Jade Varden Official Blog

If you spend any amount of time reading writing tips, you'll be exposed to the adverb debate. Some authors, like Stephen King, say don't use them at all. But are they really that bad? What's an Adverb? Before you know if adverbs are evil, it's helpful to figure out what they are. To put it simply , an adverb is any word with the -ly suffix. Mightily , oddly , fervently -- these are adverbs (ugly isn't one; there are exceptions to every rule). Adverbs are a well-used part of speech , and you're very likely to find them in all forms of writing. So what makes them evil? The Root of All Bad Writing Those who dislike adverbs argue that they're cheap. A little too easy, a cop-out that's used in place of real descriptive writing . Instead of saying that Marie's voiced trembled, you write that she spoke fearfully . Don't think there's anything wrong with that? You aren't alone. Many writers use adverbs happily , mys...

It's not easy to admit, even to oneself, but many indie authors experience feelings of resentment...toward each other.  This Market Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us It's really not difficult to see how this might happen. Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to sell books if there weren't so many books? Wouldn't it be easier to market if there wasn't so many other indie authors marketing? Wouldn't it be nicer if they would just  go away ?  And when you find other indie authors who publish books that get bad reviews and get a reputation for being error-riddled...well, it's sort of easy to start having feelings of resentment. I've resented other authors in the past, and my meanness isn't even limited to indies. I have a practically lifelong obsession with disliking Stephen King, for reasons we don't even have time to get into. It's completely normal to feel dislike, even some hatred, for the competition. What yo...

More ebookstores are appearing on smartphones, and even the public library is starting to distribute Kindle books for lending. Now, comic book writers get to join in on the fun, too. Got a great idea for a comic book? It's time to start self-publishing. Self-Publishing Comes to Comics Comixology has developed Submit, a comic book publishing platform designed for indies.  Beta trials began last year, and now the system is ready for the general public. It's a pretty simple system. After content is uploaded and approved, it's added to the catalog. Authors get their own strorefront and have their work formatted for Comixology mobile apps. The app converts the comic book into panel-by-panel view screens.  It costs nothing to self-publish through the platform, but you only get to keep half of what you earn. The rest goes to Comixology. This is the newest platform for comic book writers, but not the only one. It's possible to publish graphic novels with iBook...

It's happened very rarely, but it has been done. An author comes forward with a style or an idea that's so unusual, so outside-the-box, they distinguish themselves for ever. Lewis Carroll invented words. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote about what it was really like to be a black American...in the 1860s. And Jane Austen, single and never married, wrote so beautifully about love that girls still flock to read her boots 160 years after the fact. So can you do something unusual and interesting, too? Can you write a story with many main characters...or with no main character? Thinking Outside the Box The first time I saw The Neverending Story , I thought it was the most amazing movie ever made. I immediately loved it and wanted to watch it again and again (and I did). Now, ask me why. Because I identified with, and immediately liked, Bastian. He's the little boy who's reading the book. I also read books! I'm not a little boy, and I didn't live in a ...

"If there's one book that deserves to be in the bestsellers list I think it's this one because Jade Varden did an absolutely flawless job in executing the story." "While the previous book was good, this one was excellent, brilliant and honestly? I can't praise it enough." The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2) has been reviewed at Reading 24x7 by friend of the blog Josheka Chauhan. Read the whole thing before you get your copy of the book!

I didn't know what Empire Zero (Act I: Tinder and Tear) was about when I began reading it, and after the first few paragraphs didn't care. It was written so well, I was ready to just go along for the ride. But it wasn't always a smooth journey. At the beginning the story threw me into the life of a young man on a quest, going through a strange world. Dangers abound here, in a land where humans, dwarves and ogres dwell...but do not really coexist. The races are at odds, and the journey is fraught with peril. I'd have happily stayed with that tale, but the author began to introduce different, concurrent storylines. Three main stories create Act I of Empire Zero , and it gets pretty confusing pretty quickly. The author makes it easier by naming chapters after each main story, dividing them into Brother, Monster and Thief. The Brother story revolves around Castor, who must travel across the dangerous world to procure medicine. Monster tells us the story of two o...

You've studied the craft of writing. You know all about formatting. You know how to edit. You've got a great blurb. You're a born storyteller. But are you really ready to self-publish? The job is about a lot more than writing, and it can be very overwhelming. My Other Job is Not Sleeping It takes a lot of time and study to write a book, any book. You've got to think about the plot, figure out the ending, complete the research, develop the characters, decide upon the setting...well, you know it takes a lot. When the book is finished, you have to edit it and format it for mass distribution.  Once that's all done, the real work begins. It's not enough to put a book out there into the world, even if it's a great book. Even if it's the greatest book ever penned by the hand of man, it's not enough to simply self-publish it. Now you have to market it. You have to slip into the role of indie author. And the problem with that is, it's a f...

Social marketing serves a lot of different purposes. It's a great way to stay connected with friends and family, or to re-connect with them. It's wonderful for learning more about people, for getting the inside scoop on celebrities and TV shows, it's a great distraction when you want to be entertained. But social media sites are popular, and that makes them good for something else: marketing. As a self-published author, you pretty much need to do it. But as a self-published author, you've got to play to your own strengths. Socially Spamming If you can get a lot of followers on Twitter , you have a great platform from which to tout your books. It's a good idea to post snippets of text, pieces of reviews and parts of your blurb to pique the interest of potential readers. But you can't do that too much, or else you'll be regarded as a spammer. And it's not really the most effective means of social media marketing, anyway. Social media is suppos...

How do you know you're a "real" author? For some, it's seeing their book or books available at the public library. Now that many libraries have added ebook collections to their spanking-new virtual shelves, it's a possibility. Add your ebooks to your local library's database, and join all the other big-time authors who loan their books out for free. Amazon at the Library Amazon released many of their electronic titles for lending at libraries all over the United States, and you can join the list of available books.  Many of the ebooks available at local libraries can be found on a central database which distributes the books. From the OverDrive site , readers can type in their zip code to find the ebooks available at their local libraries. It's even got an app. To get your books listed on OverDrive, and subsequently at libraries across the country, you'll have to apply for a publisher account with the site. If you're with a smal...

Everyone who wants to be an author thinks about writing a great novel, not just a massive bestseller but something that lasts through the ages. Think Pride and Prejudice , Gone With the Wind , A Christmas Carol . Then you start writing...and realize you'll settle for just getting the damn book finished. But after you write three or four, it might not be out of line to try and reach for greatness again. So I've got to ask: what makes a story great? All the Earmarks of a Great Novel We've all read great books...and we've all read bad books. The differences between the two can be very minute indeed -- the wrong word, the wrong ending, a missed opportunity can be the determining factor in a brilliant story and a horrible one. But truly great stories do tend to have a few things in common. Master them, and you may find your greatness. Strong main character: Notice the adjective. Great main characters do not have to be good, and they do not have to be heroic. Th...

"Thrilling sequel. I can't wait to read the next book!" The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2) has been reviewed at Counting in Bookcases. Go read it if you're all caught up on book 1, Justice. If not, go buy both right now!

Need a good story starter ? Feeling lost at the beginning of  a book project is common, and many writers find themselves staring at blank screens (I do it all the time). Start your story with the right tools, and you'll see it through all the way to the end. I visited Lisa Fantino's blog recently to write all about the best story starters you can find. Visit her blog at Amalfi Blue to find out what they are!

Writer's block takes many forms. Sometimes you just lose interest in a story, or writing in general. Maybe you suffer from a lack of focus, or you just feel the well of ideas has run dry. There's an easy way to find your motivation again, and get yourself back to writing.  Writing for Writing's Sake When you're having trouble writing, it's often because too many thoughts are getting in the way. Over-thinking it is a common problem, and it's also common to feel sort of "blah" about writing. When you need to motivate yourself, think about your favorite movie.  What's your favorite scene from the movie that you like best? If it's really your favorite, chances are good that you know at least one scene backwards and forwards. So, write it. Describe the scene with your words, using as much of the real dialogue as you can remember. Think about every little detail, and put it on the page. Just start writing it, and get into the rhythm...

I watched crime shows and court shows all day, every day while working on the final book in the Deck of Lies series. They inspired me, and helped me stay in the right head space to get the story together. Also, I really like those shows...it's why I like to write mysteries. I've found that if you write what interests you, you write better. What the Heart Wants Suzanne Collins got the idea to write The Hunger Games while watching news and reality TV. She watched politics and brutal competition, so that's what she ended up writing about. She wrote about what she likes, what interests her, and it became a hit. It's a pretty simple formula. If you're interested in something, and passionate about it, your story is going to be much richer. Your love of the topic itself will enhance every aspect of your tale. Research will be easier and the words will flow more freely. So now all you have to do is figure out what interests you...and parlay that into a bestsel...

Have you ever forgotten someone's name that you went to school with, someone you met a few times, that neighbor who lives down the street? If it's possible for you to forget the name of real human beings who are standing directly in your face, just think how I must feel when I'm trying to memorize the 52 characters you put into your book. As an author, you have to limit your characters. Otherwise, I'm going to start forgetting them...so why should they be in the book in the first place?  Bob and Jim and Nancy and Fred and Donna and Phil and Becky and... Frankly, I'm lucky if I can accurately remember my own address and two phone numbers. I walk around all day with several of my own characters rattling around in my head, plus I'm juggling storylines from like a dozen different totally interesting shows at any given time. So honestly, it's just cruel for you to expect me to keep track of the 30-plus characters you've added to your 200-page book. ...

"This book throws you into the drama and it NEVER.STOPS. The writing is spectacular!" "I loved it! It was exciting, crazy and full of twists and turns you never see coming. I highly recommend it!" Justice (Deck of Lies, #1) has been reviewed at Lily Bloom Books . Read it to find out what the reviewer found jaw-dropping about the book.

It's March...do you know where your income is coming from? Before you break the federal law, figure out what you should know about taxes as a self-published author.  Two Sides to Every Coin Once you sell a certain amount of books through any venue, from Amazon to Smashwords, you will receive a check in the mail or an automated payment of some sort; it all depends on the payment information you've submitted. When this happens, it's an amazing day. You earned money as an author , and you are a success. And you are liable for it as a taxpaper. Because here's what you may not know about self-publishing: you're doing it as an independent contractor. What does that mean? It's pretty simple. You have sold something, a product, on Amazon (or B&N, or whatever). Amazon has taken their cut of the profits and now they are giving you what you have earned as the author. But they have not taken taxes out . Amazon is not your employer. You didn't fi...

"This fairly addictive, well written novel is a must read for people looking for something fresh, quick, and mysterious."  "The plot is wonderful and the characters are amazing. I am addicted to the mystery and lies!" Counting in Bookcases has reviewed Justice (Deck of Lies, #1). Read the spoiler-free review before you get your copy of the book.

I've written many posts about books that became films . Much more rarely, this happens in reverse: people write books inspired by movies. The best example you're likely to find is Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope . It was on film first. Now, it's in everything. The Film I'm certain there's nothing I can tell you about Star Wars that you don't already know, except maybe that I find Family Guy 's to be the definitive spoof and I'm sorry, Mel Brooks ( Spaceballs reference).  It's basically your classic heroic tale, only set in space. The story, to paraphrase, goes something like this. A pretty young and untried filmmaker named George Lucas got an epic idea for a movie, so he wrote it all out. He started showing it around, and movie studios were overwhelmed. They told Lucas he didn't have a movie in his hand -- he had several movies. So Lucas selected the middle chunk of his epic sci-fi fantasy story and said, let's make t...

So, you want to get a literary agent. You've written you book, and it's good. Good? It's great! Agents ought to fall over themselves for it. ...If only you knew how to get to the agents. I can tell you how to do it, but I can't promise you'll be happy with the results. How to Get an Agent First, don't bother querying any agents until your book is done, done, done . I'm talking it had better be edited and polished to the nines, or you're only doing yourself a huge disservice. Once it is, I want you to put together a list. Do whatever you can to make sure it's a big list .  The List Let me preface this by saying that this is going to take some time. You increase your chances if you take the time to follow these steps, and even then your chances are slim. That's the nature of the business. Go to Agent Query first. This is a reputable site that contains listings of literary agents. Use the search feature to seek agents who accept you...

Then why are you writing about it? As some of you probably know, I spend much too much time reading forums . Often, I'm wading through endless questions about setting, animal husbandry, types of vegetables, head trauma...one guy sincerely wanted information about bear attacks, because the animals aren't native to his geographic region. It's a pretty thin excuse for practicing a really bad writing tactic: overreaching...and I could make an argument for laziness, too. Either way, it's bad - so stop! There are alternatives to asking random questions about the secret life of onion bulbs in open, public writer forums.    Totally Unfamiliar Territory I find it incredibly mind-boggling that so many writers would use plot devices with which they are utterly unfamiliar -- particular when so much stuff could just be changed to fit something about which the author is more knowledable. Let's go back to bear guy, shall we? In the book he was creating (and this is a...

I must admit, I've been avoiding this topic for a while, though I see it crop up constantly. Many self-published authors are told to start blogging to build a fan base, which sounds simple enough. Doesn't everybody offer free blogs these days? Isn't design easy thanks to built-in templates? So you create your blog and pick a pretty design...and then horror strikes. What the heck are you supposed to blog about? Blogs, Books and Writing...Oh, My It seems like there ought to be a simple solution, right? After all, you're a writer...shouldn't blogging be a breeze? In truth, maintaining a blog can be pretty hard work, especially when you'd rather be hard at work on your next book. It's especially hard if you aren't committed to your topic. So...what's your topic? In the world of self-published author blogs, there are a few different types of blogs you'll see a lot. The author blog: This is a blog dedicated to telling readers about your...

Sometimes the end is the first part of a story that reveals itself. When you get stuck thinking about it, you may never have the chance to write it.  A Love Story Once, just once, I fell in love with a story . I was so besotted, I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and setting even after the book was done. I imagined new plots, new events, new characters and brand-new jokes.  I started the sequel almost as soon as I finished the book I so loved. I knew exactly how it would start, the time period I wanted to cover...and I knew just how it would end. With tears, and a poignant moment next to a tree. It's really much better than it sounds. I was in love again. So I started my sequel, and blazed through the first few chapters like this was the story I'd been born to tell. I was so excited I couldn't type fast enough. At first. Then I got through all the setup chapters...and realized I was very far from reaching my oh-so-dramatic ending. ...

The Help shot to fame after its 2009 release, becoming one of those "must-read" novels on everyone's book club list. After the novel rocketed up the bestseller list, the subsequent film became a surprising blockbuster. In either medium, the story is fantastic...but if you've only experienced one version, you're missing an awful lot.  The Book Kathryn Stockett wrote her debut novel The Help just a few years ago, but the book takes place in entirety in the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi. She wrote the book for 5 years and got rejected by more than 50 agents before finding someone to represent her. It was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 100 weeks. Primarily, the story is told through the eyes of Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. Aibileen is a maid of African-American descent who cleans house and cares for the children of white families. She is currently working for the Leefolts, her first job after the death of her son. Aibileen ke...

"I didn't know then that it would make me fail my philosophy test coming up due to the fact that it was not a book that was easily put down once started." "I was definitely not disappointed. This book quickly grabbed my attention and became impossible to put down." Visit The Schwartz Reviewz to see the newest review for Justice (Deck of Lies, #1), and find out which quote from the book the reviewer liked best.