Category: Fiction

Unpopular Opinion: Final Fantasy 7 isn’t as good as you remember

  Oh I just know I’m going to piss off a lot of people with this one… Keeping in mind, I’m just focusing on the main title, not the sequels or prequel here. Final Fantasy 7 came out roughly a year after I got my first PlayStation. I was in either 6th or 7th grade at the time… I don’t really remember. The gamer … Read More Unpopular Opinion: Final Fantasy 7 isn’t as good as you remember

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Imperfection is Writing Perfection.

  Recently I’ve spoken about some characters and how aspects of those characters are ‘perfect’, ‘flawless’, or even ‘saintly’. How terrible things happen to these characters, yet they come away unscathed with no lasting physical or emotional scars. In other cases, they are just perfect throughout the entire story; always making the right decisions, never having to worry about ramifications, and never losing their … Read More Imperfection is Writing Perfection.

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Collab about Collaboration

Hi Jim, I was wondering if you’d ever done a collaborative work? If so, what’s your opinion on the best way to organize it? I thought it would be fun to work with someone on a story because they have a plotline that they’ve been working on, and I’ve got one that I think would go along well with it. I’m concerned about some … Read More Collab about Collaboration

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Drakin: The Story of Raiya, Update!!

Hello all! This may not be the update everyone wants to hear, but because of delays and a few outstanding issues, we’re going to need to move the release of the book back to the end of December. All parties involved agreed that this was for the best. I know this may be a bit of a downer, but it really is for the … Read More Drakin: The Story of Raiya, Update!!

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Drakin: The Story of Raiya, Update!!

Hello all! So we’re doing very well so far and it looks like the late November/Early December release of Drakin is still not unrealistic. We’re more than half way done with the editing. We have completed all of the legal background to get the book off the ground; publishing rights, copyrights, formatting, etc. The book will be available in hard and soft cover, as … Read More Drakin: The Story of Raiya, Update!!

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Long and Short of Writing Long Distance

Hi Jim, You may not be the right person to ask, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I’m writing a story about a long term relationship that also happens to be a long-distance relationship. However I’ve never had a long distance relationship work out. I want to write this so it sounds somewhat realistic, but it seems like the odds are staggeringly … Read More Long and Short of Writing Long Distance

Perception of Beauty Trope

  I want to talk today about a trope that lately has been driving me crazy. I call it the Perception of Beauty Trope, but perhaps it would be more like ‘the attractive guy gets the girl’ trope. This has caused so many problems throughout the literary and movie world. Let me give you a few examples: IT (2017)– Pretty much the one thing … Read More Perception of Beauty Trope

Music Inspiration for Writing

Hi Jim, I’ve been following your blog for a while and was wondering about the ‘From my Writing Playlist’ pieces you do. Maybe it’s because I don’t like the same music, but I’ve never found music especially helpful in my writing. Now that I’m suffering from writer’s block, I’m desperate to try anything. I read some of your other recommendations, but they only helped … Read More Music Inspiration for Writing

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Writing Unorthodox Relationships

    Hi Jim, I have a rather unusual one for you. I’m trying to write a romance story dealing with two completely different species. However one of the characters who is going to be part of the relationship is only about 13 years old. Her race essentially reaches maturity at six years old, though they still look physically young and only live for … Read More Writing Unorthodox Relationships

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Unpopular Opinion: Harry Potter is a terrible protagonist

By now it should be plainly obvious to everyone how I feel about J.K. Rowling. However, in case you’re not, I’m no fan of hers. I find her writing to be somewhat simplistic, her characters extremely archetypal, and her plotlines to be the literary equivalent of swiss cheese. She also seems to go back and retcon details thus creating even more holes in her stores! … Read More Unpopular Opinion: Harry Potter is a terrible protagonist

Moral Guardians, Why They Should Be Ignored

I don’t usually get involved in politics or social issues on here, save for the occasional effects it has on geek culture and for good reason. Most of us are looking for an escape from such issues. However, there has been a major trend recently where such issues have invaded nearly every facet of our existence, including unfortunately, our escapism. As such, it would … Read More Moral Guardians, Why They Should Be Ignored

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The Writer’s Favorite Book…

Hi Jim, I was wondering. You’ve posted a lot about writing and how to make a good story. You’ve also mentioned that you have a tough time reading other people’s stories, hence why you wrote your own. I was just wondering, what is your favorite story? Best, Cheri Hi Cheri, Thanks for following my work! I’ll admit that my library read books has increased … Read More The Writer’s Favorite Book…