Robin Jeffrey's Blog, page 8
January 14, 2024
Behind the Scenes Sunday
Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about teaching writing — why I do it, what I get out of it, and what I hope my students gain from my workshops and courses!
My writing life has been shaped by teachers — from the English teachers in my public school days who encouraged me to first flex my imaginative muscles, to the online mentors who have graciously given of their time and expertise to help me hone my craft. Big, small, famous, infamous, and relative unknowns, my creative life has been touched by so many people who took the time and energy away from their own work to slow down and teach me what they knew.
I want to be that someone to other people. I feel it is my duty to be that someone to other people, but more than that it is my privilege to get to share what I have learned with others. Most recently that has taken the shape of giving in person and online lectures, workshops, and classes on writing and the career of writing. Whether I’m talking about making TikTok work for you or crafting a killer mystery, I hope my students walk away from my lessons feeling empowered and encouraged. Just like I was.
My latest course? Demystifying Mystery Writing!
Learn how to craft a compelling, taut mystery from start to finish! The secret is in your characters: understanding what makes them tick as individuals and how they relate to each other. By the end of this course students will:
– Feel empowered to write their own mystery novels/short stories
– Understand the importance of characters in any compelling mystery
– Have tools to create characters that fit in their mystery plot
– Be able to plot their own mystery novels/short stories
Keep readers guessing without needing to be a criminal mastermind! This 2 week workshop runs from February 5th 2024 to February 19th 2024.
Sign up today!As always, if you’re interested in supporting me and my work, thank you: Hungry is the Night, my paranormal romance, is available on all major platforms, as are my classic murder mysteries with scifi twists, The Cadence Turing Mystery series!
Order Your Copies Now!Join My Newsletter!
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January 9, 2024
The Check-In
Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.
Here’s the breakdown:
Dirty Drinks – Cue the fireworks, because yesterday I sent the COMPLETED ROUGH DRAFT of this piece off to my editor! Huzzah!! I made my deadline and I did it with style. I think I’m still a little too close to the work to be objective about it’s quality (good, bad, or somewhere in between), but I know that I worked really hard on this novella and am very proud of the time and effort I put in on it. Fickle Fae – This week I’ve gotten to pick up my other two projects, this being the next one whose deadline is rapidly approaching. I have a lot of work to do if I want to get it into fighting shape by the beginning of March, when I would like to have it ready to send off to my editor, but I think I can do it! Lonely is the Night – I am very excited to get back into the world of The Night and get back to work on book three in this series. I like my two main characters for this book immensely, they’re both very different than the types I generally write and I think it’ll be fun to explore the world with them in tow. I hope to have this rough draft ready to send off to my editor by the middle/end of April, but we’ll see – it’s a long way from ready at the moment!I think a big part of being a professional writer is being able to set and meet your own deadlines. It’s something I definitely struggled with at first. I’m super proud of the way I’ve grown in this area and can’t wait to see how I’ll improve next.
LESSON OF THE WEEK: PROGRESS HAPPENS SLOWLY – DON’T GIVE UP!
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New Writing Course from Author Robin Jeffrey
Learn how to craft a compelling, taut mystery from start to finish! The secret is in your characters: understanding what makes them tick as individuals and how they relate to each other. By the end of this course students will:
– Feel empowered to write their own mystery novels/short stories
– Understand the importance of characters in any compelling mystery
– Have tools to create characters that fit in their mystery plot
– Be able to plot their own mystery novels/short stories
Keep readers guessing without needing to be a criminal mastermind! This 2 week workshop runs from February 5th 2024 to February 19th 2024.
Sign up today!Sign up for my newsletter!
By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.January 2, 2024
The Check-In
Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.
Here’s the breakdown:
Dirty Drinks – SO. CLOSE. Just a couple thousand more words and this first draft will be in the books! I am going to make my deadline of January 8th, which thrills me more than I can say. The feeling of accomplishment I get when I can set goals and then achieve them is unlike anything else. Especially when the goals are writing related! All that aside, I’m just… I’m really proud of this novella. It was super fun to write, out of my usual wheel house, and stretched my creative muscles in some great ways. Fickle Fae – As I mentioned last week, I’ve put this piece on temporary hiatus as I focus on finishing up the first draft of Dirty Drinks. But when I get back to it, I will first be focusing on finishing up the switch from 3rd to 1st person! That’s goal #1! Lonely is the Night – The third Night book first draft has also been put on the back burner for a couple weeks, just while I finish the novella. I’m really excited to get back to it, though, and can’t wait to dive in with both feet in the new year! 2024 is the year of the Wolf! AWOO!I’m super proud of the progress I’ve made on Dirty Drinks and all the hard work I’ve put into that novella draft over the past week. I’ve really put my nose to the grindstone and I think it’s paid off! I was a little nervous about dropping the other pieces to focus on DD, but I think it was absolutely the right call, and the only way I was going to make my deadline. Looking forward to doing my first full read through of the piece this weekend before sending it off to my editor next week!
LESSON OF THE WEEK: CELEBRATE YOUR MILESTONES! YOU WORKED HARD AND YOU DESERVE TO SMILE.
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Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.December 31, 2023
Behind the Scenes Sunday
Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about the importance of planning ahead, and what 2024 is shaping up like for yours truly!
Ask anyone who knows me intimately and they’ll tell you: I love to make plans. I love to make lists. I love to prepare.
Maybe a little too much sometimes.
But that love has served me well as I’ve turned my hand to writing full time, because planning a year or more ahead is a skill you’ve got to develop. You’ve got to be able to think about long term projects and timelines. Personally, I find the Google Suite of tools particularly useful for this. My Google Drive is chock-a-block full of spreadsheets, documents, and presentations that help guide my way, keeping me on track and helping me plan what comes next.
So, what does 2024 look like for me? In very broad strokes:
More writing! I’ve got three projects that I’m working on right now that I have planned to finish in the first part of the new year and published in the latter part of 2024 and (hopefully!) early 2025. I’m sure as I wrap up those projects, I will start new ones — it’s just the way I work!More appearances! I have a whole slate of shows and signings planned for 2024 starting in April and going through the beginning of December, with more sure to be added as the year gets going. I can’t wait to meet more amazing readers and spread my books around!More happiness! I am working really hard on letting go and letting be. On accepting whatever may come and enjoying what I have. On basically just being a happier, more grateful version of me! Not worrying so much about what I don’t have or what I need to work towards and celebrating what I have done and the people and things I am lucky enough to have – like glorious readers like you.As always, if you’re interested in supporting me and my work, thank you: Hungry is the Night, my paranormal romance, is available on all major platforms, as are my classic murder mysteries with scifi twists, The Cadence Turing Mystery series!
Order Your Copies Now!Join My Newsletter!
By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
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Author Advice
…[T]hat keeps me going. I have work to do. Tomorrow morning I will get out of bed. I’ll write some more stories. I’ll write some more plays. I’ll write some more screenplays. That’s what keeps me going.
The Last Interview
ray bradbury
It’s a question I get asked a lot: what keeps you going? What keeps you writing, what keeps you working? The world seems to be falling apart around us. Wars, crime, violence, man’s inhumanity to man everywhere you look — and still I write. Still I work. What keeps me going? Why do I get up in the morning?
Bradbury’s answer is as elegant as it is simple. I agree with him 100%. I write, I work, and I continue to write and work because there is more to write and more work to do. The work is the reason, in and of itself. The fact of it. The fact that what I do can change lives. Can change my life. That a well-placed word can change a mind, can touch a heart. That there are more hearts and minds to touch and change.
The work is what keeps me going. And I will keep going and keep working and keep writing until I cannot anymore. Because the work will always be there. Waiting.
LESSON LEARNED: WRITING IS THE REASON FOR WRITING.
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The Check-In
Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.
Here’s the breakdown:
Dirty Drinks – I’ve refocused my writing efforts over the last week to put all my energy into Dirty Drinks. My self-imposed deadline for getting this piece to my editor is rapidly approaching (about 12 days!) and I’d really love to meet it! I think I’ll get there, the story is really close to wrapping up. Just two major action scenes left, and some connective tissue to create and then it’ll be complete! Fickle Fae – Still working on making the shift to first person for this piece, but I think it was absolutely the right choice. The new bits I am writing are coming out much more smoothly since I made the switch. It’s cost me some words (as you can see comparing this week’s to last) but it’s worth it. Lonely is the Night – As I mentioned above in Dirty Drinks, I’ve put this project on very temporary hold as I focus on getting DD finished for my editor to take a look at. But fear not! I shall be back to work on it soon.In brief, the writing has been going well. I’ve been very proud of the progress I’ve been making on Dirty Drinks and am so excited to be close to finishing it. But I can’t let myself get complacent in this final stretch – I’ve still got to bring my A-game and write as well as I can!
LESSON OF THE WEEK: IT’S OKAY TO SHIFT FOCUS, JUST DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT’S IMPORTANT.
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Advent Calendar Giveaway!
Every day until Christmas is a new opportunity to win!It’s Christmas every day with this romantic Advent Calendar giveaway. Twenty-five authors have teamed up to bring you over $550 worth of prizes. Every day another door opens and another giveaway chance for you to win!
It’s nearly over. Are you missing out on a wonderful giveaway? Check it out and enter to win some fantastic prizes.
Each day, return to the site to click on the calendar and open the door to another fantastic prize. Be swept away this holiday season by gripping romance, pampering treats, cozy gifts, and an amazing offer hidden inside the calendar.
Once again, that link! https://ellenmint.blog/advent-calendar/
The giveaway is sponsored by these wonderful authors:
Ellen Mint • Melissa McClone • Kara Kendrick • Jordyn Kross • Totally Entwined Group • Heather DiAngelis • Tracy Sumner • Seelie Kay • Kristian Parker • Tracy Krimmer • Cass Scotka • Kat Turner • S J Coles • Sara Ohlin • Karenna Colcroft • H.M. Shander • Katherine Grant • Charissa Gracyk • C. J. Burright • Serena James Chase • Robin Jeffrey • Megan Slayer • Ella J. Smyth • Rosanna Leo • V.J. Allison
December 21, 2023
Advent Calendar Giveaway – Hungry is the Night TODAY!
Every day until Christmas is a new opportunity to win!It’s Christmas every day with this romantic Advent Calendar giveaway. Twenty-five authors have teamed up to bring you over $550 worth of prizes. Every day another door opens and another giveaway chance for you to win!
Each day, return to the site to click on the calendar and open the door to another fantastic prize. Be swept away this holiday season by gripping romance, pampering treats, cozy gifts, and an amazing offer hidden inside the calendar. Today’s Advent Calendar giveaway prize is a copy of my paranormal romance Hungry is the Night along with a $20 Amazon gift card! It can still be yours – go enter the contest now!
Once again, that link! https://ellenmint.blog/advent-calendar/
The giveaway is sponsored by these wonderful authors:
Ellen Mint • Melissa McClone • Kara Kendrick • Jordyn Kross • Totally Entwined Group • Heather DiAngelis • Tracy Sumner • Seelie Kay • Kristian Parker • Tracy Krimmer • Cass Scotka • Kat Turner • S J Coles • Sara Ohlin • Karenna Colcroft • H.M. Shander • Katherine Grant • Charissa Gracyk • C. J. Burright • Serena James Chase • Robin Jeffrey • Megan Slayer • Ella J. Smyth • Rosanna Leo • V.J. Allison
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Thanks! Processing… Success! You're now subscribed. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.December 19, 2023
The Check-In
Welcome to THE CHECK-IN, where you can get a sneak peek into my writing progress every week! Read on to find out what I’m working on and how things are progressing in my world.
Here’s the breakdown:
Dirty Drinks – This piece has officially reached novella length! Huzzah! Still have about 10k words to go before I hit around the length I am aiming for as far as the final draft is concerned, but it’s exciting to reach this milestone nonetheless. As a matter of fact, I’m starting to worry that the story may end up a little too long, with what I have left to write. Still! That’s always a good problem to have. Easier to cut than to write new material!Fickle Fae – I’m a little worried that when I’m done writing the bigger scene I’ve been working on I’ll be at a loss for where to take this novella next. But it’s a bit pointless to worry about that – if I get stuck, I get stuck. Right now, I’m enjoying what I’m writing, and that is the important thing!Lonely is the Night – I still have a lot of plot stuff to work out for this book, but I finally feel like I’m getting a better grasp on the characters. Especially Caleb and Vi, my hero and heroine respectively. They are coming through much clearer and I may even have a grip (finally!) on their motivations and flaws. We’ll see if this helps with that plot work – it should!All in all, things have been running pretty smoothly. Juggling the three projects at once has given me less trouble than I thought it would, though the final test will come when it’s time to edit the pieces. We’ll see how much bleed through there is from story to story as far as turns of phrase or tone of voice. That’s what I’m worried most about at this point. But it feels good to be trucking along with these and getting as much done as I have been!
LESSON OF THE WEEK: LEAN INTO THE GOOD TIMES AND LET THE WRITING FLOW!
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