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Jay Pelchen

Goodreads Author

Born

Australia

Website

https://www.the-world-that-was.com

Member Since

October 2023

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Jay Pelchen started his working life in an Aussie chocolate shop.

At university he studied mechanical engineering and physics, though his friends always said he liked reading too much to be a “real” engineer.

He has spent his professional career working to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The World That Was is his first novel.

Jay lives in Vienna, Austria with his wife Joti.

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Jay Pelchen Break the process down! Writing an entire book seems like a gargantuan task but breaking it down into more manageable steps makes the whole process le…moreBreak the process down! Writing an entire book seems like a gargantuan task but breaking it down into more manageable steps makes the whole process less daunting. I shared my "Engineers Approach to Writing" on Reddit, showing how I: started with a single paragraph capturing the idea; turned that into an A4 page; turned that into a sentence for each chapter; then created a 500 word summary for each chapter. Turning that 20,000 word summary of the entire book into a 120,000 word novel sounds hard but turning 500 words into 2500 words sounds (and was) much more achievable.(less)

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How do you get inspired to write?

Jay Pelchen I think everyone has an idea (or twelve) for a book and that alone can serve as an inspiration. However, the writing process is long and motivation is…moreI think everyone has an idea (or twelve) for a book and that alone can serve as an inspiration. However, the writing process is long and motivation is tough to maintain. I promised myself to make at least some minor progress on the story each day, even if just a post-it note with a character's hair colour or some other detail. Seeing consistent progress was super inspiring. I also printed out a physical copy of my book with each few chapter that I wrote, providing further evidence of tangible progress. Finally, researching specific details for the book or going to visit locations in person was hugely inspiring and provided weeks of boosted energy for the writing and editing process.(less)

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Jay Pelchen’s books

Average rating: 4.11 · 454 ratings · 62 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

The World That Was

4.11 avg rating — 454 ratings — published 2024 — 3 editions

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Jay is Currently Reading

Jay Pelchen is currently reading

Honeyeater

by Kathleen Jennings (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 06, 2025 05:40AM

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Jay Pelchen liked Raymond White's review of Chronomad One – The World That Was: A Time Travel Adventure Bringing Modern Science and Medicine to Medieval England: "I'm a fan of Time Travel novels. This one was truly exceptional. The characters were engaging and many were truly likable. The historical details were quite accurate. The plot was fascinating. compelling and completely different from other time trave" Read more of this review »
Sep 05, 2026 10:36AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Chronomad One – The World That Was by Jay Pelchen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Chronomad One – The World That Was by Jay Pelchen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jay Pelchen is currently reading Honeyeater by Kathleen Jennings (Goodreads Author)	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
Sep 06, 2025 05:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Honeyeater by Kathleen Jennings. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Honeyeater by Kathleen Jennings <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jay Pelchen wants to read All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) by Martha Wells (Goodreads Author)	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
Jul 05, 2025 07:50AM · like