Jade Varden Official Blog

It's one of the easiest pieces of advice in the world to tell an author to read great books. Want to learn how to be a better writer? Read great books! Read authors in your genre, read the bestsellers, read, read, read. I'm not going to tell you to do that. I want you to do something else. I want you to seek out bad writing. You need it. You just might not know it. Bad Writing is Good Have you ever come across a really old piece of your own writing? Exactly how long did you stare at it in bug-eyed horror before you quickly thrust it away from yourself and make an attempt to disassociate?  Mozart was a musical prodigy; he composed "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" at age 5. Bobby Fischer was a chess prodigy; he competed in the Game of the Century at age 13. As far as I've ever known, there are no writing prodigies. Nobody sits down at age 11 and writes an epic novel that becomes an instant hit -- not even the likes of Mark Twain. Many authors, even the...

If you've self-published on Amazon, you know you have the option for checking a little box that allows you to add DRM protection to your books. DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, and many authors read Amazon's brief description and decide to check the box. After all, it protects your rights as the author. What you may not realize is that it also makes things difficult for your readers. As a self-published author, that might be something you just can't afford.  Why Use DRM?  Digital Rights Management is included in most movies and music you download online -- at least, the stuff you download legally (like through iTunes and such). It's a sort of encryption that's embedded into the file, and it makes it exceedingly difficult for you to copy these digital files -- like in case you want to give them to your friends or re-sell them. And DRM is commonly used in ebooks as well, to prevent ebook piracy. There's no question that ebook piracy happens...bu...

I've been thinking a lot about 2012, and wondering what the new year will hold. I was a little surprised when I thought about everything that happened in 2012. A Look Back On this day one year ago, I was anxious, unhealthy, and didn't really want to leave my apartment. One year ago, I didn't have much reason to. But things are different now, because I made some things happen over the past 12 months:  I published four books in 2012. True, they are not long books, but the page counts are respectable. Accomplishing this was a big deal for me because I had to overcome my writer's block to do it. I spent two years being literally unable to write any fiction whatsoever, and in 2012 I decided it wasn't going to beat me. It didn't. I finished the Deck of Lies series , and now I've started something new. In 2013, I hope to publish FIVE books! I lost 50 pounds. It's true. In February, I noticed that I could no longer wear any of my cl...

Much of the eastern world is still shrouded by a curtain of mystery. It's a world steeped in traditions and culture that only one born to it can hope to understand. It's a world that an American named Arthur Golden revealed in his 1997 book Memoirs of a Geisha . Hidden inside this tale of tradition and uncontrollable circumstance, there's a really beautiful love story. The Book The reader meets young Chiyo Saramoto at the beginning of the book. She lives in a poor family, in a poor fishing village near the Sea of Japan. Along with her older sister Satsu, she's sold to an okiya in the large city of Kyoto. The okiya she's sold to is located in Gion, the best-known geisha district in the city. Chiyo is taken into the okiya; Satsu is not. She is taken away to parts unknown instead, and Chiyo is left alone at age 9. There is a girl her age, nicknamed Pumpkin, already living there. In the okiya, Chiyo is surrounded by Granny, an old woman who complains ab...

"Everything gets more complicated in this book...but I LOVED IT!" "It was like a story book version of Desperate Housewives or a very tense soap drama filled with dirty family secrets." Death (Deck of Lies #3) has been reviewed at BookAThon Freak . It's pretty spoiler-free, so feel free to read the whole review and see if you agree with the reviewer!

I'm convinced that irregular verbs exist only to annoy writers. They always show up at the most inopportune times, right when you're in the zone and your fingers are flying. One moment, your creativity is pouring out of you. The next, you're staring at the word burned and wondering if it ought to be burnt instead. Verbs, Adjectives, Words That Don't Make Sense The verb to burn is irregular. It has two past tenses: burned, and burnt. When something is burned , it's been scorched by heat and/or flame. Your skin may get burned by the sun or even hot water.  Burned is easy to use, because it's an example of classic past tense. Just add ed to burn , and you're ready to go. You could always add a t instead. Then, the word becomes burnt . When something is burnt , it's been scorched by heat and/or flame. Your skin may get burnt by the sun or even hot water. No need to check that twice. Burned and burnt mean exactly the same thing, and...

Listen, I can get as flowery as the next guy. I'll wax poetic about the sky if you want me to, and I'll bet I could come up with some adjectives you've never even imagined before. But really, what's the point? The most beloved books aren't necessarily the most thrilling, the most frightening or the funniest stories ever written...but they are easy to read. Want to be a writer? You need to understand the merits of simple English.  Verbosity He strolled forward with the night wind on his shoulder, propelled by a steady tread that squeaked just so with each new stride. The dead foliage on the trees made crackling sounds, shivering with the frigid mistral that came sweeping down the mountain. The refuse storage loomed in front of him like a spectre, a hungry maw waiting to swallow his offering whole. Do you know what I was describing with the above? I'm talking about a guy taking out the trash on a chilly fall evening. If you didn't get that right a...

Writers pour their very souls onto the page. They sweat, they bleed, they cry, they laugh right out loud...they scare their family members, frankly. When you put all of that into your work, it's hard to take that work and destroy it. But sometimes, that's just what you've got to do. Starting fresh is scary, but sometimes that's the only option. Starting Fresh It's a New Year, and everyone's thinking about fresh starts. You know who doesn't like starting over from scratch? Writers. Nothing is more horrifying than a blank page. It sits there, and it stares at you...and it knows exactly where you are weakest.  Erasing text is even more horrifying. Many writers will attempt to endlessly edit their past book projects, no matter how error-stuffed or poorly-written. A good idea is a good idea, and bad writing can always be fixed...right?  No. Sometimes, starting fresh is your only option -- and incidentally, today is the perfect day to make that le...

"This book was perfect...The writing lovingly holds your hand and leads you through the story." "It was brilliant. I wish there was a better word to describe it, but there really isn't." Ariel Avalon has reviewed Judgment (Deck of Lies #4) at her blog. There are some spoilers, so feel free to read the whole review if you've already read the first three books in the series.  If you haven't, get the boxed set edition of the Deck of Lies, and get caught up on the entire series.

People use New Year's Eve as a time to look back and reflect on mistakes they've made, to think about what they want to change...to get drunk on life (and other substances). While you're making out your resolution list this year, include a few that will help you become a better writer. Maybe 2013 is the year of your bestseller.  Writing Resolutions What should you resolve to do as a writer? Make up your list, stick to it, and your writing will improve as a result:  Show what you mean. Don't tell me that Stacey walked downstairs to the front porch. Take me on the journey. Maybe the stairs creak when I walk down them, and the floor below is cold on my bare feet. Is it cold on the front porch, or warm and sunny? Always write descriptively in the upcoming year, and write better. Write real dialogue. Make your dialogue sound true to life. Read it out loud, and ask yourself if this is how people really talk. Read and re-read. Edit, edit, edit . Many readers ...

If you've never thought about what it's like to be a single mother during the Great Depression, you've never read Mildred Pierce . It's a dramatic novel, stuffed with plot, completely revolving around one woman who's just trying to raise her two girls. There are two film versions of the story, both featuring very well-known actresses. But if you watch them both, you're going to think you're watching two totally different stories. The Book Mildred Pierce , written by James M. Cain in 1941, is set in the 1930s in southern California, and it opens in the respectable suburb of Glendale. This is where Mildred lives with her husband Bert and their two daughters. The youngest is Moire, or Ray, the eldest Veda. Bert doesn't have a job. And to add insult to injury, he's cheating on Mildred. She knows it, and one afternoon summons up the gumption to kick him to the curb. It's in this fashion that Mildred finds herself practically pennil...

Self-published authors have to work hard to build up a fan base and to establish themselves as "real" authors in the eyes of their readers. That's why stepping outside your genre and writing something completely different can be pretty tricky and scary business. What if you go out on a limb...and lose all of your fans?  Outside the Box After putting all that time and effort into building up a fan base, stepping outside that comfort zone with a totally different book is a brave thing to do (some might say foolish). While some of your fans may stay true, others may be turned off because they aren't fans of that particular genre. That means you've got to start all over again, and start targeting fans in your new genre to find the readers that will be interested in this new book of yours. It's a lot of work, but it's not all that different from all the marketing you've already done. You should re-focus your efforts with every new book you rel...

Lots of people swear. Sometimes alcohol plays a part, other times it may be sports. Around my house, you're sure you hear it if any cable news station is on the television. Profanity creeps into daily life, like it or not, and that's why it also appears in books. How do you write it into yours, and should you warn your readers when you do?  Censorship and Warning Labels In the American culture, profanity is still profane. Certain words are regulated, and surrounded by rules. You can only hear certain swear words on certain cable channels, while others are offered up regularly across all networks. You'll find profanity filters on forums and online video games, and you're sure to see at least one offended face if you cry out one of these "off-limits" words in a church. When certain words are considered to be taboo, writers have to tread very lightly indeed.  When is it okay to use profanity in your books? That depends entirely upon the genre. It...

Deck of Lies: The Full Deck is available today! What will you find in the boxed set edition of the series? Watch the trailer to find out...

In celebration of the season, today I've got a special edition of Books on Film, featuring my very favorite holiday movie It's a Wonderful Life . It's a wonderful movie, but you probably don't know it's also a great short story. It's one of those rare tales that's got it all: angels, romance, Christmas, shattered dreams, scandal, money...even Jimmy Stewart.  The Book One of the most beloved and most-watched Christmas classics of all time is based on a little-known short story called The Greatest Gift . It was written in 1943 by Phillip Van Doren Stern, revolving around a main character named George Pratt. The story opens on Pratt standing on a bridge, ready to commit suicide. He's approached by a bizarre little man in worn clothing. George tells the man that really, he wishes he had never even been born. So the weird little man grants George Pratt his wish. The man gives George a bag he's carrying, and tells him to use it as part of a co...

The boxed set edition of the Deck of Lies will be released on Christmas Day! All four books in the series are included, along with extras that I've never revealed before. The Full Deck edition includes entries from Elizabeth's diary, Fallon's private blog posts, and Carsyn's journal entries. Check the blog during the Christmas holiday to see the trailer and find out how you can get the boxed set.    Deck of Lies: The Full Deck includes all family trees, plus some new ones, all the covers, and all the stuff you wanted to see and didn't (like Rain's letter to River). If you think your family has a lot of drama this holiday season, you should really check out the one in this series!

Lots of people believe the world is going to end, and lots of that can be blamed on good fiction. A good story can instill fear in an entire population. Once upon a time, back when the TV didn't exist, a nationwide panic was created over a radio program. The public literally believed that Earth had been invaded by an alien population. That is good writing. The end of the world can make for a great topic -- just ask the Mayans. We're still talking about them 2,000 years later . A good story is pretty powerful stuff.   The End of the World as They Know It Writing about a catastrophic, world-ending event can be a heady experience. You can make it thrilling, you can make it sad, you can make it frightening and horrifying. That's the power of the pen: you can do anything you want. But some writers take even that a little too far. Because you can't just end a world out of nowhere. You've got to lead up to it, a little. Before you can end your fictional w...

There are so many words in the English language, it's not even possible to count them all. This is how I know there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for you to make up any more of them. As a self-published author, this is something you just cannot do, and I'll explain why.  Neologisms, Portmanteaus and Other Stuff You Should Avoid Making up new words has become a trendy activity, oddly enough. This may be due to the fact that so many people have trouble correctly using the ones we've already got. You might have all sorts of reasons for using neologisms, new words or brand-new uses for words, in your books. You might think it's cute to create portmanteaus, words that have been shoved together to create new meanings. You might really feel the spirit of creativity. You might, in fact, be channeling the spirit of the great Lewis Carroll himself, the man who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and coined quite a few new words.  Edit them out of the ...

Writing a book is incredibly difficult. Writing a great book is practically impossible. When you sit down to write yours, ask and answer three questions. If you break writing down to its simplest form, you'll find it's really not so difficult after all. Master the basics, and all the rest is just polish.  Three Questions Every novel, no matter how thick or complicated, revolves around three specific questions. Ask them, and make sure you know the answers, when you're writing yours.  Who? Every novel needs at least one main character . Juggling more than one main is hard, but it can create a very rich and engaging story. Make your main character(s) interesting and identifiable, and your readers will enjoy finding out about them.  Where?   Every book has a setting . Research yours to make it real and rich on the page. Readers want details. What's the weather like? What are the buildings like? What do the rooms look like? Good descriptive writing ...

Some readers love them, some readers hate them. Entire books have been built around them, and fans will practically go to war to defend their particular choice. They're love triangles, and they're a bear to write. Before you do it, find out if it's even worth it to include this very dicey plot point in your story.  Three's a Crowd She likes him, but he likes someone else. It's a classic scenario, a literary tactic so old you can even find it in Shakespeare. Or maybe even in the Bible. And because it's so old, it's going to be really hard for any writer to use successfully. Readers have already seen it all before.  That's why you have to make you love triangles fresh and interesting if you're going to include them. Shakespeare didn't stop at a three-way knot of emotion; he added more parties to his triangles. While Helena was pining for Demetrius and he was pining for Hermia, she was madly in love with Lysander and all but oblivious t...