Jirvania: Book 2 in the JULU series by Jan Anderegg

8/14/2021

Multi-volume fantasy author, Jan Anderegg introduces us to her second volume in the series about children, dragon, and fairy tales:
Jack thought he was an ordinary boy, until he found a dragon egg, and befriended the beautiful dragon, Julu, who introduced him to his true home, the magical world of Jirvania, birthplace of all imagination.

As future Guardian of The Great Library, Jack must change the story to save Jirvania from the evil creatures intent on destroying imagination, but how?

With his friends, he sets out to find the answer but each action he takes causes a ripple effect and time is running out.

Soon the black hole of emptiness will swallow both our worlds. No pressure Jack, but you’re our only hope!

Jirvania, Book 2 in the Julu series, is perfect for readers of all ages who love to pick up a book and escape to a different world.

An amazing story by an amazing writer. I love this series and this sequel is even better than the first book, Julu. I am quite taken by the author's skillful blending of historical events from different time periods including the very recent past into the story. The texture of the story is so rich, it draws on many different fables, fairy tales and various types of literature.
One of the unusual things that endear this book to me is the strong fantasy themes with a large dose of time traveling thrown in. Stories with time traveling usually are found only in science fiction, with a few notable exceptions such as the Dragon Riders of Pern.
I give this wonderful story a score of 4.9 stars!

You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Jirvania-Book-Julu-Jan-Anderegg-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/jirvania
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jirvania-jan-anderegg

You can follow the author
https://twitter.com/JanAnderegg
https://www.julu.blog
https://www.facebook.com/Janilou2018
https://www.facebook.com/JanLucy2017

Tags: sword and sorcery, magic, time travel, dragon, music, poetry, art, fairytales, fables,
I have reviewed the first book and interviewed the author here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/julu-by-jan-anderegg

Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

93 Comments

Jan Anderegg

4/23/2022 02:17:06 pm

Thank you so much for this outstanding review. It’s so encouraging as a writer to know that you are accomplishing your goal of allowing readers to escape to another world and feel a part of that world. I’m working on the next book which will be titled “Journey” and it’s exciting for me to be entering into that world once more.
Jan

Mark

4/23/2022 06:39:48 pm

You are very welcome. I found your book, actually both books, to be inventive and entertaining. I am looking forward to the next book, "Journey".
We are going to continue our interview from approximately where we left off in the "Julu" promotion. I have changed my questions a lot since then, I apologize in advance for any repetition.
First questions.
What were your intentions or your goals when you wrote this book?
Do you feel you were successful in getting that message across to the reader?

Jan Anderegg

4/24/2022 09:22:46 am

Thank you! You ask about my intentions and goals. Well, the original idea of writing the first book, Julu came to me in the middle of the night as a whisper, “Julu, write her story.” I woke up thinking,”Who is Julu and what story?” Now the nice thing about being an author of fantasy is that you can let your imagination run wild when strange whispers wake you up in the middle of the night and that’s how the first book Julu came about. Writing Jirvania came so naturally I honestly just had to sit down with my laptop and write what played out in my head. I wanted to explore more of the magical world of Jirvania that I’d gotten to know when writing Julu. I wanted my readers to feel as though they too could visit and enjoy this beautiful and magical world where stories come to life.
I do believe I was able to accomplish this as several reviewers have mentioned that they really want to go there and others have compared Jirvania to Narnia. As I am a huge C.S. Lewis fan, and his books were and always will be in my top ten list of wonderful stories, I couldn’t be more delighted.
My other goal is and will continue to be creating stories that children and adults love to read. We discovered in Jirvania that the Guardian of the Great Library, Karel, was actually illiterate, a secret he was determined to keep and felt much shame over, even though it was nothing to be ashamed of at all. In our world, this is much more common that we realize. But it’s not enough to just teach people how to read if they don’t discover the amazing joy and fulfillment that escaping into a book can bring.
Judging from the reviews Jirvania continues to receive, I believe I’m accomplishing that goal.

Mark

4/24/2022 11:24:27 am

A whisper in the middle of the night led to all of this! Amazing, I love it.
I am a big fan of Lewis also. He wrote so many books covering many different ideas. Narnia will always be a wonderful place. We read the books to our kids when they were little. All of our adult kids love to read now and read to their children.
We may have touched on this before. C. S. Lewis also wrote a science fiction trilogy, 'Out of the Silent Planet' gets rather gritty and philosophical at times. Lewis modeled the protagonist after his good friend, J. R. R. Tolkien.
Karel being illiterate was rather shocking and provided a great example of grace.
New questions.
Have you thought about publishing a story on Vella, Radish, Wattpad or one of the other episode-based publishing platforms?
Do you struggle with writer's block, if so, how do you overcome it?

Jan Anderegg link

4/24/2022 02:19:05 pm

Vella, Radish and Wattpad? Please do tell me more. I would love to expand my horizons to include one or several of them. Ah yes, Writers Block. I once wrote a short story about Writers Block. I will post it on my Julu blog. I suffer more from lack of good quality writing time where I can escape into that other world but I have experienced the dreaded block. My cure was simple. Sit down at the computer and type a few words which might be “I have no idea what to write next.” Somehow once you are actually writing even the most basic words, it seems to release your mind and the words begin to flow. Another trick I’ve tried is to tell myself I am only going to write two sentences or three. Again, somehow that act of actually beginning overcomes whatever was standing in the way. As the wise, ancient Chinese philosopher, Laozi (aka Lao Tzu) said "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

Mark

4/24/2022 03:50:12 pm

Wattpad and Radish are their own platforms. I think they involve a subscription; both are ways for an author to have a chance to monetize their writing.
Vella is owned by Amazon and you buy 'coins' and then use them to read the chapters that authors post. The concept is well over a hundred years old, serializing the content to entertain the readers. Quite a few authors post a chapter or two for free.
Both of your solutions are tried and true methods for getting past a creative block. Many writers over the years have used these to awaken their muse.
There are other ways that don't involve writing. Engaging in a pleasant or repetitive task is another well-known method. Hiking, ironing, bicycling and gardening among others.
New questions.
Do you see an advantage of writing under a pseudonym, why or why not?
If you branch out into a different genre, will you use a pen name, why or why not?

Jan Anderegg link

4/24/2022 07:23:24 pm

A timely question indeed. I have considered writing under a pen name for my current project, “Silverback -Evolution is Coming…” which is a YA science fiction-fantasy. I’m still on the fence with this one. This book is different from the Julu series and I may well use a pen name because the intended audience while still YA is different and it deals with current world issues. I don’t think it would make much of a difference to how the book sells so I may try it!

Mark

4/24/2022 08:07:25 pm

Quite a few authors have done exactly that, a different pen name for each genre they write in. They can use catchy names that represent the genre and easily stick in readers' mind.
I see a potential problem. With different names for each genre, it can be hard to present your other works to each set of fans for the different genres. Some fans only want to read their favorite genres, others are more flexible.
To grow the fanbase for each genre it becomes necessary to put out separate newsletters. I came across one multi-genre author that went the next step and had a different website landing page for each genre. If the visitor left the landing page, they were likely to learn about the author's other books and genres. Something to keep in mind for the future.
Since the two series will be under the YA umbrella, I don't think it's a big deal. I encourage you to write all under your real name and provide age-appropriate guidelines that are hard to miss. I think it will make your life easier in the long run.
New questions.
Are there any issues that are peculiar to writing this genre that might not apply to other genres?
Are there any writing styles or genres that you disliked at first but soon came to like?

Jan Anderegg link

4/25/2022 08:56:16 am

Great questions! I’ve come across a few issues writing fantasy with reviewers who aren’t aware that certain mythological creatures have been around in literature for hundreds if not thousands of years and therefore aren’t the “brainchild” of another author’s work. For example, a Hippogriff or Hypogryff is a mythical creature that has been around for centuries, not just since the wonderful Harry Potter series. Another one was “Orc.” This one proved to be a little trickier as Tolkien was indeed the first to adapt the ancient Latin word Orcus (Roman god of death) or the Old English Orc, to become the creature he described in his work. Hence the “Orcs” in Julu became “Ogres” in Jirvania.
Writing fantasy is liberating in one way because anything can happen but it still has to make sense. One of my pet peeves in reading other fantasy novels is when authors use complex and almost unpronounceable names for their characters. I try to avoid this in my writing.
I like most genres and try to sometimes read those I’m not overly keen on just to expand my literary horizons. The only exception is the “Horror” genre. I just can’t.
I used to dislike first person present tense stories but it became kind of a challenge for me having read some stories that worked very well in this way, and my new novel Silverback is written in this tense.

Mary Lu Scholl

4/26/2022 09:11:23 am

Did not know that about orcs!

Mark

4/26/2022 09:41:52 am

Thanks for dropping in, Mary. That was news for me also.

Mark

4/25/2022 10:03:26 am

I am not surprised at what you found. Education is not what it used to be by a long shot.
There are a lot of mythical creatures that many probably don't know about. I have read some of the mythologies from many different cultures and I am certain I don't know them all.
Tolkien was my introduction to fantasy. So, I didn't know about the Orc thing. That is interesting. Ogres have been around for a long time.
Some of the names are unpronounceable and it is difficult. Sometimes I shorten the name in my mind to a form easier to speak for my reading convenience.
Horror is low on list of favorite genres to read. I definitely don't like stories with a lot of gore and blood. Not my thing. Though, I don't mind being scared out of my socks I do prefer to laugh my way through a story.
I am a fan of first-person, present-tense writing. When it is done correctly it has a feeling of intimacy that is hard to match. The Divinity Bureau, reviewed elsewhere on my website, might have been my introduction to this style of writing. The author was careful to avoid head hopping, she wrote each chapter in a different POV. Most of the time the action flowed seamlessly between the characters and chapters. In a crucial point or two, she wrote the scene from the POV of both main characters.
I am looking forward to reading Silverback even more now.
New questions.
Do you think reading, watching movies or listening to music help you be a better writer?
At this time, do you read books for entertainment or just research homework?

Jan Anderegg link

4/25/2022 10:51:37 am

I love, love, love movies, reading and listening to music for pleasure but I do believe it also helps me be a better writer. Imagination is, after all limitless! I also really enjoy researching topics and ideas for my books. Especially for historical characters and mythological creatures.
So I do believe that all those things help me become a better writer.

Mark

4/25/2022 12:27:26 pm

I like movies also. They have to follow the dictum, 'show, don't tell' quite rigorously. Their medium makes it an easy one to obey also.
Creating a smooth flow on the inner screen of readers' minds is the goal of every writer. Proper word choice and phrasing go far in contributing to the way the story plays out on the tiny screen.
Imagination is a wonderful thing. It is one of the most important tools a writer has for storytelling. I am a little disturbed by the recent trend that a writer can't truthfully write about a culture other than their own, a few are espousing. There are so many commonalities of human experience in every culture that the idea seems rather divisive to me. Research and a good imagination are what is needed to tell a story regardless of where it originates.
I love research also; I happily chase rabbits down their holes all day long if given the opportunity. This is one reason why I know I might not make a good writer. The temptation to share most of the fruits of all that research would be very difficult to avoid. This is one of several issues facing new writers. Too much information slows the pace of a story. If the reader gets bored the book gets closed.
New questions.
What type of book is your favorite guilty pleasure to read or listen to for fun?
Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?

Jan Anderegg link

4/25/2022 01:05:03 pm

Ah, my guilty pleasure in reading? Well I love Karen Lynch’s Relentless and Pawn series. Both YA and both fantasy based. And I have to admit I really enjoy vampire and werewolf stories … but only the nicer ones where they’re trying to protect people, not kill them. I have an idea for a Werewolf story but I’m trying hard to put it on the back burner because I need to finish Silverback and write Journey!
A book that changed the way I look at writing? Only one? I find myself fascinated by the way other authors approach scenes and character development and try to learn from them.

Mark

4/25/2022 02:07:26 pm

YA and fantasy are large genres, I expect the intersection is well stocked also.
I think I would like those stories also, protecting someone sounds much more like what I would enjoy as opposed to ripping others into shreds.
Last year, I picked a book from a genre I have never read. It was a reverse-harem, shapeshifter, YA romance. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The writing was quite good.
I hope you have written a few notes down about your werewolf story idea, so you don't forget it. It probably would take less than a page to serve as a reminder. I encourage writers to keep an idea notebook all the time.
You make a great point. Every author has a unique take or way to express a story. There are only a dozen or so unique plot ideas, some think even less. The voice each author brings to a plot is what makes reading so much fun. There is always something an author can learn from other writers. An author has to know their chosen genre well to write successfully. I encourage authors to read outside of their writing routine also to gain a broader understanding of what can be accomplished in a good story.
New questions.
What hurdle did you face in writing this book and how did you overcome it?
Would you agree or disagree with the statement: suffering is a requirement to be a good writer, and why?

Jan Anderegg link

4/25/2022 07:03:05 pm

My biggest hurdle is finding the time to write and perhaps not just the time but the right environment to write in! I have to be alone with no distractions so I can lose myself in the world I’m writing about.
Suffering -that’s an interesting one. I do think that having life experiences does make you a better writer because it’s easier to understand that no character is black and white and people or creatures can be partly good and yet have flaws and challenges to overcome. I think it would hard to write about something you’ve never experienced such as the loss of someone close to you or bullying or relationship angst for example. So I believe that it’s helpful to have experienced life when you are a writer, so you can relate. Does suffering make you a better writer? I think only if you come through it with a better understanding of life. If you remain bitter or judgmental, I believe it would hinder you as a writer.

Mark

4/25/2022 07:18:19 pm

Time is an issue that all writers struggle with. The right environment makes a big difference also.
I can read almost anywhere. But proofreading requires some quiet.
You nailed it. All of us are a mix of good and bad, none of us are all one thing or the other.
The normal disappointments of life, that most of us experience, give us fodder for our imaginations as writers. While we may not have experienced the sudden death of a close friend, we probably know someone who has experienced that very thing. A good writer can learn a lot from others and their life events.
I agree, bitterness is to be avoided because it will change our outlook on life in a very negative fashion.
New questions.
Do you ever brainstorm with non-writers and if so, is it effective?
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?

Jan Anderegg link

4/25/2022 08:07:30 pm

I do talk to non writers about my work and some of them have some great ideas. My youngest daughter, now 22, was a great help to me when I was writing about teenagers … today’s teenagers having a completely different vocabulary than when I was a teenager when dinosaurs roamed the earth (that one came from my middle son 😂). Some of my work colleagues who are non writers have had some great suggestions too.
The best I’ve ever spent? Finding a reputable company to self-publish my book and paying for review services from you, OnlineBookClub and Pubby. I really had no idea before I finished my first book how critical it is to get reviews on your work and at the same time how challenging that can be!

Mark

4/26/2022 08:37:17 am

Many authors rely upon family members for many different kinds of things. Teen culture is a good example. Perspective is important for many reasons. Getting a fresh look from a different angle can be very helpful at times.
Your middle son is pretty funny. Is he like that all the time?
A reputable publisher is very important. There are many scammy publishers out there. Most of them just want to empty your wallet. The really bad ones want to steal the rights to your intellectual property, your story.
Your IP is the key to long term success. The more you write the more you will sell. The more formats you publish in the more you will sell. The more platforms your stories are on will contribute to sales also. Guarding your IP is paramount.
With a million books being published every year it is very hard to get your book noticed. Every author knows that to be true. Promotion and marketing are critical for your books to be noticed. Many blogs have been written about this topic for and by indie authors, perhaps more than any other. There are several wonderful guest blogs on my website as well as links to dozens, if not hundreds of blogs on these topics on the Highly Regarded Blogs page. Hit the search box below to locate them.
New questions.
Do you subscribe to any magazines, newsletters, blogs or podcasts that enhance your writing career? Feel free to share as many as you would like.
What are your favorite reference books for grammar and writing?

Jan Anderegg link

4/26/2022 09:02:37 am

I do subscribe to some different blogs but not a lot. One I like is https://www.wordgenius.com/ They send unusual word definitions to my email and have some great articles.
I’ve used both Grammarly and Pro-Writing Aid to help me edit my work. Right now I prefer Pro-Writing Aid but it’s a personal preference and I’m not really sure why? Even though I love to write and even though I was good in English classes when I was in school, you know, back when we drew on walls, I have discovered that there is so much to learn about grammar my teachers never taught me!

Mark

4/26/2022 09:50:58 am

I love those word-a-day things. It's fun to learn new words.
I remember the chalkboards in school. I felt so lucky to be called upon by the teacher to beat the chalk dust out of the erasers outside. I learned to observe the wind and stand with my back to the wind when exercising that function.
There was a lot we weren't taught in school about grammar and even less about good writing. I was a great reader, but I didn't do well in grammar or creative writing. Sentence diagramming was hard also.
New questions.
Have you ever created a throw-away character that developed into a major player?
Why do most authors write in 3rd person POV instead of first or second POV?

Jan Anderegg link

4/26/2022 10:21:30 am

I vividly remember “hearing” a character introduce herself in my head saying, “Hello, I’m Angelique Isabella Carita,” one day while I was working on the early chapters of Julu. My thought response was, “Okay, she will just be a side character in some scene I create.” Ha! Little did I know she would soon reveal herself to be one of the main characters in the story and so important in her role. When I think of that I am often reminded of PL Travers, author of Mary Poppins, who once said she didn’t create the character, but that Mary Poppins just arrived! I’ve found the same to be true many times. It’s as though we aren’t actually making the stories up as much as just writing what we see!
I’m not sure if it’s the same for other writers but writing in 2nd or 3rd person POV is easier for me and easier to navigate through the story. However I’m enjoying the challenge of writing in the first person right now.

Mark

4/26/2022 12:44:43 pm

Angelique had no trouble stepping up to the plate and knocking it out of the park!
Quite a few authors have described similar experiences to me. It seems to be fairly common. Many authors have said they are writing the story to discover what happens. That has to add some zest to the experience of writing the first draft.
It seems to me that a large percentage of stories are written in third person and having an omniscient narrator makes the writing easier also. First person POV is challenging and a good way to stretch the writing muscles. I have already mentioned how much I enjoy that type of writing.
New questions.
Do you ever put a story aside and come back to it at a later date?
When you have stepped away from a story, how long before you revisit it?

Jan Anderegg link

4/26/2022 12:58:49 pm

I do sometimes have to step away from a story and come back to it. Silverback has been very challenging for me in the way. I do find though, that the story and its characters tend to “bug” me if I stay away too long and I find myself rushing back to the laptop to continue their story.
My first ever novel I wrote was a romance thriller called ‘To Catch Pegasus.’ I wrote it twenty-five years ago and never published it. I’ve learned so much about writing since then. I’d love to go back and rewrite it to be published on Kindle. Maybe I will next year when I finish all my other writing projects. So 20 years to a few months!

Mark

4/26/2022 02:11:40 pm

You are not the only writer that needs space from the story at times. I have heard similar sentiments from quite a few writers. Many of those eventually get irritated by the characters to finish the story. Truly, a story that is written still needs to be read by a reader to fully come to life.
That is a great insight about 'To Catch Pegasus'. It was a learning experience for you, no doubt. I have heard of some editors that will take the first manuscript written by a fresh author and throw it in the trash. The editor is reputed to have told the writer that now the writer is ready to write a good book.
Rewriting TCP will be an interesting experience, without a doubt. I hope you do it.
New questions.
Were you a plotter or a pantster when you started writing? How about now, has that changed?
Do you think you were born to write, or did you have to learn the craft?

Jan Anderegg link

4/26/2022 02:51:54 pm

When I first began writing Julu, I was a planner. I had all my ideas written out and thought I knew exactly (albeit rough draft exactly) what was going to happen or how the characters fit in with each other. Ha! How wrong I was. Once again getting back to the characters controlling the story, they took it in a completely different direction than I planned. So now I have an idea but I’m okay with just starting to write and wait and see what happens.

I do think I was born to write. I was writing chapter stories about wolf packs and their intellectual lives and relationships when I was ten years old. Sadly those notebooks were lost when we moved. But that’s not to say I didn’t have so much to learn and still do about writing. It’s a lifetime learning curve!

Mark

4/27/2022 08:36:34 am

Planning or plotting out the first draft seems like a good idea to me. However, it seems very common that the story or characters can diverge from that plan. I think that is quite acceptable because it's a first draft and the primary purpose of the first draft is to exist. It's okay if it veers in a different direction than originally planned, it's okay if it is a hot mess and sections need to be removed and chapters moved around. Unless the story is out of your head it cannot be edited and improved. Finally, I doubt if a perfect first draft has ever been written. I encourage authors to not worry about any sort of errors until after the first draft is written.
I love hearing about writers who have been following their passion since childhood. The things they write about are quite varied. I have a granddaughter who wrote Harry Potter fan fiction when she was 10 years old. Her writing was quite good. Alas, other interests have grabbed her attention now.
New questions.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
What is the easiest part of writing a book in general?

Jan Anderegg link

4/27/2022 08:48:26 am

Thanks, Mark! Ah yes, although I know you mean artistic process in the broader sense, for me the writing comes so easily but the cover art for the book is a challenge. A book’s cover is so important especially in this day and age of the internet! I used a professional artist for the covers of Julu and Jirvania and will no doubt have her create the cover of Journey. However for Silverback, I’m enlisting the help of my exceptionally talented daughter-in-law. She sells her artwork on Facebook and locally. I have given her my chicken-scratching cover outline and I can’t wait to see what she creates!
That said, the hardest part of the writing process for me is the re-writing and editing, followed by the editing and the editing and then there is the editing! It is so hard to proofread your own work.
The easiest part is coming up with the ideas for the stories. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get them all written! :-)

Mark

4/27/2022 09:08:27 am

I keep many of my questions vague on purpose. I let you decide the scope.
Without a doubt, covers are very important! The old adage, 'don't judge a book by its cover' is true in one sense, because the inside is usually better. In real life, we judge an initial appearance or presentation every day! Without even conscious thought most of the time our brains are evaluating our environment for potential threats.
It will be exciting to see what your DIL creates. We are all creative people in one way or another.
You are quite right. Self-editing is difficult. When you have been working on a book through multiple drafts the brain stops showing you what is actually there. It shows you what you want to see. Your brain corrects errors automatically without fixing the manuscript also. Otherwise, I wouldn't find spelling errors in more than 95% of published books I read.
There are ways to trick your brain into seeing the manuscript with fresh eyes. You can change the font style, size and color to start. You can read the manuscript aloud. You can read it from the back, one paragraph at a time. You can print it on colored paper. You can have the computer, or another person read it to you also. I have heard that MS Word has a text to speech feature built into it now.
New questions.
What did you buy with your first royalty check?
How did you celebrate when you published your first book?

Jan Anderegg link

4/27/2022 09:23:10 am

My first Royalty check went right into purchasing a review package! I celebrated the publication of my first book by going out to dinner with family members and many joyous phone calls to family overseas.
Great ideas on self-editing. Thank you. I’m finding it even more tricky with Silverback being in first person present tense. It’s far too easy to slip back into past tense without even realizing.

Mark

4/27/2022 12:53:44 pm

Keeping that ball rolling is important.
That is a wonderful way to celebrate! Family is critical to an author's success. Even if they don't actively contribute to a story, allowing the author to write is quite helpful all along the way.
Switching tenses is very common. I find a good deal of that. Usually in only one or two sentences at a time.
Another aspect that improves a writer's skill is that the main character in a first person POV story can only know what they see, hear or are told by another character. It can make for good writing.
New questions.
Who are your favorite dead authors?
Who are your favorite living authors at this time?

Jan Anderegg link

4/27/2022 01:09:51 pm

My favorite dead authors. Well, let’s see. CS Lewis, PL Travers, Jane Austen, James Herriot aka James Wight, LM Montgomery, Charles Dickens Ernest Hemingway, AA Milne and Mark Twain.
Favorite living authors… Karen Lynch, Stephanie Meyer - more for “The Host” than Twilight, and Kimberly Loth.

That probably just scratches the surface!

Mark

4/27/2022 02:47:44 pm

Nice choices for both lists. Honestly, I didn't expect more than a surface scratch.
When I was very young, I wanted to read all of the books. I wanted to move into the biggest library in the land and camp. I have given up on that dream. It would be necessary for me to live forever as well as improve my speedreading skills to read all of the books.
New questions.
How many times did you rewrite the first page, the first chapter of this book?
Do you have a favorite filler word or two that you have to keep taking out of a story, like just, like really, or like like?

Jan Anderegg link

4/27/2022 02:52:24 pm

The first page. I rewrote it at least five times. Lol
I o have issues with filler words and I can’t for the life of me give you an example right now but I know I find them every time I proof read!

Mark

4/27/2022 03:46:34 pm

Many authors really struggle with filler words. Obviously, filler words really slow down a story when there is a totally excessive amount of them. Actually, they can serve a really good purpose in dialogue, as long as only one or two characters really use filler words a lot. Accents and idioms can really help with differentiating characters also.
That drove me nuts. Trying to use several filler words as much as I could. I hope that wasn't too painful for you also.
When I am proofing a book, I use the word find feature to check the number of uses for words that seem to appear too frequently. Sometimes, it's just the section I am in, other times I find an excess scattered throughout the book. Then I leave a comment to the author.
New questions.
Was there a particular chapter or section that was harder to write than the others, besides the first chapter?
What was the earliest experience that made you realize that you could influence and change lives with the power of writing?

Jan Anderegg link

4/27/2022 03:56:36 pm

My editing program also lets me know if I’m overusing words which is great.
Generally the chapters flowed together fairly well except one chapter that didn’t seem to fit in. I had to write chapters on either side of it because it was crucial to the story. Then it made sense.
When I started writing short stories I joined a website called FanStory.com. I wrote a lot of short stories on that site and the feedback I received encouraged me to keep writing. I was their “Short Works Author of the Year” in 2007 and 2008 I believe or somewhere around that time frame. Peoples reactions to my stories let me know I could really make a difference with my writing by inspiring and encouraging others. That feels good.

Mark

4/27/2022 05:11:54 pm

You did well blending that chapter in. The book flows smoothly.
To receive accolades like that is a wonderful validation of your skill and talent.
I think writing short stories are a great way to polish writing skills and perhaps learn some new techniques.
Gone are the days where lengthy descriptions and verbose dialogue ruled the pages of books. Almost all genres are now very compact and full of action. The show-don't-tell convention is instrumental for that fulfillment also.
New questions.
Do you have a hidden message in your writings for a particular person or group?
Do you have any Easter eggs hidden in your stories that only close friends or family members would recognize?

Jan Anderegg link

4/27/2022 05:22:15 pm

Hidden messages. Such an interesting concept. I don’t know if the messages are really hidden but I would love to think that some readers are curious enough about some of the authors , historical characters and books mentioned to go look them up. The themes of unconditional love and second chances also run throughout because I truly believe that unconditional love and acceptance of others are the most important lessons we can learn in life.
Yes, there are Easter eggs for family members in my stories. Little comments or dialogue that wouldn’t stand out to anyone else but meant something to the people in my family who recognized the exchange. Such fun to relive those memories.

Mark

4/27/2022 06:14:49 pm

The concept of the trans-dimensional Library and inspiration was something that I loved about your books. I thought it was wonderful how you mentioned so many different authors and their works.
You hit on a basic need of every person alive. Each want to be loved and accepted for who they are.
Fun for the family and other insiders.
New questions.
Do you believe that a good book will sell itself?
Do you think good marketing can overcome the limitations of a mediocre book?

Jan Anderegg link

4/27/2022 07:19:45 pm

Thank you, Mark.
I used to believe that a good book would sell itself but unfortunately I haven’t found this to be true and nor just for my own books either. I have read and reviewed some outstanding books that should be selling like hotcakes but aren’t The way the market is set up today, it seems either you have to somehow get a lot of reviews or get your book noticed by someone who has connections and promotes your book after falling in love it! I’m still waiting for my call from Oprah. Meanwhile I keep working on getting reviews!

A mediocre book is probably never going to take off even with exceptional marketing, but of course what one reader finds poor or mediocre may be another reader’s dream book! So I’m going to remain firmly on the fence on that one.

Mark

4/28/2022 07:45:21 am

I agree with you. Before the gatekeepers were dismissed and the gates destroyed by Amazon. The good books were announced loud and clear, many copies were sold and fortunes secured for a handful of authors. The book-selling landscape is completely changed now, thanks to Amazon. If a writer can't find a publisher, they can self-publish on Amazon and many do.
There are a lot of great books being written and published every year, I have read some of them also. Yet, they languish frequently without steady promotional and marketing effort. That is something that most publishers cannot afford to do because they are fighting to stay alive with shrinking profit margins.
I think Oprah would probably enjoy your book a lot. You are wise to keep making your own efforts to market your books. Your success is your responsibility in the end.
New questions.
What is the biggest myth about writing that would help aspiring authors?
Do you base your characters on people you know or have met, or is it easier to just invent them completely?

Jan Anderegg link

4/28/2022 09:49:13 am

I think Oprah would enjoy it too! Now if I could just figure out how to get it to her. Great questions. I believe the biggest myth about writing stems from the attitude that some writers/authors cling to that we are somehow in competition with each other. We are not. There are hundreds of thousands of stories of not millions and as you mentioned before, there are only seven basic plots, and some say less. I wish authors would support each other more.
Some of my characters are based on real people. Most of them are not and yet, I often see glimpses of people I know even in these characters. I wonder if that’s inevitable the way our human nature works? That we write what we know?

Mark

4/28/2022 11:17:28 am

The competition thing is real and really unnecessary. I firmly agree with you, there are so many readers out there, the only real competition is getting noticed.
It is the same in my field as a proofreader, there is more than enough work for every editor and proofreader. I keep a list of editors and proofreaders on my two Twitter accounts: @wordrefiner and @MarklSchultz1. The second account is to continue the lists. Twitter limits lists to a total of 1,000 pieces per account.
People, the world over, are more similar than not. The internet has demonstrated that conclusively. So, I am not surprised that you see glimpses of people you know in your characters. I think that is a testimony to your good writing because you are tapping into basic needs and desires of many people.
Most authors are good observers of people, and most authors are writing what they know and using imagination to fill in the gaps.
New questions.
Some authors go to great lengths to get inside the heads of their characters. Some create a biography, find photos that match the picture in their head, fill out psychological profiles. What do you do in that regard, if anything?
Where would your work be if you didn't have real people to base characters in your writing?

Jan Anderegg link

4/28/2022 11:34:48 am

Thanks, Mark.
Let’s see. I do have an idea of how my characters look. I’ve done a lot of character interviews for my own benefit but other people sometimes enjoy reading them too. The only time I’ve gone.searching for photos was when I was trying to convey what Jack looked like for the cover of Jirvania. I started off keeping a page on each character to make sure I was consistent in smaller details such as hair and eye color, relationships etc. With Silverback, I used a huge poster board instead to write down names and relationships and connect the dots so to speak.

If I couldn’t relate my characters to real people, I doubt my characters would feel real, but to be honest I often think of my characters as real people who exist in an alternate reality. They seem too real to be figments of my imagination. :-)

Mark

4/28/2022 12:48:13 pm

Character interviews sound like a great thing to put on a website. People like getting the inside scoop about something, they love the backstory and even bloopers after seeing a movie.
Your character sheets are a good idea, many writers use something like that. One of my guest bloggers, Rick Hall, has a great article about how to keep characters psychologically congruent. He also has a free website devoted to the idea. Here is a copy-and-paste link to that article: https://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/character-creation or you can search for his name in the search box below. I also promoted and reviewed a book of his.
In a well-written story, the characters feel like they are real to me also. I feel privileged to be able to peek into their world and root for them.
New questions.
In your experience, which marketing avenues have been the most rewarding or profitable?
Why did you pick me to promote your book?

Jan Anderegg link

4/28/2022 01:58:45 pm

Thank you for the link. I will look it up.
Marketing is such an expensive and yet vital part of book promotion. I have used Online Book Club and they deliver some great reviews through their readers. However I have found it necessary to state very clearly that if a reviewer is going to leave a review through OnlineBookClub that I need them to ALSO leave that review on Amazon or please don’t review the book. Sadly a lot of their reviewers will give a wonderful review on their website and state they are unable to leave an Amazon review. As we have already established, Amazon reviews are vital and if I’m paying for people to review my book their kind words are lovely to read but worthless to my promotion efforts if they don’t or cannot post it on Amazon.
Pubby.com has been an excellent source of reviews for me. It’s not cheap at $30 a month and I have to earn my points to ask for reviews by reading other people’s books and reviewing them on Amazon. I don’t mind this at all. It goes right back to what I was saying about authors supporting other authors and I’ve found some fabulous gems to read along the way.
I chose your reviewing service first for Julu and was so impressed with the value for money and your comprehensive review and interviewing process. So it was a no-brainer to engage your services for Jirvania and I will be doing the same for all my future books. Your service is unique and provides such a wonderful opportunity for an author to promote their book through your website and blog. You have also provided me with valuable resources for this promotion and future writing projects. Thank you!

Mark

4/28/2022 02:54:54 pm

Yes, marketing is expensive and necessary. If you want your book to sell.
I have not heard of Online Book Club before. I think there are many iterations of that out there. I even considered starting something like that a few years ago. I decided not to do it because it would take time away from my primary activity of proofreading books.
A number of years ago, Amazon banned a lot of people who were selling reviews on Amazon. A number of good reviewers got caught in the turbulence and were banned also. It was an unfortunate time for a lot of people and many authors lost a lot of reviews also. If they had bought books or movies those were gone as well.
Pubby is an interesting concept also. I think it works better.
Thank you. I wanted to create something unique. I love reading and helping authors.
New questions.
Do you have any problems when writing about characters of the opposite sex, why or why not?
How do you balance the demands on your time as a writer with personal relationships?

Jan Anderegg link

4/28/2022 04:26:47 pm

You are providing a wonderful service and such amazing value for money spent.

Women and men are so different and I have learned to ask questions when writing about the opposite sex. I remember when I posted a chapter of “To Catch Pegasus” on a writing website, a male author with whom I had a friendship purely through that site (FanStory.com) contacted me to let me know that I had goofed in one of the male character responses to a comment from his male friend. He said, “The way you wrote that is the way a woman would respond. A guy wouldn’t respond that way. He would say ….” And he was right! I changed it and it worked so much better. From then on I learned to go to the source any time I had questions.

Balancing family time and relationships with writing has always been challenging. It’s easier for me these days because our children have all grown up and moved away! When they were little I spent a lot of nights writing to 2 am. Now I have to find time to write in between my work hours which can also be just as challenging but my husband is very understanding.

Mark

4/28/2022 05:40:42 pm

A great friend tells the truth. Glad to hear that worked out well.
Yes, men and women are different in many ways. For example, when a small baby is growing in the womb, at a particular point a hormone is released in the brain, and it severs most of the connection between the two halves of the brain. This is part of the development of a baby boy. It allows males to have great focus at one time, it also makes changing focus harder for men.
The balance of time for a writer with a family and work is not easy. Like so many writers before you, the late night or early morning hours provide some precious, uninterrupted writing time.
New questions.
Did you have pieces of the story that were removed from this book? If, so why did you remove them?
Did you save those pieces, if they were substantial in size?

Jan Anderegg link

4/28/2022 06:03:55 pm

How interesting on the baby developmental stage.
I didn’t remove anything substance from Jirvania but I did remove substantial pieces of Julu. This was when I was originally going to go with a different publisher who felt the book was too long. Sadly, although I wish I could say I kept them, I was using a different laptop at the time that “died” and those portions of the story died with it. I don’t remember them so I guess they couldn’t have been too crucial. But I wish I had saved them elsewhere because I do sometimes wonder about them.

Mark

4/28/2022 06:55:52 pm

Here is a tip that might help. When I am proofreading, I save after every comment. At the end of the day, I save the manuscript as an email attachment with notes as to what pass and page, that email is saved as a draft, it's never sent. It is safe in the cloud and still on my computer. I use Yahoo for my email.
New questions.
Do you have any other passions or creative outlets to pursue if you didn't write?
Is there a cause you are passionate about?

Jan Anderegg link

4/28/2022 07:04:35 pm

Thanks for the tip. I will do that from now on.

Other passions. Where to start! I love to sew, crochet, garden and travel. I raise exotic chickens and turkeys and my husband and I raise Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horses. If I couldn’t write I can’t imagine how I would fill that void however. Perhaps by reading even more than I do now?

A cause I am passionate about is making a difference one person, one child at a time. I support Heifer International and March of Dimes on a regular basis. I work with mentally and physically handicapped people between sixty and eighty hours a week because our company is so short staffed. I have seen the difference one person’s voice can make in their lives. I do my utmost to be positive and kind no matter where I am or why. I truly believe in the saying that no act of kindness is ever wasted.

Mark

4/29/2022 08:02:27 am

Nice hobbies. Exotic chickens and turkeys. I have seen a few pictures of exotic chickens and some of them look quite interesting. I didn't know about exotic turkeys though.
We saw a turkey walk down the sidewalk in front of our patio yesterday. That was unexpected.
Growing up on a small farm, my dad liked buying eggs and raising chickens, ducks and peacocks. We kept the coyotes fat and happy for sometime. Peacocks are sure messy birds.
My wife and I have been reduced to container gardening for nearly 15 years. We moved out of our house and into a townhome in 2007 because of her disability. Now, we live in an apartment in Florida. We do have a rose growing in a pot, Abraham Darby has started to put flowers on, and they do smell quite nice.
Those are wonderful causes. Your job helping the handicapped is vital and much appreciated by them, I am sure. That is an awful lot of hours. It must be hard to find time to care for yourself and write.
My wife used to work with developmentally handicapped adults until she got sick. Meniere's makes life difficult in multiple ways.
New questions.
Have you any favorite literary journals?
Do you experiment with writing or prefer to stay in the safe zone?

Jan Anderegg link

4/29/2022 08:36:02 am

Growing older is certainly challenging especially when medical issues arise.
Literary Journals. - I actually don’t have any favorites because I haven’t read any. But now that you mentioned them, I am going to go looking! :-)

I do experiment occasionally with different writing styles. I do enjoy the multitude of different ways one can write poetry but I’ve found I’m better at writing stories.

Mark

4/29/2022 10:07:25 am

Yes, growing old is not for wimps. These bodies are not designed to last forever in this life.
On my Twitter pages, @wordrefiner and @MarklSchultz1 I have lists and one of the lists is for literary journals. I hope that is useful. Click on the three dots under the banner to find the lists.
Poetry is an interesting group of forms. I haven't studied it, but I do experience interesting effects within when I read it sometimes. Poetry has surprised me more than once. I have reviewed poetry elsewhere on my website also.
New questions.
Did you have a favorite book as a child?
What type of scenes do you find hard to write and why?

Jan Anderegg

4/29/2022 11:37:05 am

Thank you! I will take a look on your website!

Oh so many favorite books as a child. My parents read to me all the time. Weekly Reader Book Club supplied some of favorites to this day such as Lyle the Crocodile, Part-Time Dog, Attic of the Wind and so many more. Then I fell in love with “My Father’s Dragon, Parsifal the Poddly, then the Narnia books and “Fury Stallion of Broken Wheel Ranch, Nancy Drew … and on and on and on!

I dislike writing love or romantic scenes. Lol Not that I’m a prude but it always seems so personal to me. I have solved that problem by limited the times I have to do so by the genre of books I choose to write.

Mark

4/29/2022 12:58:19 pm

Those lists are not on my website, they are on my Twitter pages. Twitter limits the lists to a total of 1000 entries, so I had to get another account page to expand my lists. There is some duplication in the lists. That will diminish with time.
I had forgotten about the Weekly Reader Club. My mother made sure I could buy at least one book each time. She did a lot to foster my love of reading.
Out of all those books you mentioned the only ones I recall are the Chronicles of Narnia. That is probably because I read them as an adult not as a child. Clive Staple Lewis became a favorite author after I read the Chronicles of Narnia. I read a few of his other books also.
Years later, I discovered his science fiction trilogy 'Out of the Silent Planet' that cemented the deal for me because Sci-Fi is my top favorite genre. Lewis based the protagonist, a professor of languages, on his close friend, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. You might already know they were best pals at Oxford and were part of a writing group, I think it was called the Inklings.
You are right, romance is very personal and can be intense. You made a good choice.
New questions.
How do you maintain the excitement for yourself? Your excitement impacts others around you.
Do your friends and family members buy your books?

Jan Anderegg link

4/29/2022 02:39:05 pm

No effort required on maintaining the excitement for myself! The characters manage to do that for me. For example I was writing a chapter in my Silverback novel last night and the character was insisting on telling of a past event that didn’t mesh with the story the way I had written it. His answer to his daughter’s questioning this blew me away because it introduced time travel into this science-fiction fantasy and I was NOT expecting that at all. Lol Seriously I was completely stunned. So I’m looking forward to writing more to see how and where this fits in. I already know why. It was done for compassionate reasons at great personal cost to the character involved.
Yes, my family and friends do buy my books and to my utter surprise ( as family can be quite critical) they love them. My father was an English and American History professor and a graduate of Harvard and Oxford Universities. When he fell in love with Julu, and told me it reminded him of Ernest Hemingway’s writing, it was not only a great boost but a huge surprise to me. He loved Jirvania even more and I know he would have liked Silverback too. Throughout my life, he never pulled any punches when it came to what I wrote and this was the first book or story of mine that impressed him and he read plenty over the years. We lost him this January to Covid complications at the age of 89, so it will be bittersweet for me to write and then publish the next book without his feedback. He lived in Australia and was promoting and selling the books to bookstores over there.

Mark

4/29/2022 04:03:44 pm

That is one heck of a twist! Time travel stories are my favorite sub-genre within sci-fi. Now, I am looking forward to Silverback even more.
You father sounds like an amazing man. He worked hard for your success. He loved you a great deal, as I am sure you know. I am sorry to hear he is gone.
New questions.
Can you name one thing that you would give up to become a better writer?
What area of your writing has the greatest need for improvement at this time?

Jan Anderegg link

4/29/2022 04:11:50 pm

Oh boy. What would I give up to become a better writer? I wish I could give up my day job to focus on writing but that probably doesn’t count. Lol I would give up my limited free time. I would give up anything material, just not relationships with friends and family.
Even though I graduated high school with a B in English, I still make too many mistakes with my grammar in my writing. Thankfully there are programs like ProEditor and Grammarly to help counteract this. The only difficulty is when the two programs contradict each other! I do spend time looking things up when I am not sure. But it’s definitely my biggest writing flaw.

Mark

4/29/2022 05:35:33 pm

So many authors would love to give up their day job! While writing is fun at times and fearsome at other times. Time must be allowed for the business of writing also.
I think I got a B or a B- in high school also. Grammar was hard for me as well. I am doing much better now. If I could type without making so many mistakes my life would be easier.
Researching the peculiarities of grammar can be difficult. I have a hardback copy of the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. That is a major resource for me in terms of grammar and how things should be written.
New questions.
What non-writing skill could you learn that might prove to be useful for writing in the future?
On average, how long does it take you to write a first draft of a book?

Jan Anderegg

4/29/2022 06:14:53 pm

A non-writing skill I could learn that would be useful for writing in the future? Hmmm. Editing? Lol Oh wait, that’s still a writing skill. I think you have me stumped. I’m open to suggestions. In general I think the more you experience in life through different jobs, travel and interactions with other people all contribute to a writer’s ability.
If I have time every day, an entire book takes me about six months for the rough first draft and six or seven months longer to polish it up. Editing is very time consuming but so worth it.

Mark

4/29/2022 07:00:14 pm

That question stumps almost everyone. I think I will take it out of the list. I don't even remember what I was thinking when I added it to my questions a few years ago.
You are right. Every experience in life can enrich your writing, one way or another.
My first career of nearly 20 years was in retail sales. I worked many different aspects of that business. When I started in construction as a sheet metal apprentice, it didn't take me long to recognize that my retail experience would serve me well in construction. I realized that I had customers to take care of just like in retail. When you go to a store you walk in with a problem and hope you walk out with a solution. I spent 20 years working in construction also.
Six months for the first draft is not bad at all, considering work and family issues. Another half a year or so to make it publishable. That is pretty good.
New questions.
When do you think your next book will be published?
Will you do anything differently with this new book, in terms of publishing?

Jan Anderegg link

4/29/2022 07:10:11 pm

How interesting! I too have worked at many different jobs. Right out of school I worked as a fruit picker for six months while waiting for my nursing course to begin. Apart from working as a nurse for almost twenty years including my training, I’ve also worked as a telemarketer - on the floor and then as a supervisor a store clerk, a goat milk farmer/producer and a caregiver for the handicapped.
I’m hoping to publish Silverback by the end of this year. I’m then hoping to have Journey written and published by the end of next year. With Silverback, I’m strongly considering going directly through Kindle rather than with a publisher even though Journey will be published with Gatekeeper Press. I have a friend who has self published directly with Kindle who is willing to guide me. It will be an interesting experience!

Mark

4/30/2022 08:27:12 am

My two careers were quite different in some ways. They don't begin to touch the varied jobs I have had in the past. I have picked beans and strawberries, been a photographer for a smalltown newspaper, sold books and greeting cards door to door, cleaned oriental carpets, security guard at an apartment complex, office boy for a firm of architects and many more.
Goats are very funny. My dad brought home a goat, one day, when I was nine or ten. The baby goat had a broken leg. It stumped around in the house for several weeks. It was put outside after the cast came off. I think it was lonely, it was always trying to get back into the house. It wouldn't socialize with other goats.
I encourage you to self-publish your books. It is the only way an author can keep control over their books. Yes, you will bear all of the expenses, but you will also keep all of the profits. Here is a good article about creating your own imprint when you self-publish, copy and paste or search it in the box below: https://www.janefriedman.com/why-self-publishing-authors-should-consider-establishing-their-own-imprint
When you get that handled, consider publishing on other platforms, putting all your eggs into one basket is a bad idea.
New questions.
Have you ever killed off a character unwillingly because it fit the plot?
With sequels, how do you handle the wishes of readers compared to your original ideas?

Jan Anderegg link

4/30/2022 08:41:06 am

Thank you for the article link! I will check it out.
I have killed a character unwilling because it fit the plot. But I would never kill off the main character as I’ve seen done in some stories such as happened in the Hunger Games series. To me that defeated the entire purpose of the story. I know some people say that’s reality so it should work in books and I say if I wanted that much sad reality I would just go watch the news.

I listen to the ideas people have about where the story might go and I’ve often been able to easily incorporate those ideas into the story. Other times not so much. But I’m always willing to consider it.

Mark

4/30/2022 09:53:21 am

I agree with you, books do not have to reflect every aspect of reality. They do have to be believable within the world created as a setting for the story. Readers want something to entertain them and remind them there are better possibilities. Books give us hope.
On the other hand, the death of a major character can be the push the protagonist needs to rise up and face the present evil.
Killing a main character certainly provides shock value. Events that shock us are deeply imprinted on our psyche and not easily forgotten. Most readers want the good guy to win and justice to prevail.
That is nice of you to consider the ideas of others and work them into a story when feasible. Some authors won't do that.
New questions.
How do you deal with a difficult section in a WIP?
Have you ever read that section out loud to sort out the difficulty?

Jan Anderegg link

4/30/2022 10:49:08 am

I’m open to suggestions about dealing with difficult sections of a WIP. What I usually do is walk away for a few days or longer and just give it some thought and try to brainstorm away from the computer to see if anything comes up. That usually works but can take a while.
I do like reading sections out loud as I find it’s very beneficial in more than one way. For me it’s almost the only way to really get a feel for the flow of the chapter and it helps me find errors.

Mark

4/30/2022 11:44:02 am

Many authors walk away from the project for a period of time. Others try to keep the inspiration flowing by having another project to work on. Something unrelated to the current WIP. Another novel, short stories, contests, and poetry are but a few of the ways authors try to reconnect with their muse.
New questions.
Do you use music or some other stimulus to cultivate a feeling within that will help you write certain types of scenes?
Is there any particular time of the day that ideas usually hit you?

Jan Anderegg link

4/30/2022 11:54:23 am

I do like listening to music but usually when I’m doing housework it is inspiring! I find I can’t have music on when I’m thinking about writing or writing. Too distracting. But I love hearing new songs and at times they do give me ideas for stories or parts of stories.
Ideas apparently have no concept of time for me. They come anytime and no matter what I’m doing. I’ve had to pull over when driving to write things down and they have woken me in the middle of the night! My Muse whom I call Lydia is a little eccentric and flies to the beat of her own drum. Don’t tell her I said so. Lol

Mark

4/30/2022 01:14:19 pm

Many authors listen casually to music, just like you. There are others though that use certain songs to help them write certain scenes. Some use a few lyrics from a well-known song to introduce a chapter as a heading or sub-heading. Some use more than a few lyrics. Here is a good introduction to that idea, copy and paste http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/2022/01/22/lets-talk-about-writing-using-lyrics or search the word in the box below.
Many muses are like Lydia. They seem to have no respect for the schedule of a hard-working writer. I know one writer who is visited almost every night by her muse at 2:30 in the morning. She keeps a pad of paper and a pencil on her nightstand. She can even read the notes in the morning sometimes. Another author complained to me that she only hears from her muse when she is in the shower and had lost many great ideas. I recommended she get a Space pen and a pad of waterproof paper. Problem solved. If you have a smart phone most of them have a voice recorder feature included with the basic apps that phones come with these days.
New questions.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or print books?
What books are you reading at present for your business and for pleasure?

Jan Anderegg link

4/30/2022 01:35:59 pm

Great ideas! Oh I love audio books but that’s mainly because I spent a lot of time in my car traveling to and from work and to visit family. I currently have three books I’m listening to. Circus of the Dead by Kimberly Loth (-second listen. It’s a complex story), Daizlei Academy by Kel Carpenter, and Silent Invasion by Deborah Birx. All very different! I am also reading two books. Only One by Barbara Woster and Eve of Eternal Book One by Sophie Day. That said, I also love print books and have all my favorites in print.
I try to read a lot of different types of books and will often choose books out of my usual areas of interest to review on Pubby. It’s amazing what you can learn about real estate marketing and bitcoins! Lol. Never know when some character might pop into my head with some profession I’m not familiar with.
I don’t have to read for my job but I do find books of interest in that area to look at from time to time. It’s good to keep up to date!

Mark

4/30/2022 03:33:08 pm

Audio books make a lot of sense for you. The husband of our youngest daughter is a truck driver and listens to audio books also. I have tried it a few times and found it difficult to stay focused. My solution has been to speed up the playback speed to 1.4 or 1.5 times normal. Then I have to struggle to catch everything. Otherwise, it is a lost cause because I am used to reading in noisy environments.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, oops, I am daydreaming again. I used to have a large collection of books in the 70s and 80s, hardbacks, paperbacks and comics. Not anymore, the move across country required extreme paring of what was worth paying for. I have only a handful of real books now. You should feel my Kindle, it has so many books it is getting heavy. ;-)
You are reading lots of different books and I think that is a great idea. As you mentioned, reading a variety of non-fiction books gives you a great background for your writing.
New questions.
Do you proofread and edit your own books or use a professional?
Do you see any advantages to traditional publishing as opposed to self-publishing?

Jan Anderegg link

4/30/2022 05:01:13 pm

My Kindle weighs at least a few hundred pounds. Lol
I self edit which I don’t recommend but financially it’s my only option because adding professional editing to the cost of self publishing puts it out of my reach. That said, I do spend a lot of time editing and then when reviewers find further errors ( it seems impossible to find them all) I pay to have them fixed. Even after extensive post publication edits, I’m still nowhere near the cost of professional editing. I’m delighted to say that many reviewers mention that the books appear to have been professionally edited but it took a while to get to that point.
I believe that would be the advantage of traditional publishing along with perhaps better promotional opportunities. I have heard though that the author is still responsible for a lot of the promotional costs? I don’t know if this is true.

Mark

4/30/2022 07:18:22 pm

I do understand about budgets. We have already talked about self-editing, so I won't go into that again.
I will suggest that you peruse a variety of blogs dedicated to editing and maybe subscribe to one or two that seem most helpful to you. I also suggest that you follow Chris Graham, @Storyreadingape, on Twitter and subscribe to his email newsletter. He gathers the blogs of a lot of writers including editors. He also shares a lot of funny stuff.
True, most publishers have their own editors and sometimes proofreaders, if they are big enough. Even the big publishers fail to catch all of the spelling errors. The last couple of major books I read contained spelling errors.
You have heard correctly, for the most part publishers do little besides post a book on their website. Any effective promotional efforts will come from the author or someone the author hires. Don't forget, I have a list of book reviewers and book promoters on my Twitter pages, @wordrefiner and @MarklSchultz1, click on the 3 dots under the banner to access the lists. Check their requirements carefully before approaching them. I have suggested to a lot of authors to set aside an hour or two every week or two for promotional efforts. Book marketing is far more like an ultra-marathon than a sprint.
New questions.
Is using Twitter and other social media part of your marketing strategy?
How do you convince readers to write a book review?

Jan Anderegg link

4/30/2022 07:28:08 pm

Book Marketing is an ultra marathon indeed! I will check those out. Thank you!
I have in the past and continue to use Twitter for book promotion. I like Twitter. I also use Facebook.
Convincing readers to leave a review continues to be one of the biggest challenges I have faced! I honestly don’t think people realize how crucial those reviews are to an author. I have offered free books in exchange for an honest review and free PDF or ePub files if they prefer. I’ve tried to explain why it’s so important. It continues to be an elusive thing. I try to leave reviews on all the books I read so at least I’m giving back!

Mark

5/1/2022 08:20:44 am

Your experience mirrors that of pretty much every indie author. I have not met one that didn't want more reviews. I do recommend that every author keep a close eye on Amazon's Community Guidelines for Reviews. The 'Zon has been known to change the rules with little to no warning.
Good on you for leaving reviews. I try to do the same thing also.
New questions.
What are your thoughts on bad book reviews?
What marketing strategy, if any, has had an immediate impact on your daily sales?

Jan Anderegg link

5/1/2022 08:57:27 am

I certainly understand why Amazon is so careful with their review guidelines. I’m always careful to ask people for an honest review and I mean it. If there are things they don’t like, I want to know because if it’s a recurring issue with other readers then I need to change something.
Which brings me to your first question. I have read somewhere that a book that has real reviews should have a curve or in other words a spattering of poor reviews with a few more medium ratings and hopefully an abundance of good reviews. Any book that only has five star reviews is questionable or at least that’s what the article I read stated. There are always going to be people who dislike my work and I can live with that because there are so many more who love it. Julu currently has a 4.5 star rating out of 72 reviews and Jirvania has a 4.8 out of 100 reviews. When a book becomes very popular I expect that’s when you also get those “hater” reviews from people who either dislike the author or who just thrive on negativity. So all to say I don’t mind “bad” reviews if they are constructive and if they aren’t constructive I give myself permission to ignore them. I do find it rather amusing that only some of the adult readers complain about the time jumps in Julu - every kid I’ve received feedback from either isn’t phased by them or actually loves them. But that said, I did make an effort when writing Jirvania to correct what some readers saw as confusing.
On the second question I’m really not sure. Some months seem better than others on sales and yet I can’t seem to pinpoint why? So I’m clueless on that one!

Mark

5/1/2022 11:22:41 am

That is a good attitude about reviews. A very common-sense perspective.
I have told authors for years to not worry about a bad review. If it is hateful, perspective readers will see that. If it is constructive then that is useful. I have also said that a bad review also proves that is not just the author's mother and friends who are leaving the reviews. The bad review brings authenticity to the other reviews. All in all, asking for HONEST reviews is the best move.
Many authors are in the same boat, they are not sure what has worked the best. I imagine the stats are available. Dave Chesson has an informative website at kindlepreneur.com. Here is a link to one of his blog posts about keywords: How to Change Your Kindle Keywords, by Dave Chesson https://annerallen.com/2020/09/how-to-change-your-kindle-keywords-by-dave-chesson or search his name in the box below. I know it is not exactly what we are talking about, but it might lead to some useful information.
New questions.
Have you thought about doing a book trailer?
Have you thought about doing an audio book?

Jan Anderegg link

5/1/2022 11:35:16 am

Awesome! Thanks for the link. I will go check it out.
I did a book trailer with AllAuthor (?) I think for Julu. I thought it was great. I’m not sure if it contributed to sales but I sure enjoyed watching it myself. Lol
Julu is available as an audiobook and it has received some great reviews for the audio presentation. I haven’t yet released Jirvania as an audiobook because I want to use the same narrator and I decided to spend my available funds on review services first. I’m hoping to get Jirvania on Audible by the end of this year. When I release Silverback I will definitely be doing van audiobook but with a different narrator to fit the story.

Mark

5/1/2022 01:08:11 pm

Book trailers are great fun and I think they provide a nice tease for the book. At the same time, they are not cheap. Like most things, you get what you pay for.
I checked your Amazon Author page; it shows both books but not the audio version of Julu. The Julu page does show the audiobook.
Audiobooks are expensive to make, it takes quite a few hours of work to make one hour of good recording. I interviewed a narrator during the interview with the author of an audiobook. Search below for Kevin Green.
If you have ever entertained thoughts of making your own audiobook, here is a copy-and-paste link: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/08/07/build-your-own-audio-sound-booth
New questions.
Was it hard to find a person to produce an audiobook version of your book?
Have you tried a promotional price of $0.99 or giving a book away for free?

Jan Anderegg link

5/1/2022 01:45:27 pm

It was a little tricky finding the right narrator for Julu. I knew how I wanted the voice to sound. I am going to take a look at the website. I have never thought about doing my own but what a great challenge it would be!
I questioned my author manager with Gatekeeper Press about doing a discount pricing or offering up the books for free for a short time but I didn’t really get a clear answer on how that works or perhaps I didn’t understand it. I don’t recall. I think it’s a great idea.

Mark

5/1/2022 05:59:10 pm

I am not surprised you had a good idea of how the voice should sound. Voice is very powerful. It carries so much emotion and meaning.
The landscape of narration and audiobooks is changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence has reached a point where it is almost as good as a human. It's noticeably different at this point. But the gap between human and AI is shrinking. Some human narrators may give up and throw in the towel, but I hope they don't. While the AI will be able to produce a good enough product at a much lower price point. Human narration will always be the pinnacle of the industry and will command a premium price for those who care. Before too long, an author will be able to rent a famous human voice for the computer to use on the narration. Yes, it will cost more than the basic AI voice. The result will likely be a three-tier pricing for audiobooks, with authentic, human voices at the top.
Your publisher may not want to offer a reduced-price promotion for your books, they are concerned mainly about their bottom line first, everything else including your writing career is secondary.
This is one of the reasons I encourage authors to learn to self-publish. When an author has published their own books, corrections are easy, cover choice is theirs alone and all of the other responsibilities are theirs also. But all of the profits from sales belong to you also. Honestly, nobody is going to care about your writing career as much as you do.
New questions.
What is your favorite motivational phrase that keeps you going?
What famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet? A famous author?

Jan Anderegg link

5/1/2022 06:24:10 pm

Ah my favorite motivational phrase. That’s easy. It is:

“No act of kindness is ever wasted.”

I try to remember it daily.

A famous person I would love to meet but only if the meet was enough time to really sit down with that person and get to know more about them, their ideas and all about their culture would be Laozi also known as Lao Tzu, and Lao-Tze, the ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. I can think of many more of course but if I had to choose…

Mark

5/2/2022 08:35:49 am

That is a wonderful motivational phrase. I love it and have practiced it much of my life also.
Lao Tzu is an interesting choice. Every author has a different person they want to meet. Many choose famous authors, some dead and some alive. I can't recall anyone choosing a current world leader. I like your choice quite a bit. He seemed to be a gentle soul and espoused kindness and patience a lot.
New questions.
Do you start a writing project using a typewriter, pen & paper or PC?
Now that in-person classes are resuming, have you ever thought about speaking to a college or high school writing class?

Jan Anderegg link

5/2/2022 09:10:38 am

Thanks, Mark. A close second and third for me would have been to meet Walt Disney, and Mr. Rogers who made cameo appearances in Jirvania along with their wives and actor Tom Hanks.
I love my laptop for writing but it’s not always available when an idea comes so I carry a notebook in my car. I’ve been known to write things on table napkins at a restaurant … only the paper ones of course. Lol
I have actually spoken at a high school writing class when my youngest daughter was a senior. I read them my short story, “All Dressed in White” which I believe it also on my blog. They laughed at the end which was my intention so I believe it was a success. They had some great questions for me. I enjoy interacting with people so I would happily do it again.

Mark

5/2/2022 10:14:05 am

Disney and Rogers are more great choices. Both presented wonderful visions of the way the world could be.
Speaking in front of classes like that is one of my many suggestions for promoting yourself as a local author, where you live. I also suggest speaking to book clubs, civic groups such as Rotary or Kiwanis. Some Barnes and Noble locations host readings and author meets. Don't ignore independent bookstores also. Other venues include local newspapers, independent TV and radio stations, and cable access. Many of these seek filler material and interviewing a local author has a nice ring to it. There are also farmer's markets, craft fairs, county fairs and other in-person events of those types.
New questions.
What are your thoughts about mentoring beginning writers?
Have you ever felt like giving up or taking an extended break from writing?

Jan Anderegg link

5/2/2022 10:38:44 am

All great ideas. Thank you. I spend time on a website called FanStory where there are a lot of experienced but also a lot of new writers of all ages. I try to give encouraging feedback to the beginning writers. Sometimes it backfires if their work has a lot of errors because no matter how hard one tries to give positives along with the “perhaps work on this” or “you probably meant to write it’s not its or vice versa, they are offended to hear their work is anything less than perfect. But many do accept the help and improve their work. Learning to write is an endless learning curve I believe. I know I’m not there yet.

Writing comes so naturally to me and always has. I cannot imagine ever wanting to take a break willingly! I was forced to take a break late last year and early this year when I contracted Covid and subsequently a septic knee joint spending far too much time in the hospital! I hated not being able to write and I’m glad I’m back at it now!

Mark

5/2/2022 11:43:59 am

There are those writers who reject any and all criticism. A few probably even think their first draft is perfect. Most of us know the truth. If those writers don't wake up to reality, they will eventually fade away.
TBH, there are many writers who never complete that first draft, which is an achievement all by itself. There are many who think writing is easy and barely make it to the end of the first chapter. They quit, thinking there is something wrong with them.
You are quite right. There is always something new to learn about writing and the business of writing.
I am glad that you recovered from all that mess that put you into the hospital for so long. I find hospitals to be the last place I want to be when I don't feel well. But they are very important when you get really sick.
Last questions.
Have you ever gone on an organized writer's retreat? What benefitted you the most from that time?
Have you attended a seminar or lecture to improve certain skills a self-publishing writer needs to know?

Jan Anderegg link

5/2/2022 11:52:19 am

I would love to go to a Writer’s Retreat. Perhaps one day when I don’t have to work so many hours at my Day job.
I have attended a few writing courses offered by local universities years ago. I keep my eye out for more. It’s a great way to learn.

Mark

5/2/2022 12:44:18 pm

There are a lot of courses online, of course. It seems like in-person events are making a comeback in many places. There are pros and cons to both.
I am preparing for another promotion that starts tomorrow. It's time to bring our chat to a close. I have really enjoyed our time together; you have been a fabulous guest on the Word Refiner channel. I look forward to when we can do it again.
Take care and keep on writing.

Jan Anderegg link

5/2/2022 01:44:03 pm

It has been awesome! I really enjoyed it too. I’ve learned a lot. Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas. I look forward to working with you again when “Silverback” and Journey make their debuts! Thanks again and take care.
Jan

Jirvania: Book 2 in the JULU series by Jan Anderegg

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