Author J. J. Hanna

Writer, Reader, Story Enthusiast, Author, Book Blogger, Writing Blogger, if it has to do with books, I probably do it somehow. Find me on any other social media @authorjjhanna and at authorjjhanna.com.

[authorjjhanna]

Writing Update! What Comes Next

https://youtu.be/69SfMYrvk3s

[ladyofbooksandyarn]

Terrible news. I read a story I wrote a while back and got invested, but I never finished it. It just ended mid chapter. Absolutely devastated. If I want to read the book I also have to write the book.

[authorjjhanna]

Books still take to the skies!

[authorjjhanna]

You finished your first book? Great! Let it sit and start your next one!

When you’re close to something, enthusiastic even, you won’t be able to see its weak points.

Your art will be better if you give it time to breathe.

You may come back and think “oh man, I thought this was good? This is TRASH!” And I want you to ignore that instinct. It’s not trash. You’re just now obsessed with your new project. That’s alright. Remember the things that made you love this one, and then go through it like a reader.

If you’re still struggling, rewrite the whole thing onto a blank page FROM MEMORY. You’ll recreate the scenes that were important and you’ll cut out a lot of what wasn’t working without feeling like you have to Frankenstein something together.

Bonus: when you’re done with revisions you already have another project going. And you can edit that one or you can start another and create a leap frogging effect of constantly finishing projects because your brain is fresh for the story you need it for.

Extra bonus: if you’re submitting to a publisher or an agent and they say, “what else do you have?” You’ll HAVE STUFF TO SHOW THEM.

This works in your favor.

[authorjjhanna]

ARC Signups

ARC Signups

I’ve been keeping a secret and I can finally share it!!!

If you want to help out, join my ARC team! ❤️📝

[writingdose]

write it anyway even if you think it’s bad. a badly written fic is still better than a nonexistent fic.

[solarsthoughts]

train rides are exclusively for staring out the window and contemplating whether the plot twist you just came up with is gut-wrenching enough or if you need to up the blender setting

[warandpeas]

[authorjjhanna]

Hey writer,

Take whatever path you have available to you to get your book out there.

The only “right” way to do this is the route that helps you learn, helps you grow, helps you get your work to readers.

That is when the real learning can happen.

So if you’re stuck because submissions are hard and scary and agents aren’t paying attention, it may mean that you should walk down another path.

Your “right” path will wind and twist and turn. And you WILL get published if you stick with it. But sometimes the only way to start is to actually hit the green light, even if it means publishing that book yourself.

You’ll learn more from the actual process of putting your work out there than you will from reading every book on publishing.

Get out of the parking lot and walk the path.

[wyrm-house]

[sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog]

I must push aside the absolute terror I feel at the prospect of people actually reading this book.

[aurin-avenir]

"Writing a novel is easy."

ⓘ 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

[concentfortea]

[authorjjhanna]

Off the Path: a Halloween Story

J. J. Hanna © 2024 It was the time of year when forests always seemed to beckon visitors off the path. Most of the time, trees are what they

Wrote a new short story for halloween! I’m proud of this one.

[authorjjhanna]

I have a fresh understanding for fic writers when they start a massive fic and then never finish it.

[authorjjhanna]

Encouragement for writers from the JJHannaAcademy Instagram page.

[authorjjhanna]

How do you get yourself out of writing slumps?