Tag: Writing Advice

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My Writing Journey

As a child, I wasn’t particularly fond of reading. However, things changed during my first year of high school. My friends were excited about a new movie, Carrie, by Stephen King. One of them asked if I had read the book. I hadn’t, so they gave me a copy to read before the movie came to town.

I took the book home, read it in my spare time, and quickly fell in love with the author’s writing style. I was captivated by the vivid details and loved how I could imagine the story unfolding in my mind.

When I finished Carrie, I knew I wanted to tell stories. I began keeping journals and writing short stories, though it was a secret I kept to myself. The process was more challenging than expected, but I continued writing throughout high school.

Life, however, had different plans. I joined the U.S. Air Force and served four years, mainly overseas. I got married and started a family with no regrets about the path I chose. Once my youngest daughter went to college, I felt it was time to pursue my writing. What started as a hobby quickly turned into much more. It’s never too late to pursue your dreams—sometimes, it’s something you’re born with.

Fourteen years ago, during the Christmas holidays, I fell ill and had a vivid dream about a brother and sister facing their worst fear. Their family was moving cross-country at Christmas. I could see them clearly in my mind and hear their voices. It felt like a calling—I knew I had to write their story.

Initially, my wife thought I was a bit crazy, but I stuck with it. I committed to reading and writing daily, teaching myself along the way. That’s right—I’m a self-taught writer with no formal training. My education has come from a handful of books on writing, some online classes, and a large writing conference I attended in Dallas in 2019.

In my opinion, the value of storytelling doesn’t lie in the number of degrees you hold but in how you tell a story. Crafting a novel is a skill developed over time, and reading is vital because it allows you to see how others tell their tales.

I read Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan about ten years ago, and his writing profoundly influenced my writing. I reached out to him, and he promptly replied to my email. We continued to chat, and his best advice was to enjoy the journey. He was right. The publishing world is full of firsts: the first time I held my book, the first time I sold a book to a total stranger, my first book signing, and so on. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned, but that’s all part of the journey.

I’ve struggled with imposter syndrome, feeling like I wasn’t an actual writer or didn’t fit in. At times, I doubted the quality of my writing. But my mind self-doubt shifted during my next book signing. It was an incredible high—people who had purchased some of my earlier works were now seeking my new book. Just like any job, writing has its ups and downs. But if you love what you do, don’t give up.

So far, the highlight of my career has been signing a contract with 4 Horsemen Publications. Let me tell you how it happened. I was offered a table at a show in Orlando, which I gladly accepted. I’m not one to pass up a free table and the chance to sell my books. On the event’s second day, one of the authors invited my wife and me to dinner with them and a few other authors. We were excited to attend, but the author had to cancel at the last minute. Nonetheless, I decided to go and enjoy the evening.

When my wife and I arrived, we were greeted by the Chief Operating Officer and the Senior Editor of 4 Horsemen Publications. I had the feeling that I had been set up. After a wonderful dinner and listening to their pitch, I knew I was right. I also knew it was time to take my writing to the next level. Of course, I had to submit my work and see if it met their standards. After a few long weeks of waiting, I was offered a contract. I’ve never been happier and still write under the 4HP label today.  

Some of the most important advice I can offer an inspiring author is to read and write daily, even if only a paragraph or two. Never give up. If you enjoy writing, then write. Most of all, enjoy the journey!

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Where I Get My Ideas!

A woman in a blue shirt witha blonde ponytail smiles at the camera.

Hi, I’m J.B. Moonstar!  

I have loved the natural world from an early age and enjoy going to zoos and aquariums and watching animal shows on TV.  One of my favorite animals is the meerkat!  My stories are eco-fantasy adventures for juvenile readers (7 years and up).  In my stories, the dragons and mermaids are the “good guys”, and with help from my young heroes, they rescue endangered animals.  I want my readers to learn that animals have lives just like humans do – families and homes – and just want to survive among the growing threats posed by today’s world.  My books also give children a glimpse of the world from the animal’s point of view.  I hope that I can encourage children to learn about, and love, nature as much as I do!

Where do I get my ideas?

The main plot in my books are many times based on nature/conservation magazines that discuss the plight of animals who are being pushed to the brink of extinction because of human greed or ignorance of what their actions do to wildlife. Since the purpose of Ituria’s Islands on the moon is to rescue endangered animals, I get ideas from these types of magazines for the plot or theme.   

You may wonder about Ituria’s Island and if living in the caverns of the moon is pure fantasy.  However, I did a lot of research for the first book in The Ituria Chronicles – several months of reading about the moon, and how I could create islands under its surface. I learned about the volcano flows, cavern structures, water/ice believed to exist on the moon, as well as the moon’s relationship with the earth.  All these facts were considered to create a world that could exist.  In my research, I learned people are now talking about making human habitats in the moon’s caverns. It would keep humans safe from the 500-degree shifts in temperatures and meteor impacts on the surface. However, should they attempt this, I do need to tell them that Ituria got there first!  

What do I write?  

My books are written for elementary school readers, basically seven years and older and are safe for young readers.  My stories are “fantasy” adventures because they have dragons and mermaids, unicorns, magic potions, and magical items.  However, my dragons are vegetarian and don’t need to be defeated by the end of the story.  My stories are “eco-fantasy” because the dragons and other fantasy creatures are working with my main characters to rescue endangered animals, and in the process showing the reader that the natural world from the eyes of the animals, and that they need our help and protection.  

So far, my young heroes in The Ituria Chronicles series have helped rescue Red Wolves, Chinese Crested Terns, sick deer, a stranded manatee, and even tiger cubs – these creatures were being threatened by humans and needed someone with the courage to help them. I have also started a new series, The Mermaids of Crystal Cay, where the mermaids are helping sea creatures survive the threats created by humans in their underwater homes.  In the first book, Kimmi and the Sea Dragon, they deal with a ghost net and its devastating effects as it sweeps through a kelp garden.  In the second book, Roselia and the Ancient Warriors, they must rescue horseshoe crabs illegally poached from a wildlife refuge.

Who are my characters?  

My two series, The Ituria Chronicles and The Mermaids of Crystal Cay, are both composed of numerous stand-alone stories with a main theme of rescuing endangered animals.  In The Ituria Chronicles, my dragons Knocker and Megan have a potion that allows them to assume human shape for short periods of time so they can blend in with humans to accomplish their mission, and they enlist young heroes and heroines on Earth to assist in the rescues.

I love working with Knocker, he has such a confident air about him, and being a very large fire-breathing dragon allows him to control any situation, even when he is in human form. He has had many years of experience dealing with humans and doesn’t get upset when confronting them anymore, he knows he has the upper hand even though the humans may think they are in control.  Megan is a dragon who was trapped in a cave by humans for 350 years until freed by Jan, and she has an attitude, don’t try to hold her back!

My heroines, Jenna, Jan, and Michelle are ready and willing to stand up for themselves and not take orders from anyone; they are the ones in charge – even if they are only 11 to 12 years old. I guess it is how I wish I would have been at 12 – when I was 12, I was told that I could either be a nurse or a secretary – that was the only thing girls could do. 

My heroes, Russ and Taylor, also have their own backgrounds, and I have enjoyed seeing Taylor grow in confidence as he realizes that while he may have what some consider a handicap, he also has many strengths that outweigh this perceived weakness.  All my characters are compassionate and really care for their families and the animals that live around them. 

Ituria’s Alliance continues!

Come join Knocker, Megan, Michelle and the other members of Ituria’s Alliance as they rescue animals and protect nature from illegal poaching and other dangers posed by humans!   We are always looking for new recruits for Ituria’s Alliance! 

Website:   www.jbmoonstar.com
Instagram:   @j.b.moonstar 
Email:  jbmoonstar.author@gmail.com

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A Writer’s Journey (Or The Art of Going Nowhere Fast!)

I guess it’s one of the standard questions every author gets asked sooner or later: “What was your journey as a writer like?”

I’ve written all my life, starting way back in my primary school days, when I used to write lurid stories about being stranded on desert islands, unicorns and monsters. My imagination was one tumultuous riot of ideas and images, and still is. The teachers set an assignment, a two or three page essay/story. I used to fill two or three exercise books. I often wish I had kept some of those stories just to reflect on early beginnings.

As I grew, I discovered I had other talents, drawing, painting, even back then my main art subjects were superheroes, which I still like to doodle with today. But writing was always at the forefront.

It wasn’t serious back then, just writing for my own delectation, ideas would come to me, [frequently] and I would just write about it, I often wonder how many millions of words I have written and forgotten.

I discovered camping, travelling, going out into the big wide world, a good source of subject matter, gathering experiences, though, again, at the time, I didn’t realise exactly what a treasure trove of knowledge I was building, or what for. I couldn’t settle, I can’t tell you how many different jobs I had in between travelling through Europe, the near east, the length and breadth of the U.K.

I dabbled a little in sending submissions to literary agents, with absolutely no results, but I wasn’t deterred. I kept writing and sending, happy with the never-ending merry-go-round of sending manuscripts and receiving rejection slips.

I don’t know exactly when it did become serious. Probably when an English literary agent finally accepted a young adult horror novel I had written. I was thrilled to bits. The literary agent, who shall remain nameless, [I’ll explain in a minute], encouraged me to also design and paint book covers for some of his other clients which I was all too happy to do. I even had one accepted and published which was a great boost to my self-esteem.

Unfortunately, it was all a scam. The literary agent was a fraud, he duped me, and several other aspiring authors into submitting the work only to plagiarize it and publish it under his own name. It’s not an uncommon story, and I was pleased when he was prosecuted and found guilty.

But that wasn’t the end of it. About a year later I saw a t.v. listing in the paper for a new adventure series. It caught my eye because the name of the series, and the title font design they were using was the same as the young adult novel I had submitted to the literary agent.

Long story short, the plotline of the t.v. series was exactly the same as my novel, and a lot of the characters matched. I sought the advice of a lawyer who having read my novel and seen the first four episodes of the t.v. series, was so confident in my case, he agreed to take the case pro bono. The case collapsed because we could never make a connection between the literary agent and the t.v. company who produced the series. Here’s the kicker, I was told by the t.v. company if I ever published the YA Novel in its present form I would be sued for plagiarism! Go figure.

To say that little episode took the wind out of my sails would be an understatement. It didn’t stop me writing, but I was reluctant to make any more submissions.

Fast forward fifteen years.

Originally from the U.K. I came to the U.S.A. in November 2017. In June 2023 I received my American Citizenship. I’m not sure what it was, but I felt inspired. I took a trip down to Cancun, Mexico. I was sitting on a bus, and I saw a store with a huge gorilla squatting on the canopy over the store front, the store’s name was JUNGLE. And that’s all it took.

I began writing the first novel in THE JUNGLE SERIES. It just felt right. The words just poured out of me. I finished it, edited it to the best of my ability and decided to take the bull by the horns and start submitting it. [Not with a little trepidation, I might add.] I was thrilled when it was accepted for publication by 4Horsemen Publications, I haven’t looked back since.

I think my story is typical of many aspiring [and successful] authors. If I have made light of it, it really wasn’t. But if you write seriously, it’s not because you want to write, it’s because you need to write. It’s in your blood. Don’t let anyone tell you writing is easy because they don’t know what they are talking about. I love writing, I have never considered it a “job”, but sometimes your characters haunt you, they never leave you alone, they drive you crazy.

Sometimes I feel as if I am going nowhere fast, just spinning my wheels, I have all these stories running around my head like headless chickens begging to be written and I wonder how many will see the light of day. Will I have the time, will anyone even be interested?

And writing goes beyond the actual creative process, that’s the fun part. Building new worlds, new characters, new adventures. Wait till you have to do all the rewrites, the editing…

It’s hard, it can be solitary… But do you know what?

I wouldn’t change it for the world.

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