This song is dumb. I mean downright dumb. Listen to the lyrics and the horrible things that they say about Africa. I know… I know… they meant Ethiopia, but they didn’t say Ethiopia, they said Africa.
“There’s a world outside your window, and it’s a world of dread and fear
Where a kiss of love can kill you, and there’s death in every tear
And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom”
Okay… even if they’re just talking about one specific region… ouch people!
They also say that no rain or rivers flow… okay this is a classic case of some well-meaning douchebags coming off as horribly racist and just… well unintelligent.
That being said… I like this song. I like the tune, I like the talent behind it and its still a pleasant melody.
When to listen: Brainstorming, just don’t listen to the lyrics for the love of God.
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:
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!
You’re here again before my eyes
A ghost within a dream
Things that you do and say
Just kill me every time
Is this how, how it will stay?
By the river I walk and wander on
I’m a warrior on a journey home
Will you show me the way to you once more
Always yours, ghost in the rain
I wish I could undo my grave mistake
And say the words unsaid
Obsession grows like flames
Time only makes it worse
It hurts, yet I’ll be strong
By the river I walk and wander on
I’m a warrior dreaming of lost love
Will you open the door to me once more
Always yours, ghost in the rain
The wind will bring a gentle storm
Under the pale full moon
Facing my destiny
A never-ending story
Survivor is coming home
By the river I walk and wander on
I’m a warrior on a journey home
Will you show me the way to you once more
Always yours, ghost in the rain
By the river I walk and wander on
I’m a warrior dreaming of lost love
Will you open the door to me once more
Always yours, ghost in the rain
In the rain
Like a ghost in the rain I call your name
I can’t even find this song on YouTube or anywhere else. So if anyone else finds it, let me know. I bought the Beast in Black album Berserker and can honestly say… it’s amazing. I’ve listened to it all the way through and it’s only ten songs, but each one is really good. This one stands out big time. Though not the cover song, it deserves a lot more recognition than it gets. So find it on Amazon Music or Pandora or… SOMETHING! It’s worth a listen. Definitely one of the more beautiful ballads I’ve ever heard.
When to listen: When your character is on the outside looking in. Either for a lost love or the loser in a love triangle. Listen to this when your character gives up the one s/he loves the most because s/he know they’ll be better off either with the other person, or just without 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:
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!
Next up on the playlist is a song that… well you really don’t need a Holiday as an excuse to listen to this one…
Not the most politically correct song, but I can’t tell you how many drunken karaoke nights I’ve done around the Holiday where me and a few friends got up and sang this one… no I do not have video.
When to Listen: General playlist. It’s a good one.
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:
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!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! TO ALL MY FRIENDS IN THE UNITED STATES!!!
You dig into that Turkey and you enjoy it, your grandma/wife/spouse/etc./Boston Market worked hard on that meal for you!
So this is a tradition I started last year on my facebook account, and now I’m going to do it here. So now this is my writing playlist, Christmas edition. From now until Christmas, I’m counting down the most inspirational Christmas Music I’ve ever heard. I’m going to start off on a high note with one of the most beautiful Christmas melodies I’ve ever heard…
I love this song. It’s a sweet melody sung by one of my favorite female volcalists: Elize Ryd (Amaranthe), as well as the singer from Sonata Artica.
When to listen: Whenever. This is a song about togetherness. Listen to it during a scene where your characters share a moment, or even on the general playlist!
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:
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!
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!
I was wondering if you’d ever done a collaborative work? If so, what’s your opinion on the best way to organize it? I thought it would be fun to work with someone on a story because they have a plotline that they’ve been working on, and I’ve got one that I think would go along well with it. I’m concerned about some of the characters I’m writing and whether or not my partner will be able to properly portray them. I don’t want to just give up on this as the story really sounds great with what we’ve come up with.
Thanks,
Julia
Hi Julia,
Good question. So I think the most important part of a collaboration is communication. When the two of you are working on the same page. Make sure that s/he knows what you’re hoping to accomplish and how your character is written. If after all of that, you’re still worried, there are a few options;
Fix the character in editing. You’d be surprised how much changes when you go through and edit a book. A lot gets changed and in some cases even some of the themes are altered. This will be a really great place to go through and make the desired changes.
Have him/er write his characters and you write yours or have them tell you the scenario and you write the characters into it.
Collaboration is not easy given that you’ve got two people with likely very different sets of ideas of how a story is going to play out. Don’t be afraid to voice your concerns and if things get too bad, then feel free to walk away. Though I would do this only as a last resort, especially since you both may have to abandon the story and said characters in their entirety. I’ve heard accusations of plagiarism come from failed collaborations, so you do need to be careful.
At the same time though, YOU need to be able to give a little. An idea may sound good to you, but may not make sense or mesh well in the story. You need to be prepared to take constructive criticism as it comes and be ready to change something as needed. You cannot stonewall someone and expect the collaboration to be successful.
I’ve only done one and admittedly, it didn’t go well. So the likelihood of me doing it again is minimal. I’m not against the idea if its someone I can work well with, but too often I wind up butting horns.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with admitting that. If you don’t work well writing with another person, that’s perfectly fine. You don’t have to write with someone else, you can write your own story and be done with it.
The way we did it was that I’d write one story and he’d write the next one… unfortunately he took the story in a direction which was the polar opposite of where I wanted it to go. There was no give and take and after being stonewalled, I refused to write another piece for the series. I was done.
So hopefully this helps you a little. Be vocal, but also be willing to give a little in the exchange. Writing with another person can be an interesting experience if you’re both on the same page… or at least in the same chapter.
Readers, what do you think? Are collaborations not worth the trouble or is there something rewarding about them? Share your experiences with Julia 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:
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!
This may not be the update everyone wants to hear, but because of delays and a few outstanding issues, we’re going to need to move the release of the book back to the end of December. All parties involved agreed that this was for the best. I know this may be a bit of a downer, but it really is for the best. We want to give you all the best story we possibly can, as such it’s going to take a little longer.
Thanks and sorry in advance, we’ll get this done and out to you as soon as we can!
-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:
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!
This one… is a rarity for me. I don’t typically deal in anything Metallica post ’89. Once the Black album came out, it was fairly obvious that band had sold their soul to the ‘alternative’ genre that is the bane of most metal/hard rock fans. It’s an all encompassing, soul-sucking, genre that has some of the most vapid, and undefinable music out there. Remember all those bands that flooded the airwares in the 90s that sang out of the corner of their mouths and emphasized vowels? Yup, alt-rock.:
So why am I recommending this one? Because its pretty much the best thing they’ve put out since ‘And Justice for All’ and honestly… it’s fairly decent. It’s not metal or anything like that, but it really helps me write sometimes.
When to listen: This is a cool down song. After a very tense scene, listen to this when the hero is trying to collect his/herself and their group.
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:
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!
Well I couldn’t put it all on one list, so here’s #2… these are songs that I do not recommend listening to when trying to write, not without a foreign substance involved (which I also don’t recommend), Again, this is strictly opinion, so don’t get mad if you see your favorite song on here… (If it is on here… seriously though!) 😉
System Of A Down – Chop Suey!
Know that one kid in college who used to blare an annoying song he loved over and over in his dorm room? I was the kid banging on his door yelling STFU because he wouldn’t stop playing this song. It’s not metal, but it’s heavy enough that I couldn’t drown it out, not even with Slayer.
This song is way too distracting for me to get any serious writing done. I never understood what people got from this. It has some impressive drums and guitar riffs, but that’s it.
Macy Gray – I Try
My wife insisted I put this one on the list. I personally don’t have a huge issue with it, but I can’t write to this song. Every time I hear it, it reminds me of a retirement home choir singing. Macy, I’m sorry… you sound like you’re in your 70s.
Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
There is no talent here. I’m sorry, at least 12 other artists came out around the same time with similar voices. This song seriously puts me to sleep and is mindnumbingly repetitive. ‘Don’t know why I didn’t come…’ well probably because your singing put the guy to sleep so he wasn’t at his best.
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Circle
This song was all over the mix stations for a year or two after it came out and really… I can’t for the life of me fathom why. The singing is abysmal, the music is stupid, and the whole thing is just completely unlikable! I get mad when I hear this and turn it off within the first few seconds. I cannot write with rage-inducing music on.
Don’t Care (Original) by Daniela Andrade
This song would have likely slipped under the radar if it weren’t for the fact that YouTube played it as an advertisement during my playlist… so you can imagine, it took me out of what I was trying to do. Not surprisingly, I was not the only one as you can see from many of the angry YouTube comments. Thankfully the YouTube AD algorithms have gotten much better and now I get music that somewhat applies to me interrupting my playlist. Though the occasional rap song still sneaks in now and then. To be fair, that is how I first heard Metalite.
Amy Winehouse – Rehab
The song is bad enough melody and vocal-wise, but to be honest, it almost didn’t make the list as you could literally write pages about the irony of the lyrics…
Yeah someone should have tried harder to get her to go to rehab…
Nickelback – Rockstar
Yeah you knew that one of their songs was going to make it onto this list. These days its almost a required rite of passage for metalheads to hate on Nickelback. This song however… yeah this just proves that the band thinks WAY too highly of themselves. It’s a basic guitar tab that is corporate pandering and completely uninspired. You’re not going to get far writing with this in the background.
Hinder – Lips Of An Angel
I debated putting this one on here… the guitar work in the background is okay I guess… They’re sort of a slightly worse sounding Creed. My problem here is how many people (particularly women) liked this song when it came out. It boggles my mind every time I hear it. No one, again particularly women, should like this song! If they’re thinking clearly the initial thought should be ‘My girl’s in the next room, sometimes I wish she was you!?!? WHAT AN ASSHOLE!’
But Jim, they’re looking at it from the perspective of being the one on the phone.
Uh huh and how often does that work out?
Beyonce – Single Ladies
The amount of times she repeats the chorus line in this song is tooth-grindingly bad. This is the type of thing that bring creative writing to a halt.
Well that’s it. May do another one later on, for now… enjoy…
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:
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!
Okay, disclaimer, I know I posted this song before, but having recently recovered this version, I wanted to post it so everyone knows why I love this song:
This is my wife’s favorite movie but… I don’t know, for me its painful to watch. I actually mean that literally the horrible editing where they don’t hold a single shot for more than a couple of seconds throughout a good potion of the movie gives me a headache. The visuals are nice, but you barely get a chance to enjoy them. I’m also not a fan of Jukebox musicals. I never understood them. Write original songs or stop writing. I can’t imagine being okay with something I wrote being taken and performed out of context and without its original meaning in a musical that someone else wrote.
So perhaps its no surprise that the one part of this movie that I actually like… is the one song that is actually original. This is a rare gem in this movie.
So what’s the difference from the original?
Honestly, the last 40 seconds. Ewan McGreggor is replaced with far more powerful vocals for the finale. It sounds infinitely more epic. No disrespect to Obi Wan Kenobi, but the replacement really intensifies the end of the song.
When to listen: Two different places; the death of a loved one. When the hero experiences the loss of his partner in the story or a love early on. Secondly, the ending, as you’d expect. The good guy has won the day, the person he loves stands with him as they look over the horizon to the world they helped save/create.
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:
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!
So we’re doing very well so far and it looks like the late November/Early December release of Drakin is still not unrealistic. We’re more than half way done with the editing.
We have completed all of the legal background to get the book off the ground; publishing rights, copyrights, formatting, etc.
The book will be available in hard and soft cover, as well as in digital format. I’m personally very excited, and I hope all of you are as well!
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? ‘
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:
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!
Okay, now that I’ve sufficiently bashed pop music in my last post… allow me to extend an olive branch to my readers who listen to said music:
The first song I head by Adele was ‘Rumor Has It’ and… yeah I wasn’t impressed. However my wife loves her. So obviously I was going to be subjected to more of her music. Most of it is serviceable and some of it actually good. Then this song came out… and changed my mind completely. At first it sounds like nothing special, but when it picks up and she hits the line ‘To Tell You I’m Sorry, for breaking your heart…’ it sent chills down my spine.
I’m not a fan of Adele in that I would listen to her songs regularly. They fall way outside of my spectrum, but this song… yeah I included it. It is definitely worth a spectrum jump.
When to listen: Tough call… For me this would be when the hero of a story is at a low point. Either when some key portion of their backstory is revealed where they’re not the shining star everyone thought they were… or they hurt someone they cared about and need to make amends.
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:
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!
James Harringtons Creative Work 