Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today: J Lenni Dorner, Victoria Marie Lees, and Sandra Cox!
February 4 question -
Many writers have written about the experience of rereading their work years later. Have you reread any of your early works? What was that experience like for you?
I reread my first two existence books before starting on the third. I absolutely love doing that. It's wonderful having the characters in my head. It's also great to remind myself of the little dots that I plan to connect in the next books.
Recieved this email about Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier Amazon ~ Barnes And Noble
Vickie Boff - Marketing.
I'm sure the email is mostly AI. She probably never read my book. But it said some nice things, even if they are fake.
https://amzn.to/41QBB4P Author page on Amazon — please consider following and supporting this indie author!
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-lenni-dorner BookBub author profile— I'd be grateful if you'd follow me.
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com Kindly check out the blog hop's website. Watch for special features:
I shared my latest (pending) cover on my #blog The feedback was a want of a cave opening. The title cave is deep underwater 🤦 (Book 1 cover showed ch3 location Book 2 cover ch 19 location) This, just before they dive. Thoughts? 💭 #booksky #novelwriting #bookcover
— J Lenni Dorner (@jlennidorner.bsky.social) January 18, 2026 at 12:18 AM
[image or embed]
Recieved this email about Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier Amazon ~ Barnes And Noble
Vickie Boff - Marketing.
I'm sure the email is mostly AI. She probably never read my book. But it said some nice things, even if they are fake.
📚💙 — J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge
https://amzn.to/41QBB4P Author page on Amazon — please consider following and supporting this indie author!https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-lenni-dorner BookBub author profile— I'd be grateful if you'd follow me.
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com Kindly check out the blog hop's website. Watch for special features: Feb 4- Women's Role in History Month - Csenge Feb 18- Fondue Month - Jayden
Important dates for A-to-Z 2026:
March 9-14 Theme Reveal
March 23- April 4 Sign-up
Goodness, if I didn't keep detailed notes of everything I write, I wouldn't be able to write any future books in that series or world. I couldn't keep track of everything just by re-reading it. But then, I can't even remember what I had for breakfast this morning, so that says a lot about my memory right there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting! 😁
Oh, I have notes. So many notes...
DeleteI like to reread books as I start the next in series too. It’s the atmosphere as well as your notes on characters etc… hard to capture atmosphere in notes.
ReplyDeleteAnd I’m already working on my A to Z… which involves a heck of a lot of rereading!
Good luck with your new one, and thanks for cohosting this month.
Glad you're getting your A to Z going! So am I!
DeleteI'll admit, I am not a fan of reading my books again.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for co-hosting today!
DeleteHappy to do it. Always a fun time!
DeleteI like the cover and look forward to book three. Rereading is fun because you're not the same person when you experience something a second time.
ReplyDeleteSo true!
DeleteIt's great that you re-read your books before writing the next one. Thanks for co-hosting this month.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteThank you for co hosting. If people continue stories without re-reading--I can't imagine how that works. Re reading makes the writing even more eventful, right. The book gets better as the little dots connect.
ReplyDeleteThis series has a LOT of dots.
DeleteI've reread my first series to remind myself of details. I also kept a very detailed timeline so I would know what happened when since the stories overlap a lot.
ReplyDeleteI have a Sheet timeline and several time notes. Book 4 takes place in multiple timelines, so I really have to keep track.
DeleteThat is great that you still love your work and that it's helping you with the next! Thank you for co-hosting IWSG today.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteFor a self critical person, like myself, it takes a bit of courage to read my prior writing. It's fantastic you read your books to refresh your memory about the characters and where they are in the storyline. Thanks for co-hosting this month!
ReplyDeleteI guess I took that, "write the book you want to read" advise pretty literally.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling because I enjoy reading my stories every now then. It gives me courage to keep on writing, when I don't feel like.
Thanks for co-hosting.
Shalom shalom
I'm glad you keep writing!
DeleteI think it would be good for my writing to re-read the previous books in the series before starting a new one. But I don't think I can do that. Have to laugh a little about the (yes, it's AI) email you got. We're all getting those these days, and it IS nice to have someone saying wildly nice stuff about one's work, even it it's a fake!
ReplyDeleteAs for the cover, I think this is doing better, but it lacks the light and brightness of the other two books. The slant of the coastline bothers me a bit, too, even though I can see from the foreground that the photos isn't tilted. I have a fair supply of photos of coastlines, and if you want, contact me with what you're looking for on this cover and I'll see if I have anything (no charge).
Appreciate that. No idea what kind of cover I'll need for book four. Maybe a thick forest with lots of Honey Locust, firethorn, and blackberry bushes. Have anything along those lines?
DeleteIt's nice to hear positive comments from others even if they are AI. We can pretend. I can see it making sense to keep track of characters and events in a series of books. Especially if they are long complex books.
ReplyDeleteLee
Certainly complex.
DeleteI'd like to hear about how you feel about readying the stuff way back, when you were a teen or even earlier.
ReplyDeleteAh, if only. The dark past doesn't come with some memory box of early works though. And my very earliest wasn't written down, it was done in Sign. And not even ASL, so there'd be a whole translation issue even if I could recall the stories well enough to video hands retelling them. Though, I also haven't signed in that language in thirty years, so to say I'm rusty is an understatement.
DeleteI don't necessarily re-read the previous book right before drafting the next one, but I have been known to grab a copy off the shelf to refresh my mind about a description or a scene. Thanks for co-hosting.
ReplyDeleteI have to search sometimes to make sure I left a breadcrumb trail.
DeleteI tend to let time pass before revisiting earlier work, allowing distance to lend enchantment to the view. Even if I'm not impressed, I'm not critical enough to not want to try again :-)
ReplyDeleteTime is a key to appreciation.
DeleteI agree with what you said. It is important in writing a series to keep all the facts straight.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
DeleteMan, if only all writers of serial books read through their old books before writhing the next the world would be a better place! Thanks for your work!
ReplyDeleteI can't fix others, but I can strive to do my best with my own.
DeleteThanks to you and the others for co-hosting! I'm sure a lot of writers find a book like that very helpful for leaving honest reviews for other writers' work.
ReplyDeleteYou mean my book about writing book reviews? Yes, I hope so.
DeleteI love how a series can get us to revisit the beginning books when we want to continue. Thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThe AI emails are so fawning and ridiculous! I definitely re-read prior books when writing a series. Thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteThere must be some AI "ego-stroke" program out there.
DeleteAt least the bots are trying to win us with flattery instead of direct domination. It's kinder :-) @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
Ha ha ha. Yes.
DeleteThank you for co-hosting J! (I neglected to say that above) Happy February!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI used to re-read, but then I found out I can put it on my kindle and search for details. That saves some time, but then it takes me a bit of time to re-familiarize myself with the characters.
ReplyDeleteI started to read your email and thought, "Oh, this is nice," but then go half-way through and realized, yeah, this probably AI and they never actually read the whole book. Still, it is nice to get a message like that!
ReplyDelete