by Jim
If you’re good at something, don’t do it for free! Okay, let me start off by saying that I’m aware a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, and I am aware that there are exceptions to this rule. If you want to donate copies of your book to a local shelter, library, or even just throw a few sample … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 16
+ advice, Current events, Fiction, News, non-fiction, Politics, Reading, Writing
by Jim
So recently I’ve come across many blogs and other writings that are attempting to pass off their opinion as fact. Several different subjects have come up pertaining to politics, nutrition, etc. In my writing, I feel it’s always important to distinguish between the two. If I’m sighting fact, I’ll give a source and say it’s a fact. If I’m giving an opinion, I’ll make … Read More Opinion vs. Fact
+ advice, Author, literature, Publishing, Writing
by Jim
“Marketing is a big one! I’d love to know more about that. My book will be free for all, so I’m trying to figure out how best to handle that. But that’s a very specific situation.” -Thesarahdoughty Excellent question. So you mentioned that your book is going to be free… personally I always say that if you’re good at something, don’t do it for free, but … Read More Marketing Your Book
by Jim
“Hello I began writing my blog a bit more than a month ago and I’m writing fiction. I chose to write it publicly on wordpress mainly because I’m a bit insecure about my writing and I want some honest advice and feedback from people who aren’t my family. Maybe you could give me some advice on how to make myself (or my blog) more … Read More My Interesting Blog
by Jim
Hello all, so as time goes on, my advice blog is getting bigger and bigger. Unfortunately, as with all things, you run out of topics to give advice on. If anyone has any questions about writing, publishing, my stories, etc. etc. please feel free to post a comment or email me at jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com . I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post. … Read More Need advice on a certain topic?
+ advice, Author, Characters, fantasy, Science Fiction, write, Writing
by Jim
Choosing to write characters that you hate into your story is a very bad idea. In a previous posting I talked about how you have to step outside of your comfort zone and often write a character that has views contrary to your own. Indeed this is a very good way of creating relate-able characters and keeping a dynamic story line going. However, that … Read More Author’s Advice pt. 14
by Jim
Okay, so it looks like I’m still getting a lot of publishing questions. These are recurrent questions I get on a regular basis, and while I want to try to respond to everyone who reaches out to me, I don’t want my blog becoming redundant. So I think I’m going to repost this on a weekly basis from now on to help people navigate … Read More The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice. #Writing #Author #Advice
by Jim
Don’t let writing consume your life. So you’re writing, you have a great idea and you want to get the whole thing down while it’s fresh in your mind. It’s perfect and if you don’t write it down right now, you’ll lose it. I get it, I’ve been there. There is certainly nothing wrong with taking that moment to get that info down, but … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 13
by Jim
So… one thing I’ve always struggled with is how long each chapter should be. A few paragraphs, a few pages, what? The definition from Webster: Full Definition of CHAPTER 1 a : a main division of a book b : something resembling a chapter in being a significant specified unit <a new chapter in my life> 2 a : a regular meeting of the … Read More Author Advice Pt. 12
+ advice, Artist, Author, awful, bad, Belief, Book, Characters, chase, demon, Divinity, Fairy Tale, fantasy
by Jim
Don’t be afraid to mix and merge. So you have a fairly successful series going, but now you’re experiencing writers block. You have fragments of two or three sequels written, but don’t know where to take them. You’ve even considered starting on a third, but haven’t gotten anywhere with it. You really like the first two and would love to continue one of them, … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 11
by Jim
It’s NEVER too late to start over. Are you working on a piece you’ve just lost all love for? Are you writing something that you really didn’t want to write in the first place? Do you really not care whether your newest piece get’s done or not? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, STOP! Close out of what your writing … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 10
+ advice, Artist, Author, awful, bad, Belief, Book, Characters, Children, Directing, Fairy Tale, fantasy, Fiction
by Jim
Exposition is out of style and no one likes it. This is my personal opinion based on what I’ve seen from my readers, as well as myself. There is no bigger turnoff to reading than seeing a huge, page-long, paragraph describing a person, place, or thing. I understand that sometimes they are needed and you do need to break up dialogue and action scenes, … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 9
James Harringtons Creative Work 