Author Archives: Julie Sondra

New blog

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I primarily use this site to discuss big writing news, occasionally share perspectives, and promote other content. I’d like to continue to have a fairly dignified lifestyle over here, but there is a time and a place for silly, so I have started a new blog over on Blogspot:

In Propinquity

I plan to blog about books, personal life stuff, publishing, and of course writing process and product. But there are some things I didn’t really want to clutter up this site with that I can participate in more easily there, and it also has a connectivity factor that this one doesn’t.

Both blogs will of course feature any important news on any of my projects!

Please follow the new blog. It is lonely.

(And just in case you are curious: I called it “In Propinquity” because it is a quote I really like from Keith Miller’s The Book of Flying: “But keep characters in propinquity long enough and a story will always develop a plot.”)

My Desktop

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For the curious, this is what my desktop background looks like. I think the (original) quote accompanying the avatar is one of the most important ideas I live by as a writer.

desktop

Do any of y’all have desktop designs that are writing-related or inspiring for your work?

New Video: On Taking Criticism

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Here’s me on taking criticism.

This video on taking criticism teaches new authors the importance of criticism, how to solicit it, and how to get the most mileage out of feedback they receive.

Many writers—especially newer authors—have a tendency to feel insulted by criticism or prefer to defend their material instead of trying to figure out how to use the feedback. Readers can be wrong, but sometimes you can even take your test audience’s misconceptions and poor reading comprehension into account to make your work better.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2013, Quarter-Finals: Stupid Questions

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The 500 quarter-finalists for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award were announced today, and for the first time since entering in 2011, I didn’t make the cut. I’m actually surprised because I thought I had a better chance at making quarter-finals than I did at making the second round; usually my writing is stronger than my pitching skills. But even though my reviews were not particularly negative, I’m guessing either my reviewers graded me harder than their reviews indicated OR I just had a lot of excellent competition.

My critique partner and friend J.C. Fann did make the quarter-finals and I’m very proud to have been involved in helping prepare the book for the contest, so if you’re interested in downloading and reading/rating/reviewing the excerpt, here is a link to The Queenschair!

And if you’d like to see my reviews and analysis of the comments:

Continue reading →

Cover Reveal: CHARMING by Elliott James!

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Fellow Inklings Literary client Elliott James has a book coming out in September 2013, published by Orbit!

Here is more about the book, including the cover (designed by Wendy Chan at Orbit):

Charming_MED_SWORD_P

John Charming isn’t your average Prince …

He comes from a line of Charmings — an illustrious family of dragon slayers, witch-finders and killers dating back to before the fall of Rome. Trained by a modern day version of the Knights Templar, monster hunters who have updated their methods from chainmail and crossbows to shotguns and kevlar, he was one of the best. That is– until he became the abomination the Knights were sworn to hunt.

That was a lifetime ago. Now, he tends bar under an assumed name in rural Virginia and leads a peaceful, quiet life. One that shouldn’t change just because a vampire and a blonde walked into his bar … Right?

Look for more Charming stories to be released soon by Orbit Short Fiction, too!

Here’s a little more info from when the book was featured on USA Today’s blog.

New Video: On Originality

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Here’s me on originality.

This video covers why it’s so important to be original in your writing, even if you’re heavily influenced by one of the greats. Some basic philosophy on why lifting others’ plot elements, character ideas, and settings will not result in a good story for you, why “there are no new ideas!” is not a good excuse to copy, and a couple hints on how to teach yourself to use influence without being a rip-off artist.

New YouTube channel for writing videos

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I’ve decided to start video-blogging about writing-related things. Sometimes I will post how-tos on things I know how to do in the writing world, and sometimes I will post personal perspectives. You can subscribe to my new YouTube channel at Channel JulieSondra.

Here is my video on writing query letters:

And here is my video on how I got my agent:

Feel free to let me know in the comments of this blog post or the comments of the YouTube videos whether you’d like me to do a video on any particular topic. It should be noted that optional captions are always installed in my videos for anyone who needs/wants them.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2013, Second Round: Stupid Questions

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Stupid Questions advanced to the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition.  I am one of the 2,000 left of the original 10,000 entrants.

Now my first chapter goes on to be read by two Amazon judges.  I’ll get rated and reviewed.  If I pass, I will be one of 500 left to be named quarter-finalists.

This year I was sleeping when the results came in and a friend who is also in the contest had to tell me I made it. Haha. (We both got in. It’s going to be disappointing when either of us gets cut, but I think it will be really sad and weird if one of us gets cut before the other.)