One-Drink Book Club

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* Mike was curious how we worked with other people, either as writing partners or for the purpose of critique. The answer was that it depends on who we’re working with, how we work with them, and if we know they’re not assholes.

* I talked about a recent email I sent to my reader list, asking for ideas about what I could do to serve them better. The results were both overwhelming and awesome.

* Bill was chomping at the bit to discuss my new book Gore Point, but because nobody else had read it yet, he diverted into asking if we’ve ever triggered readers, or if we’ve ever written something that meant much more to us than to readers - those under-performing diamonds in the rough.

* After talking about a time she unintentionally triggered a reader, I shared how I refuse to write bad stuff happening to little kids or animal cruelty or death, nor will I read or watch it. Cue the helpful site DoesTheDogDie.com.

* Bill asked how writers learn, and what we do when we go to conferences and what we get out of them. We went a bit into what it means to “study craft” (as opposed to studying business).

* We ended by talking about whether there’s a hierarchy of writers, or if people who talk about one kind of writer being better than another are really just pretentious assholes. (Hint: We feel the latter.)

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* Bill started us off by asking about our influences — which authors inspired us, and how much did we try to emulate them, and do we still today? This became a discussion of voice … and a theory that maybe creation isn’t really creation so much as remixing what’s already there.

* Bill then asked what we thought might happen with AI in the future: not a question of whether AI will change books or writing, but whether it might change the ability or way that authors actually write. Will AI neuter us? The answer ended up depending on the question of why we write, and what stories mean to the author.

* On a roll, Bill then asked if our questions have their own lives, or whether we control their backstories and they have no existence beyond what we make for them. This became a really interesting discussion about what Emma called “Schrödinger’s parents” — a concept I explained as everything in a character that’s not explicitly spelled out being “quantum and indeterminate” until there is need to define and specify it.a

* We ended with a discussion of how we hope our books will be received by future generations … which ended up becoming about the butterfly effect somehow.

* BUT WAIT; THERE’S MORE! Emma actually had a come-backer at the end, as a PS, about a new choose-your-own adventure story engine she’s part of, called Zory. You can check Zory out here.

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* I (Johnny) gave everyone the rundown on my currently-running Kickstarter campaign for my new book Gore Point (ends 9am ET on 4/5/24), the best descriptor of which is “it’s very interesting.” I told everyone about how it reframes my entire approach to selling books and to my reader fandom … and how the hoops I needed to jump through to create the campaign end up opening new avenues that wouldn’t be possible if the situation hadn’t “forced” me to try new things. It’s also a way of allowing me to be professional: allowing my truest fans to get what they most want from me in exchange for funds that end up buying assets that make my books better. Everyone wins!

* The entire rest of the show was taken up discussing our moral and legal questions about fan fiction. Before we delved into the core of it, though, Emma raised a question that made me double-take: On the extreme end of the spectrum, is it possible that ALL stories are technically borrowing from other stories? I had thoughts on this as well, because all of my stories, to some degree, remix elements from popular culture and other stories as homage. But where it the line?

* Most of the discussion about fan fiction centered on a bit of Harry Potter fan fic brought to us by Emma called Manacled, for which the author recently got a big book deal. What’s theft of IP and what’s original creation? None of us knew where exactly to come down on the issue, but the discussion around it was fascinating. Shit also got real when we asked the question, “How would we feel if someone borrowed one of our worlds and our characters … and then got a book deal for themselves based on them?

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* Emma found a new used bookstore, causing us to fall into a discussion about the lure of physical books

* … which made Johnny announce the two book Kickstarter campaigns he just launched. One campaign is for his new book Gore Point and the other campaign is for his bestsellling Fat Vampire.

* Then Johnny talked about revisiting his Unicorn Western series and how he’d like to do a special edition of that one, especially after talking to the original cover artist, Ben Mehlos.

* We talked briefly about whether our kids read our books … a no for a lot of Emily’s romance (that cringe factor), but a yes for some of Johnny’s.

* We talked about the wild ride of being a creator: You bomb a lot before you succeed, but we’re not really able to do things other ways.

* Our closing question was posed by Johnny, who asked what ultra-high-end experiences he could offer his fiction readers through his Kickstarters. (And if you listeners have any ideas, reply to this and let me know!)

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* Emma’s not getting enough done in her quest to change tenses on her re-acquired Harlequin books. I could relate, having just launched my bookstore at JohnnyBTruantBooks.com: Every task requires 10 prerequisites tasks.

* Bill asked what happens when we write ourselves into a corner. At first, Emma and I seemed to offer opposite answers (she backtracks; I plunge ahead), but then we differentiated between problems to creatively solve vs. stories that just get stupid.

* Emma told a story about getting inspiration from a children’s book at the dentist’s office about a duck and an alligator. This is how she resolved a problem in her vampire book. Yes, you read that right.

* We talked about how soon to reveal big secrets: meter the reveals out, or save them for the end? I saw a lot of danger (and a lot of insecurity, on the writer’s part) by doing the latter. Emma agreed: It’s best to make readers feel SMART by finding those things along the way.

* Emma posited that once a book is out, it belongs as much or more to the readers as it does to the author, giving JK Rowling and Veronica Ross as examples. SPOILERS FOR THE DIVERGENT SERIES ON THIS ONE!

* This discussion continued until a question about who’s right if an author does something unpopular … capped by Emma’s assertion that stories exist already, and the author is discovering them instead of creating them. This is something that I and Stephen King agree on: us being old buddies and all.

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* Bill opened up with a salvo of questions about erotica for Punjabi widows. No, seriously. That’s what he asked.

* This led to discussions of topics like: How many sex scenes go into romance/erotica books, and how spicy should they be? Why and when does it vary from book to book?

* But the larger discussion was about what people want out of those kinds of books and therefore what you, as the author, should provide.

* The whole “Punjabi widows” discussion, though, got us wondering about where the line is between “inclusiveness and diversity” versus “cultural appropriation.” Should we write more diverse cultures as a positive thing … or is it negative because in this example we don’t know crap about those cultures, and would resort to cliches?

* I spent a bit of time explaining all the ways that my new online store at johnnybtruantbooks.com has been eating my face this week. I’ve had to learn so many new things, but it’s such exciting work. I talked a bit about all the bells and whistles I’m building into my thought process as I build to attract TRUE FANS instead of just “traffic” like I did in the past.

* We closed by talking about fictional worlds in which the subjects of those fictions do or do not exist. Example: zombie worlds where nobody knows what a zombie is. I’ve played with this idea in some of my books, reversing the psychology: for instance, in Dead City, pop-culture zombies exist before real zombies start popping up … and because the idea of “zombies” exists in the zeitgeist, it creates a sort of “fake zombie” thing too, like psychosomatic illness.

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* Bill kicked things off by asking about prequels that conveniently answer all questions in the span of a convenient period of time.

* I countered by comparing and contrasting prequels with what we call “lower decks” stories — stories that happen at some point in the timeline, but fill in gaps more than set things up. (I said that I prefer to “evoke curiosity” rather than “set things up.”)

* I announced that after some time being around the TV industry, I’ve decided I don’t want to be part of it like I used to think I did, then explained why.

* Mike asked a question that basically centered on writer’s block. This led Emma into a story about how wiping her mother’s butt isn’t sexy. (Don’t ask. You’ll just have to listen.)

* We talked about what I think of as “cheap shot” writing: tragedies that had no reason to occur, but the writer shoved them in anyway. (I also spoiled Cujo, so there you go.)

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Today marked two things: The first time that Emma and I were joined by Bill AND Mike for drinks, but also the return of some persnickety wi-fi issues. But who cares? The ground we covered more than made up for any small tech issues.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* Emma talks about joining a group called Future Fiction Academy and playing with AI tools. This devolved (ahem - Evolved - into a larger discussion of the use of AI for authors and creativity.

* Bill asked about whether it’s wise for authors to subvert a genre’s usual tropes. This sent me down a rabbit hole about my book Dead City, which subverted tropes so hard, we had to move it into a different genre (biological thriller instead of zombie novels).

* Emma informed us that brains are actually not very tasty. Silly zombies.

* Should we insert pop culture into our books, or does that date them? I described my “blue jeans” philosophy of using timely references to answer the question.

* We talked a bunch about when authors or filmmakers “futurize” stories in dumb ways. Nobody need an explanation of how everyday things work, people!

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal, (almost) weekly series in which fellow author Emma Lee Jayne joins me and our other creative friends to talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

Today, Emma drank a gin and tonic with a splash of cranberry, Mike (new to the ODBC, standing in for Bill) poured himself a vodka tonic without a twist, and I had a glass of Freakshow Zinfandel.

Here’s what we talked about in this episode:

* Mike prompted Emma and I with a question: Do writers get creative when they want to decompress like non-writers?

* I got a bunch of newly-printed hardback books in the mail and showed off the details that make them special and the excitement that makes me want to do more and more.

* My further plans for “making beautiful books” going forward.

* Emma’s new “Writing and Taylor Swift” podcast is coming soon, following a hostel-chaos and illness incident.

* My plans to form stronger bonds with my cherished readers …

* … which rolled into me gushing about my True Fandom of Bob Schneider and his new audio waveform art …

* … which led to a really cool discussion of our philosophies on what fans want most, and how we can best give them.

* We ended by acknowledging the excellent noises of Mike’s dog Freddy, who sounds like Chewbacca.

The One-Drink Book Club is an informal (almost) weekly writers’ break-down in which my creative friends and I talk about the life, business, and art of writing and making books … for the duration of one Friday-afternoon drink.

INCLUDING THESE TOTALLY MESSED-UP AI SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE BECAUSE THEY’RE HILARIOUS:

The conversation covers topics such as addressing feedback and reviews, accepting different opinions, technical difficulties, working on Wi-Fi issues, continuing the conversation, inviting other participants, making future plans, and ending the conversation.

Takeaways

* Addressing feedback and reviews can be useful for improving future work.

* Accept that not every book will appeal to every reader.

* Technical difficulties can disrupt conversations and require troubleshooting.

* Working on Wi-Fi issues is important for a smooth conversation experience.

* Continuing the conversation with other participants can enhance the discussion.

* Inviting other participants can bring new perspectives and insights.

* Making future plans for similar conversations can help ensure better preparation.

* Ending the conversation on a positive note is important.

Chapters

00:00 Addressing Feedback and Reviews

27:34 Accepting Different Opinions

28:12 Technical Difficulties

28:24 Working on Wi-Fi Issues

28:45 Continuing the Conversation

29:05 Inviting Other Participants

29:31 Making Future Plans

30:07 Ending the Conversation