. Also dealing with fragmented days, catching up wordcount, Sorcerous Moons being translated into French, and the delights of nail polish. Support the show

A morning conversation with a career-author friend has me thinking and talking about agents, agencies, and how to choose what's best for you. Introducing my restaurant-analogy of literary agencies. Also random mentions of bobcats, Neil Gaiman and how writing novels is like laying bricks in a road. Support the show

Talking today about why it's good to stop writing while the flow is going well - why that honors the subconscious creative self. Also dreaming about the book, picking titles, and progress on Sorcerous Moons #5. Support the show

Talking today about time management - is it true that "the more you do, the more you can do? - and also why authors might need to let go of that one book and move on to another.  Support the show

Friday thoughts on owning your writing process and optimizing the conditions for consistent creative flow. Also musings on left brain and right brain, knowing yourself, and why we face the same problems over and over. The book I mention is My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/142292.My_Stroke_of_Insight Support the show

Touching back to yesterday's discussion of dealing with agents, how publishing is a small community - and how your agent might listen to your podcast when you complain about her! But all is good, and a shout-out to Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency for being awesome in all ways. The other agent mentioned is Joanna Volpe. Support the show