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November 4, 2016 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, literature, Uncategorized, Urban Fantasy, Writing

Divinity Sample Chapter

And Jesus said to them, “If your leaders tell you, ‘look, to the sky, for the kingdom is there,’ then the birds of the sky will be ahead of you. If your leaders say to you, ‘Look to the sea,’ then the fish will be ahead of you. Rather, the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.”

– The Gospel of Thomas

Book I
Before the Fall

A cool breezed passed through Azrael’s hair as he and his apprentice, Adalyn, touched down on the steps of the Most High’s temple. It was a beautiful morning in the Celestial World. There was not a cloud in the sky to impede their flight.

Despite his less than glamorous appearance, he still tried to make himself presentable for his audience with the Most High. His brown hair had been cut short and he wore a new white tunic with red seems under his armor. He sucked in a deep breath and turned in time to see his apprentice hovering at his side, “Adalyn, you land this instant. Don’t forget that even now you’re in the presence of the Most High!”
Azrael landed first, his silver armor still showing tarnish from the days of war long passed. His wings were in no better shape; many of their feathers had been stained black or red from the fighting. He was a worn, but proud warrior angel.

Adalyn hovered for a moment before folding her wings behind her and dropping to the balls of her feet, “Forgive me, Master. I guess I’m just more used to flying than I am walking. I never understood why the Most High would forbid us from flying in his presence.”

“Ours is not to wonder why.” Azrael replied. “Just do as you have been commanded as is our mandate.”

Adalyn nodded, “I understand master, I am doing my best.”

“How is it you fought through as much of the war as you did without having to use your legs?” Azrael asked in a simultaneously amused and annoyed tone.

Adalyn shrugged, “I guess I just got lucky. There was always enough space to fly. What little time I actually spent on my feet, I was usually hiding.”

“Luck is a fickle thing. It can run out very easily. You’d best get used to using your legs. They are far sturdier than your wings and can help supplement your speed. Someday your wings could get injured and you’d be forced to use your legs to walk. Where would you be then?”

Adalyn nodded, though his words seemed cryptic, “Master… I understand. I will endeavor to do so.”

Azrael nodded, “Good.”

“I wonder why the Most High would summon us at such a late hour when he plans to take rest.” Adalyn said as she brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face and tucked it behind her right ear.

“Such is the way of the Most High.” Azrael responded. “We’re angels; our job is to be at his beckoned call. Be patient, we will soon discover his motives behind this meeting.”

Her bright blue eyes shined with wonder as she looked up the long staircase of ivory and gold to the massive cathedral at the top. The stairs were long and winding, and seemed to go on forever. It would not be a quick stroll for them.

Adalyn stretched her clean white wings and then folded them behind her back with a single thrust. She didn’t want to anger the Most High or her master as they made their way to his chambers. She wasn’t used to walking, but she had good enough balance to manage.

Adalyn had only been called before the Most High once or twice previously and those times were during the war. At that point, the no-fly restriction had not been imposed around the Most High’s home. Just looking at the stairs, she could tell that her legs were going to be sore.

Azrael beckoned to her forward, allowing her thoughts to escape, as he moved, “Keep up Adalyn, he’s waiting for us.”

Adalyn nodded as she adjusted her beige maiden’s dress and tightened her sash. The soft cotton tightened around her hips as her hands moved to her hair. She parted it in the middle and made sure that the few loose strands were brushed back behind her ear once again. The blonde strands flowed to her neck and shimmered in the sunlight.

Once she felt presentable, Adalyn followed close behind Azrael. Finding balance wasn’t easy for her, but she did the best she could. She found it hard to believe that the Most High’s beloved children had to walk like that every day of their lives.

It took some time for the two angels to reach the top. The stairs seemed to stretch onward forever. They were beautifully carved and perfectly smooth, but the ivory still began to hurt her feet as they were not used to continuous walking.

Once at the top, Adalyn saw two large gold statues standing with their spears crossed, blocking the entrance. Neither statue reacted to their presence as the angels approached. They looked like nothing more than large, lifeless pieces of metal.

Adalyn took a close look at one of them, examining its face. The sun gleamed from the statue’s shiny surface. Its eyes were glossed over, making it difficult to tell if they were opened or closed. She turned to Azrael with a surprised look on her face, “I wasn’t aware that the Most High employed titans.”

For a moment, it appeared as though Azrael didn’t hear her. He simply closed his eyes and nodded at the two guards. Adalyn’s eyes narrowed as she reached out to her mentor, “Master?”

As though responding to some silent command, the statues immediately came to life. What looked like nothing more than shiny metal, now looked organic as the statues pulled their spears back and cleared a pathway for the two angels. Their movement was sudden and unexpected, causing Adalyn to jump back with a slight yelp.

Azrael smirked at her reaction, knowing that this was not her first encounter with these creatures, “Why were you startled? You saw titans on the battlefield, you know?”

Adalyn nodded, “Yeah I remember, but they weren’t so… mechanical at that point. I never saw them as statues.”

Azrael shook his head as the two angels proceeded inside. Adalyn’s eyes remained on the guards as she passed under their spears. Part of her expected to see them come crashing down on her as she walked.

Once the angels were through, the massive guards closed the doorway and resumed their silent vigil. There was no further movement from them as the angels continued forward. Adalyn looked back at them for a moment, studying their stance.

After a few seconds, she turned back and followed closely behind her master. The stone tunnel was dark, but there was a bright light at the end. It was the only illumination that the tunnel had.

The next room was unlike anything a mere mortal could imagine. The cathedral ceilings surpassed the beauty of those in the mortal city of Rome. Murals of all creation covered every inch of the ceiling above them.

The tall, lead plated, windows stretched up to the top of the walls. The dome at the top had windows with multiple beautiful colors carefully laid into the panes, while the glass lower to the ground was crystal clear and looked out on a star field. Whole galaxies could be viewed from any one of the windows.

The ground was an unusual combination of stone and grass with cool mist slightly obscuring it. Adalyn’s bare feet tickled as she slowly stepped out on to the small field. It was a sensation that she was unfamiliar with, having relied mostly on her wings for travel.

The top of the cathedral was an ornate dome with several murals depicting the deeds of the Most High’s children. Hovering near the ceiling was a bright star-like orb that pulsed slowly. The silhouette of a human was in the center of the orb.

Azrael walked out onto the field and stopped directly under the orb with Adalyn to his left. There was a brief silence when Azrael closed his eyes. His chin rose slightly as though he were listening to someone above him.

Azrael opened his eyes, “Yes Master, I understand. The final pockets of resistance from those loyal to Lucifer have either been banished from the immortal realm or eradicated. Our work here is finished, the war is over, and the restoration of our world has begun.”

Again, Azrael closed his eyes briefly and then reopened them, “The mortal world has gone awry? How?”

There was a long hum before Azrael responded, “A recent increase in the wars amongst your children? So you believe that the recent increase has been engineered somehow… No, I don’t believe that the continuous fighting is coincidence either.”

Adalyn rolled her eyes, “The mortal world is continuously at war with itself. I should know. I’m the one ferrying their souls to Hell. They find new ways of killing each other all the time, what makes you think that this is any different?”

Azrael turned and glared at his apprentice, “Adalyn!”

The chamber shook with a mighty roar as a nervous Azrael turned back, “Forgive her, master. She is still ignorant of the proper decorum when in your presence. I accept responsibility for that.”

Another low hum emanated from the ceiling. Azrael smiled and nodded, “I will, don’t worry about her…”

Then his face quickly turned serious as he spoke, “Master do you believe that Lucifer is behind these events?”

The room began to tremble as though something massive had slammed into the wall. Azrael twisted his lips thoughtfully and shook his head, “No, I don’t believe so either. His powers outside the underworld are severely limited. I agree that he is most likely no longer a threat.”

There was another brief silence before he continued, “Master, is it not possible that the ones you love the most have begun warring on their own? Our prophets and our messengers ceased so long ago. Given how easily corrupted their minds can be, is it not possible that your children are warring because of their own lust for power?”

Azrael could feel an angry vibration under his feet as Adalyn defended his position, “The Church you guided and helped to create has taken over most of the known world, but they have become corrupt and decadent. Their power is beginning to dwindle. The uprisings of these new revolutionaries, who are now waging a religious war, must truly be a burden on you.”

The room trembled harder this time. Tiny cracks appeared in the wall, causing Adalyn to step back. She clenched her jaw as she looked up, “Master, with the utmost respect, they’re a savage race, not worthy of this much compassion…”

“Adalyn, be silent!” Azrael yelled out as he stepped in front of his apprentice. “You’ve said enough.”

Adalyn lowered her eyes and stepped away, “Forgive me.”

With his apprentice finally subdued, Azrael turned back to the star, “Master, do you believe it may be time for another cleansing, as it was in the time of Noah?”

The floor rumbled for a moment, causing Azrael to frown, “Perhaps not…”

At that moment, the echoes turned their attention away from Azrael. The Most High’s attention turned to the younger angel. Azrael turned nervously to his apprentice to see what she was going to do.

Adalyn closed her eyes as the floor began to tremble under her, “Yes, I do understand Master, but I do not share your faith in human kind anymore. They fight and tear one another to pieces. Would it not be better to start over and…?”

The room shook harder as an angry moan resonated around the room. Adalyn stepped back, “Forgive me, Master, it was not my intention to speak out of turn. You are right; perhaps such actions are no longer appropriate. Humanity is not so quick to believe that you are responsible for such natural events any longer.”

Azrael shook his head as the voice turned back to him. Once it quieted down, he spoke, “Very well, Master, we will investigate your suspicions to the best of our ability and report them to Michael if we see anything suspicious. Until then, we are to continue to repair the damage done to our world.”

He then bowed and turned to Adalyn, “Come, the Most High needs his rest. The battle with Lucifer and the situation in the Mortal Realm have left him weary.”

Adalyn curtseyed before following Azrael, “Rest well, my lord.”

The two angels turned and exited the massive cathedral hall. The bright aura levitating near the ceiling slowly dimmed as they exited. Adalyn looked back to see the room slowly going dark.

Neither one of the angels spoke as they made their way outside and back down the ivory staircase. The silence lingered until they reached the misty ground. It was an uncomfortable walk for Adalyn. She could feel tension in the air as she followed her master. It didn’t help that her feet were also aching as she walked.

Neither angel wanted to face the grim reality that everything they had known was changing. Adalyn knew in her heart that their world may never be the same. Its beauty that was at one time unequaled was now healing from a war that had been over for eons.

Large fields where angels had once frolicked were now scorched from a massive flame and peppered with massive craters from demon attacks. The angels had begun restoration work, but it was mired by the remaining pockets of resistance from the war, as well as the work in the mortal world. It seemed like the restoration would never get done.

Once they had reached the misty ground, Adalyn stretched her wings and turned to Azrael, “The humans may be warring, but at least there is finally peace in the Celestial Realm. With Lucifer and his top followers finally gone, things should settle down.”

“Peace…” Azrael responded as his battle hardened features began to soften. “It’s hard to believe that something so beautiful could be so fickle. Do not trust it and never count on it lasting. There will always be darkness in the distance. It is the reason we must remain vigilant at all times.”

Adalyn nodded, “Your words are true and wise, Master. I spoke without thinking, forgive me.”

Azrael smiled, “You are still new to the way of the orders, your duties and the wars have stalled your training. The innocence you possess is not a failing. You will learn quickly. There is nothing to forgive. Do not be afraid to speak your mind around me.”

“Thank you, Master.” Adalyn responded appreciatively. “Your patience is most kind. As it was when you trained me during the war.”

“You have become a fine warrior for the Most High and I am very proud of everything you’ve accomplished.” Azrael replied, “Remember everything that I have taught you… Remember the swordsmanship, remember the techniques and the power, but more important than anything, remember to keep your heart true.”

“Yes Master,” Adalyn said obediently, “always.”

“Good, just remember everything that I have taught you…” Azrael said darkly, “and you should be safe.”

His words sent a chill down Adalyn’s spine, causing her wings to flutter. She looked at her mentor with an air of concern as she spoke, “Safe from what? Is everything okay, Master?”

Azrael blinked as though he were coming out of a trance, “Oh, um, yes, everything’s fine. Don’t mind me, I’m just feeling a little ominous right now.”

Adalyn smiled, “You’re always feeling ominous, Master. It’s like the war has made you paranoid.”

“Maybe it has.” Azrael admitted. “Would you excuse me, Adalyn? I have some work to do.”

“Work?” Adalyn asked. “I thought we were going to make for the training grounds?”

Azrael nodded, “I know, you go on ahead. I’ll meet you there later… once I’m done.”

“If you’re sure. Finding someone to spar with shouldn’t be a problem while you’re gone.” Adalyn replied.

“Good.” Azrael said. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Azrael gave Adalyn a smile before spreading his wings and launching himself into the clouds. At that moment, his form disappeared into a bright light. It almost seemed like the sun had momentarily expanded as Azrael disappeared.

Adalyn covered her eyes to protect herself from being blinded. The light lasted only a moment, but when it disappeared and she was finally able to lower her hands, Azrael was gone. There was no sign of him anywhere near by.

Adalyn could make no sense of her master’s cryptic words. Her heart was filled with wonder as she contemplated what he had said. Did he know something that could threaten the fragile peace that they had fought so hard for? He had been acting unusual recently, but Azrael was known for being eccentric.

Throughout the war, Azrael had been more than a mentor to her; he had been a close friend and confidant. No matter how much work it was, or how stubborn she could be, he never gave up on her. Part of her always suspected that he did not entirely trust her, and tried to keep her at arms length. She resented it, but he may have been trying to protect her.

After a few minutes of tossing her thoughts back and forth in her mind, she decided that it was best to just let it go for now. He had never led her awry before, so there was no reason to believe he would now. She trusted him, but made it a point to ask him to explain his words later.

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The rest of the book can be purchased here.

Paperback: 448 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692336419
ISBN-13: 978-0692336410

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

November 3, 2016 + advice, Author, Characters, fantasy, literature, Opinion, Uncategorized, Writing

Writing History?

by Jim

Hi Jim,

I just finished reading Soul Siphon and really liked your character, Mary. As I kept reading, she started talking about historical events that she was involved in, namely the Jack the Ripper killings. I’m not a history buff, so I decided to google the Whitechapel killings to get a little context.

To my surprise, you took Mary directly from the history books! I was really shocked to find out that she was an actual living person. As a writer, I’m curious how you were able to write her. You don’t know what she was like when she was alive, so how can you hope to portray her correctly? Not only that, don’t you think her descendants would object to you using her in your book, especially given some of the things she does?

I’m not trying to accuse you of anything, I’m just wondering as I find her usage intersting and potentially something I’d like to do.

Thanks,
Jeanette

Hi Jeannette,

No attack implied.

So let’s tackle your questions one at a time…

As a writer, I’m curious how you were able to write her. You don’t know what she was like when she was alive, so how can you hope to portray her correctly?

A very good question. The unfortunate answer is that I can’t. My character may be WAY off on what Mary was really like. So where did my approximation come from?
Well what do we know about Mary?
– She was Irish.
– She went by the nickname ‘Black Mary’ for starting brawls.
– She was known for getting heavily intoxicated and singing Irish songs… very loudly.
– She worked at a brothel.

So that’s all we know. So I took that and added in a level of frustration, sadness, and a high level of bitterness not only from being murdered, but (SPOILER ALERT) not being able to hunt down and reap vengeance on the man responsible. (/SPOILER)

So really that’s basically all I had to work with, if you checked out her history, you saw that that information on her is very limited. Some historians even dispute her hair color. So when you don’t have much to work with, you do your best to fill in the blanks where ever you can. That’s where the frustration, bitterness, and sadness came in.

Simply put, you do the best you can with what little you have to work with. Take what situational information you have the person, find out as much as you can about what they’ve done, how their lives were, and how they reacted to people, and build off of that.

Not only that, don’t you think her descendants would object to you using her in your book, especially given some of the things she does?

I worry about that every time I write a historical character into my stories. However we have no definitive confirmation of any descendants in the case of Mary. Some people have come forward claiming to be a granddaughter, great-niece, etc. None have been confirmed, and too often many are trying to sell books…

Honestly, if we had confirmation of someone being related to her or one of the other historical characters that I’d written about in the past, I’d absolutely contact them first. Not only to ask permission to use their names and identities, but also for some information on their ancestor. It’s courtesy and it makes sense.

So I hope that helps, this is how I create a character from a historical person where we have limited information about them.

Readers, do you have another method? Have you written about a Historical person? How do you tackle the hurdles mentioned above?

Readers,

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

November 3, 2016 + books, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Reading, Urban Fantasy, Writing

Soul Siphon Sample Chapter

by Jim

“What happened?”

“I don’t know, he just started convulsing. His skin is becoming discolored!”

“Get him into room 2.”

Mica could feel his body slipping away. He tried to scream, but Adramelech would not allow him enough control over his own muscles to do it. He could feel a burning sensation in his chest just under where the crucifix on his neck rested. It felt as though someone had cast the crucifix into a fireplace before placing it around his neck. It had kept Adramelech at bay, but it was now causing him pain.

He had been cursed with the demon for almost a year and it had been eating away at him. He had not been able to eat much in months. The demon had forced him to abuse himself and those around him. He had been forced to alienate the ones he care for the most, for their own safety and then spent the last few weeks restrained to a hospital bed.

The lights above him were as bright as the sun and blinded him whenever he opened his eyes. The surgeons standing over him had puzzled looks on their faces as he began to lose consciousness, “Nurse, I need another scalpel over here.”

“Immediately, doctor.”

“There’s blood coming out of his mouth. He’s most likely suffering from internal hemorrhaging. We need to get in there now!”

Mica closed his eyes as he heard the machines nearby begin to beep in alarm. His head turned to the side and his world went blank. At that moment, he was certain he was going to die. Father… into your hands, I commend my spirit.

Adramelech cackled in the back of his mind, “God can’t save you now, no one can!”

You can’t have my soul, demon. You destroy my body, but that’s all you’ll ever take.

“Small words… even the priest who tried to exorcise me failed and he is a man of faith. What do you think you can do?”

Mica knew that Adramelech’s words were true. The exorcism that had been performed in his parent’s house had failed. The therapists were at a loss and so were most of the medical doctors. Adramelech was just too strong.

Mica thought back to his last day with his girlfriend Gwen. After a spending the summer being almost completely inseparable, it was once again time for them to part ways for the fall. Mica was heading back to the University of New Hampshire while Gwen was on her way out to Georgetown.

Mica pulled his Jeep wrangler up in front of Gwen’s parent’s house. He got out and went around to the other side. The jeep was bright red with a grey interior. There was a sunset on the door indicating that it was an old islander model. The Jeep was older than he was, but he didn’t care. It was his father’s old car and was still in great shape.

Mica opened the passenger door and helped Gwen out. She had a worried look on her face as Mica walked her to the door. He brushed a strand of black hair out of his face as they reached her stoop.

The young couple shared a moment of levity in front of her parents’ home in Weston.

“Well… tonight was fun.”

Gwen smiled, “Yeah it really was. I’d never eaten at a hibachi restaurant before.”

“Well when Christmas break rolls around, we can go back.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

Gwen smiled and kissed him after their last date before heading for the door. Mica watched her until the door was completely closed behind her and then turned back to his jeep. He pulled open the door and looked at the dark grey interior. It somehow felt lonely now that Gwen was gone.

He was about to get in when he heard a stressed voice called to him, “Mica!”

Mica turned in time to catch Gwen as she ran into his arms, “What’s wrong?”

“I just wanted one last hug. I’m going to miss you, okay?”

Mica smiled as he wiped away the tears forming in Gwen’s hazel eyes, “Hey it’s only a few months. You’ll be home for Christmas and we’ll see each other then. You have my number as well.”

“I know.” Gwen replied as she lowered her eyes. “Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself until then…”

At that moment, reality snapped back into place. He was back on the operating table in Mass General’s Division of Trauma. Though not conscious, he was fully aware of what was happening. Adramelech would not allow him to miss a minute of it and not even the medications that were being pumped through his body could keep the demon at by.

I’m sorry Gwen, Mica thought to himself. I have to break my promise.

Mica knew what he had to do. He pulled together what little mental fortitude he had left and blocked out Adramelech one last time. He had regained control of his body just long enough to release himself.

Adramelech cried out, “No!”

Mica braced himself for the coming shock to his system. At that moment, as the doctor worked, Mica’s eyes shot open, startling one of the doctors, “Is he sedated?”

“Yes, he’s under general anesthesia and his vitals are stable. I don’t understand what’s happening!”

Mica smiled as he looked up at the lights, “You’ve lost! Go back to hell!”

At that moment, Mica’s vital signs flat-lined. As his world blurred out, Mica could hear the screams of the scanners hooked up to his body. He had denied Adramelech his prize, but would now face the consequences for doing so. The fight was over, and Mica’s soul could finally rest.

The doctors immediately stopped the surgery and went to work trying to resuscitate him, “Code blue, get me a defibrillator, stat!”

One of the nurses pulled a small cart over with a pair of pads resting on top of them. Another nurse began chest compressions while another pumped oxygen into him. The group ignored the sounds around them as they went to work attempting to save their patient’s life.

The leading surgeon grabbed the pads and applied them to Mica’s chest, “Device charging now…”

The doctor waited for a moment for the defibrillator to charge. When the indicator on the defibrillators turned read, the doctor turned back to Mica, “Everybody, clear!”

The surgical team backed away as the doctor began defibrillation, “200J…”

Mica’s lifeless body convulsed as the electricity flowed through it. Once the system turned off, the group began CPR again. The monitoring nurse shook her head as she checked Mica for response, “No pulse.”

The group tried three more times. After every defibrillation attempt and medication failed, the team ceased their resuscitation attempts. The doctor shook his head, “Note the time of death, 8:53 PM.”

The group backed away and began to clean up.

Outside in the corridor, Mica’s mother and Gwen had been waiting for news. It was late and the lights in the waiting room were dim. It provided anyone in the room a rather ominous feeling. The dim light provided a perfect vale for a pair of dark figures that stood in the corner. One male, one female, both paying close attention to the scene that was about to unfold with Mica’s family.

The quiet was quickly interrupted when Mica’s leading surgeon appeared at the door. Mica’s mother stood up with Gwen holding her by the arm, “Well doctor, how is he?”

The doctor shook his head, “I’m sorry…”

Mica’s mother buried her face in her hands as a shocked look came over Gwen’s, “What, but how?”

“I’m afraid we don’t really know, we were working to repair the hemorharge when he suddenly regained consciousness. He looked up, said that we lost, and then flat lined. All attempts to resuscitate him failed.”

Gwen lowered her eyes. She’d known Mica since childhood and loved him for almost that long. Though she would never have admitted it to Mica, she had harbored hopes that if their relationship survived their final year of college, he’d soon come to her with a ring. Now that could never be.

Though in pain herself, Gwen did the best she could to comfort Mica’s mother and remain strong. She was about to say something when his mother looked up at the doctor, “Did he suffer?”

The doctor shook his head, “His suffering is over now.”

As Mica’s mother sat down, the male figure in the corner smiled, “There was a lot of fight in that one.”

The female shadow nodded, “It’s not every mortal human that can stand up to a demon as fierce as Adramelech.”

The male stood almost motionless, “I think he’ll do.”

“You really came out of nowhere after four months of hiding to show me this? He’s defiant, yeah? Short-sighted, and extremely jovial with the people around him. Those aren’t the qualities we need.”

“I seem to recall thinking the same thing about you, but you assured me that you wouldn’t disappoint… and you never have.”

The female figure did not respond. The male’s smile widened, “Yes… Yes I think he’ll do perfectly.”

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The rest of the book can be purchased here.

Series: The Vengeance Doctrine
Paperback: 520 pages
Publisher: James Harrington (April 7, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692608443
ISBN-13: 978-0692608449

Readers,

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

November 2, 2016 + advice, Characters, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Writing

Hated Character!

by Jim

Hi Jim,

You speak a lot about characters that you love, can you comment on how you write characters you hate?

Thanks,
Linden

Hi Linden,

Base them on someone you don’t like.

…

Yeah, that’s pretty much all I can say about that. Do you need to write a character that you want to be thoroughly dispised? Take someone you don’t like, someone you don’t get along with, and/or someone who just really rubs you the wrong way. Look at why you don’t like this person or can’t get along with them. It’s very rare that we find a person that we dispise literally everything about… though it does happen… So take the qualities of that person that you really can’t stand and incorperate them into you character.

One word of caution though, don’t take specific examples like… well exact manuerisms or quotes. Come up with something on your own there. Just try to adopt the way they deal with people and situations. Try to picture how that person would behave in the scenario that you’re writing about and make the character act that way.

That’s really all there is to it from my perspective.

I’ll open it up and see if my readers have any ideas of their own. Leave a comment and 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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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

November 2, 2016 + conservative, Democrat, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, liberal, Opinion

Politics… Hopefully The Last Time

by Jim

Disclaimer: Just a heads up, this post has next to nothing to do with writing, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I’ll have something up for you soon. Otherwise, keep reading.

My faith in humanity has long since been gone… LONG since been gone. Between 50 Shades of Gray behind heralded as a modern classic, societal decay, the fact that Hillary or Trump are considered legitimate candidates… the list goes on and on.

Then I see videos like this… (I warn you… this is NOT easy to watch.)

… were you able to watch the whole thing? You’re stronger than I am, if so. Two things that are very near and dear to me are helping children and the homeless. Know the guy who goes and buys a sandwich for the homeless guy on the street corner in the city? Or the guy who’s constantly getting the hell kicked out of him by a mentally disturbed child who was neglected by an awful parent? Yes, that’s me, and I have the scars to prove it. So you can understand why things like this hit home for me.

People, we are monsters. I’m sorry, but it’s true. The fact that something like this can and does happen in a country that is amongst the most civilized in the world… just… just no…

I don’t know if she was on drugs as the crowd claims or if she wasn’t mentally well, and I do not care in the context of this video. What was this woman’s crime that she deserved this? What?

She was a racist, hateful Trump support!

Did we hear her say anything racist? Technically according to the regressive left and the more moderate right, she’s black and therefore cannot be racist. So I’d assume we’re doing a ‘guilty by association’ scenario here?

This is disgusting… and this is coming out of the progressive, left-wing side which preaches tolerance, maturity, and open-mindedness to other ideas. I’m sorry, but Hillary supporters need to do some serious soul-searching after this.

But Trump supporters have done similar things!

True, but in many cases, it was actually either Bernie or Hillary supporters… or just people who were anti-trump that started them. Trump himself has spoken out against this kind of violence as well. Look, I’m not saying that the Trump supporters out there don’t have things that they need to answer for, but they’re not the ones attempting to claim the tolerance and politically correct high ground here, that’s what’s so infuriating.

So you’re condemning the entire group because of the acts of a few?

Yes and here’s why… Too often, I’ve heard people from the Hillary side say that if you don’t disparage remarks made by fringe members of your group, you’re accepting them and that makes you as guilty.
On the NRA page, people who wrongfully wish harm on those who they believe are taking their rights away are met with no repercussion… as a result people say that the NRA is wishing harm on these people.
Virtually no feminist movement out there that I’ve seen bothers to address the genocidal remarks of their more extreme elements, as a result, people have shied away from the movement.
The Tea Party is labelled as a fringer racist group because the media focuses on the one or two wackjobs on the sides of the protests holding up racist remarks and the group doesn’t bother addressing them.
Equal Opportunity and Diversity groups have had a monkey wrench thrown into their credibility due to the actions of Black Lives Matter because they don’t speak out against what’s happened.
Has Hillary or her campaign spoken out about what happened to this poor woman? Have they even issued a statement? Have they? 5 days after it happened, I haven’t found one. If I’m wrong, please let me know and I’ll retract the statement.

Look, I don’t support Hillary, and I don’t support Trump… why? Because nothing is going to change after they’re elected. I’ve outlined this very clearly in a previous post about this kind of thing… that being said, what I’ve seen here… it just sickens me… and I’ll be honest, behavior like this doesn’t convince me to vote for Hillary… if anything, watching videos like this seriously makes me consider voting the other way.

That’s right, I do not intend to vote for either candidate… but I feel like I’m slowing being pushed if for no other reason than to spite people like these… This behavior is uncalled for, it is unimaginable, and it is wrong. I sincerely hope the people who did this are found and prosecuted because there is no excuse for it.

Note to Hillary Clinton: That you’ve said nothing about this incident, that you haven’t come out and let your supporters have it for this is very telling about the type of president that you want to be.

I’d like to tell everyone a story about why I try not to participate in partisan politics.

When I was in College, I participated in a sort of blockade. Essentially we’d heard through the grapevine that there was going to be an anti-war protest near where my college was, at the local airport where soldiers were coming home. We didn’t want to see/hear about these soldiers getting things thrown at them. We organized a group of us to go down and form a human barricade between the protesters and the soldiers and their families.

Long story short, our presence enraged the protesters, resulting in one of them throwing a brick, hitting a girl who was standing with us in the face, causing her to need stitches. Two men dressed in uniform came over to help… while the protesters continued their chants.

That’s right, the people protesting for peace are the ones that turned violent. This is why I don’t get involved in partisan politics. There is too much hypocrisy, too much hyperbole, and everything boils right down to Goodwin’s Law. I can’t be bothered with it.

Anyway, I’m curious as to what my readers think. Let me know in the comments below…

Thanks, and I can’t wait for this stuff to be over with.

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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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

October 28, 2016 + Comics, Fiction, literature, Movies, Opinion, Uncategorized, Writing

Ruining my Childhood.

by Jim

I’ve heard this phrase over and over. We saw it come to a height during the Ghostbusters debacle, but it’s been around since before and long after. Mostly, people who use this and similar phrases are mocked as being man-babies, among other less flattering things.

What does the phrase mean? Well basically when you say that something is ruining your childhood, they’re saying that something new, a new take, a new development, a new twist, etc. are tainting something that they loved during their childhood and possibly making them look back and reflect on what they liked about it in the first place. In theory, this could depress a person and make them think that perhaps they wasted some of their life being a fan of whatever it is that is being ruined.

Oh come on, that’s kind being a little oversensitive, isn’t it?

Well… yes, to a point. However that doesn’t mean that these people should be dismissed.

Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of melodrama involved here, but you will not catch me calling anyone out on it. Why? Because for all I know, there is a legitimate gripe behind their statement. Perhaps the subject matter is something they saw with someone they loved who is now gone. Perhaps, just perhaps a child’s fondest memory with a parent was when they watched a movie, read a book, etc. before they died.

I don’t know the case each time someone uses that statement, therefore I am not in a place to judge the validity of their accusation.

I hate to do this, but yet again, I’m taking a middle-of-the-road stance on this. If something is ruining your childhood, perhaps there is some soul searching that needs to be done. If there is a reason you feel that way, look nothing can ruin the original source material that you enjoyed. No matter what comes out, no matter what replaces it, no matter how badly a story is damaged by a sequel that comes along later by an incompitent writer/director/etc, the original is still there. It’s waiting for you, it’s okay. Go, take that old book off the shelf. Go watch that old movie you love some much. It wants your attention. I think you’ll find that when you do go back and look at it, it’s still there, and its still as good as it was… unless its Star Wars… which is why I highly recommend the non-special edition versions that are available on DVD.

Now, to film makers and their backers, you have a responsability to the fans of the established work. You may think that you can put shit on a stick and people will pay for it, but that’s not always the case. Look at the backlash Sony took for slamming fans of Ghostbusters who didn’t like the direction the franchise was taking. Like I said, they did what they did, without taking into account that destroying childhoods may in fact be a legitimate gripe. It’s this, amongst many other reasons that myself and many other movie-goers are completely disillusioned with Paul Feig’s, Melissa McCarthy’s, and Sony’s work all together and will not pay to see their movies anymore.

Don’t make their mistakes. You have a responsability to the paying audience and fans to put out something worthy of their time. Make it good!

To ALL my readers, if you feel that in some way things like what I mentioned above have negatively effected you, I have an open door policy with you. Email me, I’d love to talk to you. I am not a credentialed therapist, but I have studied psycology and spent part of my adult life working with children who have severe psycological issues. Please feel free to email 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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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

October 25, 2016 + advice, fantasy, History, Movies, Opinion, Uncategorized, Writing

The Nazis are Bad!

by Jim

There seems to be a rather annoying trend… I won’t say recently because it’s been going on for years, which is why it’s getting annoying. This trend is something we see in all mediums and it follows the same basic formula:

Bad Guy + Nazi Imagery = Effective Villain.

That’s right… is your bad guy lacking in back story? Are they just not cutting it evil-wise? Well then, bring in some Nazi imagery! Once you do that, if your audience isn’t ‘crap their pants scared’ or made with rage, then you need a new audience.

I started noticing it a while ago, but we really get good examples of it in Harry Potter:

… Does this look familiar?

Similar color schemes, similar message, etc. etc. etc.

Another good example is Star Wars The Force Awakens:

Okay… as Epic as that Speech is… yeesh…

Needless to say… these examples and too many like them are beyond blatant.

Look I’m not here to say that the Nazis aren’t bad, nor am I going to say that they shouldn’t be smeared in commentary. My grandfather came home with horror stories about what he saw when his battalion liberated some of the camps. I have first-hand witness accounts from a family member… so no one is going to dispute Nazi villainy on my watch.

That said, this formula does tend to get blatantly overused. I see it all too often in cases where the bad guy isn’t ‘bad’ enough… but then I see it in stories like Star Wars where it’s just completely unnecessary. We know the first order, we know their backstory and we know why they’re evil. The Nazi symbolism and imagery is completely unnecessary. If your reasoning for doing it isn’t because your villains aren’t well-written enough, why are you doing it?

Because the Nazis were evil and this is social commentary against them.

Well… you know what? We’ve got literally thousands of books, movies, documentaries, etc. telling us that. We know they’re evil and anyone who doesn’t think so, isn’t going to be swayed by your movies.

My only point here is that it’s been overdone. I mean if you’re going to do social commentary in your medium about the evils mankind has committed, why not one that’s a little more glossed over:

The atrocities of the Soviet Union pre, during, and post-WW2 which were arguably on a scale much larger than anything Hitler had been able to accomplish.

The Chinese atrocities following WW2?

The Vietnam atrocities on both sides.

The ongoing ethnic and militaristic cleansing in Africa?

Or how about something more modern, say… What’s going on in the Middle East right now?

But people may not recognize those as easily…

Maybe that’s the problem? People keep saying that they want to show that the Nazis were evil so that things like what they did will never happen again.

Sadly, they are happening again. Maybe not on such a huge scale, but they are happening again right now, as I write this and as you read it. So maybe its time to use that imagery and bring attention to it.

So I just want to say one more time, I’m not opposed to Nazi imagery when creating villains, I just think it’s kind of overused.

What do you think? Should we continue to use it as heavily as possible to keep such wide-scale genocides from happening again or should we switch focus to more recent tragedies?
Let me 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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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

October 21, 2016 + Comics, fantasy, Marvel, Movies, Opinion, superheroes, Uncategorized

LOGAN: Wolverine 3

by Jim

Oh God… you know, I get the impression that I will not be leaving this theater with dry cheeks… On one hand, its because this is Hugh Jackman’s last appearance as Wolverine. That alone is enough to make a respectable fanboy cry. This is a rare form for an actor as he has faithfully portrayed the character and gave the role his all, literally for the better part of 2 decades (well… 16 years, but who’s counting?)

Secondly because I’m pretty sure either Logan or Picard… ahem, I mean Professor X, or BOTH are going to die at the end of this movie… 😦

Plus given the tone, the hints… ‘She is like you, Logan. Very much like you.”

untitled

(Gee… I wonder who she’s going to turn out to be…)
mvc3_x_23_render_by_triggerhappy039-d3aqb5a

Yeah… I think everyone picked up on that one pretty quickly.

Anyway… this movie looks amazing. It’ll be a tear-jerker, but amazing none the less.

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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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

October 21, 2016 + demon, fantasy, Fiction, Religion, Uncategorized, Writing

Writing the Devil

by Jim

So no one really asked me about this one, but it was a question that I thought I’d pose. Since most of my stories have a good vs. evil, religious, element to them (no they’re not preachy!), I thought I’d bring this up.

How does one write the devil? Is there a right way? Is there a wrong way? Well… honestly I don’t know. The devil comes in many forms; Lucifer, Satan, the Morningstar, Diablo, Dragon… the list goes on.

I’ve also seen him depicted in many ways as well:

– A revolutionary angel kicked out of Heaven for trying to take over. His wings are bloody and he has lost most of his angelic powers in favor of demonic ones.

– An antagonistic angel that is part of God’s ruling council, even though he really doesn’t get along with anyone and tends to challenge God on most things.

-An idealistic freedom fighter who lost his way while trying to free his brothers and sisters (angels being servants to God) from bondage.

-A hideous demon with red skin, horns, and a horribly long tongue.

-Tim Curry… that’s pretty much all I need to say. The man could’ve depicted the devil perfectly; a sly individual who always looks like he’s got something up his sleeve. (No disrespect intended, I am a huge fan!)

-A massive, multi-headed dragon that is almost incomprehensible.

-A demonic creature without form that can appear any way it pleases.

-A beautiful, seductive, woman looking to lure an unsuspecting sinner to his doom.

-A righteous angel that, while not evil, is given the task of judging and punishing those who commit evil.

-A bored man-child playboy who drives a sports car around, wreaking havoc on the city he lives in, making deals with people, and causing mischief where ever he goes.
(Yes, I do love the show Lucifer.)

Honestly, I could keep going, but those are the ones I see the most. So which would I use? Well… honestly I’ve done it a couple of ways, depending on the narrative that I’ve been going for. However, now I’m trying to build out a new story dealing with the devil and a new narrative.

So for the devil, I think the character would be pretty much whatever it wants. Is it evil? Yes and no. I have written in many of my stories that the devil was a revolutionary trying to free his people from eternal servitude. To him, the idea of serving humanity, a species that is in his eyes is inferior in every way to the angels, is the last straw in an eternity of indignities. The devil initially had the best intentions, but countless eons in Hell, being perverted and corrupted by evil would change him into something, knowingly or otherwise, that is wholly evil.

So in earthly form, as it will be appearing to humanity, I think it would be female. She’d be beautiful, mischievous, seductive, but also friendly, outgoing, and incredibly likable. I think I would a really then throw everyone for a loop when she turns out to be the bad guy.

Anyway, let me know what you all think? How would you write the Devil?

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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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

October 20, 2016 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Uncategorized, Writing

Writing Fantasy

by Jim

I loved the Skyrim picture in the bottom… My request is: can you give me some advices about how to write a good fantasy story?. I`ve been writing since… forever, but I want to do things in a better way now. I apreciate the help. Thanks!

Emaleth

Hi Emaleth,

Phew, that’s a loaded question. How to write a good fantasy… Well honestly what’s good and what isn’t is a very subjective term, but let’s see what I can do.

So honestly fantasy is really used in many cases to deliver messages about various topics; history, politics, feelings and emotions, and current events. Now this isn’t what its used for 100% of the time, but it is an effective means of delivering these messages in an entertaining way. No one likes being preached to, so this is a very good way of going about it.

Let me provide a few examples…

Lord of the Rings: Tolkien wrote his story about World War 1. He wrote about the climate at the time and made several metaphorical comparisons to the effects of the war.

Skyrim: This is perhaps one of the more obvious ones. Go back and take a look at the history, cultural, and religious effects that took place in Europe as the result of the Roman Empire being forced to withdraw from Nordic, Gothic, and Celtic lands. Skyrim tackles the effects of the Roman occupation and the struggle for independence. The story tends to veer off depending on what side you choose, and arguably paints the history side as a negative (Nords win), but that’s why it seems so similar.

Divinity: My book tackles religious dogma, corruptions, and hypocrisy, while trying to tell an adventure. I wanted to make it clear about how some church leaders would be more interested in their own political standings than finding religious truth.

The NeverEnding Story: Well, depending on whether you read the book or watch the movie, we see a world being destroyed because of people losing hope, not reading, and really not using their imagination. It was a cautionary tale of what has happened.

So really I think fantasy is used best to speak on different issues. I would take an issue you’re passionate about switch a few things around say switch races with fantasy races, switch political bodies with different kingdoms, political leaders with characters that you created yourself. That is how you do it.

That said, this isn’t a rule. If you want to write an adventure dealing with elves, dwarves, or any creature or theme of your choosing, go for it. It’s called fantasy. There are no rules.

In the end, my advice is, write what you love. If you want to write about sociopolitical issues, great, write them, and then make the changes and add fantasy elements.

Anyway, hope this helps! Thanks for the message!!

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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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

October 19, 2016 + advice, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Reading, Uncategorized

Goals in Writing

by Jim

Hi Jim,

I was just wondering as a fellow writer what your goals are? Like what are you hoping people get out of your writing or what do you hope to accomplish by releasing your writing to the public?

Thanks,
Also Jim!

Hi Also Jim,

I want my book to get noticed by a big movie production company, buy the rights for a few million dollars, and then live off of the royalty checks so I’ll never have to work again in my life.

… … … … okay, all kidding aside.

Honestly, I could live without any of my stories changing mediums, either on the big screen or the small one. After seeing what happens when a director gets a hold of another person’s work, pretty much cuts the creator out, and projects their own vision on the established story. It RARELY ends well, and leaves the original creator extremely bitter. (See Mary Poppins, The Never Ending Story, the Jaws Sequels, and the Exorcist 2. Just to name a few…)

Okay… honestly it really depends on which book you’re talking about. Let’s run down the list…

The Magnifica Series – So this was a sort of fun fantasy that I wrote for my own enjoyment. Yes I do have racism… in context, species-ism in the story, but it’s heavily downplayed. I really just wanted this to be a fun story for anyone who really wished that mythological creatures existed. Really I didn’t even think I’d get it published, but there was some demand from a few friends who read it. So really if you get something about how damaging racism can be, wonderful. If you’re just really enjoying it because it’s a fun story, that’s all I really wanted.

Divinity – So Divinity was the first major work I ever did. It was a book I wrote during a time when I was going through a crisis of faith. In context, I follow the Catholic faith, however I don’t typically go to church, nor do I follow all of the tenants to a T. I also take exception when a priest or other church official giving definitive answers to questions they have absolutely no business answering that way. Divinity was essentially the answer to that. I wanted to comment on why people of faith need to be careful about blindly following what the leaders of ANY given church say.
So basically I took my readers back to a time when church corruption was at its worst and, based on what humanity typically did to people who claimed to be prophets, placed a wounded angel at the mercy of these people. I thought it was appropriate because… well…

History people, here’s a theoretical question for you; If an angel appeared in 15th Century Europe, knowing what the church was like and how primitive people were, what would happen if they saw said angel bloodied, blind, and unable to fly?
(You all already know my answer, so go ahead and let me know in the comments. I’m pretty certain we’re all thinking something similar.)

So yeah, the book was meant to be a cautionary tale against blind faith.

Damnation – So Damnation had similar themes at it dealt with the geopolitical strife during the War of the League of Cognac. However it’s more a story of redemption. A dark character that has gone as bad as you could go, comes back to the light. My story here is supposed to be more one of hope. I still wanted to draw out the hypocrisy of blind faith in religion, but I more wanted people to take away that no matter how bad things get, there are paths back.

Soul Siphon – … okay you got me. This one was pure enjoyment. Seriously, I’d always wanted to write a super hero story and that’s what I came up with. There is no real hidden meaning behind it, it’s pure enjoyment, nothing more.

So Jim, I hope this answers your question. Overall, I really just hope that people enjoy my writing and it opens them up to the new worlds that I created. Honestly I first wrote my books because I wanted something interesting to read and really wasn’t finding anything on the market. I worked on getting them published because people wanted to read them. That’s all really.

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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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

October 18, 2016 + Action Figues, advice, books, Comic, Disney, fantasy, Movies

Custom Action Figures

by Jim

I want to talk a little bit about action figures once more as I’m an avid collector of them. They’re fun to display, fun to collect, and certainly fun to play with your kids with… unless they’re the $30+ ones with fragile parts… then yeah, just the first two!

But what about characters that don’t have action figures, either because they’re just not popular enough or they’re just starting out… or they’re from a medium that generally doesn’t produce action figures? Or how about the problem I had with the Spider Gwen action figure that I felt was cheaply made?
(Yes, I’m still mad about that.)

Well for those of you who really want something like that… your options are fairly limited. Take me for example…

I have a character that I downloaded for Skyrim, then did a lot of extra modifying to. This character was tough, badass, and someone who literally never left my party. In fact, she was in part, the inspiration of a lot of really fun fan fictions dealing with Skyrim and other universes:

She followed my character on many adventures… and even stole kills from me on a regular basis. She was definitely the most bad ass out of any of the companions I used.

Anyway, I know that Skyrim has action figures, but what are the chances that they’d create a non-canon figure based on a mod? More importantly, this specific mod… the answer is, of course, NONE!

However, I really wanted one of her as she was hands-down one of my favorite characters in any medium. So I started looking into the possibilities of making her. I ruined a few Arwen and Tauriel action figures in the attempt… I’m sorry to say.

At that point, I’d given up. There was no way that this was ever going to happen. It was at this point that I came across an interview with a toy customizer named John Harmon. I went through his page, checking out the other impressive work he’d done… and come to find out that there is actually a huge community of people that do this kind of work. Like actual message boards, contact pages, etc.

SWEET!!! So with excited fingers, I fired off a message to John as his were the most impressive I’d seen in my search about doing this figure. He replied to me pretty quick saying that he’d be happy to work with me, and asked for images of the character in question. Thankfully, I’d just finished about 10 hours of modding (no, not consecutive, I HAVE A LIFE!!! 😉 ), and so I sent him off some more high definition images:

(Yes, this is what Skyrim CAN look like with the right attention to detail, patience, and the right system)

At that point, we got down to the basics;
What size action figure?
Any weapons?
What the base figure would be?

So basically, he takes an existing action figure, uses as much of it as he can… though usually not very much, and creates a brand new one. He does this using parts of other action figures that look similar or when there isn’t any, he makes the parts custom.

So perfect, now we have a way of getting action figures we otherwise wouldn’t get, right? Eh… two things I need to mention here…

This isn’t cheap. Most of the time, if you want a decent action figure, you need a high-quality base action figure. Those can run from $30-$100+ so factor that into the price, plus labor and other parts. Thankfully mine was… somewhat affordable? I have no regrets, being a geek doesn’t usually come cheap when you get down to collectibles.
It takes time. A lot of these customizers, John included, do this as a career and usually have a lot of requests. Be prepared to wait 6+ months for your figure. I submitted my request on December 1st, I received my figure in late June, I believe?

Was it worth it? You be the judge:

And again:

So if you have a character you really want to see made into a figure and your geek cache is plentiful, I’d definitely look into 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.

You can also add me on Twitter!

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