On A Writer's Journey As It Corresponds To The Monomythic Structure Of The Hero's Journey - JT Style

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Ordinary World

 = Derp. Derp. Derp. I love to read. One day I might write a book. Derp. Derp. Squirrels!

Call to Adventure = OMG I have the best idea. I should write a book. (Concurrent with) OMG - I have the perfect story idea for that big commercial high-concept novel my agent wants me to write

Refusal of the Call = That's crazy. Why would anyone ever want to read something you've written? (Concurrent with) So my agent loved the proposal. Now I just need to spend the next year doing my research and outlining this book.

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On Zen and the Art of the Social Media Sabbatical

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On Zen and the Art of the Social Media Sabbatical

Neil Gaiman has announced he'll be taking a six month social media sabbatical starting in January 2014. When I read the story in the Guardian this morning, I couldn't help but cheer for him. 

Every year, during Lent, I take a social media sabbatical. I preload a bunch of links, I warn everyone I'll be gone, and I disappear. I've done this every year for the past three, and each year I write somewhere between 50-70K works (1/2-3/4 of a normal sized commercial novel.) So I know that social media impacts my time, dramatically.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media.  

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On A Long-Winded and Somewhat Reluctant Do & Don't List for Newbie Authors (Updated!)

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On A Long-Winded and Somewhat Reluctant Do & Don't List for Newbie Authors (Updated!)

Succinct title, eh? I first wrote the bulk of this blog in June 2008, and now, 5 years later, after finding myself in another  reaaaaaally awkward situation, I've decided to do a quick update and post it again. Because I'm Emily Post. Get it? Emily ... Post? HAHAHA!

I've been struggling mightily with this post, because it discusses behavior -- and as such can be misinterpreted, or twisted, and I don't want either of those things to happen.

I was put in an awkward situation the other day by a "pre-published" new author. The author introduced him/herself, then announced that I would be receiving the manuscript for an endorsement, and wanted my agent's number (right then) so he could be called directly using my name as the in.

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June Newsletter

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June 2013

Vol. XXIV

Gentle Readers:

I’m a bit behind schedule this month — I’ve managed to catch my first cold in ages, and everything has gone by the wayside whilst I lie on the couch and moan softly between noseblowings and coughing fits. OK, it’s not that bad. My couch time has been consumed with reading some fabulous books and having tea delivered by my DH. Between that and the Nyquil, things aren’t so awful around here. The best news is despite the plague, Sam #3 — WHEN SHADOWS FALL — is going well. I’m on schedule to finish by the first week of August, and that’s a good thing, because it’s nearly time to start work on the next installment of my new series with Catherine Coulter.


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A Small - okay, HUGE - Contact Page Snafu

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Folks, I am so, so sorry. When I rebuilt the website (we can make him stronger, faster, better!) I inadvertently inserted a typo into the contact page code, which means that if you've sent me a note in the past month (beginning 4.27.13) it has gone off into the ether. Thanks to the awesome tech support at Squarespace, said typo has been found and fixed.

If you have written me in the past month, please, send me another note! And if you haven't, you naughty chickens, you should have!

Happy week, everyone, and thank you to all our soldiers, past, present and future.

XO, JT

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J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of thJoss Walkere literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.

J.T. lives with her husband and twin kittens in Nashville, where she is hard at work on her next novel.