Tag Archives: novels

Author Interview: Kassandra Lamb & the Story Behind the Story

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Jennifer Jensen

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Story, with a capital S. Why do we authors feel compelled to tell stories? Why do others read our stories?  Why do we choose one story to tell over another? So I decided to interview a writer friend of mine who has just released the seventh book in her mystery series, and who also happens to be a retired psychologist, to see what her answers to these questions might be. So let me introduce you to Kassandra Lamb, author of the Kate Huntington mystery series. Hi, Kass, thanks for joining me today. Thanks for having me, Jen. We wouldn’t be writers if we didn’t have stories itching to come to life.  So why do you feel compelled to tell stories? *laughs* Have you ever seen one of those figurines of a Native American storyteller surrounded by children, some in her lap, some hanging … Continue reading →

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Great Writerly Blogs and . . . THE WINNER

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Jennifer Jensen

The contest is over and we had a blast!  Samantha Warren had a humdinger of a 30th birthday celebration, we all had fun visiting various blogs looking for answers and finding interesting new blogging voices, and by now some lucky person has won a Kindle Mini.  I actually came in second on one day’s quiz and won a copy of Reluctant Guardian from Kristy K. James, but since I was participating with my blogs, I wasn’t eligible every day and so didn’t have a chance at the Kindle Mini.  Awwww.  But hey, a Kindle Touch is still on my Christmas list! Hmm, let’s not get sidetracked here.  The winner of Stephen King’s On Writing here is . . . Francelia Belton!  She’s a writer, a fellow member of the WANA1011 class, and is just setting up her blog.  Maybe when it’s live, she’ll stop by here and post a link!  … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog Mashups, Editing, Writer's Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The End of Publishing?

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Jennifer Jensen

Changes in what people are reading, how they are reading, and even IF they are reading.  Hmm, what is the future of publishing?  Watch this all the way through (only 2-1/2 minutes) and find out: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Weq_sHxghcg&feature=player_embedded]

Posted in Publishing, READING, Writer's Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Discovering Characters

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Jennifer Jensen

I don’t like character trait worksheets.  Yes, I know that you need to know your characters backwards and forwards, but I can’t just make a list out of thin air.  Does she like rap or soft rock? Pizza or steak?  Dog person or cat person? Sleek blonde or frizzy brunette?  If she’s a doctor, is she a surgeon or a radiologist?  Obviously, I need to know some things when I start, but many of these list items don’t matter at the beginning. Instead, I tend to discover my characters as I write.  I may have an image of what they look like, and I may know a few key things about them that pertain to the conflict in the book, but the more I write, the more I discover. There’s a scene in my women’s fiction WIP where the mom goes into the daughter’s room the morning after a confrontation.  … Continue reading →

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Brainstorming Plot Points

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Jennifer Jensen

Brainstorming is a blast! My middle grade WIP is a time travel story.  The protagonist is a 12-year-old boy who’s into rockets and robotics and such, but gets zapped back to the 1830s.  There are thefts for which he gets blamed, a ghost who needs to be laid to rest, and the girl helping him gets pulled back to modern times with him. The manuscript is basically done except for one thing:  I would really like to tie his rocket hobby more integrally into the time travel happenings.  There’s an item that could easily still be in his pocket when he goes back again, but I couldn’t come up with a good idea of what to do with it. So I gathered a few writer friends, gave them a run-down on the plot (new for some, refresher for others), and put my dilemma to them.  We questioned what the device … Continue reading →

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