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April 12, 2018 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

The Phoenix Effect: After Being Burned by Bad Reviews

Hi Jim,

I’m really upset about the feedback one of my book has been getting. For the most part, the reviews have been constructive, but they’ve mostly been negative. The book in question is a sequel to one that got a lot of positive reviews. The story had a great following, but now I’m afraid the sequel may have ruined it. I was really hoping to turn this into an ongoing series, but now I’m worried that if I try to publish another sequel, no one will want to read it. Do you think I should abandon the series?

Thanks,
(Confidential by request)

Hi there,

Oh boy, that’s a tough one. My sympathies on the negative reviews, they’re always tough to get through. Fortunately for you, it seems like most of them are genuinely trying to help by providing you constructive criticism instead of your run-of-the-mill “This Sucks!” or “The Author Needs To Stop!” and so on.

At the same time though, the reviews with constructive and legitimate criticism are next to impossible to ignore, and I wouldn’t recommend ignoring them either. It’s a bit of a balancing act that you have to perform. On one side, write how YOU want to write. You don’t owe your audience anything on characters and stories you created. On the other hand, you have to remember that audiences vote with their wallets. So if you’re hoping to actually be able to sell the book, you do need to at least reflect on said criticisms.

For starters, I would read through them, find some recurrent themes. What are the major complaints about the story that people didn’t like? Did you do something that didn’t make sense? Is there a major plothole, or did the story simply take a direction that the audiences didn’t like?

When you figure out what the pattern of negativity is, you can go from there. Write down the primary complaints, keep them in your mind and then go back over your thought processes, experiences, and feelings when you were writing that book. Try to pinpoint what made you take the directions you did and where your inspiration came from.

Then you have to decide where to go next;

You can invalidate the previous book. To do this, you need to retcon what happened in the previous book, but then have your characters find a way to undo whatever happened (time travel is usually a pretty good way of handling this), or you can do what Roseanne did and make the previous story a figment of someone’s imagination or something like that. There are some creative ways of doing this… but I don’t recommend it. This is a pretty shallow way of handling the problem and it’s something audiences can see right through.
Stay the course. If you think you’ve got a solid story and that bad novel was pretty much just a way to bridge two good stories, then you have the option of weathering the criticism and pressing forward. I’d recommend a press release in this case. Actually tell your audience. A few simple words for example:
“Okay everyone, I wanted to address the negative feedback I’ve been getting. I know a lot of you are concerned… look, all I ask is that you give the next book a chance. I promise that this whole thing is going somewhere and hopefully you’ll like where we end up. That’s all I can ask.”
Change direction. Look at the criticism, see where things went off the rails for your audience and turn it around. Find ways to restore certain characters who were altered or end plot points that people didn’t like.

I wouldn’t worry about audiences not buying the book. The thing about readers is that they tend to be very forgiving, especially if everything ends well. In the end, you’re the only one who can decide which way to take the story. It’s your story and it’s entirely up to you.
If you think about it the right way, this could actually work out pretty well for you. Your story took a beating, crashed and burned, it disappointed your audiences and crashed and burned. Now imagine if it rises from the ashes and surprises everyone by being awesome? You play with their emotions and their lack of expectations make them love the story even more. I call it the Phoenix Effect. Your story went from being good, to crashing and burning, yet out of the ashes it is reborn more radiant than it started.

Anyway, I hope this helps you in some way. Hopefully you have a little perspective on where to take your story next.

Readers, do you have any advice? Let us know in the comments!

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 11, 2018 + Book, Comic Book, fantasy, Fiction, Opinion, review, Uncategorized

Heads Up, New J.R.R. TOLKIEN NOVEL!

by Jim

I am super excited about this one. Being a huge fan of Tolkien, owner of two first edition novels of his, and avid fan of the movies… this is huge for me!

The new novel is titled The Fall of Gondolin. It looks like Tolkien’s son Christopher Tolkien is trying to get everything out as fast as he can… given that he’s getting up there, I can understand that. The book will be illustrated by The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings artist Alan Lee. I am familiar with, and love his work.

From what research there is available on this book, per the author of Tolkien and the Great War, John Garth, Tolkien initially wrote The Fall of Gondolin while attempting to recover after the Battle of the Somme during the First World War. It is, however, not going to necessarily be recognizable to fans of the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. According to an article in the Guardian, this story is set roughly six thousand years prior to the events of those two novels.

So to my fellow Tolkien followers, get ready!

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 11, 2018 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice.

by Jim

Hello.

I am writing my first novel and have absolutely no clue about anything publishing related. Any advice you can offer on that subject would help greatly!

K.W. Riley

Hi there,

I actually get this question an awful lot and with good reason. Publishing is a tough road to navigate. Please check out the links below. These are previous posts I’ve made about the ins and outs of publishing. They should be of assistance in your journey:

Am I Ready To Publish? This is a must read BEFORE even considering starting the process. I can’t tell you how many authors burned bridges by not being ready.

Editing… There is a Cost That Must be Paid… or is There? You can skip this one if you’ve already had your writing edited (by someone other than you!). However, I’d still recommend reading.

Getting Published… the basics… This is pretty much what you came here for. In this post, we explore traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. Here you’ll get the pros on cons of each and the steps you need to go through in order to be successful in either.

Finally…

Copyrighting my Writing. Am I Protected? This isn’t required reading for your question… however if you’re concerned about plagiarism, or in the future may need to file a copyright claim, I recommend giving it a read.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? I’d be surprised if you didn’t. The only sage advice I can offer you other than the documents above is simple…

Do not give up. A million “No’s” suddenly become irrelevant if you get that one “yes”.
People will tell you that everyone and their mother wants to publish a book. You’re up against insurmountable odds and a flooded market. This is false. You’re not up against everyone and their mother. Permit me the luxury and I’ll prove this mathematically:First of all, take the entire group of people who want to get published. Now take that number and reduce it by roughly 60%. You just eliminated all the people who want to get something published, but don’t have the time, ability, drive, or inspiration to write. Next eliminate another 20%. You’ve now taken down all the people who can put pen to paper, but can’t afford the time/money to put the work into advertising and getting published. Eliminate another 10% who can’t take criticism and thus aren’t going to be able to get their writing properly edited. Now eliminate another 5% either don’t have the patience for, or get discouraged by receiving a series of “No’s” from publishers.
Now take that last 5% and eliminate all of them, except you. Why? Because they’re irrelevant. You have your writing and they have there’s. Whether or not you get published and how successful you are isn’t about other people’s writing.

Yes, in the end, it’s you against one person, you. Whether or not I’ll ever get to buy your book off the shelf depends on you; how much time, effort, and funds you’re willing to put into your writing. So make it good!

Let’s open it up to the floor. Readers, do you have any publishing advice for our friend here? Let her know in the comments!

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 11, 2018 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

I’m not usually an instrumental guy. That being said, if I get something that really stands out, I have to share it. This one made it’s way on my playlist a few months ago.

When to Listen: Scene description, especially outdoors. This could also be the right time to describe an epic battle.

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 10, 2018 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

Podcasting/Interview Requests

by Jim

Hi all,

So I’ve had some people come forward with interview requests and podcast guest appearances.

I thought it’d be a good idea to put this out there for anyone who would like to have me on their show or conduct an interview on their blog.

For Podcasts/Audio Spots:

I typically do everything over Skype, though I can make myself available on other platforms, depending on what my computer can handle.

My skype name is (live:)sgtharringtonresearch.
You can also reach me by email: jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I don’t publish my phone number (for obvious reasons), so it’s probably best to get in touch with me via email, then we can set aside some time to speak over skype regarding an appearance time/date.

For Blog Interviews:

Please feel free to send your questions to the above email and I’ll get back to you as quick as possible. All I ask is that you link to my blog or books (either or both, it doesn’t matter) when publishing said interview.

I’ve also been asked about charging a fee for guest spots… Yeah I don’t do that. It costs me nothing but a little time and honestly helps me promote my books. So don’t worry about that.

Please understand though that I do get a lot of emails do my best to get to as many of them as I can. Writing is not my full time job (yes, I have another one in addition to writing and family life). So my time is drastically limited. That beings said, I will do my best to respond as timely as possible.

Hope this helps!

-Jim

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 10, 2018 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

Social Commentary/Political Agenda in Writing, The Good and Bad.

by Jim

Hi Jim,

I’ve been reading through some of your posts regarding avoiding politics, and escapism in entertainment. You seem to be extremely anti-politics in your advice. You use Marvel Comics and others as your primary example, but you do realize that they have always been political, right? Most of the mediums and genres you’ve addressed have historically been political. So I’m not really sure what your gripe with them is.

Thanks,
Wil

Hi Wil,

You’re absolutely right, most of these stories have a moral/political message/social commentary, etc. Admittedly, it’s next to impossible to avoid in stories. Even if you don’t intend for your story to have any sort of message like that, one could be drawn from it.

When I first published my YA series Magnifica , I started getting emails from people who wanted to comment on my ‘handling of racial discrimination and bigotry’. I actually got a lot of positive feedback on how Lia’na was treated in modern society, which I was surprised about.
All this time, I’m sitting there scratching my head like, “That… wasn’t really the intention. Elves have traditionally been bashed, badmouthed, and mistreated by other species around them. I just put a modern slant on it.”
However, that’s what my audience drew from it.

So let me address your specific criticisms. You are absolutely correct on all counts that each of those mediums have inserted social commentary or political message into their writing. That being said, I invite you to pick up a copy of something like Mockingbird, or some of the newer X-Men and compare them to the original… even just go back to the early 80s during the Chris Claremont age.

Do you see a difference? The key to putting a message into your story is to do it in a way where the story doesn’t take a back seat to the message. If you write just for the sake of delivering a political message, nine times out of ten, you’re going to either bore or disenfranchise your audience. Yes, there are some writers that have successfully pulled this off, but a broken clock is right twice a day. That’s the exception, not the rule.

The difference we see is that when Claremont or Lee wrote their stories, they were aware of the message that they wanted to convey, but they also respected their audience’s intelligence. Not only did they show their perspective, but they demonstrated an understanding of the other perspectives as well. In the case of the X-Men, you saw how hatred and segregation affected mutants, you understood not only Professor Xavier’s position, but also Magneto’s. You understand both their philosophies, and it’s honestly sometimes to take a side.

On the other side of the coin, you’re also presented with understanding of why people fear mutants. You can sympathize with, understand, and even make the case for why they feel the way they do, even if you don’t agree with it. What’s more, when we start seeing projections of the future and the seemingly unavoidable wars that break out, the writers almost make the case that Professor X’s beliefs and goals may be little more than a pipe dream. In other words, the writers acknowledge the flaws in their own beliefs.

Now take that and compare it to what we see these days. Writers for movies, comics, and normal literature have decided in many cases that hammering in a political narrative is more important than telling a good story. They’ve done everything from breaking the fourth wall, to stopping stories just to have a character get on a soap box, to insulting the intelligence of their audience, to flat out drawing a line and saying that anyone who doesn’t agree with their… increasingly narrow view is the spawn of Satan (literally in a few cases).

This is not how you attract an audience, it’s not how you keep an audience, and it’s certainly not an advisable way to get your name in print. I cancelled my subscription to some of these comics because, while I agree with some (emphasis here) of the messages they’re trying to deliver, I felt like I was being talked down to and condescended. You can really sense the cynicism in some of their writings.

So Wil, I hope I answered your question. I’m not against having a moral or political agenda in a story or medium. I am, however, very much so against the way people are going about it. We’ve seen a lot of comic writers come out and bash fans saying that they don’t work for us… and yes, that’s true… you’re free to write whatever you want… but being disrespectful, condescending, and showing little understanding or tolerance of those who disagree with you, is a good way of insuring your unemployment or solidifying your status as a ‘starving artist’ for the foreseeable future.

Readers, what do you think? Leave your comments below!

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 10, 2018 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

Before I get to today’s recommendation… I just want to say that searching for new music to whet my appetite is becoming a chore. YouTube recommendations have all but dried up… and honestly in my preferred genres, everyone is either trying to be the next Within Temptation or Nightwish. They all come off sounding incredibly generic and watered down by comparison.

Then you’ve got the bands that actually sound like something you could get into… but you’re waiting, hoping to hear just one or two notes that will make a song resonate with you… and it never gets there. You go through the band’s playlist, because you like their style… but the music just never quite get’s there.

PLEASE Metal Bands, do something new, do something different, do something unique! I’m here waiting for you and I’ll showcase your work!

All right, well you came here for a recommendation. So let’s take a step back a few years to Project Aegis, a project of Rob Rock:

I love the vocals, I love the story… I love how this was all done as a charity.

When to Listen: Sheer positive energy. Listen to this when experiencing writing fatigue. It will help, trust me!

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 9, 2018 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Drakin, where to buy, and what’s next?

by Jim

Hello all!

So it’s been a couple of weeks now, it looks like sales are going well! Thanks BTW!

So I know I haven’t been around in a while since I published Drakin and for that I do apologize. However I had some inspiration come my way… and actually managed to write out a full sequel in a matter of weeks. It’s really rough and I literally just finished it, so don’t expect it out for a while, just know that another one is coming down the pipes!

I hope everyone has enjoyed The Story of Raiya thus far!! Please leave me a review on amazon if you enjoy it. That really helps me out a lot.

Copies can be purchased on Amazon…

In Kindle format here.

In softcover format here.

In hardcover format here.

It’s also available at Barnes and Noble, as well as many other places where books are sold! I hope you enjoy my latest and please remember to leave a review if you enjoyed the book!

Paperback: 474 pages
Publisher: James Harrington; 1 edition (January 23, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692057072
ISBN-13: 978-0692057070

Please feel free to like and reblog this post. Word of mouth helps us writers out a lot!

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, humanity has been locked in a struggle for survival against a race of dragons that had fallen from the heavens. They took everything from her and consumed the planet in a fierce war. Humanity’s numbers are quickly dwindling, leaving her few options in the way of allies.

What she doesn’t know is that her journey will strike at the very heart of the Red War and uncover truths about her past that she may not want to know. Can she finish what she started while coming to terms with the truths of her origin? ‘

SAMPLE CHAPTER

Chapter I

“Unbelievable… thirty years of this shit… wonder how we’ve been able to keep this up for so long.”

As Jagger pulled his jeep onto what was once Route 9, he reached over to the dash and turned the radio on. A tired-sounding voice appeared over the speaker, “This Matt Lowry, WPR hourly news. Today the Second Battalion, Eastern division, rendezvoused with the Third Battalion outside of New Washington beneath the third parallel in district 5. They were successful at warding off the dragon advance. Casualties were estimated at 30%. However, initial reports estimate that at least six dragons were downed in the fight…”

Jagger sighed. Why do I even bother listening to this? It’s never good news, just a constant reminder that we’re all fucked. Every time those beasts attack, we’re pushed a little closer to extinction.

“In other news, Captain Suen Luli of the Eastern Coalition Air Corps was awarded for…”

Click.

Jagger turned the radio off. He knew the typical song and dance of the news source. They’d tell the bad news first and then deliver some good news which would be played up to be more important. He understood why things were done this way. Morale was very important… especially when it was hidden from no one that humanity was losing the war quite badly.

The jeep drove under the remains of an old overpass that had long since collapsed. It maneuvered gently around the piles of debris. Jagger had spent a lot of time rebuilding and refurbishing his truck. He wasn’t about to get it banged up. Once it cleared the debris, he pressed the gas and picked up speed.

A sign on the side read ‘Now Entering Natick.’ Jagger had been told stories about how that whole area used to be lively with stores and restaurants for people to enjoy. He was too young to remember any of this.

The Red War had been going on for years before his birth, and Natick had been laid to waste while he was still a young child. Now all that remained was rubbed and maybe some salvageable equipment buried in the dirt.

The jeep rounded a large piece concrete that, at one time had been the side of a storefront. This was usually Jagger’s marker to find his way back home. As the jeep hit the open road, a loud noise cut through the air. Shreeeee!

Jagger hit the brakes, “Wyverns… shit! One of those days…”

Jagger quickly put the car in park before reaching behind the passenger seat and grabbing a large bolt rifle. A dark shadow passed overhead as he checked the cartridge battery. The indicator light jumped from red to blue, showing a full charge. Good… let’s do this!

Jagger jumped out of the jeep, brushed a few strands of his long, brown hair out of his face and aimed the rifle. The first wyvern he saw was flying low overhead. He ducked down behind the large piece of rubble that he has passed a moment ago. His gray eyes followed the target. He watched and waited… waited until he had lined up a clean shot, and pulled the trigger. Three large, positively-charged bolts flew from the barrel. Two shots hit the large beast, sending it falling from the sky. I’ve gotten too used to taking down drakes. I used to be able to hit with all three shots!

Sparks of blue electricity flashed through its body as it hit the barrel ground. The wyvern’s skin was too thick for the bolts to do any real damage. They only stunned it, but it was enough to give Jagger the advantage.

He quickly ran to the wyvern, pulled a large machete from his belt, and jabbed it into the only vulnerable part of a dragon’s body; the eyes.

The blade destroyed the creature’s left eye and plunged into its brain. The dying wyvern let out a painful cry as it tried to dislodge the blade. It was a gruesome sight that Jagger had grown used to. He’d been trained for a long time to show no mercy.

Every time he had to watch this scene, he remembered back to the first one he’d killed during his training. He remembered that it had made him sick to his stomach. Seeing a creature suffer like that seemed cruel, but every time he was about to look away his drill sergeant would stop him and force him to watch, “They’re lethal to the very end. Turning your back on one now could be the biggest mistake you ever make.”

‘The biggest mistake.’ It was something that he’d never forgotten.

The wounded beast slowly ceased movement as death overtook it. Jagger placed his foot over the beast’s snout and pulled his blade from its head. Greenish-purple blood spewed from the wound as Jagger wiped the blade off.

As Jagger finished cleaning the blade, he turned to head back to his jeep and grab a few supplies. The snout of a second wyvern was in his path. Oh shit…

Somehow the beast had used its partner’s death screams as a cover to hold Jagger’s attention long enough for it to sneak up on him. The beast smiled, “Hope you taste good!”

Jagger frowned, “This is one meal you’re going to have to work for.”

Jagger gripped the blade at his side, knowing he’d never raise it in time. He waited for the wyvern to lunge. This was likely it, “Bring it on… you ugly freak!”

As the wyvern took a step towards him, a black blur appeared in its path. It shrieked in surprise upon realizing that it had become outnumbered.

Jagger blinked as his eyes adjusted to the new player. They were completely clad in black robes from head to toe, making identification impossible. A gray backpack was strapped tightly to their back. Whoever this was, they moved with lightning speed.

The wyvern snapped at the robed figure, only to have the figure dodge out of the way and grab it by the neck. The stranger held the wyvern in a headlock as it struggled to get out. Jagger watched as it hissed and roared, “Damn… this guy is good!”

“Let go, bitch or I’ll tear your heart out!” The wyvern snarled.

Female… okay, well that’s a start. Jagger thought as he quickly moved to grab his bolt gun.

No amount of thrashing could shake this stranger lose. Her hands were locked tightly around the wyvern’s neck. She spoke in a voice that was barely more than a whisper, “No… you won’t…”

To Jagger’s utter shock, she jerked her arms, causing the wyvern’s neck to sharply turn to the side. The sound of a loud snap caused the wyvern to go limp.

The skeletal structure and bone mass of even the youngest dragons were considerably thicker than humans. Their muscle tissue was also incredibly strong. No human being should posess that strength. It was a physical impossibility.

Jagger watched in amazement as she let go of the beast, tossed its head to the side, and turned to confront him. He put on a friendly smile and nodded nervously. Careful Jagger, she looks like she’s ready to kill you. “Thanks.”

He couldn’t see most of her face under the hood, but her yellow eyes almost looked like they were glowing. Her voice was deep and very quiet when she spoke. It was almost a whisper and difficult to hear, “It was stupid of you to leave your car. A jeep can outrun those beasts and they always hunt in pairs, at least.”

Yup… definitely a woman. “It didn’t seem that dangerous. Wyverns can’t breathe fire, so its easier to fight on foot, especially if there’s only one. I didn’t see the second, and I’m usually not caught off guard like that.”

“One stupid move… all it takes.”

“Words of Wisdom.”

“Why did you fight?”

“Instinct I guess.”

“I see…”

The figure stared at him for a moment. To Jagger, it felt like he was in the middle of drill inspection back at WesCon command. Her eyes darted up and down for a moment before she abruptly turned and began walking away.

Jagger called after her, “Wait!”

The figure stopped but did not turn and did not respond. Jagger took a few cautious steps towards it, “I owe you one for helping me. Do you need anything?”

“No.”

“Really? Nothing?”

“No… not unless…”

“Yeah?”

The figure paused for a moment. Jagger waited as she slowly turned around. Her hood was down as though she were looking at her stomach, “I haven’t eaten in a few days… I could use of some supplies. Do you have any?”

Jagger smiled, “No, but my town is nearby. Hop in, I’m heading for New Framingham. There are plenty of shops there.”

“A… town?”

“Yeah, you’ll be able to find anything you want there.”

“I… I’m not sure…” The figure replied in a nervous whisper. “I don’t typically do well around large groups of people.”

Jagger looked at her oddly, “Well… It’s the only major hub in this part of old New England after Boston and Worcester were destroyed. The survivors moved out here and established a fortified city in the only nearby area with buildings left standing.”

“Boston and Worcester… they were both destroyed?”

Really? How could she not know about this? “Yeah, for almost ten years now, where have you been?”

“Away…”

“Away?”

The robed woman climbed into the jeep and rested her hands on her lap. She turned to watch as Jagger grabbed a saw out of the back, “Yes… I’ve been wandering the country since my grandparents were killed by an elder dragon. I don’t have access to a radio so…”

Her eyes narrowed as Jagger walked over to one of the fallen wyverns, “Wait… what are you doing?”

Jagger looked down at the saw, “I’m going to get their teeth.”

“Why?”

“Dragon teeth are flame-resistant. They can be melted down and used to make armor, weapons, walls… all kinds of different things. They’re worth a fortune if you can get them.”

He placed the saw on the nearest wyvern’s mouth and began to run the blade across its gums. Blood stained his hands as he struggled to make conversation, “So… you’re a nomad?”

“There a better way to live beyond city walls?”

“Not really…” Jagger chuckled as he removed the upper jaw. “Okay… well let’s see, ten years huh?”

“Yeah.”

“All right so I can fill you in on the Red War, but what do you know so far?”

The girl shrugged, “Not much… From what my grandparents told me, the dragons first appeared in New York… After decimating Manhattan, they flew east and were seen weeks later heading towards Siberia. The five of them disappeared for about five years. When they reappeared, there were many… many more of them and they continued to multiply.”

She leaned on the roll bar of the old jeep as Jagger threw the teeth into the back. He then quickly wiped his hands and went to work on the second wyvern, “They were immune to conventional weapons and were too fast for nukes to work… not for a lack of trying… obviously.”

Jagger looked around the barren wasteland that used to be Wellesley, Massachusetts and nodded, “Obviously… is that it?”

“No.” The woman replied stoically. “I heard that countries were toppled by the onslaught of the dragons… Even the U.S. Government retreated. I heard the president’s speech, vowing to return and retake the land lost to the dragons… That was three days before he and his chiefs of staff were all killed. The remaining world leaders set aside their differences and formed into two governing bodies; the Eastern and Western Coalitions. They established regional governors, but the cities and settlements themselves are largely self-governed… That’s all I know.”

Jagger nodded as he removed the second wyvern’s jaw, “Sounds like you’ve heard most of it. The problem was that most weapons couldn’t penetrate a dragon’s scales. Missiles didn’t work, bullets didn’t… some armor piercers did, but they’re rare. Eventually we developed electrostatic shock weapons and super-focused lasers that could burn a hole through them, but by then…

Jagger let out a deep sigh as he spoke,”… by then, it was almost too late. Humanity had been reduced to nearly 2 billion people.”

“You’re losing the war…” The woman said in a whisper.

Jagger grabbed a bottle of water from behind his seat and poured some over his hands. The cool water rinsed away the dragon’s blood and soothed his skin, “Don’t you mean we’re losing?”

“Sure…”

Jagger got behind the wheel of the jeep and started it up. The engine came to life and caused the entire car to vibrate. He pulled back on the break and allowed the car to wheel forward.

The stranger eyed the dash, “Your car’s engine sounds different. They’re usually louder.”

Jagger smiled, “They’re usually falling apart. I spent years working on this one.”

“Impressive.”

Jagger kept his eyes on the road, though he occasionally looked up to make sure that the sky was clear, “By the way, I’m Lieutenant Jagger Bishop, WesCon Security.”

No response.

“What, you don’t have a name?”

“…”

“All right then…”

Jagger couldn’t be certain, but he thought he detect and annoyed sigh before she spoke, “… Raiya if you must know.”

“Raiya, that’s an unusual name.”

“I’m an unusual person.”

Jagger nodded, “Yeah I believe that, just from watching you.”

“Whatever you say.” Raiya said in a disinterested tone.

Jagger released a deep breath as he watched the debris pass, “So… those were some nice moves you pulled back there. You must be pretty jacked to snap the neck of a dragon. That was amazing.”

“It’s not that hard if you know where the joint is.”

“Maybe you could show me?”

“Doubtful, you also have to be really fast…”

“Oh… too bad.”

As the jeep picked up speed, Raiya struggled to keep her hood up. It acted like a sail, catching the wind that blew past her face. As it was pushed back, small flashes of her skin appeared. She grabbed the sides and forced them forward, holding the hood down over her face.

Jagger had his eyes on the road and could only see her out of the corner of his right, but what he saw left him with more questions than answers. Her skin was tanned, but her pigment appeared to have an almost greenish hue to it. The strands of hair he saw looked like it was a dark olive color. Maybe she dyed it somehow? Yeah right, where would she get dye out here? You’re probably just seeing things.

It was a reasonable thought. He never really had great lateral vision. However, as the hood flew back a second time, he quickly glanced over to confirm what he initially saw. His eyes caught sight of the odd complexion of her skin. There was no doubt that something was off with her. Who or what was this girl? Dragon’s Bane? There hasn’t been a confirmed case of it in a few years…

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine… why?”

“Your skin… it’s… pale.”

“So what…? It’s just how I look.”

“All right.”

I hope everyone is as excited for this one as I am! I can’t wait to introduce you to a new world of dragons!

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 9, 2018 + Cosplay, fantasy, Geek, Nintendo, Opinion, Science Fiction, video games

Detroit Become Human Review

by Jim

Okay, before I say anything, if you haven’t seen the trailer yet… GO WATCH IT!

Okay, did you get through all that? Am I the only one who sees this being turned into a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence?

Obviously the graphics look amazing, but what about the gameplay? Well… thankfully during my visit to Pax East, my wife and I were able to demo the game.

I was truly scared that this was going to be a game that was pretty much a 3rd Person beat em up, shooter. However, from what I’ve seen, this is anything but that. The immersive surroundings, and flowing story makes this game hard to ignore. My wife and I both played the demo and both had a very different story to tell about how it ended.

So based on the trailer and what little of the game I was able to sample:

Immersion 5/5

Graphics 4/5 (they do seem a little behind.)

Story 5/5 I was really interested in Connor and David and can’t wait to hear more about them and how the scene unfolded around them.

Overall 5/5 (Dear God, please don’t let this game turn out to suck!)

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 9, 2018 + Cosplay, fantasy, Geek, Nintendo, Opinion, Science Fiction, video games

Pax East Cosplaying!

by Jim

So each year when I go to PAX, I try to snag as many pictures of the best (or at least my favorite) cosplayers. As you can imagine, there is a massive mix of bad, good, and… the ones who clearly put as much time into their as I do writing, editing, and cover planning my books! Seriously!

We also get a reminder that cosplay is as much about being clever as it is putting money and time into your costume. (Seriously, that fighter… GOLD, PURE GOLD!)

So this year… we had a noticeable amount of Final Fantasy Costumes to go through, perhaps the best of which is that person who dressed as Squall from FF8. Seriously, they got the look and everything down.

So at the end of the day, which one was the best, in my opinion? Well… it’s a tough call. I can’t really attest to the one I think is the best. That being said, I can say which one was my favorite, and partially because I’m biased towards this character… We came across this cosplayer who did an amazingly good job of Talia from Mass Effect, going so far as to paint her face under the mask! In addition, the mask had a speaker, making her voice sound similar to the character.

So yes, the winner, IMO is Talia from Mass Effect.

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 5, 2018 + Andrew Lloyd Webber, Music, Musical, Opinion, Religion, TV Show

Jesus Christ Superstar, Honest Review

by Jim

“In ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ an Old Story for (Yet Another) New Millennium”
–New York Times

“NBC’s live ‘Superstar’ rose up from its own chaos and found salvation in the end”
–Washington Post

“For fans eager to see this blast from the past resurrected with freshness, passion and contemporary attitude, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert delivered.”
–Hollywood Reporter

“‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Brings Strong Voices To A Familiar Story”
–NPR

There was a lot of hype surrounding this production… a LOT of hype. So how could anyone not want to watch it? As someone who’s always had an interest in religious history, mysticism, doctrine, and systems of belief, and having written two books about it, I have to admit that this caught my eye…

Well… full disclosure, the Alice Cooper credit helped there as well.

I saw the original film production and, while I liked it, I didn’t think that it was really anything special. The songs were enjoyable enough, but I didn’t really see it as anything break through that stood out from other musicals of the time period. So I watched it, I enjoyed it, and I quickly forgot about it.

Years later, I revisited the play and I have to admit that the second time around was better than the first. One or two songs made it onto my playlist as well. Even so, I maintained my original opinion. It was good but offered little that made it stand out against other musicals. Other than it’s somewhat controversial portrayal of Jesus and Judas, there really wasn’t anything that distinguished it.

So, with all the hype, and having been to an Alice Cooper Concert recently… my wife decided to flick it on the other night. We open to a scene that looks like something from an ancient church… being renovated. Okay, okay, right off the bat, I know that this is a stage production, a high budget stage production, but still. We’re not going to get authentic sets like what we saw in the movies, I get that. However… I would have liked maybe a little bit more?

I mean the sets I’ve seen in past musicals that I’ve gone to see have very minimalist sets, but they utilize what little they have and really effectively manipulate the lighting and shadows to make you feel like you’re standing right in the middle of the scene they’re trying to portray. In this case… I didn’t get that. Half the time, I didn’t know if I was inside, outside, or where in Jerusalem we were supposed to be. So again, this may be a bit of a nitpick, but I don’t think the sets effectively used what they had.

The same can be said for the costumes. Now before anyone get’s after me, yes the costumes for this play have ALWAYS been historically wonky and a weird fusion of modern clothing, but at least the key players had something… resembling period clothing. The Sanhedrin looked like Sith Lords out of Star Wars, and Judas looked like a biker. The tattoos and modern hairstyles also made it hard to tell who I was dealing with if it wasn’t a main cast member. Again, minor nitpick, but it detracted from the experience.

The songs were the same as before, but the performers… yeah I have to admit gave them new life. There was an energy to many of these songs that hadn’t been there before. I was actually thoroughly surprised to see Norm Lewis playing Caiaphas. The moment I saw him, my opinion of the play increased considerably. He is, without a doubt, one of the strongest male singers on the planet right now and I have been a fan of his since he came to the Boston 4th of July Pops celebration some years ago and performed “I Can Go The Distance.”

This was a pleasant surprise for me. For the most part, the songs were well performed and certainly had me tapping my foot the entire time. So I’ll give them full stars for how they did with fairly run-of-the-mill musical numbers. They certainly gave them new life and energy, it wasn’t perfect (and we’ll get to why later), but it was certainly an improvement.

So let’s talk about the casting…
I was pretty much giving Norm Lewis a standing ovation. As I said above, I’m a huge fan of his and he did not disappoint in this role either. Perhaps one of the surprise standouts was Jin Ha, playing Annas. I say standout because he really stole what parts of the show he was in, and that’s pretty big for a relatively unknown actor.

Another Standout was Sara Bareilles, again not someone I’ve heard of before. She absolutely delivered my favorite iteration of “I Don’t Know How To Love Him.”

Her singing here was heartfelt and dead on. I thought she nailed it.

Brandon Victor Dixon played Judas. I have to admit, I’m not familiar with him and, given his filmography, it’s not a mystery as to why. That said, I really enjoyed his performance. He was as good, if not better than the venerable Carl Anderson. He easily kept everyone’s attention and brought a lot of energy to the show. It really does look like he’s having fun with the role as he performs.

Alice Cooper as Herod. There really is nothing to say here. If you’ve seen the original production, just hearing that credit should be enough to make you smile and want to see this. If for nothing else, his scene alone should make you want to see this production. He didn’t disappoint… The moment he got on stage and began singing, my wife commented that I was ‘grinning like an idiot the entire time.’ I’ll just leave it at that.

The last cast member I want to touch on is John Legend… I’ve heard opinions going back and forth on this one and… really I feel like he got the role because of his star power. That’s not to say he didn’t do a good job portraying Jesus, I think he did as well as he could with the material given. That being said, in other productions, the role of Jesus was played by people with a more gutteral, rock voice. John Legend’s background is more in R&B and his voice is a lot smoother than what we’d typically expect.

This isn’t his fault, mind you, the problem is that these songs were written for someone with more of a rock voice to sing. So he did a good job with what he could but, the incompatibility with the songs really showed here. He did as well as anyone could expect, but in the end, I really felt like his performance fell flat.

So at the end of the day, was this as big and game-changing as the critics have been making it out to be? Eh… no, not really. I’d give it a slightly better score than the previous productions because they did put a lot of energy into the songs that really made them stand out. The actors put their all into this, you can clearly see that… and of course Alice Cooper was a ton of fun, but for a revival to be successful, you really need to bring something new to the table… and while they tried to do that, most of the efforts really seemed to come up short. I’ll probably buy the soundtrack, because the positive energy in most of the songs was great, but all in all, I was hoping for a little bit more.

In summation, it was good, better than the original, but only marginally so. I was hoping for more. I still recommend seeing it, but don’t let all the hype up your expectations too much.

So readers, what do you think? Did any of you see it? Did you like it? Let me know what you thought of it down in the comments.

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

April 5, 2018 + Action Figues, Comics, fantasy, Movies, Opinion, Science Fiction, Skyrim

A Part of our Childhood Dies

by Jim

I know, I know…. #FirstWorldProblems! I don’t care.

Being a toy collector, and a huge proponent of geek culture, I felt I had to address this. For people around the world who may not know, in at least the United States and Canada Toys R Us was a place most of us looked at fondly ever since we were children and we’re really sad to see it go.

When I was little, I got my first Gameboy at the one in Dedham, Massachusetts. I remember getting Nintendo, Gameboy, all the way up to Sony Playstation games there before I went to college. You always went in and grabbed a slip of paper that you brought up to the front to check out. There were literally three isles of games to look through. Back then, they had everything.

This wasn’t just with video games though, back then, Toys R Us was a one-stop-shop for all things a kid or geek could ever want. They had model kits and paints, arts and crafts supplies, bikes, an endless supply of action figures… going in there as a kid and being let loose to find the one treasure that I’d been hoping to find (within reason of course), and the joy if finding it still in stock.

I do realize that the place has changed, pricing there has gotten a little crazy, and it’s not anywhere near what it was when I was a child, but being a parent now myself… watching my kids experience the same thing when we go in there… that magic never left. I’m just really sorry that my kids will no longer be able to experience that. Yes, we still have targets, walmarts, etc. that have their toy sections, but it’s not really the same thing.

So if you found this post to be tripe and focused on something that really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, well I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s always tough to watch a piece of nostalgia disappear forever and I will miss it.

However I’d like to hear from some of my readers. Do you have fond memories of this company or another that no longer exists? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments. I’d love to hear about them.

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 use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim