Author: Jeffe Kennedy

Seven Pros and Cons of Trad vs Indie

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

The last of the light on the longest day of the year – on a hot and still summer evening.

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing. I feel pretty well positioned to compare and contrast the two methods (broadly – there are a lot of subsets and gray areas) of publishing books because I’m solidly hybrid. In 2016, my income was 40%/60% traditional/self-publishing; in 2017, it was the reverse proportion. Come on over to find out more!

Prisoner of the Crown – #1 Best Seller!

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

So this happened. Super exciting! I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve hit #1 Best Seller on Amazon on my own. We did with AMID THE WINTER SNOW (which is no longer up for sale, though the individual stories are – mine is THE SNOWS OF WINDROVEN). Much of the credit goes to Monday’s BookBub ad and the .99 cent sale, but still! And the sale continues on all retail sites, so you can still grab PRISONER OF THE CROWN for that fantastic price. It should go back up any minute now, so hie thee on over for the clicky goodness!

Otherwise I’m working on a fast-turnaround new project. I know, I know – so many OTHER ongoing writing projects for me to be working on, but this one isn’t my fault! an opportunity came through Agent Sarah and it has a Movie Thing attached. I’ll tell you all more if it becomes an Actual Thing rather than an Exciting Possibility. Once I get this out, I’m back to THE ORCHID THRONE, and after *that* I’m definitely for sure finishing THE ARROWS OF THE HEART. I greatly appreciate your patience in this. I never dreamed it would be a year between it and THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE.

Where has the time gone???

I promise I haven’t been lying about eating bonbons and watching daytime television. 

Not that there’s anything wrong with that… 😉

 

 

Lake Sakakawea in twilight, thunderclouds overhead, last light glimmering on the water

Want to Improve as a Writer? Step One.

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

Lake Sakakawea in twilight, thunderclouds overhead, last light glimmering on the water

This is Lake Sakakawea, up in North Dakota. We just got back from a super long road trip to there from New Mexico to spend some time camping, boating and fishing with family.

This week at the SFF Seven we’re asking: How do you level up as a writer? 

It’s a great question and I look forward to reading everyone else’s answers – but I’d like to address something else first. This question makes the basic assumption that all writers want to “level up” – or improve. And improving can mean a lot of things to different people. And first of all, you need to get your priorities straight. 

Worldbuilding: Political Systems in Conflict

Jeffe Kennedy / / Workshops

All works of fiction require worldbuilding. This is true even of stories set in the contemporary world because it’s impossible to replicate the complexity and detail of the entire world—the author must always focus and refine the details of the fictional world to fit the story. In science fiction and fantasy, we often create entirely new worlds, to the point where different physical laws, etc., might apply. Political systems come into play any time there are communities of people, and they often form the major conflicts in subgenres like epic fantasy, space opera, and military science fiction. In looking specifically at creating political systems in conflict with each other, we’ll explore how to ground the conflicts in the basic needs of people. This workshop starts with the standard needs of human beings (always the audience, if not the subject of the story), how political systems are constructed to supply those needs—and how the balance of power can be destabilized to create an effective fictional conflict.

Prisoner of the Crown

The Single Most Helpful Thing I Do When Stuck

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

Prisoner of the Crown

Tuesday sees the release of PRISONER OF THE CROWN! There will be print (POD) versions available, too, but they won’t appear on the retail sites until release day, Tuesday, June 12, 2018.

 

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is: What’s the single most helpful thing you do to keep from being stuck in a story? Or how not to paint yourself into a corner. Come on over to learn what I do!

Romance Writing 101

Jeffe Kennedy / / Workshops

Romance is often criticized for being “formulaic”—but what do you really know about writing romance?

The truth is, the genre is just as exciting and inventive as any other. And here to prove it is Jeffe Kennedy, a RITA® Award winning author of fantasy romance, contemporary romance and erotic romance. In this three-week workshop she’ll give a broad introduction to the romance genre, and its subgenres.

She’ll cover the basic expectations of the romance genre—including the HEA (happy ever after) and HFN (happy for now)—and discuss in detail how to employ tropes. From there, the class will move into structure, including internal and external conflict. In the third week, the discussion will expand into subgenres like Fantasy Romance or Romantic Suspense—and how to weave romantic arcs into other genres effectively.

Students will participate in exercises to practice skills and will be able to submit short scenes to the entire group for feedback. Kennedy will also provide detailed feedback to posted work. All skill levels are welcome, but this introductory class will be directed toward the romance newbie.

pink orchid in pot

Protecting the Writing: a Quick How-To

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

pink orchid in pot

I’m hard at work writing THE ORCHID THRONE, the first in my new trilogy for St. Martins Press. So, naturally, I had to impulse-buy this gorgeous orchid from Trader Joe’s. It’s my new desk ornament, following the USB-plug in Christmas tree, cherry blossom tree, and foaming cauldron. This one notably does NOT require electricity, which seems appropriate for the world I’m writing. However, it does require attention to be kept alive. So far my record with orchids is pretty abysmal. (Don’t tell this gal!) We shall see. Any tips for keeping orchids alive in a desert climate?

Last week I traveled to Phoenix to give a presentation to the Desert Rose Romance Writers. This one was “A Taoist’s Guide to Staying Sane in the Writing Business.” I talked a whole lot about how the relentless push to get rich can make us crazy, and how to find a peaceful place of sane creativity in the midst of that. But, during the great discussion at the end, one gal asked if I had advice about family who don’t believe in your career, who actively interfere or dis what you’re doing, or who won’t approved of your eventual story.

This is, of course, not an easy question to answer, though several gals in the room had advice for her, too. It’s also our topic at the SFF Seven this week: How much space do you give non-writing emotional labor – or how do you save mental space for the work with a head full of mortgage and other people’s expectations? I’d call this a coincidence, but I’m a Taoist I know it’s not. Come on over to find out more.