Writer Problems: Hesitating to Drop the F-Bomb

Let's face it, there are certain things you will probably never hear a sexy, badass, male lead character say--things like:
"Dag nabit!"
"Holy malarkey"
"Jumpin' Jehosaphat!"

No, chances are, if you are reading a dramatic tale where a male (or the female, for that matter) is royally pissed off about something, chance are in our day and age in particular, they are likely going to drop the F-bomb--or to quote one of my favorite Christmas movies "the F dash, dash, dash word."

But as a goody-two-shoes, it is extremely difficult for me to say, or even type, that word. Why? Visions of my sweet aunt who has probably never even used the word crap before cross my mind. I see her sitting in a rocking chair, an afghan over her lap, deciding to finally see what it is her precious, innocent niece has been up to with her writing, and a few seconds later she is passed out on the floor, my use of the F word sending her heart into overload. Yes, in my mind, using the F word will kill my loved ones!

What is your opinion on swearing in books?

I know it's ridiculous and absurd. And so with this book, Repercussion, I'm taking the plunge. I'm using it--Aaron will say the F word if it is the last thing he does! (I bet you're hoping it's not the last thing he does, but remember, main characters die in this book, too, so....)

Now, don't worry. The entire book is not laced with curse words. It's fairly similar to my other books as far as swearing is concerned, and I vow to only include the F word once, because in my opinion, one can generally think of a more creative way to express one's self. (Unless one just happens to be dying....)

Fellow authors, what are your feelings about using the F word or curse words in general? Am I unique with my hang up?
Readers, how much cussing is too much? I'd love to hear from you.

And remember, if you pre-order Repercussion, it's only 99 cents and all proceeds go to help the Whitley family with medical expenses for their sweet daughter's kidney surgery. You can read more about Sophie Whitley here.

My Review of Linked, We Soar by Elisa Eliss

I'm a firm believer that, in order to be a great writer, you have to be an avid reader. So, I try to read as much as possible. I especially like to read debut novels, and I found a great one in Linked, We Soar by Elisa Eliss. It is totally different than anything I write (Christian romance for young adults!) but I really enjoyed it. It took me about six hours to read the entire novel (with minimal young daughter interruptions) and for a full-length novel at 99 cents, I would say that's a pretty good deal!

The story revolves around a teenage girl named Mia who falls in love with the new boy, Aaron, who is having a lot of trouble at home. We discover he's been adopted recently and is struggling between balancing his new family with the longing for contact with his birth mother.  Through the story, we learn that sometimes you have to let go in order to get what you really want in life.  It's told in first person from Mia's perspective, in present tense, which is unique and interesting. Eliss does a great job of telling the story as it unfolds, and I think the fact that it is partially based on real-life experiences lends itself to the honesty you will find in her words. I really enjoyed it! It's a great summer read.

You can see my full 5 star review on Amazon by clicking here.



If you have a novel you would like for me to review, please leave me a comment or send me an email and I'll see what I can do!

Transformation Chapter One Now on YouTube

I really hate to video myself doing just about anything so this was hard for me, but with Repercussion coming out in about a week, I thought it might be cool for people to be able to listen to Transformation.
So I recorded the first chapter and now it is available on YouTube. If I receive positive feedback, my plan is to post another chapter every few days.

In this chapter, Cadence and her friends are hanging out in her bedroom when her friend Drew decides they should attend an Eidolon Festival. No one else thinks it's a good idea, but, eventually, they agree to go.  That night, Cadence has a horrible dream that something terrible is going to happen at the festival.

We'll have to wait until chapter two to see if her dream is really a premonition.
We are also introduced to Jack in this chapter. He is Cadence's ex-boyfriend and while his role in Transformation is not particularly significant until the end, he is a main character in Resurrection, book two of the series.
Here's the YouTube video.

Need  playlist to go along with this chapter? Here are my recommendations!
Stolen Dance by Milky Chance

Ex's and Oh's by Elle King

Till I Fall Asleep by Jayme Dee

You can order Transformation for only 99 cents here.

Repercussion Cover Reveal: Who is That?

Yesterday, I decided to go ahead and make Repercussion available for pre-order. I hadn't intended to do it for another two weeks, but I thought this would be a good incentive to stick to my deadline.
Most of my beta readers' initial reaction to seeing the cover design were along the lines of "cool" or "creepy." One of them asked another question--"Who is it?"
Here's the pic:

Pre-order Repercussion here.

I don't like to tell other people how to interpret art, and in this case, I believe the photo is certainly art (whether the book is or not remains to be seen, though I hope that it is!), so you can interpret for yourself who the lady on the cover is.  However, here are some options I've come up with:

1) It's Holland.  The name of the book is Repercussion. It centers around the effects of everything that happened in Transformation and Resurrection.  The series starts off with an altercation between Cadence and Holland, so, even though Holland doesn't appear directly in this book, the events that transpire are certainly influenced by her.

2) It's Sobi.  In the opening scene of Repercussion, Cadence, Meaghan, and Aurora are fighting another ancient Vampire queen by the name of Sobi. She is described as being eloquent and beautiful--much like the lady in the picture. If you'd like your cover to be more directly tied to the book, perhaps this is Sobi.

3) It's Laura. Is Laura a Vampire? No.  Is Laura evil? Absolutely--maybe this monstrosity of a beauty is the renegade Vampire Hunter Laura, glaring at the world from her contorted perspective.

4) It's Cadence. Huh? I know--it's a stretch. But there are no obvious fangs on this girl. Maybe this is how our heroine is feeling on the inside by the time she gets to this point in the series--like she's bleeding internally.  After all, she's already lost Drew and Jack--and the hemorrhaging isn't over. Cadence will lose at least one loved one in Repercussion.

5) It's a representation of all Vampires. Maybe this isn't a specific character. Maybe she just represents all of the nemeses Cadence and her team have to face.  Of course, not all of the villains in this particular book are Vampires....

So who is it? You tell me! I'd love to hear your thoughts.  

Also, for my loyal fans, I am offering Repercussion for pre-order at the low price of 99 cents. If you order before September 1st, not only will you be among the first to read the third installment, you will get it at 66% off. You can pre-order here. And please let me know what you think of the cover. :)

Why It's Hard to Write About Sex

Okay, pun intended....

I come from a very conservative family (We are Southern Baptists and Grandpa was a pastor.)  When my dad was still alive, there is no way in the world I would have ever considered writing a sex scene in the off chance he might read it and realize that I'm no longer a virgin (I've been married for sixteen years, BTW). Maybe that's why I didn't publish anything until after my dad passed. Why? Because--in my family, we don't talk about sex! EVER! It's a completely taboo topic. If I didn't have two daughters, I think I'd probably just continue to pretend to be a virgin at family reunions, etc.
But writing must mirror life, and the bottom line is--in case you weren't aware--people have sex. (Some people more than others....) Nevertheless, it is difficult to tell stories without it ever happening. I managed to get through the first two installments of The Clandestine Saga by glossing it over. In Book Three: Repercussion, it's gonna happen. And I'm gonna have to be the one to write about it.

In fact, I just did.

And I think I did a pretty bang up job. (See what I did there?)

Writing about sex can be almost as awkward as "the first time."

For me, it's a fine line between telling the reader enough to keep them interested and not crossing the line into smut.  Especially when the characters I am writing are so very real to me. Do we deserve to be in their bedroom? Maybe not. Do we want to be? I think yes.

For me, it all goes back to the piece of advice my brother (an actual published author with an agent and everything!) gave me when I published my first book. He said, "It has to be real. The moment the reader doesn't buy it, you've lost them." Thus, people have to have sex in my books sometimes, my friends.  Hopefully, I tell that part of the story in a tasteful way that adds to the story--instead of peppering it in like a machine gun for no reason in a tasteless way that just leaves the reader unsatisfied. (nudge, nudge; wink, wink)

Now, if I can just admit that sometimes people use the "F" word....

Authors, do you struggle with this or am I the only one?
Readers, what are your thoughts on reading about hanky panky?

Start your journey with The Clandestine Saga here for only 99 cents.

Why It's Never Easy to Kill, But Writers Do It Anyway

I guess I can honestly only speak for myself, but I've been killing people for years--characters, that is--and I always have a good reason for it. It's usually not easy, but it's always well- thought out and purposeful.

Don't fear the reaper.

I wrote my first book when I was fifteen. It has yet to be published because I can only imagine what sort of a train wreck it truly is, but I killed off an important character in that one. Not a lot of people have read it, but all of them were floored that I'd killed him--especially my high school lit teacher.
I've published four fiction texts in the last eleven months and am working on my fifth.  Every single one of them loses a character I had grown attached to. Why? Because if I am attached to these people, hopefully the reader is, too. For me, writing is about evoking emotions. Nothing quite gets a reader invested like making them love someone and then snuffing out the light from a character they love the most.
That being said, I have yet to kill a main character.
Perhaps, the fact that I have personally lost so many supporting characters in my own life plays into the reality I am trying to establish for my main characters. People die--it sucks--but it happens. If it happens in life, it must happen in books.
I know some readers hate books where important characters die. Who hasn't cried over Beth in Little Women? I hope the deaths that occur in my works are meaningful enough that, by the end of the book, the reader is saying. "I hate that so-and-so died, but if s/he hadn't then... wouldn't have happened."
Death in books is a lot easier to explain than death in real life.
Tonight, I killed a character I absolutely love. Based on a real-life person I also have an affinity for, it was one of the toughest scenes I've ever written. But it had a purpose and I think this demise will make my story stronger and more interesting in the end.
Writers--have you ever killed someone off?
Readers--what do you think about the death sentence for fictional characters?
Please leave a comment and look for The Clandestine Saga Book Three: Repercussion soon.
Follow me on Twitter @authoridjohnson

"Hither and Thither" Contest Open for Submissions!

This looks like a really cool contest! Whether you're a writer or you just like to read fantasy, check it out!

ID

Fantasy writing contest "Hither and Thither" is open for submissions at Inkitt!

Inkitt is a free writing platform that aims to help writers achieve their fullest potential. On July 13th the site launched a new Fantasy writing contest:

Hither and Thither

Submit your best original fantasy fiction stories of any length. As always, there is no entry fee. Old and previously published stories are also eligible.

Help us escape reality with your most fantastic fantasy stories yet! Submit accounts of beasts, pixie dust, and witches, or enchant us with spells and poisons. We want to read tales that are so lifelike they make us forget we aren't surrounded by kingdoms and dragons.

Contest guidelines

Authors will retain all rights to any and all works submitted in the contest.
Submissions close on August 10th, but voting will continue for an additional week

Original stories of any length are accepted.

Entries must be posted on the Inkitt contest page to be considered eligible.

The top 10% based on reader votes get the chance to be picked by the Inkitt staff for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize.

All entrants will have the chance to show their work to a rapidly growing community of authors and readers hungry for high-quality fiction.

Submit your stories here: www.inkitt.com/hitherthither

You can also read more fantasy stories for inspiration in Inkitt's fantasy section.

My Top Ten Ways to Procrastinate While "Writing"

Any author will tell you we don't just sit in front of a computer screen for hours on end and let the words flow freely (and if they do tell you that, chances are they are lying.) My method consists of writing furiously for ten to thirty minutes at a time and then distracting myself for a few minutes. Here's my top ten ways to ensure nothing productive happens:
10) Check to see what song is playing on Pandora.  Of course, I usually recognize the songs on my favorite stations, but sometimes something new will come on. Then, of course, I have to see what it is!
9) Check email.  There's very rarely anything of interest in my in-box. But sometimes it's worth a second just to confirm that no one important has sent me anything of interest, like this Nigerian Prince I've heard about.
8) Check my blog posts. Sometimes I stop by just to see if there are any comments or how many people have read my post.  There are rarely comments (sad face emoticon).
7) Check Fiverr.  I'm pretty much done selling my soul as an editor on Fiverr. But occasionally I will check in to see if any funds have cleared.
6) Look at pictures on Pinterest for inspiration.  I don't spend a lot of time here, but sometimes it helps to clarify my thinking. Particularly when I am checking out my secret "hot guy" board... just saying.
5) Look up something for my story.  I like to double-check my facts from time to time, or see what type of vehicle I should incorporate, pick out a snazzy hotel for my MC, that sort of thing.
4) Tweet. I often have random thoughts while I am writing that needed to be Twittered.  Here's one from earlier today, "If my husband's not gonna read my books, I'm gonna start naming my heroes after my ex-boyfriends." It had to be said, people. Incidentally, follow me @authoridjohnson
3) Check for new reviews.  I don't get a lot of reviews. I still like to check every once in a while to see if anyone has any insight into my writing they would like to share. If you do, please be kind. I am mostly human.
2) Check Facebook.  There's really nothing to see here.  Checking my newsfeed really only consumes half of my day, tops.

1) Check to see if I've sold any books. This would also include the page count for the new KDP program. I check this several hundred thousand times per day. It is almost always the same....

All right, my fellow writers! What eats up your time??