jpagaduan.com

Category: writing

  • World-building

    A lot of my writing process is fast and loose. I create what I need to get started right away and fill in the rest as I go. I need something of a structure in order to start, but it’s nothing rigid or complex because things tend to change as I go. Figuring out how…

  • Learning to Outline

    The bulk of “The Guardians of Gaia” (the series that “Savior of the Damned” kicks off) has been written or outlined, and so I’m taking a break. It still has a ton of work that needs doing, but mostly it’s all there and I’m happy with the results. It’s been making me think of outlines, however,…

  • The Hardest Part

    I think the hardest part of an extensive project, like a novel, is remembering how you got from A to Z when it comes to starting a new one. At least, it is for me. I’ve written, to date, five novels and multiple novellas, as well as many short stories, and the hardest part is…

  • Suffering and Art

    No, you don’t need to suffer to produce art. That’s a misconception plenty of people have, and it’s a dangerous one. It prevents people from getting help, for one thing. But is it even true to begin with?  I’m mentally ill. I’m mentally ill because I had a traumatic childhood, and as both a teenager…

  • Word Counts

    My daily goal is 2000 words. A lot of the time I can make it, or even surpass it, but sometimes I fall short. Maybe my mental health isn’t the greatest that day. Maybe one of my chronic illnesses is acting up. Maybe my focus isn’t what it could be (and caffeine can only help…

  • NaNoWriMo

    I am doing NaNoWriMo this year. For those that don’t know, it stands for National Novel Writing Month, and the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days (November 1st to November 30th). I am doing awfully, if one were to keep score. But I’m not, and I don’t think most do, so I’m…

  • Ideas

    Where do ideas come from? It’s a question people ask authors all the time, and for the most part, we don’t know. We might be able to say what we were doing when the idea came, but the reality is they kind of arise out of nothingness, the way intrusive thoughts do. So, what is…

  • Weaponizing Grammar

    I’ll link the post where I talk about why it’s classist, ableist, racist, and rude to correct grammar because I’m here to expand on that topic. I covered those points well enough, but I just had someone report a spelling error in my book and I’m here to talk about why you should either ignore those…

  • Pushing Through

    Being chronically ill means I’m not afforded the ability to rest when I don’t feel well, because I always don’t feel well. Something is always bothering me, and as a result, I’ve had to learn to function when others would take a moment, day, or week to rest. Part of it is because if I…

  • Mailing list and other exciting news!

    I am launching my brand-new mailing list, and if you sign up you get to read the first two chapters of Savior of the Damned for free! They haven’t been through the loving hands of any professional editors yet so things will change, but I wanted to give you this opportunity to check it out…