Ask the Author: J.D. Cunegan
Answered Questions (16)
J.D. Cunegan
Nothing in my life is even remotely interesting enough to be immortalized in the pages of a book, alas.
J.D. Cunegan
Donald Trump has been re-elected. In addition, the Republicans have retained control of the Senate and taken back the House.
J.D. Cunegan
Hi, Mike,
Unfortunately, outside of a positive review for BOUNTY, I haven't seen much benefit from OnlineBookClub. Part of that is because so many of the packages and services they offer are so outside my price range (I don't begrudge them their prices, as they need to make money, but I can't afford the vast majority of what they offer). I'm also not a huge fan of paying for a review, but I thought OBC would be a good outlet for promoting my work. Alas, I haven't seen where that's happened.
Good luck!
Unfortunately, outside of a positive review for BOUNTY, I haven't seen much benefit from OnlineBookClub. Part of that is because so many of the packages and services they offer are so outside my price range (I don't begrudge them their prices, as they need to make money, but I can't afford the vast majority of what they offer). I'm also not a huge fan of paying for a review, but I thought OBC would be a good outlet for promoting my work. Alas, I haven't seen where that's happened.
Good luck!
J.D. Cunegan
Hard to say, because just about every fictional universe I follow is borderline dystopian -- or at least so dangerous that my mere presence there would be hazardous to my health. I guess, if I had to choose one, it would probably be the world in Ready Player One -- because the VR realm and the cornucopia of pop culture references would have me feeling right at home.
J.D. Cunegan
E.A. Copen's Chasing Ghosts and Kiss of Vengeance. Richard Castle's Heat Storm. The new Jessica Blackwood novel from Andrew Mayne. Starstruck by S.E. Anderson. Order of the Lily by Cait Ashwood... and probably several more I can't think of at the moment.
J.D. Cunegan
For the most part, I don't get into fictional characters. I don't ship, I don't do OTPs... most books I read where people are all focused on ships (like, say, The Hunger Games), I focus more on the overall story arc and individual characters. The one exception, though, is Kate Beckett and Richard Castle from the TV show Castle. For some reason, those two -- individually and as a pair -- resonated with me the way most other fictional characters do not. I suppose that extends to Jameson Rook and Nikki Heat, their literary counterparts, but even they don't catch my attention and get me to follow along the way Beckett and Castle do.
J.D. Cunegan
From all over the place, really. Sometimes, I'll be reading a book or watching a TV show, and something I see will click in my head and go off in its own direction. Sometimes (like with my upcoming release, Behind the Badge), the story is plucked from things that have happened in real life. And sometimes then, it's simply a case of me asking "What if?"
What if I took this one superhero genre trope (like, say, all female superheroes are scantily clad) and turned it on its head? What if X happened? What if, instead of this one path that all of my readers expect my characters to go down, I send them down the other path instead? "What if" is a wonderful tool for me as a writer, and I find anymore that if I'm stuck, sometimes simply asking myself "What if" is enough to get the juices flowing again.
What if I took this one superhero genre trope (like, say, all female superheroes are scantily clad) and turned it on its head? What if X happened? What if, instead of this one path that all of my readers expect my characters to go down, I send them down the other path instead? "What if" is a wonderful tool for me as a writer, and I find anymore that if I'm stuck, sometimes simply asking myself "What if" is enough to get the juices flowing again.
J.D. Cunegan
Joss Whedon (well, pre-Age of Ultron Joss Whedon) has been a huge influence on me. Back when I first discovered Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the TV show, not the movie) and Angel, I was in a dark period in my life -- one that included not writing at all. Buffy and Angel re-ignited the spark, and I felt the creative urge that I had lacked for a few years prior to that.
I joined an online writing community, I made some life-long friendships, but more than anything, I just wrote. Not just Buffyverse stuff, either; eventually, I got the itch to write my own material again. I re-booted several long-standing characters (including Jill Andersen, the protagonist in my first two novels) and finally decided that one day, I would write a book.
Much to my surprise, I did it. Not just once, either. I've published two books and have another three in various stages of development. Comic books lit the fire, but discovering Whedon's earlier work re-ignited it when I feared it was snuffed out for good.
I joined an online writing community, I made some life-long friendships, but more than anything, I just wrote. Not just Buffyverse stuff, either; eventually, I got the itch to write my own material again. I re-booted several long-standing characters (including Jill Andersen, the protagonist in my first two novels) and finally decided that one day, I would write a book.
Much to my surprise, I did it. Not just once, either. I've published two books and have another three in various stages of development. Comic books lit the fire, but discovering Whedon's earlier work re-ignited it when I feared it was snuffed out for good.
J.D. Cunegan
For the most part, I let the characters dictate the plot. I'll come up with a general, overall plot for a book -- maybe even highlight a couple select chapters that *have* to be there -- but for the most part, I don't do a whole lot of planning prior to writing the first draft.
Part of the reason for that is, I tried being an outliner once before and I found that it hindered my writing. It felt very paint-by-numbers, and it sucked a lot of the fun out of the process -- to the point where I just wouldn't write.
Also, this way... sometimes my characters surprise me. And if they surprise *me*, then I'm pretty sure they'll surprise my readers, too.
Part of the reason for that is, I tried being an outliner once before and I found that it hindered my writing. It felt very paint-by-numbers, and it sucked a lot of the fun out of the process -- to the point where I just wouldn't write.
Also, this way... sometimes my characters surprise me. And if they surprise *me*, then I'm pretty sure they'll surprise my readers, too.
J.D. Cunegan
First thing's first, complete honesty: I totally had to google the term "speculative fiction." I honestly had no idea what it was or what the term meant. Bright side, I learned something new today.
Secondly, the sci-fi elements within Bounty have been a part of the character since day one (aaaaaaall the way back when I was in high school). It was never a conscious decision; I merely sketched out the character and then filled in the backstory after the fact (a side effect of being a comic book geek, I reckon).
Over the years, the sci-fi elements stayed, but for the longest time, I struggled coming up with stories to fit the character and her universe. Grand supernatural drama didn't work; vampires and other such monsters didn't fit. It wasn't until I started diving a little more into the murder mystery genre (thank you, Castle) that everything with this character and her universe just... fit.
Time was, Batman was called the World's Greatest Detective; frankly, I don't see the Dark Knight doing much detecting anymore. Not like the old days. In many ways, Bounty has taken up that mantle -- both as an *actual* detective and as a vigilante. It's a crossover of genres that works really well for me, and I love the stories I've been able to tell as a result.
Thanks for the question!
Secondly, the sci-fi elements within Bounty have been a part of the character since day one (aaaaaaall the way back when I was in high school). It was never a conscious decision; I merely sketched out the character and then filled in the backstory after the fact (a side effect of being a comic book geek, I reckon).
Over the years, the sci-fi elements stayed, but for the longest time, I struggled coming up with stories to fit the character and her universe. Grand supernatural drama didn't work; vampires and other such monsters didn't fit. It wasn't until I started diving a little more into the murder mystery genre (thank you, Castle) that everything with this character and her universe just... fit.
Time was, Batman was called the World's Greatest Detective; frankly, I don't see the Dark Knight doing much detecting anymore. Not like the old days. In many ways, Bounty has taken up that mantle -- both as an *actual* detective and as a vigilante. It's a crossover of genres that works really well for me, and I love the stories I've been able to tell as a result.
Thanks for the question!
J.D. Cunegan
When I was 11, I read my first comic book, an issue of X-Men. I don't know what it was about that book, but ever since then I've felt the urge to create. For the longest time, I wanted to be a comic book creator -- write and draw my own characters. That influence is probably evident in Bounty, as it should be -- that universe and its characters originated in comic book form. As I've gotten older, my writing ability has far outclassed my artistic skills, so I've made the transition to novels. I still hope to write comics one day, but it would be with someone else doing the art.
J.D. Cunegan
At the end of the day, I answer only to myself -- and my characters, but mostly myself. When I'm on my laptop typing away, or I'm elsewhere daydreaming about storylines and plot twists, I'm my own boss. I don't have to answer to anyone but myself, and in a lot of the ways, I'm writing things that I would love to read.
J.D. Cunegan
I step away from my work for a little bit. Sometimes, the best thing to cure my writer's block is space. Often, I find I'm blocked when I grow tired of seeing my own words over and over and over again, so sometimes, I'll read. Get lost in someone else's words for a little while.
J.D. Cunegan
Just write. Even if you know it's not good, even if you know you don't have it that day, just write. You can always go back and improve it later -- and sometimes, you'll realize that it wasn't nearly as bad as you thought in the moment. But if you don't write, it will never get written.
Also, read. Read as much as you can. Read something completely different from what you're writing. Read things that are like what you're writing. Read the newspaper. Read a magazine. Read about a non-writing interest you have. Read. Read. Read.
Also, read. Read as much as you can. Read something completely different from what you're writing. Read things that are like what you're writing. Read the newspaper. Read a magazine. Read about a non-writing interest you have. Read. Read. Read.
J.D. Cunegan
With Blood Ties now out and Behind the Badge just weeks away from release, I've turned my attention to writing the fourth novel in the Jill Andersen series, Behind the Mask. I have three other unrelated manuscripts in the works: a political thriller titled The Pen is Mighty; a supernatural epic titled Notna; and an occult mystery titled The Keeper. I'm hoping to have those all finished by the end of 2017.
J.D. Cunegan
When I was in high school, I was a budding comic book writer and artist. I'd already created a male superhero and wanted to create a female superhero. Bounty wound up being that superhero, and while her appearance, backstory, and genre have changed over the years, she has still been the character I've created that has meant the most to me, and I hope that shows in my writing.
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