Libbie Hawker

There’s no sugarcoating it: 2019 was rough.

I went another year without publishing a full-length novel, my writing was sporadic at best, and I had a hard time finding the time, energy, or focus to read. I wanted to read 40 books in 2019, but couldn’t even get to half that number. But, as always, I read my share of books I fell in love with.

NOTE: These are not necessarily the best books that came out in 2019, just the best ones I read this year.

5. Slayer by Kiersten White

Slayer

Set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this entry is heavy on the nostalgia — which admittedly colors much of my love for this book. Taking place after the proverbial “season 8” that unfolded in the form of Dark Horse Comics, Slayer tells of a new Chosen One, when there shouldn’t have been a Chosen One, and all that entails.

Don’t expect any cameos from our beloved Sunnydale folks (or even the Los Angeles crew), but the lore is there, the nostalgia is real, and the characters are fleshed out well enough that returning to the Buffyverse feels like slipping on one’s favorite pair of shoes.

You know the kind: they’re a bit frayed, but as comfortable as ever.

Slayer is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook.

4. Take Off Your Pants! by Libbie Hawker

Take Off Your Pants I know, it’s weird to have a book on writing on this list — especially since by and large, I’m not a fan of books on writing. There are a few exceptions, but I often find these books incredibly boring or intimidating to the point where I don’t want to write anymore.

But this book is different. Don’t let the head-grabbing title or cover fool you; there is nothing naughty about this book. Instead, you’ll find a method of outlining palatable for the pantsers among us, an outlining method that breaks down the narrative in such a way that the story (almost) writes itself.

This book helped me finish Betrayal — and I’ve used its teachings to map out some future projects as well. If you’re a writer — especially one struggling with their work — you want this book on your shelf.

Take Off Your Pants! is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

3. Star Shepherd by R.R. Virdi

A love letter to Firefly and Cowboy Bebop, R.R. Virdi’s first foray into the world of sci-fi and the space western is a treat. At its heart, Star Shepherd is very much like those two. Ragtag ship, lonesome good guy captain who’s maybe not as good as good guys go. Big-time, overbearing government and factions of resistance.

That familiarity, which could be a liability for others, is a warm blanket in R.R. Virdi’s capable hands, aided by memorable side characters and a willingness to (occasionally) buck expectations.

Well-written, tension-filled, and just fast-paced enough to be exciting without leaving the reader wondering what’s going on, Star Shepherd shows Virdi to be a more versatile writer than some might think, and his love for the genre is clear throughout.

Star Shepherd is available in paperback and Kindle.

2. Starbound by S.E. Anderson

Starbound S.E. Anderson’s sci-fi opus is as funny as it is epic, and the latest installment — while being a bit of a head-scratcher at times — is every bit as action-packed and fast-paced and hilarious as the ones that came before. Anderson’s latest has all of the same elements that made the previous four installments so great: heart and humor.

The two go hand-in-hand, and again, I mention how refreshing it is to see a sci-fi series that doesn’t take itself so damn seriously. Anderson’s writing prowess is again on full display, even as she weaves through the first half of the book in such a way that you might feel like you’ve missed something. But that’s by design and the beauty is, her characters feel the same way.

Starbound is excellent, every bit the equal of its predecessors, and you need it in your library.

Starbound is available in paperback and Kindle.

1. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig

Chuck Wendig is quickly becoming one of those authors whose work I will devour, no matter what, and Wanderers may well be the crowning achievement of his career. This book is a little bit of everything, with very much a throw-everything-including-the-kitchen-sink quality to the story — but it works. Wendig has found a way to herd the unruly plot bunnies, and the result in a dramatic, heart-pounding, stomach-churning opus.

This is part sci-fi thriller, part dystopian epic, part contagion film, part commentary on modern political fuckery, part romance, part tripping-on-acid coming of age thing… Wanderers is all of these things and more. Wanderers may very well be Wendig’s defining work, but aside from that, it is an all-encompassing, everywhere-at-once, engrossing read. It’s the sort of book that needs to be on everyone’s shelf, regardless of taste or genre preference.

This is easily the best book I’ve read in quite so time.

Wanderers is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Honorable Mention: Dyson’s Angel by Otto Linke, In the Lurch by Beth Martin, Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig, Unclean Spirits by Chuck Wendig, Zer0es by Chuck Wendig.

I have a confession to make.

I’ve been outlining of late.

Don’t tell the World Association of Pantsers. They’ll have me excommunicated. Or maybe they’ll throw a sheet over my head, toss me into the back of a van, and drive me to the set of Whose Line is it Anyway? and not let me leave until I successfully complete one of the hoedowns.

A little backstory… I’ve been trying to write Betrayed (Jill Andersen book 5) for almost two years now. I am now on the fifth (yes, you read that right) rewrite. I have not yet managed to complete a first draft. I’m not sure why; I feel like Betrayed has a strong story with a lot of action and intensity and some emotional beats I know are gonna really throw my readers for a loop.

But I keep getting stuck. So you know what they say about desperate times.

A few fellow writers recommended Libbie Hawker’s book Take Off Your Pants! Don’t let the title (or the cover rife with underwear) fool you; this is very much a how-to tailored toward showing pantsers a good, logical method of outlining.

As with almost every book about some aspect of writing, this is not gospel, and everyone’s mileage may vary. There are suggestions in this book I know I won’t be using, or if I do, I’ll use them in a different way from what Hawker suggested. But that’s the beauty of this craft we call writing: there’s no one right way to do it. Everyone has their own method, and what works for me won’t necessarily work for you.

Still, one thing I’ve learned is that it’s okay — hell, even important — to not be so set in your ways. Especially if your ways aren’t working for whatever reason. I can’t tell you why Betrayed has been such a struggle, especially since my previous method had already netted me five published novels and a collection of short stories. But it did, and I had to adapt.

I won’t lie, outlining feels a little weird. But I can already tell it’s also going to help.

Betrayed will get written. It will get published. And then I’ll finally be able to move on to all these other projects I want to work on. And now that I have an outlining format that works for me, I’ll probably become more productive, and at least return to the days when I was publishing two books a year. Those days were better.

So check out Hawker’s book if you’d like.

But more than anything, don’t be afraid to examine your process and make changes if you feel stagnant. This entire process is fluid, it evolves, and you have to know when to evolve with it.

About J.D. Cunegan
J.D. Cunegan is known for his unique writing style, a mixture of murder mystery and superhero epic that introduces the reader to his comic book-inspired storytelling and fast-paced prose. A 2006 graduate of Old Dominion University, Cunegan has an extensive background in journalism, a lengthy career in media relations, and a lifelong love for writing. Cunegan lives in Hampton, Virginia, and next to books, his big passion in life in auto racing. When not hunched in front of a keyboard or with his nose stuck in a book, Cunegan can probably be found at a race track or watching a race on TV.

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J.D. Cunegan

In need of scissors since 2000.

The Best Books I Read in 2019

Plotting vs. Pantsing (or Maybe Plotting and Pantsing?)