Category: literature

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Are Narrative Stories Out of Date #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

So a few days ago I was reading a the original ‘Little Mermaid’ by Hans Christian Anderson. I was curious about the story after my boys took a liking to the Disney version. I won’t spoil anything for anyone, but I highly recommend reading the original. It is superior in every way to the lax character development of the Disney version. Anyway, more on … Read More Are Narrative Stories Out of Date #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

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One word: Editing. #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim, I have a manuscript I want to send out to see if I can get it published, but I’m worried that they’ll take one look at it, find a couple of grammatical/spelling errors and dump it in the garbage. I was wondering what measures you’ve taken and what you’ve done before you hand you’re book off to be published? Thanks,Mike Hi Mike, … Read More One word: Editing. #Writing #Author #Advice

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Just Start Over… #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

Hi Jim, I’m in a major bind… I was working on my latest piece. I’d been working on it for days and… forgot to save it. I was about 140 pages in and suddenly my computer blue-screened. I’ve lost everything and Word didn’t auto-save it. I’m not sure of what to do now. I feel like having to start from scratch is a fairly … Read More Just Start Over… #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

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The Sound of Editing. #Writing #Author #Advice

So you all know my editing/proofing stages at this point: Getting all my thoughts down on paper. Organizing thoughts into a cohesive narrative Write out the first draft. Add details and meat to the first draft on second write through. Re-read first draft, make edits and rewrites to the plot and narrative. Begin writing second draft with new edits organized in. Re-read second draft … Read More The Sound of Editing. #Writing #Author #Advice

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Characters First, Stories Second. #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim, I was wondering if you talk a little bit about how you create characters for your book. I’ve got an awesome idea for a story, but I’m having a hard time creating characters to go along with it. Do you have any advice? Thanks, Kris Hello Kris, In my personal opinion, you’re doing this backward. You’ve got a great story, but no … Read More Characters First, Stories Second. #Writing #Author #Advice

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My Biggest Obstacle in Writing #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim, I just started reading some of the advice you give out. I don’t really have a specific issue that needs to be addressed, but I was wondering what you consider to be the biggest issue you encounter when writing and how you overcome it. As a writer, I’m always interested in hearing about the experiences of other writers. Thanks, Lauraine Hi Lauraine, … Read More My Biggest Obstacle in Writing #Writing #Author #Advice

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Rooting for the Bad Guy #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim, I was hoping you could give me a little advice on how to write perspective. The main character in my story is going to be a bad guy. When I say bad, I mean the story is going to revolve around the villain. I’m just really not sure how I can write that effectively. I mean typically you try to get people … Read More Rooting for the Bad Guy #Writing #Author #Advice

Inspiration? #Writing #Author #Advice

So a lot of people ask me where my inspiration comes from. Where do I get my ideas, how do I decide what happens to each character? Well it really depends on what day it is and what part of the story I’m writing about. I’ll explain a little bit more in-depth as we go… First off, Lia’na, one of the most beloved characters … Read More Inspiration? #Writing #Author #Advice

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Writing Secrets Are Better Shared! #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim, I’m having a horrible time trying to come up with a theme for my story! I’m trying to map everything out before I write. I was wondering if you had any advice? What themes do you like? Thanks, Lawrence Hi Lawrence, Well I’d honestly say to start writing. If you have ideas, make […]

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What to Pay for When Publishing… #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim, I’m having a horrible time trying to come up with a theme for my story! I’m trying to map everything out before I write. I was wondering if you had any advice? What themes do you like? Thanks, Lawrence Hi Lawrence, Well I’d honestly say to start writing. If you have ideas, make […]

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Linear Writing Rule? #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim,  I was actually hoping you could help me out with a problem I was having. I’m currently writing a book that will be part of an established series. It’s been a pretty good run so far, but I’m worried because this next book actually takes place before the one I just published.  I got this idea fairly late in the game, but … Read More Linear Writing Rule? #Writing #Author #Advice

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Sequel Block and Work-Arounds #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim, I’m having a horrible time trying to come up with a theme for my story! I’m trying to map everything out before I write. I was wondering if you had any advice? What themes do you like? Thanks, Lawrence Hi Lawrence, Well I’d honestly say to start writing. If you have ideas, make […]