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+ Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

On My Writing Banlist

by Unknown's avatar

So for months, I’ve been sharing my writing playlist with everyone, particularly songs that I personally love that really have helped turn the creative wheels. Some songs are more responsible than others when I’ve written stories. Some songs are solely responsible for the main plot lines, while others have just helped stave off the writers block, and even more have just given me energy enough to keep going and finish the story.

These… are not those songs…

These are songs that are, IN MY OPINION, devoid of any creativity, are serious ear moths, or just tooth gratingly bad. So based on what works for me, these are songs best left alone. I’ll give you a small of them just for the fun of it. They’re in no particular order, so don’t think that I place any value on one over the other. Feel free to leave a comment as to whether you agree or not, but please don’t get mad if you see a favorite of yours on their. This is strictly my opinion and keep in mind, I don’t necessarily hate these songs, they’re just ones that, for me at least, bring the creative gears to a grinding halt.

Let’s get started…

Blah Blah Blah:

I know a few people who like Ke$ha as she was called and frankly… I don’t have a major issue with her, but this song is just all over the place. The lyrics are literally ‘Blah blah blah’ and the background music is just bad… really bad.

Going To The Chapel Of Love- The Dixie Cups

Okay, I genuinely despise this one. It’s an oldie… so its one most of our parents had to infect our earlobes with when we were stuck in the car with them… 80s kids, you all know what I’m talking about. This song get’s even more vapid as it goes on and the chorus line gets louder. Listen to the part where they sing ‘Gonna get Ma-ah-ah-rried’ against a toddler crying loudly… it’s remarkable how similar the two sound. That chorus line makes me grind my teeth to the point where I literally can’t write.

Hoobastank – The Reason

Maybe it’s because this song was everywhere to the point where you literally couldn’t get away from it at the time, but this one, I just can’t listen to when I’m writing.

You could have just turned the radio off.

You can’t turn off little siblings who continuously sing it and you can’t turn off the demo tape playing at work.

The whole song sounds like a complete whine-fest, and honestly, I never got why this is the song that most people know Hoobastank for. ‘Crawling in the Dark’ is to this day, one of the best highway cruising songs I’ve ever heard. In fact, most of that first album is infinitely better.

4 Non Blondes – What’s Up

I’m just going to say it, nothing good came out of the 90s… especially not acts that wished it was still the 60s. Aside from having one of the most annoying vocals on the planet, the lyrics are also mind-numbing. “I pray every single day for a revolution!”

… okay, a revolution of what? For what? None of that is really explained. Really she just sounds like one of those over-privileged college kids trying to emulate the hippies and failing miserably at it. As you can imagine, this band was a major one-hit wonder and thankfully not a very big one. Moving on.

Alanis Morissette – Ironic

I’ve never been a fan of Alanis. I don’t mind her personally and I will grant she was putting out some fairly consistent music that was at least tolerable for a while, however her voice always sounds like it’s straining and ready to crack. She has no vibrato and really… I wouldn’t call that talent. This song in particular, one of her early successes… am I the only one who noticed that virtually none of her examples can be defined as ironic?

 

Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire

BRING ON THE TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS PEOPLE, I DO NOT CARE! Can I just say this straight up, I love Johnny Cash. His music is spectacular and his lyrical writing is some of the best I’ve heard in a while… but this song just drives me insane. I’ve never been a fan and it sounds like it belongs on a kids CD… though maybe its because I worked at a music store where the owner continuously played this song over and over for three days straight until the CD went ‘missing.’

 

Mumford and Sons – Little Lion Man

I hate these guys. The singing and harmony… if you can call it that, is terrible, the music is basic at best, the lyrics are bad, and I just… well yeah, that’s all you really can say. None of their songs are that great. Yet somehow I appear to be in the minority when it comes to these guys. People actually like them… heck, a radio station out here in Boston (WAAF) that typically plays hard rock, pushed this song hard. I never got that, especially given that they used to play everything from Static X, Rob Zombie, Slayer, and even some more extreme stuff… but then they start pushing this song… what the hell?

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication

Yeah yet another one that I appear to be in the minority on. Their lead singer’s mono-toned vocals are more likely to put a person to sleep than actually inspire anything creative.

Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule – Ain’t It Funny 

Tell me honestly, does anyone actually listen to this song? If so, please leave a comment below, I’d really be interested in knowing what you like about it. This whole team up between Ja Rule and Lopez infected the airwaves for a few years and really… I never got why. None of the songs that came from this were particularly tolerable, but this one was pretty much the worst. I can’t even get all the way through it.

Rein Xeed – Star Shine

WHAT!?

I know, I know, believe it or not, there are a few metal songs out there that I just can’t listen to when writing either. Rein Xeed is actually extremely talented and I love this guy’s music… but something about the way he pronounces words in some of his songs, I find to be especially grating. I know English isn’t his primary language and we shouldn’t dock him for that, but I’m sorry it’s just really distracting in his music. Other than that, I really do recommend him!

 

blink-182 – All The Small Things

I’ll admit to some bias here. I actually do like some of their music. Damnit was a big song for a lot of us in High School…  However the progressive popularity of this band can be directly traced to the fall of Punk Rock. Blink 182 attracted a whole new demographic to Punk Rock and… as such… Pop culture. Country fans of today (those that have been fans since before 2005), can attest to this as it is currently happening to them. Blink 182’s Enima of the State signaled the beginning of the end. Bands like Bad Religion and NOFX were quickly replaced with ‘Good Charlotte’ and ‘Corporate Something’ when people mentioned punk rock. Thus, I find it impossible to write anything coherent when I hear this song… Which brings us to the next song on the list…

 

Simple Plan – Addicted

Pretty much only Beevis and Butthead and their fans would find this one amusing or entertaining. Seriously, can’t you see some little teenager listening to this song going ‘Uhuhuhuh, he said I’m a dick!’
This was a pretty low point for pop culture and the music industry in general. It really became pretty obvious that companies were functioning by the philosophy that ‘if you put shit on a stick and thrust it into people’s face enough times, they’ll buy it.’
There is nothing cerebral about this song. The lyrics are simplistic at best, my six year old can come up with better guitar tabs and… no I’m done. I’ve given this song to much attention. I’d sooner want to smash my computer screen then try to type anything I come up with from this song.

 

Kiss-I Wanna Rock N Roll All Night

Let me start off by saying that kiss is a great band. That being said, I never got why this song was so popular. They have so many great hits, why is this the one everyone remembers? There’s virtually nothing to it. It’s mind-numbingly repetitive, and just not very creative. I can’t get anything from this song when I sit down to write.

Dave Matthews Band – Stay (Wasting Time)

Remember when I said that nothing good came out of the 90s? Well… that can be said for pretty much every Dave Matthews and Bare Naked Ladies songs with the exception of ‘Where Are You Going?’
This song is especially annoying. Dave’s voice sounds like a pubescent teenager being strangled, the music is a disorganized mess, and 40 seconds this >4 Minute song his just the line ‘Makes me wanna STAY!’ repeated 10 times! It doesn’t make me wanna stay or write… it makes me want to punch something.

 

I think that’s torture enough for now. I’ll be happy to drop a few more later, but feel free to post your own recommendations or rebuttals 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

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+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Long and Short of Writing Long Distance

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim,

You may not be the right person to ask, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I’m writing a story about a long term relationship that also happens to be a long-distance relationship. However I’ve never had a long distance relationship work out. I want to write this so it sounds somewhat realistic, but it seems like the odds are staggeringly against such a relationship. Do you have any advice about how I could write my couple?

Thanks,
Lilly

Hello Lilly,

This question would probably be better suited to a relationship counselor or therapist… but I’ll do my best to help. I’m sorry to say, but what everyone is saying is correct. This is coming from someone who has been involved in two separate long distance relationships and watched both of them fail. I’m sorry to say, but I don’t have much experience in one that has succeeded for very long. So a long term, long distance, relationship (depending on your definition of ‘long term’) might be a hurdle for some readers to overcome. Mine lasted about 1.5 years at best, personally.

My advice to you is pretty much the same advice that I would give someone who’s entering into a long distance relationship. There are a few prerequisites that I would recommend before getting too serious:

  1. Frequent communication: Don’t let your characters go for too long without talking to each other. Probably a few days at most, though I know some people would say 24 hours is enough. Maybe that’s a little clingy, but if you’ve gone for over a week without speaking to the person… without any outstanding reason such as work, then are they really together?
  2. Establish a game plan: Okay obviously this isn’t something you’re going to do early on, that’s just psychotic. However, as things get more serious, if there is no plan to close the distance between the two of you, then likely you’re pretty much dealing with a pen pal, not an actual relationship. If the goal of the relationship is commitment and some kind of domestic partnership, there has to be a plan on the table.
  3. Trust and lots of it: Relationships require trust. Long distance ones even more so. If one of your characters is constantly wondering whether the other is being faithful or get’s highly suspicious of a friend of the opposite sex, it’s going to crash and burn real fast.

There are more essentials out there, but these three are the biggest ones in my opinion. Honestly, you might do better having it an on again, off again, relationship… or perhaps an open one, though I’m not a huge fan of those. In any case, I’d say you’ve got quite a bit of work ahead of you to make this something this work. If your story is set in modern times, skype and other remote tools are going to be essential.

Hope this helps, but lets open this up to our readers. Does anyone else out there on wordpress have any advice for our friend Lilly here?

 

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

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Perception of Beauty Trope

by Unknown's avatar

 

I want to talk today about a trope that lately has been driving me crazy. I call it the Perception of Beauty Trope, but perhaps it would be more like ‘the attractive guy gets the girl’ trope.

This has caused so many problems throughout the literary and movie world. Let me give you a few examples:

IT (2017)–

Pretty much the one thing that kept this movie from being perfect is the infuriating love triangle, especially for those of us who read the book and saw the original. Bev seems to go back and forth between Bill and Bev… and for some reason… Ben just kind of turns the other cheek the entire time.

I’m just going to come right out and say it, even in this latest installment, BEN AND BEV HAVE FAR MORE ROMANCE THAN HER AND BILL! However who get’s to spend the last few moments of the film with her and gets the meaningful kiss? Is it the kid she first connected with, the one who wrote her poetry… the one she ends up with in other mediums? NOPE! It’s the stuttering leader. Why? Because he’s the good looking guy. There is virtually no other reason for it. (And yes, I am FULLY aware of she does in the book, but that is irrelevant here.)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame –

Yes, I know what happens in the book, but both the ’39 and ’96 versions are such a departure from the novel that I barely consider them the same story. Again, considerable chemistry between Esmeralda and Quasimodo, but does she end up with the Hunchback? Heh, please… in the animated one she ends up with blonde knight captain while in the ’39 version, she ends up with a starving Poet who pretty much stood by while she was about to be executed. Again, pretty much just because they were the good looking guys.

Moulin Rouge –

For full context here, you need to watch both the original and supremely inferior Jukebox music version that came out a few years ago.

In the original, the star is a rather ugly (as Hollywood goes) man with a cane. In the remake, he’s replaced with Obi Wan Kenobi… and the movie goes downhill from there.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Ewin Mcgreggor. He’s a good actor who did the best he could with bad directing in Star Wars… but here… he doesn’t fit. This becomes blatantly obvious in the original version of the best song in the movie… ironically the only song actually made for the movie:

Fast forward to 4 minutes into the song. Ewin McGreggor is replaced with Jim Broadbent (Harold Zidler) for the final cut. When I asked my wife why, she said it was because he was the superior vocalist… well why didn’t they cast someone with said superior vocalist. You put that one together.

I see this in literature too and to be honest, I don’t get why. If it’s not appearance, it’s some other superficial feature. I can’t remember the name,  but I read a story a while back with a character named ‘Keelig’. There was a love triangle between him, a girl, and another guy named ‘Chris.’ Right off the bat, I knew who was ending up with the girl.

Honestly, this is part of the reason why so many of my characters have very distinct names; Piero, Corbin, Giovanni, Tobias, and Raiya. I’ve found that characters with distinct names, personalities, and features are the ones that are most memorable. As such, I can’t figure out why the bland ones get the most attention.

So my advice for my readers is simple, pick a character. Do you care about that character? Do they have the most chemistry with the others? Then let that one get the happily ever after in the end. Ignore the topical issues.

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

+

+ Action Figues, Comics, fantasy, Movies, Opinion, Science Fiction, Skyrim

Jaina Solo: Black Series

by Unknown's avatar

Since I’m on an action figure kick recently, I wanted to give my first impressions of an action figure I am fiercely anticipating.

Jaina Solo: Black Series.
Release Date 12/10/2017

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A little history:
Hasbro, quite awesomely allowed people to vote for the next character that they wanted to see made into a figure. There were several finalists ranging from several mediums… but the majority pick was surprising. Based on what I’ve learned from some sources at Hasbro, they were taken a bit by surprise that people wanted a character from the now-Legend series, likely the only one.

To their credit, they didn’t back down. The fans said what they wanted, and Hasbro went to work… and so far the results look very promising.

I have mine pre-ordered, so I’ll post a full review when I receive her. On the surface, she seems like exactly what you’d expect from the Black Series; a fully articulated, high detailed figure with all the trimmings.

One major setback that the black series has always seemed to suffer from is the faces. I’m sorry, the Rey Jedi figure’s face seems a little too fat, Han looked okay except that he looked even older than he was… and Luke… well let’s just say that I finally have an action figure from the Big Lebowski. (I’m talkin’ bout the Dude here.)

However, in the case of Jaina, all we have on her appearance is the various descriptions in the books, the cover images… and this pretty bad ass fan-made video:

That is still one of the most badass fight scenes I’ve ever seen.

So of course Hasbro had some leeway and from what I’ve seen, she looks really good. I can definitely see Han’s less than series expression with Leia’s facial structure.

Any criticism… well… its personal preference really. I’d rather have seen her in her Jedi robes as we saw her in the Legacy Collection (which I also have).

jainasolo-bd60.jpg

So my initial thoughts are that it is arguably one of the best LOOKING figures in the black series thus far. The articulation looks like it may be hindered by the equipment she carries, but that’s to be expected. Her weapons and helmet look accurate to the series, and she’s one of the few figures with an off-colored lightsaber. I personally catch wait to add her to my collection .

I’d advise if she’s on your list, you preorder. I get the feeling she’ll be flying off the shelves in short order.

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

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Music Inspiration for Writing

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim,

I’ve been following your blog for a while and was wondering about the ‘From my Writing Playlist’ pieces you do. Maybe it’s because I don’t like the same music, but I’ve never found music especially helpful in my writing. Now that I’m suffering from writer’s block, I’m desperate to try anything. I read some of your other recommendations, but they only helped me for a little while. Now I’m back to square one. Can you help me understand how music translates to words for you?

Thanks,
Julie

Hello Julie!

 

Seems like you’re in quite a bind here. Honestly music doesn’t work for everyone and different people hear different things. For example, when I listen to Beast in Black:

It makes me happy and brews a story about someone who lost a love to a vicious evil. Years later, after suffering with her loss, he discovers she’s still alive and has to face down that evil to get her back. However you might hear something different.

Here’s what I want you to do…

Take a song that energizes you, one that really gets your blood pumping and makes you happy. Listen to that song twice. First time, really listen to the lyrics, then listen to the melody on the second run. Really focus on the melody and the notes. Then write what pops into your head. What does that song make you think of? Whatever it is, write it out and describe it in detail.
Once you have that all written out, go back and re-read what you’ve written. Next listen to a song that invokes sadness. Listen to it the same way said above. absorb the lyrics and then the melody. Close your eyes and let your mind wander. What’s the first thing that pops into your head? Write it down and describe every detail; every emotion, every thought, every scene. Use metaphor and alliteration when you do it.  I want you to write everything out.

Don’t worry about not doing it right, there is no right or wrong way of going about this.

Then repeat with songs that invoke other emotions. Keep doing this until your mind begins flowing again with ideas. It’s what I call a mental jump-start. Once you’ve done this a couple of times, you should find yourself writing a whole new story out… or several new stories… or you’ve described something in great detail.

Either way, you should be able to write again, and you’ll have started the process of training your mind to brainstorm to music. Keep doing this and when you feel you’re ready, start listening to music while you write. This is how I write my novels.

I hope this helps, please feel free to email me if you have any further questions!

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

+

+ Action Figues, Comics, fantasy, Movies, Opinion, Science Fiction, Skyrim

Action Figure Collection Woes >:(

by Unknown's avatar

 

So as most everyone knows… I’m huge into action figure collecting. There are two big ones I’m waiting for. The first and perhaps most important is a commissioned one-of-a-kind action figure. See I love Skyrim… but let’s face it, the figures that came out from the game kinda sucked! All they had was a Daedric lord and a fairly generic Dragonborn. Yeah sign me up for that!

Well I sought to rectify that situation. There were two characters from the game I absolutely loved. The first was a custom character that I’d done some work on, known as Aranya:
2015-07-09_00003

My most badass elven follower. She has no magic but wields two cursed knives and a very powerful bow.

Obviously, no company is going to release a figure for a character that people modded into the game… so it fell to me to find a way around that. That’s when a google search revealed… what I can only describe as a master figure sculptor John Harmon.

The commission wasn’t cheap, good geeky things never are, but the results… well they speak for themselves:

win_20161018_08_26_05_pro

Needless to say, I wasn’t done. The other figure I wanted was my other favorite follower. One that is actually canon to Skyrim and… well is either beloved by fans or hated by them. I personally love her and am a huge fan of her voice acting:

20171106195801_1

Yeah, I am in the fan of Serana camp. I’m anxiously awaiting this commission to come through.  Don’t have any really good pictures to show yet as it’s not finished, but I can’t wait for John to send me the final product.

So what’s up with the whole ‘woes’ thing???

Sigh… well that’s the other figure I’m waiting for… As most of my readers know… I’m a huge Fire Emblem fan, so whenever something comes out related to that, I grab it… so a preorder of Corrin from Fates? I’m all over that!!

2b26d7d8a45842a2aad7b18d27b090b4

Oh yeah! I already have the Lucina one… so this one was pretty big for me! It looks absolutely amazing. The problem? Figma and the goodsmile company have a habit of taking FOREVER to put anything new out and also have an irritating tendency to delay releases, often multiple times!

This figure was set for release back in September, but it was quickly pushed to November… well it’s November and guess what? I get an email today that it’s pushed back to December. I seriously could have done without that today…
I wouldn’t mind so much except that this company NEVER gives specific dates for release. So even if it is released that month, you won’t know when until its on the way… unless I’m missing something. If anyone knows of a newsletter or something like that they send out, please let me know.

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

+

+ Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Unknown's avatar

I don’t know, I stumbled on this one a while back… it stuck with me.

When to listen: General playlist maybe? I listened to this song throughout writing Divinity. So maybe something with a diety in it.

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

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Writing Unorthodox Relationships

by Unknown's avatar

 

 

Hi Jim,

I have a rather unusual one for you. I’m trying to write a romance story dealing with two completely different species. However one of the characters who is going to be part of the relationship is only about 13 years old. Her race essentially reaches maturity at six years old, though they still look physically young and only live for about 40 years. I can’t retcon this because I’ve written previous books dealing with this race. I’m concerned that people may find this story to be promoting pedophilia. Do you have any advice on what I should do or how to write the characters?

Thanks,
(Name omitted by request)

Hello Anonymous,

Oh jeez… I’m afraid you’ve got me at a bit of an impasse here. On one hand, I am a strong advocate for freedom of expression and to write whatever you want outside of threats and incitement, but I’m also a huge child welfare advocate. So this posses a bit of a problem for me. Let’s see…

I mean technically you can write whatever you want, that’s your freedom, but you’re going to want to be aware of some things…

  1. If your book gets any level of notoriety, be prepared for some blow back. Fire Emblem Awakening got it with Nowi. There will be accusations of pedophilia and things like that. Like it or not, even if that’s not your intent, you will get some people being icked out by things like this.
  2. I STRONGLY recommend you check into your local laws. Several states/countries have decency laws that could take issue with what you’re writing. I’m not a lawyer nor a law professor, but this is something you definitely want to be aware of.

All in all, its your story, so write what you want. Several series have tackled unorthodox relationships in the past, Kes from Star Trek Voyager for example. This is why I’ve said that you should just write what you want to read instead of worrying about what others want. Keep in mind, you wouldn’t be the first to write something like this. There are movies, video games, books, etc. that cover this topic as well.

So as long as you’re not breaking any laws, I’d say write your story, see how it comes out and then determine how you want to go forward with it. You’re going to get critics whether you like it or not, so just be ready for it.

I’m sorry if this isn’t very helpful, but this really goes along with what I’ve said all along; Write what you’d like to read and then let your audience decide if they enjoy it. That’s really the best way to write.

Readers, do you have any advice?

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

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Unpopular Opinion: Harry Potter is a terrible protagonist

by Unknown's avatar

By now it should be plainly obvious to everyone how I feel about J.K. Rowling. However, in case you’re not, I’m no fan of hers. I find her writing to be somewhat simplistic, her characters extremely archetypal, and her plotlines to be the literary equivalent of swiss cheese. She also seems to go back and retcon details thus creating even more holes in her stores! What’s more than that, I dislike her on a more personal level. Regardless of anyone’s political or social beliefs, everyone should be able to recognize the rather over-the-top smugness of her twitter posts, including how she refuses to recant certain statements even after being proven wrong.

That being said, though I dislike her, I do respect her. She’s a fellow writer who came up with a thematic world that people of all ages, including my children, absolutely love. What’s more, she did it without any level of professional training and only tidbits of higher education. So I tip my hat to her in that respect.

Today though, I want to talk about the primary hero in most of her stories; Harry Potter. Though I am in the minority here, I will come out and say this… I am not a fan. So let’s get into the real meat and potatoes here. Why do I dislike him so much?

(PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS ALL OPINION, SO DON’T WORRY IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH ME. IN FACT, LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS… EVEN IF YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG! 😉 )

So what’s wront with Harry Potter?

He’s unrelatable and unrealistic.
Okay, before everyone gets mad, I know he’s a fantasy character and they’re not always realistic. However, this is a boy who supposedly comes from something resembling the real world and gets thrust into a land of magic. The best characters though are ones who are relatable and he simply isn’t. Consider for a moment… this is a boy who lives in a closet, is abused by his aunt and uncle on an emotional, if not physical, level. He has no parents, likely no friends, very little to call his own, and is lucky if he lives like a servant. Yet when he gets to school, though awkward, he is outgoing and seems to pick out a small group of friends very quickly.
In addition to that, it seems like almost every year he has to win everyone’s approval over and over again. In the first book, he’s the legend who survived. Living a normal life is likely off the books for him. In the next book, he has people thinking that he’s the heir of Slytherin attacking students. Then he’s a cheater who got himself into the tri-wizard tournament. Then he’s a liar… the list goes on and on. Yet he just shrugs it off each time. He doesn’t get mad, he doesn’t put up a fight, and he barely gets emotional.

As if most of that wasn’t enough, even when he has to watch the last member of his family die, even then, he can’t bring himself to inflict harm on the person who killed him. As Voldermort said, the cruciatus curse only works if you mean it.

Even in the end when Harry takes on Voldermort, he doesn’t kill him. The wand does the job for him, absolving him of a supposed murder that absolutely no one would have faulted him for. Harry could pretty much try out for the role of Jesus.

I’m sorry, I get that maybe he might be a little squemish, but his one and only outburst really wasn’t all that believable. In the end, he’s the archetype of a good guy character with little in the way of faults or flaws and really comes off as weak and/or unrealistic.

Anyway, that’s my opinion. Let me know what you think 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

+

+ Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Unknown's avatar

 

Yes I know, these guys again! Sorry, I love this song and about 4 or 5 from this album are showing up on my list now.

When to listen: Definitely brainstorming. Likely a song you listen to when your hero first takes up the sword to accept the journey he’s about to go on.

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

+

+ fantasy, Fiction, Politics, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, video games, Writing

Moral Guardians, Why They Should Be Ignored

by Unknown's avatar

I don’t usually get involved in politics or social issues on here, save for the occasional effects it has on geek culture and for good reason. Most of us are looking for an escape from such issues. However, there has been a major trend recently where such issues have invaded nearly every facet of our existence, including unfortunately, our escapism. As such, it would appear that my participation in such topics is not optional, hence the title of this post.

In many previous advice posts, I have said that a writer should write stories that they want to read and enjoy, let the audience decide later if they want to read it. If the writer spends all of their time worrying about what their readers or viewers want to read/see, then the work will likely be a lot more lackluster and forced in many places. Not only that but no matter what you do, you will never be able to please everyone.

So let me start by posing the question; should fiction cover controversial issues? I think most people would agree that it absolutely should. However, there are some out there that disagree because covering such issues would be uncomfortable. Unfortunately, these people tend to rail against anything that lands outside their comfort zone like Christian purist from the 40s.

Now I think that the appropriateness of covering a controversial issue should be taken on a case by case basis, and even then will be in the eye of the beholder. When Mark Wahlberg put out a movie about the Boston Bombing, a lot of people thought it was in bad taste, especially because of the timing. Others thought that those people were being oversensitive. As someone who experienced the Boston Bombing first-hand in that I wasn’t far away from the area when it happened, I’m on the fence with this one. I’m no fan of Mark Wahlberg by any stretch and the fact that he’s become a local hero is disgraceful to Boston, IMO, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think this movie should have been made. Those that say otherwise are what I refer to as ‘moral guardians’. The fact is, no one has the right to tell a creator what they can and cannot create. The exceptions to this are, of course, deliberate slander, threats, and incitement of violence. Everything else resides in the purview of the creator’s morality. Creators should be able to tackle any topic they want in any way they want and then the audience can decide with their dollars if the creator went too far. Telling someone before-the-fact that they shouldn’t be able to experiment and try out something new or uncomfortable is counter-productive in the worlds of fiction and fantasy.

Pandering to Moral Guardians and/or Culture Warriors is never a good idea. For starters, because they’ll often go into writing, video games, and several other mediums that tackle controversial issues and instantly label them as bad without any context such as… actually reading or experiencing the full work. Like it or not, feminist frequency has done this on several occasions with their attacks on video games while bolstering really bad characters simply because of their appearances and genders.

Polygon in their article “Stop using extreme violence to sell your game”

Heavily criticized the abuse of women that were put in, as they called it, extremely violent situations.
“The violence is particularly upsetting as it features the assault of women. Violent attacks on women, many times for perfunctory purposes, isn’t new. The Killing Joke saw the Joker torture Barbara Gordon in a statement that reinforced the notion that gender influences violence. The volatile imagery used in the trailer to underline the heinous acts being committed are familiar scenes to us. We’ve seen this play out in other TV shows or movies before, and in real life. 35 percent of women have experienced violence at the hands of another person in their lifetime, according to 2017 report from the United Nations.”

However, these are the same people that complained about the under-representation of female protagonists in these stories. The problem is that… you got what you wanted; more women in fiction. The problem is that fiction can in many cases be extremely violent and as such, the more you put women in the forefront of these stories, the more you’re going to expose them to these situations. It is not avoidable if they’re going to get the level of equality they want.

Simply put, there is no pleasing these people. No matter what you do or how much you try to cater to them, they will find something to complain or faux virtue signal about. There will always be something that they find offensive. They want fiction to tackle controversial topics and then get mad when it does.

Another example I want to tackle is an article by Eurogamer. This time dealing with the imminent release of a game that both I and my wife are really looking forward to; Detroit Become Human. This game looks like its going to be amazing! A narrative-driven story where the choices you make have major consequences on the plot, perma-deaths, etc. A creator’s dream!

Before reading on, I’d advise everyone to watch the most recent trailer for the game. NSFW just as a heads-up:

(I smell a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence if this game does well…)

So… as awesome as this is, of course there are going to be some detractors. Eurogamer does not disappoint me here:

David Cage on Detroit and its depiction of domestic violence

I want to explore a couple of the questions:
“The concern I have is that it’s using something like domestic abuse and child abuse – which is a very real issue for unfortunately far too many people – and using it as window dressing rather than exploring the ramifications of those issues.”

Okay, one it’s a trailer. It doesn’t really give you a lot of time to explore the ramifications. Literally, it’s a three-minute taste of something that many writers would have trouble adequately explaining in a 500-page book. Trailers are meant to give you a sample of what you’re going to be experiencing. If something dealing with child abuse bothers you too much that you don’t think this is something you would enjoy, that’s fine. Don’t purchase the game. I have no issue with that, as a child rights advocate, I admit that this put me outside of my comfort zone.

That being said, right after that scene, there is one sentence in the video that makes me think this writer didn’t actually watch the trailer ‘Things could have been different.’ The trailer actually shows you how the decisions you make in the game can change the outcome of this situation for better or worse. The child doesn’t have to end up abused, you as the gamer have the opportunity to prevent it.

However, even if you didn’t… so what? Child abuse is a very real thing. As someone who has experienced it both first and second hand worked at a program for children taken out of their homes, etc. I can honestly say that what goes on in the trailer is not far from reality for too many children. It’s uncomfortable, but it is definitely not something that should be ignored. If fiction can help bring a light to the discussion on this topic, I applaud any attempt made to.

The other question the writer asked that irked me…
“Finally – I know I need to wrap up – is nothing off-limits as far as you’re concerned as a writer?” 

I think David Cage answered this one perfectly. So I’ll add his response here:
“Off-limits? What is off-limits is what goes beyond the values I believe in. There are things I’d never do. I’d never do a racist game, or a misogynist game. These are the limits. When you feel okay with the content and the meaning when you know you have nothing to be ashamed of because it’s fair and it tells the right story and because it’s moving. There are no limits.

There’s been these discussion in literature for years and years and years – one of the most famous poets was called Baudelaire, this guy was sued because he was talking about things he should be ashamed of. Today he’s one of the most famous poets in French literature. I think it’s normal that we have this conversation in games now. It’s part of the process.“
He is absolutely correct here. The only limits on creators should be those imposed by our own morals and values. The whims of the readers or critics should not be taken into account because it’s not their story. It’s our story that we put out there for them to enjoy. I’m not saying our readers and/or consumers aren’t important. Of course, they are and we want them to enjoy what we offer them. The problem is that our readers typically come from a diverse background and have different wants, desires, and expectations. You can’t pander to all of them and in choosing to pander to any, you run the risk of alienating the rest.
Even worse if you try to pander to the culture warrior or moral guardian crowd. This is something Marvel Comics has done and frankly… they’re hurting bad became of it as I’ve explored in many other topics. These people cannot be pleased and even if you can appease them for a short time, eventually you will put a pinkie toe out of line at which point they will eat you alive.

So while I’m sure to not get many brownie points for saying this… You cover child abuse, spousal abuse, murder, rape, prostitution, or bigotry. Tackle situations that will make some people cringe. Make people who are usually the moral right the bad guys! You put your companion character in a skimpy outfit while giving your own absurd muscle masses that even a WWE superstar would drool over. Fiction and fantasy are yours to enjoy, so make them good!

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

+

+ fantasy, horror, Movies, Opinion, Uncategorized

Top 10 Horror Movies

by Unknown's avatar

Hello everyone and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

While I usually do some writing advice that often surrounds the Holidays, I couldn’t really find anything in the usual writer request mailbox. So instead, I thought I’d offer my top 10 favorite horror movies of all time list. Keep in mind, I’m not saying that these are the scariest movies, but they are horror films that I thoroughly enjoy. So be prepared to disagree with me on whether these are actually scary… even if you are completely wrong.

10. Let Me In

I honestly debated even putting this one on the list. Because despite being on my top-5 favorite movies of all times list, this… really isn’t that scary. I saw that because it’s really a love story first and a horror movie second. It has it’s fair share of jump scares, but that’s really not where the meat of the movie is. Oh and before anyone goes nuts, yes I am aware that it is a remake, and yes I’m fully aware that most people consider the original the superior film, but I consider them completely separate as the original source material is barely recognizable here. So it has it’s moments, but if you’re looking for a deeper scare, this isn’t the movie for you.

9. Paranormal Activity

This movie… okay most of it I find to be kind of slow and not all that scary. However by the time you get to the end, you realize that it was all building up to one single solitary scene:

Oh God… this scene had chills flowing down my back after the screaming stopped. All you hear is slow footsteps on the stares and all you can do is wonder what’s coming up to reveal itself. In this case, it’s not what you see… its what you don’t see that is the most freaky. In the end, this movie turned out to be incredibly well done.

8. The Unborn

Yes… there’s nothing scarier than trying to sit through a horror movie on Netflix that no one has head about, hoping that its good. However this one is actually very well done and extremely enjoyable. The Holocaust backstory and Jewish mysticism actually helped make this one good. I’m also a huge fan of Gary Oldman.

7. Evil Dead (2013)

I’ll be honest, I don’t really consider the original one a horror movie. It was WAY too campy for that. This one however delivers the gore, blood, and demonology. There really isn’t anything else to really say about it. It is the original… on steroids.

6. Pulse (US Version) 

Want to kick your electronics addiction? This movie will do it. It’s got unseen scares, jump scares, a dark story, and all kinds of effects that just add to the darkness of the plot. This movie had me going from beginning to end and really keeps you on the edge of your seat. It basically tells the story of how the dead have found a way back into our world… through the internet and wireless communication. How the right code was cracked that allowed communication between the two worlds and now humanity is forced to either live behind closed doors in red-taped rooms, or head to dead zones where the dead can’t go.

5. Drag Me to Hell. 

Not going to lie, I found this movie quite silly at first. However as it went on, the movie became darker and darker… only to become silly again when the monster possessed a goat. However yet again… this movie was saved by a very dark twist of an ending…

 

4. The Last Exorcism

This is pretty much the opposite of the other movies, while the suspense, build up, and scary scenes were great, I want to know what happened to the born-again exorcist who marched out towards the bonfire right at the end. The sequel doesn’t do anything to help answer any of these questions.

3. The Exorcist 3

In my opinion, the only true sequel to the original Exorcist is this movie right here. It follows the story of the detective from the first movie and even has a major reveal about Father Karras from the first film. It can be silly at times, however it also has a really good twist and an amazing performance from Brad Douriff.

2. The Exorcist

Yeah it’s not really a horror movie list without this one at the top. This is still considered by most to be the scariest movie out there. It is said that people went running from the theaters back when this was first released. Not helping matters was when the church confirmed that yes, things like this can happen.

Whether or not you find it scary, it’s still a dark story that can give even the most desensitized minds pause.

1. The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Yeah I think everyone is seeing a pattern by this point. I love exorcism movies. I admit that this one had me freaked out when I saw it and you might be surprised by what scenes. The exorcism didn’t really bother me, nor did the scenes where Emily is shown being possessed. What freaked me out were the two scenes with Dr. Cartright. I can’t find clips for these scenes, but essentially he appears at a low point in the trial offering his help. The entire time the camera is on him, he is glancing off into the sky or behind the lawyer that he’s talking to. It’s never revealed what’s scaring him, but the most chilly lines in the movie were uttered at this point.

Dr. Cartright: That girl was not schizophrenic, she was not narcoleptic, or any combination of the two… I’ve seen people with those afflictions, they can be horrible of course… but they don’t scare me…

Erin: But what you saw there… did?

Dr. Cartright: God… if I’d known, I never would have been there!

Just the way he says it and the fact that this meeting is before the reveal of the exorcism, makes this movie for 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

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

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