reading

Books on Writing: Worth It?

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Before we begin, a disclaimer:

The following is my opinion and my opinion alone. Your mileage may vary, and that’s okay.

Now, with that out of the way…

I’ve said it before, but for the purposes of this essay, it bears repeating: books on writing, en masse, do nothing for me. The vast majority of them either bore me to tears or make the act of writing sound so intimidating that part of me wants to never see another keyboard.

There are a few exceptions—Chuck Wendig’s Damn Fine Story and Stephen King’s On Writing are personal writing bibles, tomes I revisit when I need a creative boost—but for the most part, this sub-genre of the ‘how-to’ is a waste of space.

In my experience, most books on writing suffer from the same flaw: they typically act as if whatever writing wisdom they’re imparting is gospel. As if whatever they have to say is the only real right way to do things. Which…no.

Writing doesn’t work that way. No creative endeavor does.

You would never tell a painter there’s only one right way to paint. Same for a sculptor or an actor. The artist’s process is as personal as it is vital, and those who act like they know the one true way how to create are, more often than not, trying to sell you something. Something you’re better off without.

Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey is guilty of this, on top of being a slog of a read. Remember what I said above about these things being boring? Same goes for Joseph Campbell and The Hero’s Journey. I won’t begrudge anyone who gained something of value from these books, but they suffer from the same flaws in my eyes.

One of the reasons I enjoyed Damn Fine Story so much was because Wendig made it clear—early and repeatedly—that the vast majority of writing advice is bull. Even a lot of what he has to say. Wendig’s goal in Damn Fine Story was less telling you how to write and more getting the gears turning in your head.

Think less how-to and more make-you-want-to.

On Writing is largely the same way. Sure, King has his hard-and-fast rules—no adverbs (I disagree) and writers need to be readers (wholeheartedly agree)—but much of what he says about his own writing, he couches in terms of “this works for me, but it might not necessarily work for you, and that’s okay.”

The cardinal rule of writing is that there are no cardinal rules of writing. Aside from this:

Get the words on the page.

That’s it. It doesn’t matter how you do it. How often you do it. How well you do it. As long as you’re sitting in front of your manuscript, putting one word after another, your process doesn’t matter.

Writing isn’t a math equation. It’s not some paint-by-numbers or connect-the-dots exercise where you’re supposed to go from Point A to Point B to Point…you get the idea. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing, and you’re better off wandering with one of those old-school folding maps than your smartphone’s GPS.

There is some value in books on writing that focus more on the structure, the nuts and bolts of writing. Story structure, character creation, the three-act format…there is educational value in that, but at the same time, I find most writers already know those things. Intrinsically. Without even realizing they know it.

Whether it’s something we absorb in reading or watching TV shows and movies, most writers already have some deep-seeded understanding of how stories are supposed to work.

Still, there is value in seeing those “rules” laid out (even if it feels occasionally intimidating). Especially if you’re one of those writers who likes to play with convention and subvert the reader’s expectations. After all, you have to know what the rules are before you break them, right?

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether books on writing are worth your time. Most of us are strapped for time, what with day jobs and writing and other interests…you should never waste your time with a book that doesn’t speak to you. And that includes this particular sub-genre.

Ultimately, these books are largely unnecessary, because the answer to the question “How do I write?” is deceptively simple:

You just do 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 and art, 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.

Follow J.D. on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Best Books I Read in 2021

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I had high hopes for 2021. Then it reminded me why I’m a natural pessimist.

But 2021 did give me another crop of really good, really strong books to read. So while I didn’t accomplish much writing-wise these past 365 days (or really much of anything other than “don’t get the plague”), I can at least look back at my bookshelf and realize I was thoroughly entertained, enlightened, and educated.

NOTE: These are not necessarily the best books that came out in 2021, just the best books I read throughout the past calendar year.

5. Ever the Hero by Darby Harn

If you need a reason why the superhero genre is exploding, books like Ever the Hero are why.

Darby Harn gives us a mash-up of superheroes and science fiction (and a pleasantly surprising amount of political reality). For a story about aliens and spaceships and glowing, flying superheroes, Ever the Hero is remarkably grounded. This is where the relatively slow-paced opening half is so critical (if only in hindsight), showing us who protagonist Kit is, what makes her her.

We love all the best superheroes because of who they are beyond their splash page-worthy heroics. We can’t love Superman if we don’t love Clark Kent, and Harn gets that. For all Kit’s many strengths once she has powers, it’s who she is independent of those abilities that makes her so easy to root for and invest in.

This book is equal parts epic and tragic and frustrating in how plausible and realistic certain parts of it are. It’s the very best of a rapidly growing genre, and the perfect foundation for what promises to be a fantastic, engrossing series.

Ever the Hero is available in paperback and Kindle.

4. Inalienable by S.E. Anderson

Inalienable is the seventh entry in S.E. Anderson’s quirky, irreverent sci-fi series, and it’s every bit as funny and intense and fresh as the six books that came before it. Such liveliness this deep into a series is a rarity, yet Anderson manages to bring something new with each book while still keeping the themes and the humor that have become her hallmark.

The core trio of Sally, Zander, and Blayde manage the delicate balance of staying true to themselves while still growing, and the humor infused in their never-ending hijinks helps keep every installment fresh. In fact, we’re as out of our element in this book as Sally is, and that works to the narrative’s benefit.

Each book in the series offers something different, a taste of a different genre aside from the science fiction that rests at the foundation. Inalienable is no different, as it takes on a space opera feel to it—this book is certainly not as grounded as its predecessor.

But that works to keep the series fresh. Sally and her pals never know what’s coming, and neither do we. Anderson is to be lauded for her ability to keep this series as lively and interesting seven books in as it was when that hot air balloon first crash-landed into Sally’s window.

Inalienable is available in paperback and Kindle.

3. How the Word in Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

Given the racial reckoning that’s taken over America since George Floyd’s murder, books like Clint Smith’s How the Word is Passed have seen a surge in interest. To be frank, though, the content of Smith’s book should be rendered moot by the subject matter having been taught in our history classes.

But the American education system’s failure of choice means Smith has to start candid, important, and uncomfortable conversations – conversations too many of us are still refusing to have. Almost every issue facing America can be traced, in one way or another, to our racist history (and present), and our collective refusal to acknowledge that leaves us…

Well, here.

As mentioned, How the Word is Passed is uncomfortable at times – both in predictable and unexpected ways. I was particularly struck by one chapter in which Smith takes a tour of a prison in Louisiana, because I cannot wrap my head around the concept of a prison giving tours to the public. Yet one more offshoot of how America continues to have – and ignore – a race problem.

This is a book everyone needs to read. Especially white people.

How the Word is Passed is available in hardcover, audiobook, and Kindle.

2. A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

An emotionally satisfying ending is not necessarily a happy ending.

Sabaa Tahir’s A Sky Beyond the Storm, the finale in the Ember series, taught me that lesson. While the conclusion was every bit as violent and intense as expected, it was also the kind of ending that satisfied, even if the conclusion was (perhaps in hindsight) inevitable and far from what anyone would consider happy.

Because it made sense for the characters.

Through four books, and through possibly just as many points of view, Tahir never once lost sight of her characters. Through each book, Laia, Elias, and Helene were at the center of every twist, every shocking reveal, every tragedy. Tahir’s almost obsessive reliance on her characters above all else made for an emotionally tense and visceral tale.

And whereas many a series stumbles on the dismount, Tahir suffers no such fate with Sky, because of her insistent need to center the characters. Tahir’s series is a masterclass in not just fantasy storytelling or the practice of telling a story through multiple POVs, but also in the importance of character over plot.

Tahir’s masterstroke of a finale proves that characters are what make us fall in love with stories.

A Sky Beyond the Storm is available in hardcover, audiobook, and Kindle.

1. A Country of Eternal Light by Darby Harn

Harn pulls no punches in his magnum opus, a spec-fic classic that feels less like spec fic and more like a thorough examination of the human condition. Specifically, what do human beings do when stripped of all hope, of all optimism?

It turns out, they…keep on living.

If that sounds cheery…it’s not. Harn makes A Country of Eternal Light a difficult read—not because he lacks narrative skill or understanding of what makes great characters (he certainly possesses both qualities in spades), but because he forces the reader to examine, to experience, to feel everything his characters feel. There is no hiding in this book. Not for the characters, and not for us.

And yet, the pages keep turning. There is no last-minute save. Harn does not concoct some plot device to wave away the despair that lies at the core of this book. We have to sit with the woe and the death and the hopelessness as much as the characters do. This book is the human experience, stripped to its hopeless yet stubborn core.

It’s a modern masterpiece that will break you several different ways.

A Country of Eternal Light is available in paperback and Kindle.

Honorable Mention: Consistent Creative Content: A Guide to Authoring and Blogging in the Social Media Age by Lee Hall, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, Bag Man by Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz, Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings, The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin, A Promised Land by Barack Obama, Deferred Glory: Heroes of the Negro Baseball Leagues by Danny A. Ingellis, The Cormorant by Chuck Wendig, The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl, War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi.

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 and art, 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.

Follow J.D. on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Smashwords End-of-Year Sale on Now!

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View my entire library on Smashwords here.

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 and art, 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.

Follow J.D. on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Hey! We’re Doing That 50K-in-30-Days Thing Again?

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Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Or I am, at least.

That’s right: come tomorrow, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins anew. The annual 50,000-words-in-30-days challenge that is as simple as it is maddening once again takes over the writing world, and I firmly believe this is the most wonderful time of the year (no matter what the stores already putting out their Christmas trees tell you).

Four of my six novels — Bounty, Behind the Badge, Betrayal, and Notna — began as NaNoWriMo projects, and the annual event — of which I’ve taken part since 2008 — has also resulted in several other works-in-progress. The reckless creative abandon NaNoWriMo allows gives me the bravery to try things I might otherwise be too in my own head to tackle, and I’m a firm believer that NaNoWriMo has made me a better writer.

This year, I’m using NaNoWriMo to tackle Land of the Free, the first novel in the forthcoming Hellion series (think The West Wing meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The story is already outlined, and I can’t wait for the calendar to flip from October 31 to November 1 so I can start writing it.

I’ll be updating my progress on this page throughout November, and if you’re taking part as well, add me as a writing buddy over on NaNo’s site! My profile is here.

(And if you can, please consider leaving NaNoWriMo a donation.)

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 and art, 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.

Follow J.D. on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

BOOK REVIEW: A Country of Eternal Light

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I honestly don’t know what to say about this book.

Make no mistake: A Country of Eternal Light is a masterpiece. A literary marvel and the truest example of Darby Harn’s prose expertise. As great as his Eververse series is (and it really is one of the best in the superhero genre), this book is his magnum opus to date.

But as great as this book is, A Country of Eternal Light is a difficult read. It’s raw. It’s emotional. It hits you in ways you least expect, and the book I thought I was getting into was nothing like the book I ended up getting (and I mean this in a good way). This is the sort of book you’ll probably have to put down a few times, get some space away from it. Whether i’s because a line made you think or punched you in the gut, you’re going to have to take breaks.

This is not a page-turner, the sort of book where you lose hours at a time.

Because this book will gut you. Several times over. It will hollow you out. From the first page, hope is but a distant memory, and the result is a story that seems to get bleaker than you think possible. Which, as far as I’m concerned, is the point. The world is, quite literally, ending, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

There’s no last-minute save. There’s no miracle or story-driven contrivance to save the day. There’s despair and there’s death and there’s anguish and you have to sit with that reality just the same as the characters. In the hands of another author, this story would probably focus on the black hole, the how and the why–and it would probably still be good and epic and enjoyable.

But Harn focuses on the people living out the rest of their days, even when they don’t know why. He doesn’t dump exposition on us, explaining away the black hole or even one of the biggest emotional beats of the protagonist. They’re just there, and they’re to be dealt with regardless of what anyone actually wants to do. More than once, this book makes you question why Mairead and others continue to push through and live life when, from our perspective, everything is so pointless and hopeless and useless…and yet.

And yet.

That dichotmoy, that emotion, is is what makes A Country of Eternal Light the masterstroke it is. It’s spec fic that doesn’t feel like spec fic. It’s the human experience, stripped to its hopeless yet stubborn core, and it will break you several different ways.

And you’ll love it. I know I did. Even if I’m not sure I can handle another read-through.

This book is an early contender for Best Book of 2021, and I wholeheartedly give this five enthusiastic (if slightly teary-eyed) stars. Let’s just make sure the stars stay in the sky, where they belong.

A Country of Eternal Light is available on Kindle and in paperback.

The Best Books I Read in 2020

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Well, 2020 was… a year.

We all know the dumpster fire the last 366 days have been, and we know the road ahead heading into 2021 will be rocky. But there are signs for optimism, and there are even a few things from 2020 on which I can look back fondly — for instance, I published Betrayal (Jill Andersen #5) and got the ball rolling on The Art of Reading, which will be out on Jan. 12.

I also read a lot of really good books in 2020 — and that’s not including two books I’m currently in the process of reading, but won’t finish before the giant ball drops at Times Square.

NOTE: These are not necessarily the best books that came out in 2020, just the best ones I read this year.

5. Earthstuck by S.E. Anderson

Six books in, S.E. Anderson’s Starstruck series is as funny and action-packed as ever. And yet Anderson still manages to bring something new to each installment, something that adds a new dimension to the series without negating what came before. The result is a world that is as vibrant as Sally, Zander, and Blayde — a world that is, in many ways, a character itself.

Which is impressive, given how many worlds they visit.

Earthstuck is no different, even though there’s a sizeable chunk that takes place decidedly not on Earth. A murder mystery element is the shiny new toy on the sixth installment in the series, which has a decided weight to it after the events of Starbound. But that new weight doesn’t rob Anderson’s writing of its wit or its light, airy quality, and this entry holds up just as well as the five that came before it.

There are weighty questions this time around, far weightier than before. But Sally is still Sally, a key distinction even as she and those around her are irrevocably changed. Running gags lead to plot twists, action sequences are familiar yet new, and as is usually the case in stories like this, moments of calm are short-lived and portend even worse things to come.

But this book will still make you laugh. You still find yourself looking forward to the next journey, even as the companions are who they’ve always been. Earthstuck is very much the result of the five books that came before it, and it hints of much, much more to come, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it can’t stand on its own, because it absolutely can.

Earthstuck is available in paperback and ebook.

4. Lightning Wears a Red Cape by Errick Nunnally

With books like Lightning Wears a Red Cape, it’s easy to see why the superhero genre is one of the book market’s fastest-growing subsets. Errick Nunnally simultaneously manages to write a love letter to the genre, while also spinning a fast-paced, intense, intriguing tale. I’m not usually one to re-read books (who has the time?), but I’ll probably be giving Lightning another read, both because of how good it is and to pick up on details I probably missed along the way.

Because this book is dense. The good kind, that gives the material on the page depth without suffocating the reader. This book has an ensemble cast in the truest sense of the term; I’m hard-pressed to even pick out a protagonist, which works here where it might not in other books (even as I notice I’m no longer alone in writing cops who are also superheroes).

Superheroes in prose fiction can be tricky to pull off, since prose doesn’t have the visual cues available to TV, movies, and graphic novels. But Nunnally is up to the task, writing action-packed fight scenes and ensuring each characters’ powers practically leap off the page. That’s not easy to do, but he has accomplished that and more with Lightning.

This book is a worthy addition to the superhero genre, and the sort of book anyone who likes fast-paced, action-packed stories would do well to have on their shelf.

Lightning Wears a Red Cape is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook.

3. Destroyed by Madeline Dyer

I suppose with a title like Destroyed, an unhappy ending was inevitable.

And that’s all I’ll say about the ending, because to spoil the ending would be to deprive you of the satisfying yet heart-wrenching conclusion to one of the best, most intense, most well-written dystopian series I’ve read. Madeline Dyer is at her best in Destroyed, the fourth and final installment in the Seven Sarr series. The result is a fast-paced, action-packed, intellectually-fraught read where neither the characters nor the reader can relax and take a breath.

The pacing issues from previous installments are a thing of the past. Seven is at her strongest now, but she’s also stretched beyond her limits, she constantly questions herself… as Chosen One tales go, I feel like this series does a great job of balancing the certainty of action with the uncertainty of being human.

Being “the Chosen One” is a heady responsibility, one I feel most in this genre forget. Dyer makes sure her protagonist never feels relief from the weight that responsibility places on her. And with such a worthy antagonist in Raleigh, who is at his most devious (if not his most violent), and this is the satisfying build-up and payoff a series finale should be.

I did have to read the ending twice, because I’m so conditioned to expect a zig that any zag, of any degree, hits at first with a sense of “…Huh?” But it fits perfectly with Destroyed, and it fits perfectly with the series as a whole. The TV show Angel‘s finale was controversial in some circles because of how different it was, but it fit the overall philosophy of the show.

Such is also the case with Destroyed.

Dyer has become an author whose work I will support no matter what genre she tackles, and given how deft she showed her skills in Destroyed, I eagerly await her next narrative venture.

Destroyed is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook.

2. What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner

In a lot of ways, this book is a much-needed balm for the soul of anyone who’s had to endure the past four years of nonsense in America. Rather and Kirschner paint the picture of how America should be, how the country could best live the ideals in which it professes to represent and believe — but we have seen otherwise far too many times over the past decade or so.

Rather, once one of America’s most reverent and trusted voices in journalism as a reporter and anchor for CBS News, has seen America at its best and at its worst over his nearly nine decades, and he brings that perspective and those experiences to every page of this collection of essays. It’s not quite prose and idealism on par with Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing or The Newsroom, but it’s impossible to read this book and not feel just a little bit better about America.

This book is non-partisan, but if it reads as a screed from the left — well, that says far more about the state of the American political right than anything. If America is going to find its way back to being what it can be, then What Unites Us provides a pretty solid blueprint.

And as someone who grew up on Rather’s reporting, I’m grateful we still have his voice.

What Unites Us is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

1. Aix Marks the Spot by S.E. Anderson

Already a massive fan of S.E. Anderson’s work (both as an author and a cover artist), I eagerly awaited Aix Marks the Spot, so much so that I didn’t even really bother reading the blurb. Anderson’s one of my read-no-matter-what authors, so I dove into this one without much in the way of preconceived notions.

Well… not only was this book Anderson’s finest work yet, it was emotional and charming and funny and heartfelt in ways I didn’t know I needed. While I don’t share much in common with most of the characters in Aix, the drama and the heart behind all of it is evident on every page, and the result is one of the most visceral and emotionally satisfying books I’ve read in a long, long time.

While Aix is mostly charming and light — this is, more than anything, a love letter to Provence, France — there is a dark undercurrent to it, one Jamie hints at throughout before the proverbial chips are finally laid bare near the conclusion. They inform Jamie’s every thought and feeling throughout, even if only in hindsight, and they ground Aix in far more depth than I anticipated.

Anderson is at her best here as she takes readers on a tour of southern France. Her prose is luminary and evocative, and it’s easy to get so lost in these pages… it’s hard for me to get so sucked into a book I finish half the thing in one sitting (that’s a me issue, not the books I read), but Aix sucked me in unlike anything I’ve read in years. I mostly find myself drawn to monsters and magic and the end of the world, but this quirky, charming coming-of-age story is going to have a permanent place on my shelf.

This book has heart in spades, and it is equal parts charming and adorable and funny (this is S.E. Anderson, after all) and, perhaps most importantly, emotionally heavy. I don’t mean that in the utterly depressing sense, but in the sense that you feel Jamie’s plight. You feel what she’s been through, what those around her have been through, and how that informs every single page.

You will laugh. You will cry (I know I did). You will scream at certain characters in exasperation and you will wish you could hug them when they shatter. Aix is S.E. Anderson at her absolute best, even though it is night and day from anything else she’s written before. There’s even a nice plot twist.

I’m hard-pressed to think any other book I read this year will be so engrossing, so emotional, and so fulfilling. I don’t care if this is your cup of tea or not; you need Aix Marks the Spot on your shelf or your e-reader.

Aix Marks the Spot is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Honorable Mention: A Superhero’s Duty by Patricia Gilliam, Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis, Burden of Solace by Richard L. Wright, Someday I’ll be Redeemed by Kelly Blanchard, Order of the Lily by Cait Ashwood, Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America by Michael Eric Dyson, The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Un-American by Andrew L. Seidel, Storykiller by Kelly Thompson

THE ART OF READING Cover Reveal & Release Date

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My first non-fiction release, The Art of Reading: How Reading Can Help You Become a Better, More Productive Writer, will be out on all major e-book outlets on Tuesday, Jan. 12!

Sometimes, it feels like everyone’s got some advice for how to write.

But what about how to read?

A full library can be a writer’s best friend, and reading plays a far bigger role in the creative process and a writer’s productivity than you might think. Stephen King, international bestseller and uber-productive wordsmith, said it best in his book On Writing, when he argued for the importance of reading, and The Art of Reading dives deeper into just why that is.

J.D. Cunegan (Bounty, Notna) examines how a healthy reading habit can feed and sustain a productive and successful life as a writer. The Art of Reading will not tell you how to write, but it will show you how reading can help you improve as a writer.

After all, most of us fell in love with creating because of something we read, right?

Pre-order The Art of Reading on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Apple iBooks, and Smashwords. A paperback version will also be available on release day.

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 and art, 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.

Follow J.D. on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

NEWS: My Books Now Available on Smashwords!

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HAMPTON, Va., Aug. 14, 2020 — My six novels — Bounty, Blood Ties, Behind the Badge, Behind the Mask, Betrayal, and Notna — as well as the short story collection Legends of the Gem are now available for digital purchase through Smashwords.Bounty Final

Smashwords users can now buy my books directly on that platform, for the same price as on other outlets. That means Bounty remains just 99 cents, with Blood Ties and Legends of the Gem each coming in at $1.99.

All other books are currently $2.99.

With the new channel, all of my books are currently available for purchase on Amazon (Kindle and paperback), BN.com (Nook and paperback), Kobo, Apple iBooks, Scribd, Smashwords, 24 Symbols, Baker & Taylor, and Vivlio. All future books will also be available on all these platforms.

Click here to view my work and my profile on Smashwords.

Readers can also purchase signed paperbacks directly from me.

 

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 and art, his big passion in life in auto racing. When not hunched in front of a keyboard, scratching a pencil over a piece of paper, or with his nose stuck in a book, Cunegan can probably be found at a race track or watching a race on TV.

Follow J.D. on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads. and DeviantArt.

The One Thing (I Think) Every Writer Should Do

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My current read is Stephen King’s The Gunslinger, and in reading it, I got to thinking about the first King book I ever read cover-to-cover: On Writing.

I’m generally not one for books on writing. There are two exceptions — the Bounty Finalaforementioned King tome and Chuck Wendig’s Damn Fine Story (honorable mention to Libbie Hawker’s Take Off Your Pants!, though I don’t consider that a true “book on writing”) — but for the most part, books on the craft of writing, or how to write, either leave me incredibly bored or intimidated to the point where I no longer want to write.

Suffice it to say, you’ll likely never see me write such a book. The fact is, writing is such an individual vocation that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to it. Sure, there are conventions of spelling and grammar and the like, but the craft of writing? The art of it? Giving advice on that is often a fool’s errand.

Fact is, writing advice is rarely worth the paper (or screen) it’s printed on. Not because whoever shares it is wrong, but because no one thing works for everyone. A tenet of writing I swear by might be the completely wrong approach for someone else, and vice versa. There are so many different paths to writing that to tell us to adhere to one over all others doesn’t work.

But there is one thing I will cling to until the day I die, and every time I get asked what writers need to do (aside from actually writing) to improve, I say the same thing every time:

Read.

I’m not the first to argue this point — King himself extols the virtues of reading in On Writing — but it stands to reason. The only two things a writer can do to improve in the craft is to practice it and study it. The act of writing is, obviously, the practice… which makes reading the study.

I’m not saying you should read solely for the purpose of studying. That’s too much like school, and it was the books I was forced to read in school that robbed me of my love of reading for so long — and I’m sure I’m not alone in that (I couldn’t tell you I enjoyed any of the books I was made to read in middle and high school). Rather, I think the studying inherent in reading, for a writer, is subconscious. You don’t realize you’re doing it while you’re doing it, but the results will show up on your page. You’re still reading for enjoyment, but you’re also adding tools to your box.

Reading, in all its forms, can shape you as a writer. Which is why I believe one should never limit reading to just one genre. You should absolutely read books similar to whatever you’re writing, but also read stories that are nothing like what you’re writing. Read every genre that even remotely interests you… and maybe give a genre you have no interest in at all a try.

Read fiction. Read non-fiction. Autobiographies. Blog posts. Magazines and newspapers are also things you should be reading (yes, the latter still exists). Even if you’re reading these things on a digital device instead of in a paper publication, it still counts.

You’ll expand your vocabulary. You’ll expose yourself to different modes of storytelling, different writing styles. Even something you didn’t enjoy can teach you things about your own writing. Broaden your horizons as a reader, commit to reading at least a little bit each day, and you will see the results without even truly realizing it.

It’s no coincidence that every time I’m struggling as a writer, I’ve also hit a reading snag. The more I read, the better and more productive I am as a writer.

This is why I carve out time each day to read; even if it’s only a chapter, I make sure to read something each day. Not just because I enjoy reading, but because I know it’s helping me every time I sit at the keyboard.

In short, if you’re a writer who doesn’t have shelves teeming with books and/or an e-reader full of things to read, then you’re depriving yourself of a surefire way to both improve and become more productive as a writer.

Besides, didn’t you fall in love with storytelling because of someone else’s stories?

 

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 and art, his big passion in life in auto racing. When not hunched in front of a keyboard, scratching a pencil over a piece of paper, or with his nose stuck in a book, Cunegan can probably be found at a race track or watching a race on TV.

Follow J.D. on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads. and DeviantArt.

2020’s Half Over (I Know, Right?). So Let’s Take Stock.

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Well. 2020 is half over. What a decade this year has been, right?

First and foremost, I hope you and yours are safe and healthy. I hope you’re doing your part to get us through the plague that won’t go away (yes, that means wearing a mask… you know, when you’re not at home getting your hermit on).

But before the world went all to hell (again), I’d had 2020 as the year I got back into creative gear. I set seven goals for myself in 2020:Betrayal High Res (2)

  • Publish Betrayal (Jill Andersen #5).
  • Write and publish Bitter End (Jill Andersen #6).
  • Finish writing the script for Bounty: Origins graphic novel.
  • Write two short stories per month.
  • Submit stories to two anthologies.
  • Announce new series (after Betrayal‘s release).
  • Read at least 30 books.

So let’s see where I stand.

Publish Betrayal (Jill Andersen #5): This one became a reality on April 14. See?

Write and publish Bitter End (Jill Andersen #6): The first draft is well underway, roughly 25,000 words or so in.

Finish writing the script for Bounty: Origins graphic novel: In-progress! The first draft will be complete by Dec. 30.

Write two short stories per month: Honestly, this is the one that’s given me fits. I’ve written hardly anything not novel- or graphic novel-related. The ideas are there, just not the push to put those ideas into, you know, words.

Submit stories to two anthologies: In-progress. I submitted a short story back in January or February to an upcoming anthology titled Warps in the Tapestry (yes, the follow-up to Cracks in the Tapestry). I’m looking for other potential anthologies to submit to.

Announce new series (after Betrayal‘s release): Watch this space come the fall.

Read at least 30 books: 14 books read as we push into July. The goal is still within reach… even as I sit here with more reads in-progress than I care to admit. Last book read?

Aix Marks the Spot by S.E. Anderson.

 

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 and art, his big passion in life in auto racing. When not hunched in front of a keyboard, scratching a pencil over a piece of paper, or with his nose stuck in a book, Cunegan can probably be found at a race track or watching a race on TV.

Follow J.D. on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads. and DeviantArt.