Juin Charnell's Blog

I just read a negative review for my first book. And actually I appreciate it. I don't know every person who wrote positive ones and I don't know the person who wrote the negative one. But all the reviews, positive and negative, urge me to write the best book I possible can at the time of the writing. I will only become better with each book. And with each book, I do think about how I could have made the last one stronger, longer, tighter, but my goal is always to write an enjoyable story.

My 2 cents on the subject of vampire/pnr stories. One of the best series that I ever read was the "Vampire Huntress Legend" by LA Banks (who unfortunately has passed away).
But this was one of the first vampire series that I got into because she had an African-American heroine. And if I'm going to read these series, it's sometimes nice to have a heroine that I can relate to. And she digs deep all the way back to Adam/Eve legend stuff with the start of Lilith being a vamp. So for all the folks who enjoy these types of books, I would recommend reading her series.

I have a few short stories that I would like to put into a compilation. But they don't have a unifying theme and it seems to be a huge expenditure to purchase a cover for a 40 page story individually. I read someone's post recently that states the short form is back. Is it really?

Are we all so busy that we can only squeeze in or allow ourselves escapism time for a 30 to 40 page story? I want the time to become acquainted with characters. I understand the "check out my style" of the short form, but for some of us who don't just write in one particular genre, that may be a challenge.

I am a genre-hopper (totally made up that word but it works). I may be working on a fantasy/sci-fi piece one day and romance the next and thriller the next so putting short pieces of that eclectic group together wouldn't work because a reader may want one and find the others and feel mislead. Wondering what others thoughts are on the subject?

Like most readers (and writers) I look for meaning in the books I read. I look for escapism. I look for entertainment. I don't always want all those things in each book I read and am not disappointed when I found none. Not trying to sound obtuse but sometimes a book is just a book. Deeper meanings weren't the intentions of the writer although others may find those things later. And deeper meanings may be the objective in some writer's work but they miss the point completely and you are left with just a book.
My goal as a writer is simply to tell a good story. If by some lucky stroke of genius, I hit all three of the above in the same story, whoopee for me and lucky for you. But the goal is not to impose my world view on you but to leave you satisfied and hungry for me.

As a writer who is going the indie route, it is easy to feel lost and under appreciated when you look at the sales reports on your book sales. But you have to look at it another way. For every person that has decided to purchase your book, they might tell another reader friend about it and yes, slowly though it may go, you build a following. But the bonus is those are people who didn't know you, weren't friends who were doing you a favor by purchasing your book, but honest to goodness other people who decided to take a chance on a writer whose last name wasn't King, Patterson, etc. And every time someone new buys your book, they have validated your option to put words on the page as a storyteller. It would be nice to see reviews from every person who reads your books but realistically, look at it this way, if the millions of readers for say "King" put a review up on Amazon, it would blow out the server. So take a small bit of pride in the reviews you do receive, good and bad, and keep writing because you are tiny (today) but growing daily. Peace

I usually procrastinate to the point that midnight creeps up on me and I haven't written a single word.
So my new focus is simple.
I can't watch television (thank goodness for DVR) or read anyone's book or play any games when I come home from work, until I have completed my words.
That sounds really nice doesn't it.
It will only work if I follow through. And it is too easy to be distracted by all of the above things I said I wouldn't do then to sit and write. Procrastination is a huge problem but it isn't the root.
The root of procrastination is fear. Fear of success, fear of failure, fear that what I write will be crap.
(And yes I am aware that this next passage is in third person) So put butt in chair. Write the story inside of you. Entertain us with your words and enjoy doing it like your life depends on it.