Tag Archives: author success

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The Okie BookCast

Last week I had the chance to sit down with J Hall from the Okie Book Cast. We chatted about my love for reading, and writing for Middle-Grade boys! You can listen right here.

Podcast Link

The Okie Bookcast is dedicated to helping curious readers like you find your next great read by connecting you to Oklahoma authors and stories. Each episode includes an interview with a contributor to the reading life of Oklahoma – it might be an author, publisher, librarian, reader, bookseller, or other figure. In addition to the interview, each episode includes a review from an Oklahoma author about a book they love. New episodes drop on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Connect with Okie Bookcast on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok – @okiebookcast.

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Work – Life Balance- It’s all Bull

This week I had the following question asked to me by friend Gretchen (who gave me permission to use it as a blog post). I’ll be honest; I’ve had a hard time answering it. Right now, I’m on vacation. It’s early, the cabin is quiet, and I’m enjoying a nice hot cup of coffee while I write this. There are some people out there who will try to get you to buy a course on Work-Life Balance. But the truth is, save your money. Work / Life Balance is all bull.

Part of the reason I hate this phrase is that it is basically saying one of the two is negative. Either your work life is negative, or your life at home is negative. So to achieve happiness, you need to balance them, so one doesn’t interfere with the other.

We’re taught don’t let home life negatively affect our work, and for goodness’ sake, don’t let the work life negatively affect your home life. The problem is we’re conditioned to compartmentalize everything and become actors staring in different plays at different times of the day. No wonder our mental health is so jacked up in this country.

The truth is that’s all BS, and there are a ton of people who spend thousands each year trying to find balance.

Newsflash: Balance doesn’t exist because it’s all one thing- LIFE.

Work is the reason I get up in the morning at 5:30 am. Family is the reason I come home. Hobbies are the reason I can disconnect and breathe. Each has its ups, downs, and stresses, but in the end, it’s just life.

Listen…

I have failed as a leader at work.

I have failed as an author.

I have failed as a friend.

I have failed as a father.

And I have failed as a husband.

You learn how to do it all as you go. But that still doesn’t answer the question- how do I blog, podcast, be an effective leader in the workplace, be present with my kids, write stories, love my wife, garden, game, and watch shows?

I’m not sure I do all of this all the time. It may appear that way, but I try to be proactive in my approach. Sitting the phone down at night to focus on my wife and kids is hard. It’s a challenge. I have to be proactive at it. I have to make it a habit to place it on silent and on the mantle. Why silent? Because if someone calls and they need to get a hold of me, they can leave a message. It’s that simple. I also turn notifications off. That has been an enormous help. I don’t see a notification unless I click on the app.

As far as podcasting and writing go, I make time because I love doing it. The podcast started for my sanity. I don’t talk about politics, religion, or current events online. One- Those conversations are not crucial to me. Two- I find them boring because it’s the same people making the same tiring arguments from both sides. Three- They always turn toxic, and honestly, they are very uncreative discussions.

So the podcast birthed out of myself and my friends just wanting to have fun geeky conversations without all the mess of toxic fandoms.

Regarding writing- 90% of all my writing is done on my phone or iPad. A large portion of my blog is written in my WordPress Jetpack app.

Being a Dad who writes, I don’t have the luxury of waiting for the perfect mood or setting for the muse to hit. I have to go. If that means I’m writing Iggy & Oz at a stop light, checkout line, or Doctors office, I do it. If something is important to you, you do it. That’s how I feel about blogging and writing stories. You make it work. It’s not about balance.

Everything else. Gardening, playing video games and watching my favorite shows. I don’t do those things every day. But I do them and find time to do them because I love doing them.

You don’t have to block out huge chunks at a time. Ten minutes here or there is all it takes. I may read only a chapter a day or consume mostly audiobooks, but I make time for the things I love.

I don’t scroll endlessly on TikTok, Instagram, Or Twitter anymore. Sure, I show up, but it’s in little spurts here and there. Heck, YouTube has become my social media of choice, and 90% of all my Social Media posts are in my IG stories or me sharing a blog post.

It’s hard to find time to do everything in life, and there are things I give up. But at the end of the day, when you enjoy doing something because it’s a challenge or makes you happy, you find the time.

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Ten Years of JJJohnsonWrites

On March 10th, 2013, I registered the domain jjjohnsonWrites.com and started blogging/writing. What was my plan? There was no plan! Like most discovery writers I usually make it up as I go along. And to be fair, I was pretty upfront about it: the site is called jjjohnsonwrites– So what exactly am I writing? I’m writing about just whatever pops into my mind and what I feel like writing about for that day.

black and white blog business coffee
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

This, to be sure, is how my site continues today, nearly ten years later. 

I’ve remained on WordPress this entire time. And with the exception of the last half of 2021, thru all of 2022, when I struggled with anxiety and some minor depression and needed a break from everything and everyone- I’ve been here blogging.

Many say blogging is dead. I beg to differ. There are a lot of lies about social media spaces, and prettier attractions always come along. Yet, my site has always been consistent, and when I show up here, to spew out random thoughts, so do readers. 

Most posts are undoubtedly about writing, reading, being Geeky, and of course the kids. Some post are even on the finer joys of life: like Coffee. Why? Well, these are the things that interest me. 

Writing here has become, sort of my life’s work. I Don’t get paid for it; it’s not monetized, nor is this the work most people read. Heck, this year I’ve already published well over 15,000 words of content on this site.

When I started writing here, I had only one child, a five-month-old son, and I had published only one short story: Compulsion. My life was in a very different place, professionally, politically, and spiritually than it is now.

I never planned for this place to be a personal blog or anything. But the reality is that is what it has become, and it probably will always be, just whatever I feel Like writing about because I want to or until my brain runs out of things to say. Which I’m hoping is unlikely anytime soon.

So, here is to another ten years.

Oh, and for kicks- Here is the very first post I put up. 47 Drafts: https://jjjohnsonwrites.com/47-drafts/

Subscribe to the Blog for Daily Non-Sense Mon thru Friday

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Mid-Week Rant: I Don’t Have to Enjoy What You Enjoy

Listen, I’m about to go on a Mid-week Rant: I don’t have to enjoy what you enjoy. And no, it’s about my friend Jason Joyner continuing to send me memes of Boise State beating the Sooners in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. That’s a different rant for a different day.

photo of the road
Photo by D0N MIL04K on Pexels.com

As an author, I’ve had my share of bad reviews. Heck, I’ve had many people, not like Iggy & Oz. Most of these are adults and/or other writers. They often leave an adult critique for a book that is basically Pulp for boys who hate to read. And guess what- Their criticism is mostly true. It ain’t literature, after all. It’s not pretty writing. 

Still, many people love Iggy & Oz, and that’s who I write for.

I had to learn this the hard way. I had to learn many of the things I enjoy in my life, other people will think is strange.  

Listen, every story, YouTube video, RPG, drawing, TikTok, painting, camping trip, vacation, IG post, reel, and even-prepped food, needs to be seasoned with your voice, heart, and difference. 

We live in a society that pushes generic living and removes the individualistic nature of many. 

Seth Godin is one of my go-to Bloggers every day. He wrote this recently.

Most people want you to make something cheap, write something short, share something funny, and fit in.

But the people you serve… they might want something else.

The few people you need to thrive in your work might want you to write something they’ll remember for a long time, or to take them on a journey that’s thrilling and challenging and unique.

Or perhaps these are the people that want to buy something that costs a lot but is worth more than it costs.

It’s okay to say, “it’s not for you,” to most people.

In fact, that’s the only way to do work that matters. 

This is my Mid-Week Rant: I Don’t Have to Enjoy What You Enjoy

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Steve Rzasa: Remains!

Steve Rzasa is releasing “Remains” and has the book up for pre-order. This story is a prequel to Steve’s Mercury Hale universe and is marketed as: “From Procyon’s Historic Vault.” I’m excited about this one.

I’m partial to the Mercury books because Steve and I have crossed over characters in our work and because Mercury is just a fun, energetic, kick-butt type of character. Plus, if you know Steve the way I do, it’s safe to say there is a little bit of Steve in Mercury.

You can pre-order the book for $1.99 right here! PREORDER REMAINS

Steve Rzasa Remains