Ask the Author: Jennifer Valenti
Answered Questions (7)
Jennifer Valenti
I try not to force my writing. If I am sitting at my computer and nothing is coming after a few minutes of preparation, then it's not the right time to write. Also, I picked up some Reiki candles a few months ago that I believe really helps me. I bought one for creativity and one for health, and I light them while I write.
Jennifer Valenti
The Maverick is inspired by my own story. All of the stories in the series are inspired by real women (some of them you know well, and some that are telling their story through this series.)
Jennifer Valenti
I have always been writing. I can't remember a time when I didn't. It is as organic to me as breathing.
Jennifer Valenti
Book Two in the Jane Valiante Series, The Bombshell, releasing Spring 2021.
Jennifer Valenti
Don't think. Just write. Write whenever and wherever the mood strikes you and make it a priority. Learn about story arcs through watching films and seeing plays. A good book typically follows the same three-act segmentation: Act one is the inciting event, Act two is the build-up, Act three is the climax typical of a fiction story. Think of each chapter as an episode of a TV series, whereas it can stand on its own as a short story. Same with scene changes.
When you think about it that way, it's much easier to write engaging stories. Another tip is to first prioritize your story over overly descriptive characterizations. This also goes for spending too much time on the description of your characters as a way to salve over a less pleasing storyline.
This is a proactive statement, but hear me out. I often find when I am spending pages and pages on descriptive elements of a character's features from another author, that it usually means the story itself itsn't well developed. I find that sometimes writers use imagery to cover up for plot imbalances and underdeveloped stories. This can have a direct impact on your pacing and the ability to arc a story well. It's easy to go back and add more descriptive elements about a character but much harder to retrofit choppy plots and unrealized character development.
When you think about it that way, it's much easier to write engaging stories. Another tip is to first prioritize your story over overly descriptive characterizations. This also goes for spending too much time on the description of your characters as a way to salve over a less pleasing storyline.
This is a proactive statement, but hear me out. I often find when I am spending pages and pages on descriptive elements of a character's features from another author, that it usually means the story itself itsn't well developed. I find that sometimes writers use imagery to cover up for plot imbalances and underdeveloped stories. This can have a direct impact on your pacing and the ability to arc a story well. It's easy to go back and add more descriptive elements about a character but much harder to retrofit choppy plots and unrealized character development.
Jennifer Valenti
Getting to live out the lives of other people. I love each of the characters in the Jane Valiante Series uniquely. I live vicariously through them through my writing!
Jennifer Valenti
HOGWARTS OF COURSE. I mean honestly... who wouldn't want to travel there? I live in Florida so I have the fortune of being close to Universal where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located. It's amazing and makes you feel like you're really there. I would definitely need a long talk with Hagrid and a ride on a Gryffindor. Ravenclaw for life!
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