J. Alexander Cohen

Cozy-adjacent fantasy author

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Tag: messages

The Dreaded Message Novel

Posted on January 5, 2024January 9, 2024 by jalexandercohen

People don’t like messages in fiction, for some reason. They think they’re preachy and didactic. I disagree. I’ve always been fond of message-driven fiction. Some of it can be preachy and didactic, sure. But I’m thinking of stories where the messages are far subtler. Kurt Vonnegut’s Deadeye Dick, for example, showed 12-year-old me that a…

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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.

Four Ways to Turn Your Standalone Novel Into a Series

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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