Author Archives: jlodom

Dear Main Character

Dear (My main character), You might be wondering why I didn’t let you be as good and perfect and noble as I know you truly wanted to be. Why?–you might ask–did I not protect you from those moral dilemmas that you’re still not sure you dealt with the way you should have. Why didn’t IContinue reading “Dear Main Character”

Update in the form of a ramble, for no one’s convenience

I did not realize till yesterday that I had let a whole month go by since writing a blog post. Not that these are strictly necessary–they are a mixture of casual joy and helpful discipline–and certainly no one has been knocking at my door, demanding I explain why I haven’t written one in a while.Continue reading “Update in the form of a ramble, for no one’s convenience”

The Everlasting Trope: Enemies-to-Lovers

Well, well, well. If it isn’t the trope I’ve been avoiding like the plague. Not because I hate it, mind you, but because I hate that our collective obsession with it causes many of us to accept some very dumb plots/events/behaviors that we would never otherwise tolerate. Contrary to popular opinion, a sexy knife toContinue reading “The Everlasting Trope: Enemies-to-Lovers”

Update. In List Form. For Our Mutual Convenience

Book 1 Updates Book 2 Updates Book 3 Updates: Meanwhile I had my birthday last week and got a gift card and ordered some books. I am very excited about that too! Just in case you didn’t know (you did know) you can get my book on: Amazon and Barnes and Noble and you canContinue reading “Update. In List Form. For Our Mutual Convenience”

Aesthetics, Vibes, Tropes, and Premise

These are some of the most prominent tools people are using these days to discover (or pitch) their next book, because it’s a fast-fashion, low-attention world out there. I find them, for the most part, useless and exasperating. But not always. This isn’t meant to be a hoity-toity snobbish thing where I deride “the youths”Continue reading “Aesthetics, Vibes, Tropes, and Premise”

The Everlasting Trope: The Failed Hero

Closely related to the “Villain Arc” but not precisely the same. The villain arc simply tells you how a given character–regardless of their beginning state–becomes the villain. Often these are side characters or friends of the hero or a counterpoint to the hero. But when it’s the actual hero who falls, or fails, or succumbs,Continue reading “The Everlasting Trope: The Failed Hero”

Send Your Fighter Into the Ring

My experience with competition has, until now, been limited to Jiu Jitsu. I train. I work hard. I prepare. I map out my fight in its ideal form, so I won’t hesitate. I put on my gi. I shake out my nerves physically, with jumps and arm swings and jogging and swaying. I shake outContinue reading “Send Your Fighter Into the Ring”

So What Color is the Morality?

Gray. Or black-and-white. It’s all so simple, right? Well, of course not. It turns out that discussing the complexities of how morality is depicted in fantasy is itself a very complex endeavor! The subject is wildly muddled and I’m going to tell you how I accidentally confirmed this somewhat obvious fact. Confirmed it to theContinue reading “So What Color is the Morality?”

Technical difficulties and a solution

I am working on a blog post about moral frameworks in stories (classic black-and-white, complicated black-and-white–yes that’s a thing–gray with hope? Gray with no hope?) but we interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with both a technical difficulty and it’s most practical solution. Several people who pre-ordered the hardcover (just, specifically the hardcover) on Amazon neverContinue reading “Technical difficulties and a solution”