Jasper Jay

Why Setting Matters More Than Characters in Many Novels

I remember being asked the same the same question two times in my life. What are the words that you use to define yourself? EX: Mother, Father, Writer, Reader, Explorer. After making a long list choose three. For a character, three character traits might define them but you see the same traits repeated over and…

What It feels like to Finish Writing a Novel

Euphoria. Where ever you are when you put down the last line of your first draft, you will stop and look around as if seeing the world for the first time. Every breath will seem new, delightful, fulfilling, life-giving. Every sound is pleasant, softly filling the world with a harmony of earth song. Empty. Completely…

Dissecting Query Letters That Get Your Manuscript Read!

I’ve been very fortunate to receive three custom responses from publishers on my first manuscript World War Marlow. So today I wanted to share the structure and ideas behind how I broke mine down. I’ll be writing this mostly for people who were in my shoes last year- having only the base knowledge of what…

How to Develop a Character With a Strong Personality

I always envied anime because fans dress up as their favorite characters and meet up to talk about them. I always wanted a highly recognizable main character that people would fall in love with. So I did a study of my favorite characters. This is the presses I use to create characters that are extraordinary….

How to Set Reading Goals That You’ll Actually Stick Too

When setting goals I like to be as free-flowing as I can, that is until it comes to reading. Last year I casually saw the Goodreads reading challenge and decided to try it out. I blew my measly goal out of the water. So in preparation for all of us reaching our reading goals, I…

Tips Should Writers Take From Modern Media (TV, Video Games, Film, Anime)

Writing is by far the most inspiring media we have. So many different stories transcend time. Told by billions of different people, they are the gateway to other points of view and other passions. But more and more people have been turning to the easy to access and addictive TV, films, and video games (duh)….

Choose Your Hero- advice on writing and living a great story

I’ve always wished that life had a character creator. The idea of clicking a button and not only looking like but fundamentally being a new character has always excited me. I used to seek out games that had highly customizable hero, but in the end, the ones I’ve enjoyed playing the most are where the…

Tricks to Get Through the First Draft of Your Novel

Finishing a novel isn’t only a great excitement it’s also a weight off your shoulders. I remember letting out a deep breath, looking at the words ‘the end’ and then being completely lost as to what to do next. Writing this book had been the main goal of my past five years. Since then I’ve…

Finding Your Writing Accountability Partner– Your Writing Community

A writer sits alone drinking tea (or maybe bourbon) as they stare down the blinking cursor on their blank page. Accompanied only by their cat the writer enjoys the silence that comes with being in the flow, pounding out words and achieving daily goals. But how much of this is reality? The idea of the…

How to Write Someone’s New Favorite Character

How do you create a character some is obsessed with? You see it in movies, tv, and anime all the time. If you’ve ever been to a anime/comic con then you’ll know how obsessed people can get over characters they are passionate about. So what is that one thing that lovable characters have in common?…