John J Kelley

About John J Kelley

John J Kelley crafts tales of individuals at a crossroads, exploring themes of growth, reconciliation and community. His debut novel, The Fallen Snow, about a young soldier’s homecoming at the close of WWI, received a Publishers Weekly starred review and earned an Honorable Mention nod at the 2012 Foreword Reviews Book-of-the-Year Awards. Born and raised in the Florida panhandle, John graduated from Virginia Tech and for a time served as a military officer. Today he lives with his partner in Washington, DC.

Whose Character Is It Anyway?

March 29, 2019 By John J Kelley 73 Comments

Photo by Pexels via Pixabay Free License

Recently my latest creative pursuit, a departure from my stalled work in progress, has started bumping against a writerly controversy about which I had previously been only vaguely aware, that of authors receiving sharp pushback on their characters and in some cases their entire story concept because of perceived cultural disrespect or disregard. And though my pursuit has to date been a personal one, I still found myself chafing under what at first seemed arbitrary and potentially insurmountable barriers. You see, my current exercises involve crafting scenes in which I seek to embody characters unlike myself, with life experiences far removed from my own. In doing so I imagine their worlds, borne of research and admittedly from instinct too, as with any fiction. On one level the exercise is simply a creative challenge. But it is has also become an emotional touchstone since my attempts to “walk a mile in their shoes” have reawakened my empathy in an increasingly isolating world. Makes for good stuff, huh?

You would think so, or at least I did. But my joy in this new pursuit has since tempered. You see, last week I stumbled upon a New York Times article about author Amélie Wen Zhao withdrawing her debut novel, Blood Heir, from publication following accusations of insensitivity and outright racism in her portrayal of a fantasy world in which characters born with special powers are enslaved. Though Zhao, a Chinese immigrant, has explained the inspiration for the novel stemmed in part from largely overlooked indentured servitude prevalent across Asia as well as her personal experience as an outsider, criticisms soon overtook the initial positive reception of advance readers, leading to her decision to withdraw the novel prior to its scheduled June release.

Not having an advance copy myself, I cannot assess the full veracity of the complaints. Yet the situation immediately struck me as unfair. After all, an author chose to forego a publishing dream pursued for most of her young life right at the cusp of its fruition. In the days since, I have devoured reports of other recent works withdrawn from publication, both before and after their market releases. And though I now have more insight into the issues at play, my feelings remain torn. So I turn to you, fellow Unboxers, to help unravel the decidedly thorny matter of the degree to which writers should shape their creations to meet the expectations – or demands? – of potential readers.
[Read more…]

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Dissecting The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

November 18, 2018 By John J Kelley 18 Comments

an image of an open book with a fountain pen balanced on top — Photo by Max Pixel, CC0

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, though far from being a mystery novel, still managed to perplex the WU Breakthrough Novel Dissection Group more than nearly any of our prior reads. While the concept of the story, which explores England’s emergence from the harsh shadow of WWII, holds a natural appeal, we were confused at how a novel so highly regarded, both within our group and with readers around the globe, could break so many rules we’ve come to expect of our reads. Given its epistolary format, the unfolding tale is relegated to letters, notes and telegrams, lending a reflective air to the action. Moreover, the story unfolds so naturally that it often lacks tension and telegraphs key plots points well in advance. And the characters, even while recounting tragic events, remain decidedly upbeat, scarcely displaying angst or fear.

Yet members of our group, by and large, found much to praise in the writing. Christopher Blake enjoyed the ensemble cast of “odd, diverse characters who might not have bonded, except for the dire circumstances in which they found themselves.” Leslie Budewitz felt the novel succeeded at “showing the universal through the particular” in its depiction of resilience to wartime occupation through the small acts of residents of a tiny island. And as Alisha Rohde noted succinctly, “The story had a lot of warmth to it.”

So, with that in mind, the overriding question that drives all of our dissections – “How did the author achieve breakthrough appeal?” – moved along a different tack. Indeed, our discussions repeatedly returned to considering how the authors, the late Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece Annie Barrows, connected with readers despite the challenges of their chosen narrative format and the largely predictable plot elements. Through our exploration, we hit upon these fundamental strengths, which not only sustained the novel but elevated it to both critical acclaim and commercial success:

Shaffer and Barrows captured an appealing real-life setting, shedding light on a dark moment in its history.
They crafted a delightful ensemble of characters that readers could embrace and celebrate.
They anchored the story with heart, offering a reassuring tale of resilience in the face of tragedy.

Fair warning that *spoilers* lurk in the following recap of our exploration of these attributes. [Read more…]

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You are the Magic

October 29, 2018 By John J Kelley 53 Comments

Something happened when I sat down earlier this weekend to put finishing touches on what was supposed to become this post. Suddenly a topic to which I’d been so committed just days earlier no longer spoke to me. It was overshadowed, I imagine, by a week of violent acts driven by the darkest human instincts. My first reaction, which I’ve come to know all too well, was one of paralysis coupled with a sense of disorientation. However, surprisingly, this time that mood soon passed. Rather than yield even an inch more ground to the negative, I found myself brimming with defiant optimism, not only for my writing but also for the creations of my tribe, meaning all of you, a band of storytellers spanning the globe. And so what I have to offer today is a fan letter, a pep talk for a troubled time.

My message is this – You are the magic for which the world hungers.

You possess all the tools, right at this moment, to accomplish what you were born to do. As author Neil Gaiman once wrote, “The one thing you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and play and dance and live as only you can.” No one else will put in the time, do the research, plumb the emotions, flesh out the characters, and set the tone for the seed of a story that the forces in your life have planted. Only you can bring that seed to full bloom. Moreover, it is your duty to do so – not just for your readers, but for yourself.

“Why?” you may ask.

[Read more…]

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Losing Your North Star

July 31, 2018 By John J Kelley 42 Comments

In what now seems another lifetime, back when I first began to share my desire to be a novelist, a dear friend made a powerful observation. She lamented that writing must be extremely hard, citing not publishing perils or the financial challenge, as one might expect. Instead, she suggested writers had to possess supreme confidence, a pure faith that their stories were deserving of attention. At the time, the sentiment surprised me. Though I had many concerns, it had never occurred to me to question the worth of my writing. I simply had a story, at least the kernel of one, and wanted to see it through. What propelled me was a desire to convey the tale well and in a manner truthful to the inspiration behind it. That felt like enough at the time, and indeed it was.

Recently, however, my friend’s words have come back to haunt me. For I no longer carry within me the confidence to which she alluded. I didn’t grasp her meaning then because, at the time, I understood the world I was crafting. More precisely, I trusted my own world view. Secure in my knowledge, characters arcs and plot lines within the tale came into focus naturally because, ultimately, the fictional world on some level reflected my own. Sadly, this is no longer the case. These days I sit down at my desk with more questions than answers, vigilantly suspicious, like a man hovering over a puzzle while convinced a third of the pieces are missing, or from another set entirely.

Even this post reflects this turmoil. Normally a topic comes to mind, and accepting my own contribution as a given, I research what writers both past and present have to say on the matter. Then I open the doors to the WU community, eager to engage, encourage or even argue points of view. Given my current trepidation, I thought it best to take another tack, seeking input from the community at the start. The thoughtful, and in some cases heart-wrenching, responses opened my eyes to the fact we all face crises in our lives, which at times short-circuit our creative efforts. And while I must caution the insights do not provide clear answers, I hope they offer comfort and perhaps pointers for those facing doubts, even as you seek new stars to guide your way forward. [Read more…]

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Dissecting A Gentleman in Moscow

May 20, 2018 By John J Kelley 11 Comments

If the ability to get people talking is the measure of success of a novel, then A Gentleman in Moscow was clearly a hit with the WU’s Breakout Novelist Book Dissection Group, generating more comments than any of our previous reads. Then again, given the authorial machinations hidden beneath the surface of a blithe and bubbling narrative, perhaps it isn’t all that surprising. Our crew of writerly explorers gobbled up the breadcrumbs author Amor Towles left behind, intent on understanding how the story of one man confined to a single location captivated worldwide audiences, as well as the eye of Kenneth Branagh, who plans to direct and star in a television adaptation of the tale.

“How did the author do it?” is the overriding question that drives all of our discussions. It’s not a matter of liking or not liking a book, though the task is certainly easier when one feels an affinity. In this case, the group generally found the narrative appealing, despite quibbles with early pacing and a desire for more complexity in a few secondary characters. But over the course of our exploration, the following writing strengths emerged as the pillars that sustained a novel offering a fresh perspective on the notion of blooming where you are planted:

Towles crafted a fully immersive setting, building an entire world within the confines of a solitary hotel, one shielded but not immune from the chaotic history swirling beyond its doors.
He perfected a breezy narrative voice that masked the complexity of the underlying tale.
He developed a durable story structure, allowing a saga that unfolds over three decades to provide continual surprise and discovery for the reader.

Fair warning that *spoilers* lurk in the following samplings from our discussions on these attributes. [Read more…]

What Mystery Propels Your Novel?

March 29, 2018 By John J Kelley

Some years ago, as a nervous newbie attending my first writing conference, I overheard an interesting conversation. An instructor was explaining to another attendee that a famous writer, whose name I missed, had once said all good novels, regardless of genre, were ultimately mysteries. The idea instantly captivated me, and I spent the next several days contemplating books I loved in a new light. Ultimately, I even introduced an unsolved riddle to provide structure for what became my first novel, which until then had consisted primarily of scenes brimming with emotion but lacking any unifying thread other than the brooding presence of my war-damaged protagonist.

So while the inspiration proved invaluable, a funny thing happened when I recently got around to nailing down precisely which brilliant writer had provided the lifeline for my early efforts. You see, it turns out that either the instructor had taken liberties with the quote, or I had simply misheard it. For what Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty actually wrote back in 1949 was this (emphasis mine) – “The first thing we see about a story is its mystery. And in the best stories, we return at last to see mystery again. Every good story has mystery, not the puzzle kind, but the mystery of allurement.”

Delving further into Welty’s essays on writing, a new light bulb went off. For the idea I had initially latched onto, though providing a kernel I sorely needed, consisted mainly of developing story questions for the reader. But Welty’s observations were in regard to an even stronger connection, those deep threads that compel both writer and reader, the type of insights writers reveal when straying from a standard talk to confess “what the story taught me.” It’s the alchemy that takes Gone Girl from being merely another crime thriller to an expose on deceit and manipulation within a seemingly picture-perfect couple. It’s what transforms To Kill a Mockingbird from a collection of anecdotes about a young girl raised by a widowed father into a wider exploration of changing social mores in a segregated community. In short, it is the immersion you experience whenever a story fully engages you, awakening your intellect or triggering profound emotion. When that happens, you are no longer seeking only the answer to plot question x or to learn what happens to character y. Instead, you begin reading in order to better navigate our real world, or to resolve dilemmas in your own life.

Talk about a powerful hook! But how does one tap into that vein? How, in a world of 1-page synopses, 30-second elevator pitches, and 7-point plot structures does a writer develop an “alluring mystery” for a current work in progress?
[Read more…]

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Ties that Bind and Define – The Family of Your Protagonist

November 5, 2017 By John J Kelley

Two weeks ago, my siblings and I helped my mother move to an excellent assisted living facility within a mile of my childhood home. That’s the easy explanation, a breezy summation which masks the heart-wrenching path of the past year, from growing concerns over physical and cognitive health, to a rushed winnowing of household possessions to furnish a single room, to standing near as Mom said goodbye to her home of nearly six decades. The simple statement avoids another aspect which caught us all by surprise, the emotional toll of chafing against traditional family roles, both mother to child and sibling to sibling. Suffice to say the process was punctuated by eruptions of frustration as we lurched toward a destination we could no longer avoid.

In retrospect, it is no surprise that during my return flight I struggled to enter the world of Tell the Wolves I’m Home, Carol Rifka Blunt’s debut set within a stilted, dysfunctional family household. Perhaps, in some ways, the read should have offered solace. After all, my family had successfully navigated a painful task, joining together as families must. But I suppose the bruises were too fresh, the lessons still unclear, to fully counter a natural resistance. Yet as I forged my way through the pages, I found myself pondering the family at the heart of my first novel, as well as the one in my current manuscript. And, in a most writerly fashion, questions began to churn.

Specifically, I pondered how depictions of family can offer a window into a protagonist’s core character. Similarly, I considered how fictional families, not unlike real ones, can challenge a protagonist unlike any other external or internal force. Here are a few ideas drawn from the exercise:
[Read more…]

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Beyond the Gates – Challenging Yourself, Your Characters and Your Readers

July 23, 2017 By John J Kelley

An Old City Marker in Washington, DC. Photo by John J Kelley.

Leaving the Old City

My partner and I recently became outsiders, quite by accident. You see, this spring we took up residence in a modern building several blocks from our prior home in a converted row house in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, DC. We knew the move would bring changes. Indeed, we welcomed them. But it wasn’t until unpacking boxes several days later that I had an unexpected epiphany. Scanning the urban landscape from our new living room, the Washington Monument hovering on the horizon, I realized our current building sits just outside the boundaries of the “old city,” those streets and avenues built in accordance with architect Pierre L’Enfant’s original city plan.

In the weeks since, I’ve continued pondering this juxtaposition, enamored by the idea of hovering on the periphery, observing the comings and goings of inhabitants of the preordained community laid out literally before me. I think to myself, “Isn’t this the role of writers, ultimately, to step beyond the turmoil, all too abundant these days, and to incorporate the insights we gain into our work, consciously and subconsciously?”

It seems to me that it is, and in that regard the move has awakened my writing. Somehow moving out from the tended gardens and streetscapes of an established historic district to the more bohemian buzz of our new neighborhood has given me freedom to sprinkle a little grit into scenes. My characters have grown thicker skin. They are more prone to speak up or act out in pursuit of their goals, which don’t skew quite as noble as they began. And while the overall plot trajectory may not have altered (yet), the tone has undergone a notable shift.

This ongoing evolution has me thinking about how change impacts the writing process, nudging writers, characters, and ultimately readers in new directions. Here are a few observations on the act, and consequences, of “shaking things up,” both on and off the page.
[Read more…]

Dissecting The Goldfinch

May 27, 2017 By John J Kelley

While it might be more apt to describe Donna Tartt’s novel The Goldfinch as anchored by time, place and character, rather than constricted as the word “tether” implies, I couldn’t resist a reference to the enigmatic painting at the center of this epic tale that recently swept the literary world. Not only did The Goldfinch win the Pulitzer Prize in 2014, it won readers over as well, enough to entice the WU Breakout Novel Book Dissection group to take on the novel as our second read of 2017.

As some may recall from Natalie Hart’s initial post of this series (Dissecting A Man Called Ove) in January, the dissection group takes questions from Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel and applies them to works that rise above the crowd of today’s competitive book market, in hopes of gleaning insights on our own writing. And while Donna Tartt, unlike previous authors we have explored, arrived with an established reputation, the tremendous acclaim for this work after the author’s extended absence from publishing, warranted an exception. What we discovered was a book that, while not flawless, excelled at capturing a tumultuous period of recent history, weaving multi-dimensional characters into a tale filled with intrigue, tension and an ever-present nostalgia for what might have been.

“How did the author do it?” is the question repeatedly asked, in a number of ways, of all of our breakthrough reads. In this instance, the answers frequently centered around three key elements:

Tartt crafted an exquisite opening, drawing the reader close with a blend of palpable foreboding, striking imagery, and heart-wrenching tragedy.
She explored bold, universal themes while setting the action within a distinct time and place.
She developed her characters with tremendous heart, continually ratcheting up the tension in their paths to sustain reader interest on a long, arduous – and sometimes circuitous – journey.

Fair warning that *spoilers* may lurk ahead in the following samplings from our group discussions on these attributes of this acclaimed bestseller. [Read more…]

The Care and Feeding of Relationships

March 5, 2017 By John J Kelley

A Revealing Scene (in more ways than one)

I stumbled upon something unexpected recently while working on the opening for a potential work in progress. It turns out my protagonist has a son. Well, I suppose that in itself wasn’t a shock. After all, I was the one who placed the youth amidst the brief bridging conflict, having him tag along as an inquisitive preteen might do while his father checks a glitch in the security perimeter for the isolated town in which they live after the collapse of a once great land. The surprise was the realization that this awkward, questioning boy was the center of my protagonist’s world, meaning more to him than his wife, more than his standing in the community, more in fact than he himself will see until much later in the story. And it was in that moment of discovery that all the machinations for the tale I had plotted out in my head instantly fell into place. For I had identified the primary motivator of my lead, and pinpointed a relationship I would need to tease out and understand, just as surely as any individual character arc.

Only later did it occur to me I had experienced a similar epiphany on my first novel, when the protagonist’s relationship with his brother, though not central to the story, had proven key to understanding his past, and an essential thread in his evolution.

Both observations got me thinking about character relationships, from those that bloom in plain sight, like Ove’s thawing relationship with his neighbor Parvaneh over the course of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove, to subtle ones that sneak up on readers and characters alike, such as Ove’s grandfatherly affection for Parvaneh’s daughter in the same tale. Specifically, I wondered this – What are the keys to crafting realistic and moving relationships between characters? And what are the tools one can use to give those relationships their due, supplying them with the power not only to shape the protagonist’s emotional arc but also to elevate the entire work?
[Read more…]

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How I fell for The Good Wife…Elements of a Stellar Opening Scene

November 16, 2016 By John J Kelley

By Kyle Taylor, Flickr's CC — By Kyle Taylor, Flickr’s CC

You could call it love first sight, a surprising consequence given that I am a happily married gay man. But after just one evening with The Good Wife (TGF), albeit several years into its 7-season run, I was a goner. And as I speed thorough the seasons now, racing to complete the journey – no spoilers please – I find myself repeatedly returning to the opening sequence, marveling at how it so concisely captured the essential story question, and so compellingly bound the audience to its central character. Finally, after years of advice on the importance of an essential hook in the first five pages, or first seventeen lines, (or whatever narrowing margin is now demanded), I have found an example to which I relate, drawn from the vein of human drama I too wish to draw mine.

My interest is piqued by a pressing dilemma. You see, my current work in progress has three major characters, each offering a potential entry into the story. And so I’ve been on a quest, sampling not only books but also movies and television, exploring how the best manage to grab their audience viscerally while also cutting to the quick of the underlying emotional journey. In gathering evidence, here are a few lessons drawn from my new flame, Alicia Florrick (and the team of writers who created her), regarding key elements of a successful opening:

A Moment of Intrigue. The Good Wife opens with a blur of images. A well-dressed couple strides purposely over plush floral carpet in an elegant hall, gliding past paneled walls and fine furnishings. Hands clasped, they quicken their pace. Before them a doorman springs to action, ushering their passage into a packed and blindingly lit ballroom. Voices rise and cameras flash as they cross the threshold to an awaiting podium.

– Less than a page in, without a word of dialogue, and questions are percolating. What’s the hurry? Are they late to a reception? Who warrants such over-the-top attention?

The Wreckage You Can’t Ignore. The man begins to speak. But although his delivery is commanding, the scripted remarks come across choppy and forced. The scene crystalizes. Another politician is resigning, hand caught in the cookie jar, spewing vague platitudes about wife and children, sidestepping his own repugnant acts. [Read more…]

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The Art of the Plausible

March 22, 2016 By John J Kelley

photo by Flickr's Farrukh — photo by Flickr’s Farrukh

There are few greater pleasures for those who love storycraft than picking up a book, easing into the first pages and then–bam–finding an entire afternoon has simply vanished. You know, those times when pages dissolve into a realm so convincing you find it hard to pull free. Over the years I have encountered many stories with intricate plots and clever narratives. But rarely does the whole of a tale envelop me, compelling me to walk with the characters, breathe their air, see through their eyes and, at times, even cry their tears.

I began pondering the matter during the recent WU Breakthrough Novel Dissection exploration of Station Eleven, a National Book Award finalist from author Emily St. John Mandel. Among the group a consensus arose that, despite the intriguing concept, the narrative at times distanced the reader. Early on, Liz Michalski described the book as “a story behind glass,” an assessment that resurfaced throughout the discussion, even as participants praised many attributes of the tale.

For me the criticism echoed days afterward for, you see, I have been similarly struggling. Despite chipping away at the outline of my current WIP, I have yet to feel fully immersed in the world of my characters as I did with my first novel. In a situation many of you will recognize, voices of doubt followed, taunting “If you can’t experience a sense of reality with your own story, how on earth will anyone else?”

Warding off full-blown anxiety, I began a quest for the keys to an immersive reading experience. Not surprisingly, given complexities of our craft, I found no definitive techniques. Still, I gained insights from revisiting books that had stuck with me, those that had transported me to worlds beyond my own.

For each, I asked a simple question: What made the experience “feel real”? [Read more…]

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