by Jim
Just saw this movie with my wife and… actually to my surprise, I really liked it. Hugh Jackman ruined Les Miserables and Oklahoma for me with his subpar singing, but he was actually very good in this one. Though… I have to admit, singers with more skill did it better! 🙂 When to Listen: This one is currently on my general playlist, though you … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Okay, despite the description… I’m not certain if this can be considered metal. I’ll leave that one to the readers. To me, it’s something more along the lines of 80s Rock taken to epic levels. When to Listen:Â I admit, I just stumbled across this. I’m a big fan of Jonathan Young for the covers he does of villain songs. (Songs you don’t think … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Not metal, but I don’t care. Anne Wilson is one of the greatest female vocalists of all time and deserves honorable mention here. When to Listen:Â Â This is a hero song. Listen to this while writing up your hero. Think of it like the end of a classic 80s action flick. Readers, Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Love the original… love this version even more. Minniva’s growl is incredible! When to Listen:  This is bad guy music. No way around it. You’re writing your villain to this song. Tell me you couldn’t see imperial stormtroopers marching to this! Readers, Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me. jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com I’ll … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Okay, back to metal. Here’s one off of Amorphis’s most recent album. It’s a bonus track at the end… and damn is it great! When to Listen:Â Â That’s a tough one. I have it on my general playlist for now. Though I’m also listening to it during parts of my most recent story that depict a serious struggle for my main characters in The Orphans … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Yes… I now have to openly admit it… I am a JPop fan in addition to metal. No, I don’t speak Japanese, but it’s really not about the lyrics for me. Pop music in JP > Pop Music in the West. There’s just a lot of enthusiasm in these songs… and it also helped that they’re quite often paired with great anime shows! Just … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
I have a friend who’s huge into Amorphis… They’re good, but I wouldn’t say they’re anything fantastic. That being said, I do love this song. When to Listen:Â This is really a building song. Use this when creating your world, characters, or even creating plot. There’s a lot of different emotions, different levels of notation, and a good mix of both positive and negative energy. … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Perhaps a little disclosure is in order. I am not a huge fan of these guys… mostly because YouTube continuously recommends their music and their good songs are too few and too far in between. That said, this one is pretty good. It sneaked onto my playlist and has been there ever since. When to Listen:Â Conflict development. When you’re trying to come up … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Actually heard this at the gym the other day. It had a pretty good sound, so I quickly Spotify’d the tune. It’s not metal, but it’s got a good rock sound to it. I added it to my playlist when I got home. When to Listen: Caffeine music!!! This song is charged with positive energy. Use it when you hit a slump or when you … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
In my opinion, there are three fathers of modern metal. They are as follows: Black Sabbath Blue Oyster Cult Rush Each had their own distinct style and each one gave birth to a different form of metal. Black Sabbath definitely opened the door to some of the heavier stuff like Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrasher Metal, etc. However I think bands like Iron Maiden … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Malmsteen is a man who needs no introduction in the Metal community. Regardless of whether you can actually pronounce his first name, you know his style, music, and look when you hear it. When to Listen: I use this as coffee. A ton of positive energy, a ton of ‘smile’ moments, and plenty of adrenaline-inducing guitar tabs. Use this when you start experiencing burnout but need to … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Disclaimer… this isn’t actually on my playlist, but it’s so ridiculous, I couldn’t not share it. I have tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. When to Listen: … Brainstorming… nope. General play… God no! Conflict… No. You know what? If you want to add this to your playlist, you figure it out. I can’t write and listen to this song, it makes me laugh … Read More From My Writing Playlist
James Harringtons Creative Work 