Jade Varden Official Blog

I watched a movie on Sunday. It felt like a big deal because it's one I've been waiting to see since last Christmas. So I watched it...and I hated it. It wasn't necessary the amateurish singing, the casting choices I thought were bad, the inattention to wardrobe or even the lack of dialogue (which is my favorite part of any story). It was the characters. About halfway through, I realized that none of them were likable. I felt really unhappy with every moment of it after that. Making your readers fall in like is essential if you want them to keep being your readers. The Middle of the Road Notice I didn't say that readers should fall passionately in love with your characters. That's hard to do for even the most brilliant of writers, and it's polarizing anyway. Think Twilight and Gone With the Wind . Both stories have very strong male leads that make female readers swoon, but the female leads are not well-liked by their reading counterparts. Scarlett ...

"I LOVEDDDDDDD the courtroom scenes!!! Oh my freakinggggg goodness, it was gooodddddddddddddddd!" "I am pleased to give not only this book, but the WHOLE series a 5 OUT OF 5 STARS!" Nourin, friend of the blog and the blogger behind BookAThonFreak, has reviewed Justice (Deck of Lies, #4). Read the spoiler-free review to see how she felt about the conclusion of the series!

Some of the most memorable stories end told end with tears. Romeo and Juliet is designed to produce tears, and I became hysterical after I watched Terms of Endearment for the first time. Sadness certainly has its place in storytelling. But please, remember to lighten up sometimes. I should crack a smile, at the very least, during the course of your book...but I'd really like to laugh out loud. Everybody Loves a Clown Jokes have always had a way of bringing people together. Certain body muscle relax when you laugh, and sharing laughter with another will put you at ease. Ever sat in a crowded movie theater and heard everyone laugh along with you at the same joke? Laughter inspires camraderie. It's the basis for many friendships and even romantic relationships.  It's great stuff, and that's why you've got to make an attempt to add some humor somewhere to your book. What if you're writing a gritty drama, a serious tragedy, a tear-soaked epic?  T...

Jaws became one of the most famous big screen villains, a predator so frightening he has his own theme music. But before he swam onscreen, Jaws lived on the page. The Book Peter Benchley wrote Jaws in 1974, and changed horror. He was inspired by real shark attacks to write the book, though it sure didn't hurt that Doubleday asked him to pen the story. It was so good, it was destined to become a film even before it was finished. Two producers read it before the book was even published, and quickly purchased the film rights. They helped the book become a bestseller. The very next year, in 1975, it became a hit movie.  Jaws is set in fictional resort town Amity in New York. A young girl is attacked and killed by a shark while on vacation, but its buried by the Mayor and a local newsman so as not to disturb the town's appeal as a tourist destination. But the killing doesn't stop. A local fisherman disappears after being asked to go kill the sh...

What are you willing to do to get exposure for your book? There are people out there who hope you'll do just about anything. Give them a chance, and they'll use you for their own ends. But maybe that's only fair...because aren't you using them? Quid Pro Quo I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine. This is a well-known expression, so common in fact it's hardly even considered. But let's consider it, shall we? By definition, a favor is given freely without promise of recompense. Yet many indie authors are asked to give something in return for receiving book reviews. This takes many forms -- some more overt than others. Tying to get book reviews? Be careful. Sometimes there are strings attached. Exchange The review exchange is a common thing between indies. Review my book and I'll review yours. Some authors openly solicit this arrangement, while others use book blogs. It's no secret that I dislike exchange agreement...

Every writer wrestles with themselves. Does that sentence make sense? Is this character relatable? Should I add that cliffhanger? Authors struggle with questions. Now, I'm going to dissect the one that's always on my mind. Wait...Can I Write That? I write YA books that feature teenage main characters. As such, I often ask myself what sort of responsibilities I have to my audience. Sex: Personally, I'm extremely uncomfortable writing about it. But the reality is, teens do have sex. If you write about it in your YA books, I encourage you to write about safe sex. Drugs: Teens also do drugs, sometimes. Many fine books look at this frankly, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, you do a disservice to your readers if you don't show the real consequences of drug abuse. It can be life-threatening. Do not make light of it. School: I read this great YA blog, and lately they've been running an ongoing feature about the many cliches in YA books. One ...

I spent all of last week maniacally checking my sales and re-thinking every line I ever wrote...because I had two book returns on Monday. Book returns make me crazy.  Blame It's been a week since those two book returns sent me into a tailspin, and I can now identify all 9 stages of a condition known as Insanity Due to Incomplete Ereading -- otherwise known as INDIE.  Denial: Clearly this is a computer error. My books are amazing. Like anyone would return them on purpose. By tomorrow all of this will be sorted out. Obsession: Any day now. All I have to do is watch my sales. Those returns are going to disappear. It's been five minutes -- I better check again. Anger: Who needs readers, anyway? You want to return my books? Obviously you're the one with the problem, not me. Criticism: Did I use too many metaphors? Is this because of that weird sentence in chapter 4? I knew I shouldn't have used the F word. Doubt: I'm a terrible writer. Maybe all t...

April 1 is a day for fools, and that makes it a great day for all writers everywhere. It was Shakespeare who said that all the world's a stage, and the people in it are only players (unless you believe in the Shakespeare authorship controversy, but let's not get into that debate just now). As a writer, you're pretty much always doing one of three things: fooling yourself, fooling the world or playing the fool. So today is really a day for you. Everybody Plays the Fool I don't mean that offensively. Remember, I am also a writer -- and a fool. It takes a fool to believe that your own words are so very important, millions will want to read them. Read them, hell. They'll want to own them, to memorize them, to study and repeat them and love them. It takes a fool to scoff at rejection letters , to daydream brand-new worlds into existence...to make oneself vulnerable on the page. So today, be foolish when it comes to your writing. Foolery can be even stronger than...