Just about every author considers adopting a pen name at some point in his or her career. Some do it as a matter of course–especially when they wish to remain anonymous. Others cannot imagine why they would want to detach themselves from something they worked so hard on. As I have sometimes wondered whether orContinue reading “The Dilemma of Pen Names”
Author Archives: J. S. Allen
Reading Between the Lines: Sending a Message to Readers
Everybody’s got a point to make. That’s how it often seems, anyway. From movies to television, ads to periodicals, there’s almost always some kind of takeaway message. Some are subtle: others much less so. Thus, it is only natural that books should follow the same pattern. Authors have their ideals and opinions too, after all,Continue reading “Reading Between the Lines: Sending a Message to Readers”
Plans for October
September was a quiet, but largely successful month. It saw progress on my current anthology, major improvements to my digital store, and other writing and reading accomplishments. This month will finally see the release of my first novel, which has been on pre-order since mid-August (the 22nd is the last day to receive the 25%Continue reading “Plans for October”
10 Ways to Improve Your Writing
There’s all kinds of advice out there you could offer to someone who’s looking to get better at writing. Foremost among these are, of course, write and read as much as possible. But these are rather vague suggestions at best, and there are a number of other things you can do as well. So, hereContinue reading “10 Ways to Improve Your Writing”
Building Your Writing Credentials
There are undoubtedly a number of authors who never intend to publish what they write beyond circles of close family and friends or even the pages of a diary. For such people, what follows is utterly irrelevant. But for every professional (or even semi-professional) writer, the ultimate goal is publication, ideally in a big-time literaryContinue reading “Building Your Writing Credentials”
Defining Your Audience
Among the first questions to ask oneself when writing anything is: Who am I writing this for? It doesn’t matter what genre you write in, fiction or non, this question must be answered if your book is to have any chance at success. Some authors ask themselves beforehand so as to tailor their story toContinue reading “Defining Your Audience”
August Summary/Plans for September
August was a month of constant activity, culminating in the publication of my debut novel, Sauragia, halfway through. Additionally, I made progress on another story rough draft for an anthology I’ve been working on since April.
Outlining
Outlining can be a useful tool, but only if done properly. Of course, what constitutes proper outlining is subject to the occasion. There are some who prefer not to bother with any planning at all, but it’s worth trying at least once, and so I’ll highlight a few methods I’ve come across here. Method #1:Continue reading “Outlining”
Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas?
This is a question common to artists of every kind, and the answer tends to be universal: Anywhere!
Pre-Order Sale on E-Books!
Good day all! As those of you who’ve been watching closely may know, my debut novel, Sauragia, has been going on sale for pre-order in various venues over this past week or so. To celebrate the occasion, I’m offering 25% off from today until October 23rd on e-book editions from most of my distributors! ThisContinue reading “Pre-Order Sale on E-Books!”
