JT Ellison's Blog
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Jan.16.2009
"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failures, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."-- Teddy Roosevelt
This is one of the best...
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Jan.02.2009
Happy New Year!
I've been casting about for days trying to decide how to open the year. New Year's Resolutions - been done, and then some. Reflections on 2008 - ditto. Revamping the writing process - DONE, DONE, DONE. Then it hit me. What I wanted to talk about today. It's something I've been...
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Dec.26.2008
Merry Christmas!
I hope your day was lovely, and if you don't celebrate, you had a good Hanukkah, or Festivus, or Boxing Day or Kwanzaa.
Now, for the PSA, aka BSP:
I got so caught up in my new "methods" that I neglected to share some rather important news. My third Taylor Jackson...
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Dec.19.2008
Last week, I discussed my realization that my writing system was irretrievably broken. This week I'll show you how I plan to fix it.
We writers are a superstitious lot. We set ourselves up with certain pads of paper, certain pens and pencils, certain books ready at hand. We have specific music...
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Dec.12.2008
Since we're crashing into a new year, I've decided to make some serious, major changes to my writing life.
I am always looking for better, more efficient ways to work. It stems from both my obsessive-compulsive need to be organized and my overwhelming love of office products. Getting gift cards to...
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Nov.28.2008
Happy Day after Thanksgiving! Are you stuffed? Tired of the relatives? Enjoying the football, or the movies? Well, good. I hope you had a nice day, regardless of how you celebrated. And obviously, since our non-American guests didn't have the pleasure of our most secular holiday, here's wishing you...
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Nov.15.2008
I've done several book events in the past week wrapping up the tour for 14. Two book clubs, which is always fun, a panel for the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) Nashville chapter, and a talk to my local Sisters in Crime chapter. Before my SinC talk, I attended a meeting of my local...
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Nov.07.2008
I had a familiar dream this week - one that's really a recurring nightmare. I'm at the beach, in Florida, and the waves are just overwhelmingly big - fifteen footers. I'm out on my board, struggling to keep it from getting away and allowing my leash drag me under. When they break, I dive in early,...
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Oct.31.2008
Happy Halloween!!! I'm eschewing a spooky post for the practical today, but wanted to wish everyone a safe and scary night!
It's that time again.
November 1 signals the start of National Novel Writing Month, a fun, work-intensive exercise for novelists. The goal is simple and straightforward:...
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Oct.17.2008
Can you use real people, places and events in your fiction work without being sued?
This topic pops up from time to time, and it seems like there are too many people who don't know the answers, so I thought we could try and sort it out.
The short answer is yes. You can use brand names and...
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Oct.10.2008
Since so many of our compatriots are in Baltimore, having a blast at Bouchercon, indulge me while I feel sorry for myself for a few minutes. There really is nothing worse than having to pull out of a conference unexpectedly, which is what happened to me this week. I learned my lesson at Left Coast...
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Sep.14.2008
I'm full of questions today.
I'm on the road promoting 14. I had a great launch party and a separate signing at my local independent, Davis Kidd, where I was shocked to find I only knew 1/3 of the crowd. Progress!
And then I left for Colorado. I did a signing at a Barnes & Noble in Lone Tree,...
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Sep.05.2008
Why do we write Southern?
When I chose to set my Taylor Jackson series in Nashville, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I love this town with an unmatched passion. I love its dichotomies – the class structure, the allegiances, the warped politics. I love the traditions and history of the...
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Aug.29.2008
I really should have titled this "What I've Read on My Summer Vacation," but actively disengaged fits so well.
I've been at the beach this week, desperately trying to keep away from the Internet, from work, from the incessant deadlines that seem to plague me. And for the most part, I've...
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Aug.22.2008
It's very hard to introduce a new character into a series.
Honestly, that's not true. It's easy to introduce a new character into a series. The difficulty lies in bringing said new character to life, giving them a purpose, a role, a reason. Doing it seamlessly is what's so hard to pull off.
There....
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Do, or do not. There is no try.”
—Yoda
About JT
J.T. Ellison is the bestselling author of nine critically acclaimed novels, multiple short stories and has been published in over twenty countries. Her novel THE COLD ROOM won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original of 2010 and WHERE ALL THE DEAD...
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