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Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group

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Kelly Jensen – Writer of Love Stories, Bibliophile, Gamer, Hiker, Cat Herder, Waiting for the Aliens

09 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by dtkrippene in Presenter Interviews, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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Kelly Jensen, World Building, Writing, Writing Conferences, Writing Craft, Writing Romance

Kelly_Jensen1

Kelly Jensen, critically acclaimed and award winning Author, will join us at the GLVWG Write Stuff Writers Conference™, “2020 Vision”, on Saturday, March 14, at the Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel & Conference Center.

Kelly will facilitate 3 sessions:

 Grab the Reader in the First Chapter

 Outlining is for Everyone

 Worldbuilding

 

** Scroll Down for Details **

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Biography:

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly Jensen will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do. 

Kelly is the author of twelve novels, including the critically acclaimed Chaos Station series and the award-winning novel, Block and Strike. She has also published eight novellas and too many short stories to count. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need. 

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An Interview with Kelly Jensen

By Conference CoChair—Umber Rana

Q: Do you have a disciplined writing routine?  If so, what does it include? Do you have any pre-writing rituals or habits before you sit down?

Kelly: I do have a routine! I write Monday through Friday from 6 am to 9 am. I aim for 2000 words or a chapter every day. After getting my words down, I edit or work on administrative tasks. But words always come first.

I don’t really have any pre-writing rituals except to eat breakfast. I’m pretty focused on breakfast. I think about it the night before and cook something hot most days. It’s my writing fuel!

Q: Share the strangest source of inspiration for your writing that you can remember.

Kelly: One of my favorite books (To See the Sun) was inspired by a Harlequin Historical Romance set in Montana during the 1800s. It wasn’t a book I’d normally pick up on my own, but part of a judging packet for the RWA’s RITA contest. I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. Marriages of convenience (arranged, mail-order-spouse) have long been one of my favorite romantic tropes, but it’s not one that works well for gay romance. So I decided to try writing one. I set my story on another planet, and as a nod to this unexpectedly good read, gave my planet a wild west sort of theme: a new colony at the far edge of the galaxy, populated by former miners and terraformers who’d like a companion to share their new lives with. It was a fun book to write, and an idea that might never have occurred to me without that great little historical!

Q: What advice can you give beginning authors in establishing their brand and media presence?

Kelly: Be your most authentic self. I agonized for years over my social media presence and my author brand, only to realize that my blog, my IG feed, and my Twitter and Facebook posts all said the same thing: I was a science fiction nerd who played too many video games, bought too many books, and liked to go hiking. For me, the best part was that I tend to write characters with the same hobbies as mine. So it all fit. I aim to be upbeat and personable without getting too personal.

Q: How do you find the stories and lives that become the subject of your books? How do you research?

Kelly: My stories nearly always start with a single character. I want to write a certain sort of person in a certain situation, and my plot (including the other main character(s)) flows from there. For example, my current WIP is about two men who have recently become empty nesters (like me!). I obviously got this idea while packing my daughter up for college and wondering what I was going to do with all my spare time. And thinking about how much I’d miss her.

For my novel Block and Strike, I wanted to share the experience of how studying a martial art helped me find my voice and become a more assertive person.

The Chaos Station series explores the effects of war on former soldiers, their families, and society.

But each of these books started with a single character. Oliver for my current WIP, who is now home alone wondering who he’ll share breakfast with (told you breakfast was important). In Block and Strike, Max learns to embrace his differences and to rise above the bullying he’s endured all his life. In the Chaos Station series, Felix finally figures out how to leave the war behind, and how to embrace the love of the man he never forgot.

Q: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Kelly: Slow down and take a break. You won’t forget how to write if you take a few weeks or even a few months off. Remember to recharge between books. And, most importantly, remember your process but don’t be a slave to it. Use what works, discard what doesn’t.

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Grab the Reader in the First Chapter

First impressions last. Hook your reader with a compelling first chapter by learning how to introduce your characters, setting, and plot without giving away every secret in the book. We’ll discuss how to include just enough backstory (not too much), and how to tease your readers into turning to the next page.

Outlining is for Everyone

Don’t let the idea of an outline hold you back. Planning what you need to write every day doesn’t necessarily mean a long list of detail. What it can mean is writing faster and to the point with just a few minutes of planning ahead–before you start the book or a few minutes before you start writing!

Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding isn’t just for fantasy and science fiction. Readers want to know where they are, when they are, and how your story relates to the world it’s set in. Learn how to represent the familiar and create the unfamiliar in a way that won’t overwhelm your story or your characters. This workshop will include an exercise that may be shared with the class.

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Kelly Jensen Books Collage crop

“Moving and well written, Building Forever will leave you with a mansion-sized smile.”

—Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author of Goodbye Paradise

“Jensen’s talent for world-building and memorable, unique secondary characters are on full display here in this fabulous series starter. Deeply felt emotions and a lovely romance have me eager for more in this world!”

—Annabeth Albert, author of Out of Uniform series

Kelly Jensen Book Sale

“Love is an adventure”

 

You can find all of Kelly’s books on Amazon

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Learn more about Kelly on her website: kellyjensenwrites.com

Follow her blog: kmkjensen.wordpress.com

And her social media links:

Facebook: /kellyjensenwrites

Twitter: @kmkjensen

Instagram: @kellyjensenwrites

Linktree: linktr.ee/kmkjensen

 

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Meet Richard White

18 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in Write Stuff Conference Presenter, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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Fantasy, Science Fiction, SFWA, World Building, Writer Beware, Writing, Writing Conferences

Richard White Meet

Richard White is a science fiction/fantasy author, but he has also been known to do dark fantasy, new pulp, historical adventure, fantasy noir, and non-fiction. As a media tie-in writer, he’s written for Star Trek, Doctor Who, and The Incredible Hulk.

Rich made his first professional sale in 1975 when he sold a sports article to the Hallsville (MO) Top. Over the next several years, he became the sports editor and wrote articles and editorials for the paper. He was a sports reporter at the University of Central Missouri’s radio station where he wrote/edited on-air copy and did interviews with local schools sports teams.

Rich is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He also serves on SFWA’s “Writer Beware” committee.

When not writing, he shows an inordinate amount of interest in sharp pointy things. Rich picked up fencing in college, learning the foil. Also, while attending the University of Central Missouri, he was introduced to the Society for Creative Anachronism, where he learned the art of sword fighting using both broadsword and shield, great sword, and pole arms. He also was an apprentice armorer, learning how to make both leather and steel armor pieces for other members. Additionally, he was a herald for the West Kingdom, doing both field and court heraldry as well as designing over 40 coats of arms and badges for members of the Barony of the Dark Woods. Rich’s current sword-related vice is Kendo, where he has achieved the rank of Nidan and is studying both Itto (single-sword) and Nito (two-sword) styles of Kendo.

The 2018 GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ is using Richard’s skills to present sessions on:

  • Enter the Hobbit (Writing Realistic Fight Scenes)
  • World Building 101
  • Writer Beware

To read more on Richard, click on the following links:

  • Home – http://www.richardcwhite.com/rcwwp/
  • Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRichardCWhite/
  • Simon and Schuster Page – http://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Richard-C-White/22681378
  • youtube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2OkR0P1_UM
  • Miscellaneous: http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Richard_C._White

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Dawn Sooy       Article by Dawn Sooy

A native of Eastern Pennsylvania, Dawn has plenty of experience with the best and worst four seasons have to offer. Armed with a Computer Science degree, she worked in the tech industry until 2012. She’s married to a great guy and between them, have four children, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. As an animal lover, she volunteers at the local animal shelter, sneaking in treats for the four-legged residents.

Too full of energy to even consider a rocking chair, with an insatiable itch to write, Dawn published six short stories, the most recent, “Love Knows No Boundaries,” featured in the GLVWG anthology, Write Here – Write Now. She is currently working on a full-length novel titled, “From The Darkness,” scheduled for publication in early 2018, with plans to publish a horror anthology later in the year.

An Interview with Richard White

07 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in Presenter Interviews, Write Stuff Conference Presenter

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Tags

Fantasy, Science Fiction, SFWA, World Building, Writer Beware, Writing, Writing Conferences

Richard White Headshot 2

Mitzi Flyte, a GLVWG member, had an opportunity to interview the multi-talented Richard White.

Richard will be at the 2018 GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ on Saturday, March 24, where he will conduct sessions on Writer Beware, Writing Realistic Fight Scenes, and World Building 101.

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Mitzi: Who are your favorite genre writers and did they inspire you?

Richard:      How many pages did you give me for this interview? *grin*  Wow, that’s a tough question, but to try and keep this to a reasonable length, I’ll try and hit my top ten:

  • Glen Cook
  • Anne McCaffery
  • Barbara Hambly
  • R.R. Tolkien
  • Gordon R. Dickson
  • David Drake
  • Brian Daley
  • Tara Harper
  • Katherine Kurtz
  • Alan Dean Foster

 

I can track a lot of my current writing to these authors. In fact, I like to tell people that my current fantasy noir novella series I’m writing is my homage to Glen Cook’s Garrett, P.I. series. The Military Science Fiction novel I’m finishing is about an Armored Cavalry Regiment in the future, which is probably influenced by Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers series.  Any of my sword and sorcery or high fantasy stories could have links to The Dragon and the George, or The Armies of Darkness, or the Deryni series and so on.

Great books, great movies, and even great radio shows (both old-time radio and current works) can’t help but influence an author. Anyone who says they’ve created something completely unique is probably not being honest with themselves. We’re all influenced by everything around us – the object is to take the influence and make it something unique to yourself.

Mitzi:  Do any of your stories scare you. If so, is it while writing or after you’ve written them?

Richard:      Normally no. However, I just finished doing a short story for Green Ronin which is set in their Freeport role-playing game universe where I wrote the story from the POV of a serial killer. I found myself going into a very dark part of my mind to write this story. I also developed an appreciation for the writers on the show Criminal Minds, because I found myself actually not wanting to write some of the stuff that I wrote. I certainly edited and re-edited a few sections of the story to try and reach the fine point between being horrific and exploitive, and that’s before I received the edits from my actual editor.

I think this story reinforced in my mind why I’m not a horror author. I can go there, but I’d really rather not. It’s not so much that it scared me that I went there, but it made me uncomfortable that I could go there.

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