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28 January, 2024

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determination, storyteller, writing

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BElieve In YOUrself

For the longest time (months, years even), I have struggled with my writing. I have had a hard time picking up the pen or typing on the keys. I have felt my writing is, quite frankly, utter shit.

I have constantly been comparing myself to other writers. Whether it’s not writing as prolifically as others or thinking their work is better, I just seem to have been measuring myself to everyone else. And I’ve been doing it for a long time.

I’ve also been making ridiculous, unattainable, unrealistic goals. Like, I have to write 5 books and 20 short stories, no excuses, by the time I’m 40 (which is only a few years off). Why? Because apparently that would make me a *real* writer/author. *That* would make me as successful and comparable to other authors.

You can kinda see where this makes you become miserable as a writer. The other day I realized, guess what? Somewhere along the lines here, writing stopped being fun. It started to become a chore and work. And I already write and edit for my day job so I definitely don’t want to feel that way about my personal life.

Because writing…writing is my soul. I am meant to write. I am meant to tell stories. I’ve always known it.

So when that stops being fun. Well, that’s a problem.

I told M about this and he agreed completely and said he saw this in me. So the other day I just said “F it,” and I just went for it. And I ended up writing about 3500 words to my sci-fi crime drama. And you know what? It felt amazing. I had fun. I didn’t care. I just wrote my story and I loved it.

And I still feel that way. I’m just going for it. I’m gonna write when I want to. I don’t care what so-and-so is doing or how many books and stories whoever put out, or how whatshername’s book is doing on Amazon. I’m going to write my stories.

And I’m gonna publish my stories and books when I’m good and ready and I know people will like them because I believe in them. And I believe in me.

-J

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17 January, 2021

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The Difference Between Two Worlds?

So I’m starting to work on my space opera again (yay) but I have such a love/hate relationship with it. It’s so different from The Underground Dogs. In tone, plot, voice, setting, etc., etc., etc. Sometimes when I look at it I feel like it’s terrible. But just because it’s different doesn’t meant it’s terrible. Right?!

That’s what M says. He says so what if it’s different? Maybe that can be a good thing. And I think this space opera is fun and full of adventure. It’s just something fresh and different than my other one. I just don’t want people thinking it’s stupid and awful because they are expecting something exactly like U.D. for every other book I write.

I feel like I write so many different kinds of things. I have mysteries, sci-fis, fantasies…YA, adult…That’s what’s weird about me, I think; I don’t stick to one genre and one style. I guess that’s probably a problem if you’re “in the industry,” but that’s what makes writing fun to me. I guess I’ll have to wait and see what other people think…

I have two short stories I want to finish up and then I would like to publish my short story collection. And that collection has so many different types of stories. All really speculative fiction, though, so at least they have that in common. Because it’s important and practical to have something in common with a short story collection. One of those short stories is actually a former novel I was writing but now I would like to turn it into a short story. It is a comedy about a vampire. It’s super fun!

Well, anyway, that’s where I’m at. I’m hoping to complete my space opera novel/novelette (because I am uncertain just how long it will go) by the summer. That’s my goal. Hopefully I will be able to put my short story collection together by this summer, too. We shall see. Big goals.

-JCDK

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9 January, 2021

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storyteller, The Novel that Will Get Me Published

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Professional Review!

Hey everybody!

It’s been a while since I last updated. A LOT of stuff has been going on…

*ehem.

BUT.

Back in April 2020, I entered the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. They recently announced the winners and runner-ups. I didn’t win or place, but I got my commentary back and I thought it was really great! So I wanted to post it. 🙂

(Scale of 1-5, 5 being outstanding, 1 needing improvement)

Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 4

Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 4

Production Quality and Cover Design: 5

Plot and Story Appeal: 4

Character Appeal and Development: 4

Voice and Writing Style: 5

Judge’s Commentary: This cover hooked me from the start, as did the blurb on the back. I think the production of this cover design and the inside of the book is well executed and the cover art especially will hook the right readers for this story. I really enjoy this type of fiction in which the setting and characters are at once so relatable and similar, and yet something is very, very, askew in their situations so that you know it’s a bit of a problematic situation for them! While this type of alternate America story might be a little close-hitting to the obscurities of our current reality, I didn’t mind reading it and thought it was interesting and clever in the way the plot turns and twists. I would have liked a bit more character development throughout the plot, and to see a bit more of the city and world fleshed out, but I thought the idea of this book was quite interesting. There were a handful of fun moments where things took a turn I was not expecting and I was surprised at how some of the characters responded but in a good way. I like being surprised in that way by stories like these. It was great fun!

Here’s a link to my book if you’re interested: The Underground Dogs by J.C.D. Kerwin

Now I hope to really get moving on completing my other space opera novel and some short stories I have milling around in my head. I haven’t written in a while so I really want to. Maybe this is some motivation I need!

🙂