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88 ratings | 4 reviews | avg rating:3.89

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Jon Ballard

Goodreads Author

Born

in Pontiac, The United States

Website

http://www.jpballard.com

Genre

Fiction, Poetry

Influences

John Cheever; William Stafford; Jim Harrison; Richard Hugo; Edward Haw ...more

Member Since

May 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jpballard

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Jon Ballard’s poetry and fiction have appeared in over fifty journals since 2006, including Cimarron Review, Flint Hills Review, The Valparaiso Poetry Review, New Mexico Poetry Review, Fifth Wednesday Journal, Blue Earth Review, The MacGuffin, Boxcar Poetry Review, Connecticut River Review, and Broadsided. He is the author of five poetry chapbooks: Lonesome (Pudding House, 2007) Sad Town (Maverick Duck Press, 2007), Trees Make You Think of Other Things (Foothills Publishing, 2008) Such Small Rain (Pudding House, 2009) and most recently, Somewhere Between (Finishing Line Press, 2013). His debut novel, Year of the Poets, is forthcoming in May 2014 from Loose Leaves Publishing.

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Jon Ballard Any time I subject myself to this notion that I need to be "inspired" to compose, I think I invite writer's block into my writing life. I really do be…moreAny time I subject myself to this notion that I need to be "inspired" to compose, I think I invite writer's block into my writing life. I really do believe this condition is self-inflicted. Good writing is a struggle, sometimes bordering on drudgery, and nothing will ever change that. Writer's block, at least for me, happens when I'm not committed to sweating out the horror of the blank page, and expect something like divine inspiration to save me. As an agnostic, I should know better. (less)

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Jon Ballard Get yourself alone in a room without the Internet, without distractions, and write. To paraphrase some philosopher or other, we need to get past lovin…moreGet yourself alone in a room without the Internet, without distractions, and write. To paraphrase some philosopher or other, we need to get past loving the idea, and learn to the love the thing itself. The "thing" in this case is the writing. The other thing I would say is that aspiring writers need to be committed to, and interested in, reading widely and deeply. A would-be writer who isn't interested and engaged with other people's words is simply refusing to learn their craft. (less)

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Jon Ballard’s books

Average rating: 4.18 · 22 ratings · 5 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Ultimate Vacation Rental Handbook: Lessons learned scaling from 1 to 40 short term rentals 4.13 avg rating — 16 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ultimate Vacation Rental Handbook: Lessons learned scaling from 1 short term rental to over 40 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Year of the Poets: A Novel it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sad Town really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lonesome 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Trees Make You Think of Other Things 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2008	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Somewhere Between 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Year of the Poets 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Possible Lives 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Where It Hurts 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars