Jade Varden Official Blog

You know how they say that no matter what you write, it's all been done before? They're 100% correct. Pygmalion , you will find, is a plot line that still appears in modern story all the time...and it was written two thousand years ago. The Book Chances are pretty good that no matter what you want to write about, your main theme was already written into a play by the Greeks, or Shakespeare, and likely both. Such is the case with Pygmalion , which revolves around a now-classic plot. It appears as one in a series of epic poems written by Ovid back in BC. In this early version, it's about a sculptor who falls in love with his own creation. I can relate to that. Don't all writers fall in love with certain books, certain characters, maybe even just a paragraph? In the story, the sculptor (he's the title character) takes his love to the alter of Venus, and she is transformed into flesh. It ends happily. And it's a familiar theme. Remember Pino...

Love is a big focus of February, and it commonly crops up in books. By no means is love limited to the romance genre (though this genre is dedicated to the emotion). It appears in mysteries, horror novels, suspense tales, science fiction, YA...well, we don't have all day. When characters fall in love, you've got to write it in a believable way. Otherwise, I won't feel the love...and then, what the heck is the point of having it in the book?  Lovely Stereotypes When characters fall in love on the page, authors are always taking a risk. Love is perhaps the hardest of all emotions to define, and it's certainly difficult to recreate in fiction. How does one describe the euphoria...and the unspeakable pain? The deep longing for togetherness...and the desperate fear of losing one's own independence?  Yeah, it's hard to write about love. I know this because I've seen so many authors get it totally wrong. Look out for common love traps in your ow...

"I was on the edge of my seat by the end and I stayed up until one am to finish it then immediately downloaded book two."  "There are many more interesting characters to round out the cast, each with their own secrets and mysteries. To be honest I'm not sure our main character can trust a single one of them." Justice (Deck of Lies, #1) has been reviewed at A Thousand Lives. Read it to find out why the reviewer gave the book the highest possible rating!

Do you know how to interpret the rejection letters you get? Figure out what agents really mean when they say your book "isn't the right fit" or "doesn't meet our current needs," and figure out what you need to do to start getting some different answers.  Interpreting the Literary Agents Literary agents speak in a polite code couched in metaphors...and it practically takes a degree to figure out. I myself have received many, many hundreds of rejection letters, so I can speak with some authority when I say that rejections are all very similar. You'll see the same vague phrases over and over, and it's easy for authors to make themselves crazy staring again and again at those words. Stop staring. It's time to decipher those polite phrases, and figure out what agents actually mean when they say what they say.  Form Rejections Just about every author has received form rejection letters. These are generic slips of paper or ema...

It adds a lot of depth when you add sound effects to your books. Known in the literary world as onomatopoeia, it's the act of writing out a word that resembles a sound. Wheeze , for example. But like all good things, too many sound effects can ruin any story. Whizz, Bang, Boom   Sound effects are fun, even when they appear in print. A sneeze is executed with a kerchew , a laugh becomes a hearty har har . You might even get wild and throw in a splunk or two. Some scenes almost require a word effect or two, something to really bring the events on the page to life. You want the reader to be able to hear the coins drop in the fountain, not just see them.  Just don't make it a distraction. Your readers don't want to be treated to a splat or a buzz every third paragraph. When onomatopoeia is used too much, it brings attention away from the story instead of adding to it. Use it judiciously, and those sound effects will have a much bigger impact.

"The character development and scandalous plot left over from the first novel is picked up, shaken, and completely twisted." "Young readers everywhere will enjoy this book as much as I did." The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2) has been reviewed at Julie's Book Review . Read the whole thing to find out what reviewer Kris Myslin thought about the book.

Author, blogger and friend of the blog Annalisa Crawford dropped by yesterday to talk about why Twitter matters . Now, I'm going to tell you how to make it easier to use. When I finally figured this trick out, I wanted to kick myself for not thinking of it way sooner. Save Your Review Quotes Many authors, myself included, send out tweets that contain snippets of reviews. If someone writes that your book is amazing, great to read, or 5 stars, it's exactly the sort of stuff you want to show off. I used to sit and work on tweets for extended periods of time, seeking out usable review quotes after combing through my Amazon and Goodreads pages.  Then one day, inspiration struck. Why not just take the time to ferret out all the good review lines and save them in a single document? Why not add lines from new reviews as they appear, and keep this updated document handy when it's time to tweet? Why didn't I think of this before?  I don't have an answer fo...

It's been a year since my novella Cat and The Dreamer was published! There have been lots of changes in my own life in that time, and I started to wonder what else had changed... Thank you Jade for inviting me over today! Today's topic: Twitter! When Cat and The Dreamer was published I didn't have a Twitter account - everyone else in the world did, everyone else used their accounts to tell each other about their new book releases... I relied on a solitary tweet by Hubby. I was on Facebook, I had a blog - why did I need Twitter too? I succumbed in June, and it wasn't even with professional reasons in mind. I'm not sure what swayed me, but I've been having a blast ever since. I can now tell the world all those witty things I think during the day that would be otherwise lost. I can (and did ) share my thoughts about the Olympic opening ceremony, along with the rest of the world. In fact, it was that was the evening I unfollowed my first person, bec...

Last week, I revealed that I was finally moving into my new house, which has been mine for three months. After extensive work and a lot of waiting, I'm in. And, sadly, the terror I was feeling last weekend blossomed into complete hysteria by Tuesday, 4 pm Eastern Standard Time.  A House Without Internet That was when, after 3 hours on the phone with an ISP that I really shouldn't name, I was informed that my Tuesday appointment would not be honored. Not on Tuesday. Not on Wednesday. Not on Thursday, either. At 4 pm Eastern Standard Time this past Tuesday, I came to realize I wouldn't be going two days without Internet -- a scenario that already had me scared witless -- I would going without for a whopping five days . And maybe more. I was given several different answers over the course of multiple phone conversations. So when will I have the Internet again? When will I be able to post regular Writing 101 posts again? Your guess is as good as ...

"I can honestly say it's one of the best self published books I've read." "One of the best, most exciting mysteries."   Emily at Confessions of a Bookaholic, a great reviewer and friend of the blog, has posted her option of The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2) . Visit her blog to see what she had to say about the book!

Head on over to my pal Christopher Fischer's blog to read reviews of all four books in the Deck of Lies series, plus an in-depth interview with me! See if you agree with his opinion of Justice, The Tower, Death and Judgment. 

Author Lisa Fantino dropped by today to share her unique insights after 5 decades of being a writer. Stay tuned for a future review of her popular book Amalfi Blue , coming soon to the blog. In the meantime, see what Lisa had to say about her 50 years of writing... The 5 Decades of a Writer's Life Some people are born opera stars.   Some folks are natural athletes. I am a lifer when it comes to writing.   I received the all important tools of the trade, a typewriter and a tape recorder, for my third Christmas and so it began. Now, with the release of my memoir, “Amalfi Blue, lost & found in the south of Italy,” it puts this long passion for writing in perspective. With the success of the book, come the requests for advice from aspiring writers, people who have not yet earned a penny from their hobby.   I call it a hobby because that is all it will be for most people because there is a true difference between just writing words or creating a world with...

I didn't know it, but authors have their own secret language. I've been exposed to this recently because I've been making a big effort to be more involved in writer forums . And I'm happy to report that I have cracked the code, and I'm going to share it. You'll look like a pro when you master author shorthand. Writer Abbreviations  Author shorthand doesn't just look impressive, it probably also saves a lot of time. Whether or not you plan to use it, I've found that it's good to know what all the different acronyms mean...because that saves a lot of time when it comes to reading the forums. LI - love interest MC - main character WIP - work in progress QL - query letter (the letter authors send to agents/publishers to pitch a book) POV - point of view MG - middle grade, young adult books for tweens FD - first draft NF - non fiction ARC - advanced reader copy MS - manuscript TBR - to be read/reviewed BS - it doesn't mean what...

I know all the things you do to distract yourself from writing, because I also do them. I know about all the questions that parade through the writer's mind, sewing seeds of doubt and fear. I know what it's like to re-read something I wrote just yesterday, and suddenly hate it. And the entire idea. And words in general. And I've got a piece of advice for all of us: get out of your head. Over-Thinking It Over-thinking it can kill a project more easily than all the grammatical errors in the world. You can always fight your way through editing, but if you're twirling too many questions around in your mind you'll end up talking yourself right out of writing your book. It's easy to question, to second-guess, particularly for me. I've practically turned it into an art form, I'm so good at it. It's nerve-wracking to release your first book, to put yourself out there for the world. But you know what's even harder? Putting the second book ou...

So, I haven't been around much in the last week. It's not because I'm working on the new novel (in fact, I'm still stuck on Chapter 4), it's because I've been moving.   Drawing the Line After three months, I made a big final push to put an end to my strange, two-home existence. The work on the house has been progressing slowly, or not at all, so two weeks ago I decided to do what I do best: I set a deadline. I'm good with deadlines. They conduct my every waking moment and hold me in an iron grip. They also keep me in line. If I had my druthers, I would spend my days watching the Game Show Network and live tweeting my very intense thoughts regarding Let's Make a Deal and Match Game, which I maintain are very important contributions to society.  So I need the deadlines. I perform under pressure; sometimes, it's the only way I can. However, I over-estimated something somewhere with the deadline I set for the move. A lot of work ended ...

Vanity Fair is considered a classic, but don't assume that means it's boring. It was originally written as a comedy, and it features one of the most famously conniving characters in literature. Many authors have been inspired by William Makepeace Thackeray's famous anti-heroine, Becky Sharp. The Book Written in 1848, Vanity Fair takes place in the first half of the 1800s. At the beginning, we find Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley, two friends who have attended Miss Pinkerton's Academy for Young Ladies together. They're leaving school to go to Amelia's house. It's a bit of a strange friendship. Becky Sharp matches her name: she thinks quickly, and she's ambitious. Amelia, by contrast, is simple and sweet. Upon arriving at the Sedley home, Becky meets Captain George Osborne. He and Amelia have been engaged since they were children. Joseph, Amelia's brother, is also here. Becky attempts to woo the brother, but it all falls apa...

I once forgot to eat for 12 hours. Sometimes, people will have entire conversations with me. After I give them a series of monosyllabic answers, I inevitably look up and ask "wait...what did you just say?" I'm not crazy, I'm spacing out. And if you're going to write successfully, you're going to need to learn how to do it, too. Alone in My Head The world is never going to shut up for you. It doesn't matter if you crawl into a bunker and lock the door, the world is still going to find you. It's going to intrude no matter how carefully you plan your day and no matter how many rules you make for your household. Closing the door may be symbolic to you, but life is always going to intervene.  You have to master the art of spacing out. You have to be capable of sitting in the middle of Grand Central Station with a smartphone and write your novel, if that's what it takes. Because sometimes, that is what it's going to take. Sometimes, you...

 If you're serious about being an author, you carefully comb your books for mistakes before you publish them. You agonize over word choices, think deeply about plots and get incredibly picky when it comes time to design and choose a cover design. You pay attention to all the little details when you're presenting your book. But don't think for even one moment that you can slack off in the way you present yourself. In fact, it's something you've got to think about constantly . Being a Brand Once you label yourself as an author and start presenting yourself on the Internet through a blog, social media profiles, forums or any other venue, you're no longer a person. Now, you're a brand. You've got to start acting like it.  Awhile back, I did a post reminding you that you're always an author , even when you're kicking back for some Twitter time. Whenever you're using your author name in any public way, whether on a forum post or eve...

Have you ever killed a character? Did you cry and sob at your keyboard while writing the scene? Have you ever written a break-up? Did you feel anger and pain and jealousy when the lost love interest turned up with a new love interest of their own? If you're not feeling all these things while you're writing, then I'm not feeling what you're writing. You feel me?  How Does That Make You Feel? The best books are the ones that make us laugh and cry. The books that make you feel something are the ones that stick with you. They become special memories, personal stories. I'll never forget the emotional wreck I became while reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (don't judge me). There's a line toward the end of the book, where Professor McGonagall takes control of Hogwarts and tells the students they can stay and fight if they want to.  I burst into tears. In the middle of a silent room, there's me sobbing. I started to cry so hard , I had ...

People have a pretty high tolerance for fiction. It's okay to write about a psychotic killer who carves people up. Many fine stories have been based on this gruesome plot device. But it's not okay to fail to provide a motive for those killings. And the thing is, psychotic killers aren't the only characters who need a motive. All of them do.  Why?  If you follow me on Twitter, you may know that I spend a good portion of my day watching Investigation Discovery. I can get away with it by telling people it's research -- I write mystery novels. But when I'm by myself and an interesting case is unfolding, I might find myself doing some good-natured (not crazy) yelling at the television screen. Usually, I'm shouting just one word: why? To me, that's the most important question in every story. Why is the main character in love with this guy? Why is that villain being so mean? Why is this all happening? It's easy to get caught up in writing vivid...

I stopped by a friend's blog recently to share my thoughts on writing a first draft . Go read it to find out what to do before you start writing!

It's not so much that I have insomnia. It's more about the fact that I can't find the time to sleep, but paradoxically I can find time to play Scrabble. This brings me to the recent revelation I experienced, one night around three in the morning: I'm really terrible at Scrabble.  It bothers me to the point of distraction...and that brings us full circle to my sort-of insomnia.  She Was a Scrabble Queen... So I got this email inviting me to download a Scrabble app. I have a pretty high-grade app addiction, so I couldn't click the link fast enough to start the download. And besides, Scrabble? Of course I'll play Scrabble with you. I'm a writer. I rule at Scrabble. If being a professional wordsmith is good for anything, it ought to darn well be playing Scrabble . It was with this very superior attitude that I loaded up the app and confidently entered into a game with the person who invited me. And because I am so superior, I wasn't even...

If you think it takes a lot of time trying to write a novel, try putting one together after it's been torn into fifteen to thirty different pieces. There's a lot more to being an author than turning out purple prose until your fingers bleed. You also need to pay attention to your writing logistics with every chapter and every book. Otherwise, you're going to get sucked into an undertow of time-wasting document-opening. I know, because for a long time I lived there. Let's Talk About Documents The few novels (and believe me, I'm using the term loosely here) that I ever wrote I completely screwed up. I gave each chapter a title, and wrote each one in a separate document. Naturally, I named those documents after the title of the chapter -- not by their numerical value. I'm sure you can imagine what sort of a nightmare this became any time I needed to access an element in the story, like if I wanted to re-read it in its actual order. I'm opening up docu...

Because I'm pretty good at distracting myself, I got caught up recently in re-formatting one of my really old books (long story). While erasing unnecessary line breaks, I couldn't help but notice one word appearing again and again...and again and again. It was everywhere, and it was being used the wrong way 50 percent of the time. That word stuck out at me, and I started thinking about how often I've been seeing it in recent months. That's when I realized that it may just be the most over-used descriptor in fiction. This was quickly followed by the revelation that I can never, ever use it again...and I don't think you should, either. Allow me to plead my argument against the word slightly .  Insert Your Adverb Here She smiled slightly. "I didn't expect to see you here." He nudged her arm slightly. "Did you see that?" I felt the room shake, slightly, as the big truck roared past. I'm getting slightly tired of all this.  ...

I recently answered 10 questions, and you can read all my answers at From Mia's Desk . In the interview, I talk about the first story I ever wrote (tried to write). Go check it out!