J. Alexander Cohen

Cozy-adjacent fantasy author

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Tag: characterization

Cracking the Marty Stu

Posted on January 18, 2024January 18, 2024 by jalexandercohen

For those who are unfamiliar with him, the Marty Stu (or the female version, the Mary Sue) is an unwelcome character trope in fiction. He’s flawless, fearless, is beloved by all the other characters, and has the answer to every problem. Readers can’t stand him, for good reason. When you’re writing a main character who…

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Recent posts

Talio's Codex Nominated for Small Spec Book Awards

This was an unexpected delight! The Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA) have nominated Talio's Codex for a Fantasy award. I'm so stoked and chuffed.

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Back to the Future was intended to be a standalone movie. When it was a huge success, the studio asked Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis for a sequel.

Oh Boy

In This Time

In this time of chaos On this day of reckoning I take a pause I take a breath I take the time to think To remember To set my intent

What My Mother Taught Me About Writing

Back in June, I wrote a post about the various things my father taught me about writing (and creative work in general). Mom turned 96 this month, and

  • Biography
  • Contact Me
  • Links
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Published Works
  • Talio Rossa and the Elixir of Life (Novel, Forthcoming)
  • Talio's Codex (Novel)
  • The Library at Eventide (Novel, Querying)
  • Upcoming Works
  • "Cozy adjacent"?

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