by Jim
VI Melchior was true to his word. The crew returned within a few hours. Together, they loaded all the supplies that they’d need to make repairs to the Specter during their voyage. When the sun finally began to set on the horizon, Baltazar turned to Melchior, “Order all hands on board, ready the ship […]
by Jim
How do you expand an idea? I have this idea for years now, but as soon as I try to expand it, it starts to sound boring and then I just dunno which way to go with this. -Journal of Chrissie Hi there! Thanks for the question. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to expand an idea, even if it’s a good one. … Read More Idea Expansion and Growth #Writing #Author #Advice
by Jim
V Baltazar was led to a large building that was surrounded by guards and draped in lavish tapestries. It was an old building constructed out of mortar and wood, nothing all that special, but it was also the largest building in the city and thus the only one that could house the King’s entourage. […]
by Jim
Hi Jim, I was hoping you could help me here. I have a series of short stories that I’ve published and have a niche following on a couple of sites. I recently decided to take the story in a new direction and killed off the main character. It turns out that this character was a lot more popular than I thought. Now I’m getting … Read More The “Misery” Effect #Writing #Author #Advice
by Jim
IV San Sebastián appeared on the horizon as the Sun reached its height. Baltazar watched as the port grew larger in the distance. He turned the wheel a few more degrees to port and headed straight in, “My lads, we’ve come home.” The wind was at their backs as the Specter glided into the […]
by Jim
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
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
III Hours went by as Melisande contemplated her situation. She wanted to rejoin the crew, but she knew that Baltazar would never allow it. Still she was out at sea on her adventure and she still wanted to find out about her family. She at least still had that. Her thoughts were cut off […]
by Jim
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
by Jim
II As Baltazar predicted, within two hours, the storm hit. Waves crashed over the deck and rain poured down on the crew. Though the ship was secured to prevent it from taking on water, they were still struggling to tie down the cannons on deck. The men had gotten the sails up and the […]
by Jim
Hi Jim, I have a problem I was hoping you could help me with a rather… sensitive issue. I’ve written a book that deals with a lot of cultural issues. I’ve gone to great lengths to keep my writing as inoffensive as possible, as I want people from all walks of life to be able to read it, enjoy it, and maybe find themselves … Read More Audience/Reader Sensitivity #Writing #Author #Advice
by Jim
Book 2 The Pirate Heroes I The next two days were spent refitting the Specter for its next journey. Melisande worked hard to make sure that she won the acceptance of the crew. She served the meals promptlyand then helped clean below decks. She made sure to help out anywhere that she could, but made […]
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