by Jim
An oldie, but goodie from an old school band. I know, not metal, but worth a listen. 80s forever! When to listen: I would say relationship building, or perhaps after the loss of a loved one in the story where the character would be reflecting on their memories Good luck, and may the schwartz be with you. Readers, Do you have a question about writing, … Read More From My Writing Playlist
+ advice, grammar, literature, personality, Reading, Writing
by Jim
Hi Jim, I’ve been working on my story for a while and it takes me through a lot of dialogue along the way. I’m trying to write a modern story with slang and lingo that people today understand. However my spellcheck picks it up and gives me the ‘correct’ recommendations. I don’t want my writing to sound unprofessional, but I don’t want my characters … Read More Grammar in Dialogue? #Writing #Author #Advice
by Jim
Drakin: The Story of Raiya Book Synopsis: ‘ “Abomination, freak, monster…” You get used to names like these when you have yellow eyes, horns, and scales, but Raiya could have really cared less. After being forced into exile because of her appearance, Raiya’s mind has been focused on one goal; hunting down the dragon lord that killed her parents. For over thirty years, … Read More Drakin, The Story of Raiya Sample Chapter #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi
by Jim
A new dragonforce song… I admit I’m a little off on this one, but it is starting to grow on me. When to listen: I personally like this one on the general playlist. It really speaks to me as I work on world building and characters, but it also has a lot of pure positive energy to boot. Readers, Do you have a question about … Read More From My Writing Playlist
+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, non-fiction, Reading, Writing
by Jim
“Hi Jim, I’m currently writing a story dealing with fantasy characters. I wanted to include a couple of classical fantasy characters in my story. I was wondering if you had any advice about how to go about this? I don’t want to get sued by their owners. Thanks, Jeremy J.” Hi Jeremy, Hi Jeremy, by classical, I assume you’re talking about the creative works … Read More Classic Cameos #Writing #Author #Advice
by Jim
Drakin: The Story of Raiya Book Synopsis: ‘ “Abomination, freak, monster…” You get used to names like these when you have yellow eyes, horns, and scales, but Raiya could have really cared less. After being forced into exile because of her appearance, Raiya’s mind has been focused on one goal; hunting down the dragon lord that killed her parents. For over thirty years, … Read More Drakin, The Story of Raiya Sample Chapter #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi
by Jim
Hello all! I hope everyone has enjoyed The Drakin Series!! Please don’t forget to leave me a review on Amazon once you’re done. That really helps me out a lot. Copies of these books, as well as my others, can be purchased on Amazon by following this link: James Harrington’s Author Page They’re also available at Barnes and Noble, as well as many other … Read More Drakin, where to buy, and what’s next? #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi
by Jim
Another new dragonforce song… they really have changed their style… It’s not a bad thing, but… well… I dunno. I’ll have to wait and see how this grows on me. When to listen: This is my coffee. I listen to songs like this to start driving me to get going. I literally listen to songs like this when I’m worn out, or just getting up, … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
So I wanted to go over something that has always kind of irked me a little. I covered it in a few of my stories, but I feel the need to go over it in a little more detail. I know we’ve all had this person in our lives at one point… Someone from our past comes back to haunt us and basically brings … Read More Forced Regret? #Writing #Author #Advice
by Jim
Before you ask, no I do not speak Mongolian. However, I like the idea of combining traditional Mongolian throat singing with Heavy Metal. It seems like an almost logical fit. When to listen: I don’t even really know what this song is about. So… if you do, feel free to let me know. This is general playlist for me, though the menacing tone could … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
“Hi Jim, I was just wondering what your thoughts were on using contractions in narration, for example having the narrator say ‘He wasn’t sure’ instead of ‘He was not sure’. I’ve been told that it’s too informal, and sounds too much like speaking, especially when the narration isn’t in the first person. (There is, of course, always the rather sneaky thing of getting rid … Read More Contractions Too Informal? #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
James Harringtons Creative Work 