Tag: SFF 7

The Writer as Friendly Curmudgeon – Building Fences Without Walling People Out

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

One of my favorite pictures of my mother, embodying all her effervescence and zest for life – letting her fringe fly. 

It’s apropos for me that week’s topic – which has to do with attempting to be both a writer and a socially acceptable person – falls on Mother’s Day. My mother is tremendously social person. She’s good at it, and she loves it. Me… well, I’ve always struggled a bit with feeling like I’m not as good at it, and it took me a really long time to understand that about myself. Come on over to the SFF Seven to read more. 

Crying Wolf

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

The bright day after the big snowstorm. The snow is melting fast and I’m betting it will be all gone by midafternoon. 

Our topic this week at the SFF Seven is an open author riff, an invitation to talk about whatever’s on our minds. 

I ended up complaining about bad security advice on the Internet. Because I couldn’t help myself. Don’t bother reading it – it’s a boring rant. Really. 

When Mentors Go Bad: Writing Advice Red Flags

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

This clematis I planted late last summer has been early to bloom this spring. Such a lovely new visitor to the garden!

Our topic this week at the SFF Seven is Paying it Forward: How We Serve as Mentors for Tomorrow’s New Writers. There’s lots of ways to do this, and I look forward to hearing what others of the SFF 7 say they do, but I want to come at this a little sideways by giving a warning about what is NOT helpful.

I Believe in Unicorns

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

This week we’re asking the question: What’s the Greatest Myth or Legend You Wish Were True & Why?

 

My reply to this sort of thing, deep in the still idealistic abyss of my heart – which I’ve carried surprisingly untainted by collisions with reality since my childhood – is “what makes you think they’re not true?”

 

I believe in unicorns. Come find out more. 

Early Stages – Who Should Help You Plot?

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

In keeping with our story-writing theme – last week we talked about how much space to give to the denouement – our topic at the SFF Seven this week focuses on the Early Stages of Plot Development. Do we work alone, with critique partner, developmental editor, or in a round-table group.

 

My answer is that this has changed dramatically for me over the course of my writing career – and it can vary by book. Plus, just recently I’ve done something Totally New, which isn’t even on that list. Come on over to find out what that is!

Writing the Denouement – What’s the Right Amount of Wrap-up?

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

RITA Finalist in Paranormal Romance for THE PAGES OF THE MIND

So… this is *MY* big news this week. How about you all?

Tee hee hee!

Yeah, okay, I’m still in a daze, totally gobsmacked, and running about in this kind of gleeful haze where I whisper to myself, “My fantasy romance, THE PAGES OF THE MIND, finaled in Paranormal Romance in RWA’s RITA® awards!!!”

To unpack that a little, for those not familiar, RWA is Romance Writers of America and the RITA Award® is our premiere award for published books in the romance genre. (There’s also the Golden Heart, for unpublished works.) Because romance is an enormous umbrella with many subgenres, there are thirteen categories. “Paranormal Romance” is basically all science fiction or fantasy style stories with romance in the story arc. Yeah, it’s a polyglot of a subgenre, but there you are. With entries capped at 2,000, and every entry read and ranked by five judges, it’s a tremendous effort. It’s basically the Academy Awards for romance authors. The winners will be announced at the very glam awards ceremony at the Annual Conference, which will be in Orlando this year, July 22-29.

Okay! Moving on…

Our topic this week on the SFF Seven is on story structure, specifically asking the SFF Seven about the Denouement: How long do you spend wrapping up a novel? Come on over for my take. 

What Got Left Out? Classic Misses in SFF Worldbuilding

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

Jeffe on the Iron Throne

I love this photo of me on the Iron Throne, the much-sought seat in George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones and the ensuing books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. It’s a testament to GRRM’s meticulous worldbuilding (yes, I’m making it one word in this post because it should be) that people have gone to such lengths to reconstruct pieces of his imaginary world. 

That’s our topic at the SFF Seven this week – Children and the Elderly: what elements tend to get left out of worldbuilding? Come on over to play the game!

Should Authors Comment on Politics?

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

This photo didn’t come out in focus – too dark – but I’m sharing it anyway because the moment of this full supermoon rising through clouds in Santa Fe during a penumbral eclipse was absolutely incredible to see. My wonderful friend, Anne Calhoun, was visiting. We climbed up onto the roof and watched the sun set and the moon rise. Neither of us got great photographs. 

Too much magic, maybe,

But you’re not here to listen to me talk about friendship, moonrises and magic. Or maybe you are. If you know me or follow me on social media, you’ll expect this sort of thing. If you clicked on a link because you found the topic interesting, you’re maybe wondering when I’ll get to the point.

Eventually, my new visitor!

Because this week’s subject is Hot Topics & the Author’s Social Media Voice, it seems the perfect time to point out that the these three things – voice, social media, and an author’s response to hot topics – are inextricable. I unpack this over at the SFF Seven.