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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 · 283 ratings · 53 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

The World That Was

4.11 avg rating — 283 ratings — published 2024 — 3 editions

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Honeyeater

by Kathleen Jennings (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 06, 2025 05:40AM

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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
Jay Pelchen rated a book really liked it Excalibur (The Warlord Chronicles, #3) by Bernard Cornwell (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
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Jay Pelchen rated a book liked it Enemy of God (The Warlord Chronicles, #2) by Bernard Cornwell (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
Aug 06, 2024 10:01PM · 3 likes · like
Jay Pelchen has read Enemy of God (The Warlord Chronicles, #2) by Bernard Cornwell (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
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Jay Pelchen rated a book really liked it The Winter King (The Warlord Chronicles, #1) by Bernard Cornwell (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
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Jay Pelchen is now following Christina T's reviews
Jun 18, 2024 11:16AM · like
Jay Pelchen and 9 other people liked Joshua Thompson's review of Quest for Lost Heroes (The Drenai Saga, #4): "Oh how I love an old school fantasy quest. I wish I'd discovered Gemmell 30 years ago."
Jun 06, 2024 08:53AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Quest for Lost Heroes by David Gemmell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Quest for Lost Heroes by David Gemmell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jay Pelchen rated a book really liked it Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari	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
I really enjoyed the opening half of this book, having not read much about prehistory before. The latter half was a little more difficult as I had spent a lot of time learning about more modern technological and societal changes but it still provided ...more
Jun 05, 2024 08:06AM · like · see review
Jay Pelchen rated a book really liked it Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) by Michael Crichton	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
I loved the film and had watched it many times over the years before I finally read the book. It was interesting to see how well the film had followed the book but also to see how much richer the characters felt in the novel. Knowing the general plot ...more
Jun 05, 2024 08:03AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">