I’ve had a lot of ideas flying around lately, but not all of them are that great. Often times I find myself writing out some of my ideas only to almost immediately hit a road block. Then when I look over it again, I don’t know what I was thinking when I started writing. I don’t know how those thoughts could have ever made a good story. How do you know what to write and what will work? Do you have any tricks for figuring out which ideas would work in your head and then translate well to paper or is it just trial and error?
Much appreciated,
Mark.”
Oh Mark, you’ve just touched on the very folly that had felled many a good writer. Everyone has ideas, but not everyone can adequately translate them into writing. Other people can write really well, but there ideas are few and far in between. I think the key here is not to necessarily write out every idea that pops into your head, or if you do, just jot down the idea as a side note. Don’t try to turn everything single idea you have into one story. Trust me, it won’t work.
I personally can’t tell you how many scraps of paper I have at home with character descriptions, plot devices, and descriptions of fictional lands written on them. The trick is to keep a library of them tucked aside for later. I can honestly tell you that I only have one book written that was 100% an on the spot creation. Everything else I’ve written was a mix and mash of plot devices and characters that I had tucked away.
Think of it like this… when each of us were younger, for the most part, our parents bought us puzzles to help us build our cognitive skills. Early on, those puzzles usually had a back board that we could slip those pieces into so that the puzzle could be done on a carpet and was easy to put away. I want you to consider that back board your plot. When you come up with an idea for a story, that’s the back board without any of the puzzle pieces on it.
The next part of the project would be to take those plot devices you thought up previously, say a magic sword, a crystal, or something like that, select the ones that you think would work, and incorporate them. Do the same thing with the characters, pick a few characters out of the library you created and see how well they’d mesh together, compliment each other, or feed off each other. Then you can incorporate them and create a relationship, be it love, friendship, love/hate, hate, etc.
In summation, don’t try to turn all of your ideas into a story. Write them down, but keep them aside until you get one really good idea that you’re enthusiastic about, then add in the other ideas you came up with as other details. You’ll have your story written before you know it.
Thanks friend, and good luck.
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:
Okay, FOR THE RECORD, I don’t usually do this, however the geek in me took over.
This is one of the first fan-made professional movies out there and it promises to be really something to behold. I’d like to encourage ALL of my readers to check it out, and if it whets your interest as it did mine, please consider donating to the production! They need as much help as they can to make a movie about one of the best story arcs in Star Trek History!
And in case you are wondering, yes I myself have donated to it as well. Please see the videos below. The first one is the prelude while the second one is their pitch video. Both are expertly done!
Thanks for checking it out friends, ENJOY!!!
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me. jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
You mentioned in a previous post that you explored the topic of prejudice and racism. I’m trying to write a book exploring the topic, but I’ve never really dealt with it in my own life. That is to say, I’ve never been the victim of racism. Do you think someone can write about the topic if they themselves have never experienced it?
Thanks,
Alissa”
Hi Alissa,
Great question. I would refer you to the ‘creative’ work of Neill Blomkamp he seems to tell the story about it over and over again. 🙂
Okay, on a more serious note, let’s face it, we’ve all faced discrimination at some point. Like it or not, it’s true, we all have. Not necessarily racism, but prejudice of some kind. Somewhere out there, someone doesn’t like us because of who we are, where we come from, our religion, the color of our skin, etc. etc. Granted, some people face it a lot more than others. So your best bet would be to go back to a time that you were unfairly treated for reasons beyond your control. Think about a time someone made you stand out for something you couldn’t help or because of who you are. Think about how it made you feel and how it changed your view of the world around you, then write.
For me personally, when I wrote about Lia’na’s experiences, I partially took from my historical studies of the civil rights movement, but then was also able to give a more in-depth view into the emotional aspects when I went back and thought about a time in my life when I had experienced prejudice.
Allow me to provide a little background… I’m Irish Catholic. In certain areas, there has always been and always will be some people who have an extreme bias against people who share that background. Most of them originate from areas known as the ‘Old World,’ more specifically, areas of Europe, perhaps in greater amounts from the UK. Granted these resentments have decreased greatly they still exist. In my particular case, it happened in college. I was dating a girl of Welsh/Scottish descent and she was a first generation American.
I’m not going to go into great detail, but let’s just say her mother took issue with her dating someone of my… background and made no secret of it. Long story short, the whole experience didn’t end well. When I wrote Lia’na’s backstory, I brought out those memories and feelings of resentment and confusion, and was able to use them in my writing.
I know there are a lot of people out there who would say that you can’t write about racism if you haven’t faced it, white people shouldn’t write about it, reverse racism doesn’t exist, etc. To those people I would say that racism and hate doesn’t know a skin color. Look back over history, every group of people from every walk of life has been enslaved, massacred, discriminated against, or mistreated because of who they are and/or where they come from. It is a fact.
Homophobia, bigotry, racism, religious persecution, and gender bias are not owned by any one group or groups of people. I agree that reverse racism doesn’t exist though. Racism is racism regardless of skin color. Unfortunately, in recent months, there has been a lot of examples of racism, not only in things like the shootings of those poor souls in South Carolina, but also the reactions of some simple-minded individuals who have been raised to hate, play the victim, or intellectuals who use race for self promotion.
Like it or not, THIS is just as racist:
As this:
I’m sorry, but it is. You can try to explain it away, you can try to say that one was making a point while the other was showing his true colors, but all partisan beliefs aside, prejudice knows no color and until everyone recognizes that and works towards a better future for all, any thoughts of unity, equality, or harmony are as much a fantasy as the book I write.
Personally, I have a feeling that the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King would be dismayed and ashamed by the state of both sides of isle on this one. Those who cling to traditions that are no longer appropriate in the modern world are not helping their cause anymore than those who continue to promote stereotypes.
Anyway, I hope this helps Alissa. You don’t always have to have experienced something first hand to write about it. You can always do a third person account based on the experiences of someone else, or just look to an above example like I listed. Please feel free to email me if you have any further questions, I’m also going to open this one up to my readers and ask them to offer their two cents.
Thanks Friend and good luck!
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:
Status: On Schedule
Editions: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Kindle
Damnation’s legal documents are all set. The editing is complete and just need to be added to the final document.
Cover is proceeding on schedule though not yet complete.
With any luck we should meet our deadline!
Synopsis:
A soldier facing insurmountable odds, a dark angel presented with an impossible choice, and the fate of a nation hanging in the balance…
As if revolutionaries rampaging through the streets and a looming war with the Empire of Charles V weren’t enough, Ensign Piero Lorenzi, a loyal soldier in the army of Florence discovers a mysterious woman in a burning building who has no idea who she is or where she came from. He takes her in and cares for her, only to discover that she is not at all who she seems to be.
This woman, whom he has cared for and fallen in love with, is none other than the angel Xaphan, Lucifer’s right hand and the general of his armies.
Piero hesitantly puts his duty to Florence aside to discover the truth behind Xaphan’s presence in his homeland and foil whatever plot Lucifer has in the making.
Thank you to all my readers for your patience and support!
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:
What can I say, I went last year for all three days and loved it. This year, I wasn’t planning on going. With a pregnant wife at home, I had enough going on…
Then we had to hear the news that Stan “Comic God” Lee was going to be there. Upon learning of this, my wife basically said, “Jim… go! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you most likely will never get again.”
So I bought a ticket, but promised that I would just go to see Mr. Lee, and get a couple of cover sketches done. I’ve all but sworn off collecting old and rare comics, opting instead to collect one-of-a-kind art pieces done by the people who draw the comics. So after six months of putting money aside for this, I had enough to fund the day.
Aside from seeing Mr. Lee, I had two other goals; Get a cover done by Norman Lee, and have a sketch cover that had already been done by one of my favorite artists, Chrissie Zullo, inked in. The sketch, while unbelievably incredible, was hard to see from a distance and somewhat faint being just a pencil sketch.
Well… that’s when the trouble started. The worst type of tragedy struck the comic community. Norman Lee went missing and was presumed dead. This hit me hard as I was always a fan of his work and left me kicking myself for not having a cover done by him the previous year when I met him.
I spent some time reflecting on this one. Yet another role model of mine lost in 2015. So I started looking for another known artist who would be at the con. After looking through everyone, Frank Cho seemed to be the best fit. I liked his style and thought he’d do a good Spider Gwen cover… and boy did he… so well it pissed off Robbi Rodriguez, the creator or Spider Gwen, but I still liked his work.
So the day finally came, I had purchased my ticket to Saturday, and purchased my Stan Lee autograph. I had the whole thing planned out. My wife would stay home with my son for a few hours while I went and got everything done. I promptly arrived at 6am and was the second person in line… the first being a very friendly collector who helped make the next 4 hours fly by while we chatted about everything Comic Con.
So after standing out in the sun getting crispy, we finally got inside. At this point, I parted ways with my new friend to get everything I needed to do, done as fast as possible. Yeah… then reality hit. Frank Cho was nowhere to be seen. I remembered last year how some artists tended to arrive at 11 instead of 10, so I decided to come back. I then proceeded over to Chrissie Zullo’s table. As usual, it was adorned with her colorful prints. Chrissie’s artwork has always been impressive and I’ll admit she’s quickly climbed the ranks of my favorite artists. Her style is one that… seems very traditionalist, you don’t see it much anymore, which is a real shame.
Chrissie was in the middle of a sketch and I felt bad about interrupting her, but as usual she was very polite and easy-going. I asked her about the sketch and the possibility of inking it in. Unfortunately, she already had a full list of sketches to do from the previous day and could not take on another unless I was planning on being there tomorrow as well… and I wasn’t.
So that stunk for me, but oh well. It wasn’t her fault, part of me had a feeling something like that would happen. So then I proceeded back over to Frank Cho who had finally arrived. I inquired with him about doing a cover, at which point he also said that he had filled up yesterday and couldn’t take on any more (damn it!). So this was not looking good for me at all. Were all the artists booked?
At this point, I started wandering around artist alley, looking at some of the other works when I began to entertain the idea of having the Zullo sketch colored instead of just inked. I had entertained the idea before, but dismissed it because I didn’t want to risk ruining the sketch by choosing the wrong artist. Then I stumbled on the small table occupied by Brandon Gorski.
He had several different sketches and color works that were beautiful and his style looked like it would mesh really well with Zullo’s. He was very approachable and was happy to do the work. I hesitantly handed the cover over and set off to go see Stan Lee.
At this point I stumbled on another table… Joe Prado. I’d seen, and been impressed by his work before. He was, however a DC artist whereas I am a Marvel Comics fan with only a few exceptions. He looked like he was still taking commissions and my hope was to get at least one this year from a well-known artist. So I handed over my Spider Gwen cover to see what he could do.
Then I ran to the third floor to go see Stan Lee. I got in line and opened my ticket… and my heart sank! I don’t know how it happened, I really don’t, but somehow I had purchased a Sunday autograph instead of a Saturday one… well great, first I wasn’t getting the cover art I wanted… now I might not get the very thing I came for. I immediately spoke to one of the officials. After explaining how much of an idiot I was, he told me to get in line and as long as it scanned, they’d be fine with it. (PHEW!)
So with relief, I finally got to within a row of getting Stan’s Autograph on my X-Men #16, The Supreme Sacrifice.I met up with my friend from outside who revealed that there was a stand where some of Norman Lee’s art was being sold that I would need to check out later. At that moment, the line stopped. Why? Because Mayor Walsh was there to do a photo OP. (UUUUUURRRRRRGGGGGHHH!!!!)
Okay, normally I wouldn’t care, but let’s just say that I am no fan of Marty Walsh. The man pretty much tried to sell Boston to a bunch of billionaires to bring the Olympics to our city. I was part of the opposition and can honestly say that at no time did he ever show any respect to the opposition and was completely dismissive of their concerns. So less than a week after the Olympic bid mercifully collapsed, he’s now holding up the line. Joy…
But I digress…
So finally Mayor Walsh left after his token declaration of August 1st as Stan Lee day in the City, and the line finally began moving again. I got up to the front and stood at the table with the God of comics himself. Stan didn’t say much more than ‘Hi how are you?’ and ‘Thanks’ as was expected given how many people they needed to get through. Mr. Lee appeared to need a break as he mentioned that his hand was starting to ache.
Honestly, being in his presence was a thrill. This was something high on my bucket list that I never thought was possible, but it was one that I was finally able to cross off. So let me take a moment to say Thank You to Stan Lee for gracing Boston with his presence and for giving us decades of adventure and excitement!
So I had my autograph, which I then sent out to the CGC to be graded and preserved. I got to enjoy it for about 20 minutes, but hey it’s only 4 months…
So now it was time to go back down stairs and see what had become of my covers. I met up with another one of my friends and we proceeded over to Brandon’s table. Brandon had finished my cover and had it waiting for me. My hands shook as I waited to see what had become of sketch… Much to my relief and excitement…. IT CAME OUT INCREDIBLE!!!
Okay, so maybe not being able to have Chrissie do the cover wasn’t as bad as I thought. I still had one cover to go though.
It was at this point that my friend and I proceeded over to the Norman Lee table. There were books, prints, and some of his remaining original work up for sale. Knowing that this would probably be my last chance at getting some of his original work… I had to see what was available. As I poked through the panels, a woman came up to me and asked if I was familiar with Norman’s work. I replied that I was a fan of his work. It was at this point she revealed that she was Norman’s wife. I immediately apologized for her loss and told her how highly I thought of Norman. As I continued looking through the art work, I she told me that all of the proceeds were going to his foundation to support the arts for humanity. I didn’t normally collect panels, but in this case, given that this was likely my last chance, I made an exception and purchased a panel from his work on the Exiles.
After wishing Norman’s family the best, I moved on to get the last cover. My feet were killing me and I knew that I really needed to get home. I approached Joe Prado’s table where another fan was getting posters signed… a lot of posters… no, I’m not kidding, it was like 12 posters by the same guy! Oh well, I waited for him to finish, at which point Joe turned to me, “Yes, I have a cover for you. I need to put the final touches on it, do you want to watch?”
I usually left the artists alone to do their work, lord knows I don’t like people looking over my shoulder, but since he offered, heck yes! He pulled out the cover and… well for starters it took up both the back and the front cover, which I hadn’t seen any of the artists do up until then. He quickly added the details and looked up at me for approval…
What can I say, the man did NOT disappoint. This was also apparently his first time doing this character, so needless to say I was absolutely ecstatic! I took my comic, shook his hand and made my way to the exit, NOT forgetting to pick up a little action figure for my son before leaving.
My final thoughts…
Some people will tell you that you can get everything done you want to in one day… LIES!! Especially if you want specific things done and have a laundry list of people you want to meet. Plan things out all you want, but do not be surprised if LITERALLY everything you plan goes to hell. Comic Con is a seat of the pants operation. I should have learned this long ago. Always have backup plans… and always try to attend two days. Preferably Friday and Saturday. Sunday is usually a clean up day with very little going on.
Boston Comic Con is the perfect con for casual and intermediate collectors. It has much of the grandeur of NY or San Diego, but without the day-long lines that lead into other lines. Whether you collect comics, art work, games, or you just like fantasy adventure stories or seeing a bunch of nerds act nerdy, then BCC is the place for you. There is a lot to see, enjoy and yes… buy. Just make sure you save for this in advance… otherwise, if you’re a rabid collector like me, you’ll blow through your checking in seconds. Thankfully that didn’t happen this year as I saved up enough to cover me.
Anyway, even though I didn’t get the artists I wanted, and my own idiocy caused me undue stress in getting to meet Mr. Lee, I actually had an incredible time and, as always, was very happy with the outcome.
Anyway, I hope this gives those of you who have considered going a little more insight. Thanks for listening to me ramble!
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:
Okay I see this in both movie and book form, but I’m going to cover some of the more egregious examples.
Why is it so difficult to write kids and teens? In many of the movies or stories we see, kids are well behaved, tiny adults… or even worse. You see this a lot in bad comedies or really weird stories. Perhaps the most standout example would be from (yes I just sat through this recently) Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Setting aside the novel-length list of everything that is wrong with this movie, think about the child. The kid could literally be the next coming of Christ. I’m not even kidding. I mean sure in the book he was a tad unbelievable as well, but at least there, he still had some aspects of childhood that were believable.
You see it in other stories as well… these aren’t kids and certainly not how kids really behave, this is how adults WANT their kids to be, It’s really an interesting character study. Honestly, if you want to see more of what I’m talking about, don’t waste the time watching this movie, watch about 10 minutes of a 7th Heaven Episode, you’ll see what I mean…
On to the teen crowd… and I admit things have gotten better on their end recently, but it’s still not where it should be. Teens have always gotten the bum’s rap when it came to movie and book portrayal, but I’ve never seen it worse than it was in the late 90’s and early 2000s. Allow me to provide two examples from movie form as novel form was somewhat lacking at this point in terms of anything that great…
(NSFW)
WHAT TEENAGER ACTED LIKE THAT!?
I mean it. I was a teen at the time these movies were big and I’ll tell you something, no one was anything like this. These aren’t even bad parodies of teenagers. American Pie, while a comedy was sold as a comedic drama about teenagers coming into their own. However these characters while (at the time) people found funny, were nothing like what actual teens behaved and thus were not relatable at all. Which probably explains why these movies have all but faded from memory.
The Faculty is even worse. That’s sold as a serious horror flick and… well look at it. If that’s the case and this was supposed to be a serious representation of what teenagers were like… then as someone who was a teenager at this point in time, I find that extremely offense. A film professor of mine once commented that the kids in the faculty all seemed like they had serious mental issues, but honestly, my first job out of college was working at a residence program for kids with mental illnesses ranging from ADD, ADHD all the way to Bipolar disorder and PTSD, and THEY were better behaved than this
But I digress…
Why is writing kids and teens so far off the mark? Why is it even tolerated?
Well…. many reasons could be attributed to that. For one the director and/or writers could be horribly out of touch, in the case of kids, they could be hoping that kids will see and emulate the behavior, whereas in teens… I don’t know, their angry old people with an ax to grind?
As for why it’s even tolerated… well…it’s not really as the most notorious cases of behavior like this usually bombs at the box office and book sales. As for the American Pie series… all I can say is that perhaps we were too busy laughing at the ridiculousness of it to realize that we were being made fun of? Maybe we just didn’t care and wanted to be entertained? Who knows….
So why then do I bring this up? Well I think it’s a good example of what NOT to do when writing characters. Seriously. be respectful of your audience. Write to them, not at them. If you’re going to insult them (and not in the friendly roast way), be prepared to have your work scorned.
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:
Cover is on schedule, the ISBN and all the legal documentation is going through, and the editing is almost complete.
At this point 8/20 looks like it is still going to happen (fingers crossed on this one).
The book will be available in three formats:
Hardcover
Paperback
Kindle
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:
Well this was a nice surprise… especially because I hadn’t heard about this before.
First off, I would like to thank THE GATHERING FIRE girl for nominating me. Keep your eyes on that one folks, she’s a talented writer who is not afraid of voicing her opinions. Be sure to check out her series Adventures in Harmonia.
Now, for the rules:
– Answer the 11 interview questions
– In your post, link back to the person who awarded you.
– Choose 3 other bloggers to award, focusing on those with 200 followers or below.
– Link to those bloggers in your post, then go and leave them comments to share the good news!
– Be sure to ask them 11 original questions.
Here are my answers to the 11 questions:
1. How long have you been writing?
Since I was in grade school. I was writing stories that were 8 or 9 pages long when the requirement was for 2. My high school teachers hated me for my ability to put off term papers literally to the last second, but still writing an A paper which they saw me write ten minutes before class. My first novella was in my senior high school year… The Esalin Conflict… and God was it terrible. A ripoff of every single Sci-Fi world I’d ever seen. From Star Wars to Wing Commander.
Thankfully my writing got better.
2. What is your favorite genre to read?
High Fantasy
3. What genre do you primarily write?
Urban Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Fantasy
4. What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to and/or your dream destination?
Rome
5. Who is your favorite author?
Eesh… um… If I have to choose… JRR Tolkien, Dean Koontz, amongst others. Admittedly, I don’t read much so I can’t really say.
6. What is your favorite movie?
Star Wars
7. What hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy?
Writing, video games, antique collecting, shooting.
8. Rain or sunshine?
Rain
9. Where is your favorite writing spot?
Bed
10. Describe your favorite childhood memory.
… Camping with friends.
11. And finally, the most important of all…cake or pie?
Pie.
Now here are my nominees for the award! If you have already been nominated for this award, or you don’t generally participate in this kind of thing, feel free to ignore me. I won’t hold it against you, promise. 😉
So for the most part, my reader base is used to me giving them answers to their queries about various topics in literature… or hearing me ramble on about whatever topic I can branch from my writing.
Well… today I wanted to do something different. I have two separate stories that I’ve been working on and am considering as the sequel to my first series, Magnifica. However, I’m having trouble deciding between the two, so I figured, hey, who better to give you input then the people who read your work? So here I am, offering a chapter from two very different stories that take place in the same universe, and either one could become Magnifica’s sequel.
Option 1: Magnifica 4: Dark Redemption
So this story takes place concurrently with the events of Magnifica 3: Gravestalker. However, Toby, Lia’na, Gishan, Giselle, and Auro are no longer main characters. A scene or two has been taken from Gravestalker, however the story itself will be surrounding a whole new group of characters, with a fairly minor character from the previous books taking center stage.
You all remember Tom from the previous books. He was a member of Toby’s group who became outcast due to his lack of action when Lia’na was being assaulted in the first book. His guilt has been overwhelming and he seeks redemption. His friends; Jaime and Greggor, and a mysterious woman name Tearsa join him on his adventure through the deserted streets of Boston during the undead attack.
This story will incorporate an additional race, Vampires (I know… I know, Vampires suck…), into the fold with the races already present.
Option 2:
Taryn: The Legacy Contains Spoilers if you haven’t read Magnifica 3 yet! Set 125 years after the events of Magnifica, Taryn Arrigan is a direct descendant of the last enchanter. The government has covered up the events of her ancestor’s story, though she continues to preach what she knows in her heart was the truth. The Elven Race is now extinct with the exception of the half-quarter elves still living, including Taryn.
Taryn possess some of the natural abilities due to the remains of her elven heritage, but they are grossly inferior to those of a full elf.
This story will branch Fantasy with Science Fiction in that there will be technologies, including advanced AI personal assistance, hover cars, and other technologies not currently in existence. It will also include some background into the underground cities built, and long since abandoned by, the dwarven people. It will be revealed that a group of people are living down there still. These people however, are not dwarven and will be able to provide Taryn many of the missing answers of her past.
Note: Please don’t tell me I can do both! 🙂 As much as I would love to, writing each book is extremely time-consuming and I really only have enough time to focus on one.
Sample Chapters: Magnifica 4 Dark Redemption
I
I‘ve never been able to get passed what happened. It still seems like something out of a nightmare, but it wasn’t. It happened, I did it. I know I did. I helped him hurt her, and in doing so, I’ve damned myself… More than anything… I want to be forgiven, or at least find a way to redeem myself…
“Tom, snap out of it!” A voice yelled from behind. “What are you doing man?”
Tom turned around to see his friend Jayme standing behind him, “What’s up?”
Jayme brushed her thick brown hair back behind her ear, “I just asked if you were going to lunch. You didn’t answer and had a look on your face like you were a million miles away.”
Tom nodded, “I’m sorry, I was just thinking to myself.”
“About what happened?” Jayme asked in an accusing tone.
“Yeah.” Tom replied. “I still can’t get the look on her face or the anger in his eyes out of my head.”
“You let Michael do a number on that poor elf, and Toby made sure that you paid for it.” Jayme replied. “Look, it’s like I told you before, it happened, you can’t go back in time and change that, all you can do now is learn from it and try to live better. I’d also try to see if you can earn her forgiveness.”
Tom sighed as he spoke, “I know… you’ve said it before. I just don’t know what I can do.”
Jayme shrugged, “You never know.”
Jayme stood near Tom for a few minutes while he compiled his thoughts. After a few moments of boredom, she spoke up, “Are you doing lunch?”
Tom shook his head, “Nah, not today. I think I’ll just head back to my room.”
“Suit yourself.” Jayme replied. “I’m starving, so I’m heading that way. See you later!”
Tom really wasn’t in the mood to eat and needed time to compile his thoughts, “All right, have a good time.”
Jayme nodded and walked away. It was a cool September day. Autumn had just barely begun taking over as classes were once again starting at Arcanus. The trees were still green, but it was a light green that would soon give way to brighter colors.
Tom had been dreading the fall. He didn’t want to see Toby, Lia’na, or Michael. To him, they were nothing more than reminders of an awful mistake he’d made. He knew that what he’d done was wrong, he was suffering on his own for it, and didn’t need to be reminded of what happened.
Tom made his past the main campus center when he heard a n angry voice, “You’ll pay for that sharpy!”
Oh no… Tom thought to himself, recognizing the voice. It was Michael, no mistake about it, and by the sound of things, he’d come across Lia’na. What’s worse, it sounded like Toby wasn’t anywhere nearby.
Tom picked up his pace and began running. He made his way around to the lounge area where he saw Lia’na and Michael. The scene was exactly what Tom had feared.
Michael stood in front of Lia’na as his two friends held her by the arms. Michael balled his fist and was about to strike when his world suddenly blurred. There was intense pressure on his side and chest as he fell to the side.
It took him less than a second to figure out what was going on. Michael had been tackled. Toby was on top of him with his fists clenched. The first blow impacted on Michael’s stomach while the second on his chin.
Tom continued running as the other two guys released Lia’na and tried to help, but the first one got a left hook to the stomach from Gishan. Tom knew that while they both knew how to defend themselves, but Michael’s dwarven friend was still free and closing in on Gishan.
Tom quickly moved in, tackled the third companion, and pinned him to the ground. The dwarf looked up with an angry look, “What the hell man?”
Tom smiled as he held the dwarf down, “Easy there, Griz, don’t do anything stupid.”
After a few seconds, Toby let up on Michael and backed away. The look on his face made Michael’s blood run cold. His face was red with black eyes. Michael struggled to his feet as he was joined by his friend who was released from Gishan’s grip. Michael sneered as he looked at Toby, “Very nice Toby, fucking jump me from behind! I still can’t believe you’re dating that… sharpy!”
Toby clenched his jaw and spoke in an inhuman voice, “Animal… you’ve lead a sheltered life with parents who hate for no reason other than to hate. You know nothing about the world outside of your bubble and you never will!”
Tom released Griz and backed away slowly when he heard Toby’s voice. What the…?
Michael scoffed, “I’m the animal? That sharpy and her people are the ones responsible for us being where we are today. They deserved the disease they got and they should stay on the reservations!”
Gishan shook his head, “That shit is ancient history from long before you or she was even born! She’s as responsible for the collapse of the Alliance as you or I would be.”
Michael wasn’t sure he wanted to say anymore. Toby looked like a ticking time bomb and that demonic voice he spoke with made things even worse, “Oh please Gishan, why should I listen to you? What are you going to do about anything? You want to try to take me on?”
Tom stood up and took a step forward. Michael had been his friend since he first attended Arcanus, but he’d known Gishan for many years before that and was not about to let him get beaten. He stepped out in front of his old friend, “If he doesn’t, I will.”
Lia’na saw Tom and nervously stepped closer to Toby. Michael looked at him in shock, “Tom, since when are you a sharpy lover?”
Tom looked at Lia’na for a second before turning back to Michael, “I’m not, but I’m also not so small that I would resort to assault or rape! Had I known that’s what you were planning, I never would have gone along with it. I’m not much better than you, but I am better. If you try to go after Toby or Gishan, you’ll have to deal with me.”
Gishan looked over at him, “Tom, what are you doing?”
“What I should have done months ago.” Tom replied without looking over.
Michael nodded and turned back to Lia’na, “Someday sharpy…”
Toby‘s hand began to glow black as he bolted forward and grabbed Michael by the throat. He spoke in the same dark voice, “Listen to me very carefully… if you ever… ever try to lay a finger on her… I will make sure you are never found!”
Tom backed away slowly as Michael choked under his grasp, but could not fight away. Toby’s concentration was broken when he heard Lia’na cry out, “Toby, stop!”
Toby released Michael, giving him an opening to get away. Michael ran off, followed closely by his remaining friend. He didn’t bother looking back and just continued running.
Toby was breathing heavily and his skin was still red. Lia’na felt the energy flowing from him. She put her arms around him and whispered gently, “Toby calm down… it’s over. I wasn’t hurt…. Shh…”
Finally the red disappeared from his face and his eyes returned to normal. Tears fell down his cheeks as Lia’na hid his face, “Lia’na… what happened?”
Lia’na shook her head, “We’ll talk later… for now, calm down. It’s over, I’m not hurt. Everything is okay.”
Toby took a few deep breaths as he calmed down. He knew he still had to deal with Tom. When he was ready, he turned to Tom and looked him in the eye.
Tom didn’t move. He stood his ground as the two stared at each other for a few moments. Am I next?
After what seemed like an eternity, Toby faintly smiled, “Thanks for your help.”
Tom nodded, “It was the least I could do.”
He then turned to Lia’na, “I don’t expect you to forgive me for what happened, but please know that I am sorry. Michael won’t bother you again, I promise.”
Lia’na took a deep breath, but couldn’t find it in her to even crack a smile, “I can’t forgive you for what happened… or what almost happened, but I can try to forget… at the very least, I’ll stop pretending you don’t exist.”
Tom smiled, “Good enough.”
Lia’na didn’t respond as she turned to Toby, “We should probably get you home.”
Gishan nodded, “All right… I’ll get you home. Let’s go.”
He quickly looked back at Tom before they parted ways, “Thanks for the backup man.”
“Any time.” He replied as Gishan turned away and guided Toby and Lia’na back to his car.
Tom made his way back to his room, completely shaken by what he’d seen. His head was filled with questions; what was that, why were Toby’s eyes glowing, what did it all mean?
Tom eventually shrugged, there was nothing he could do about it, so there was no point in worrying about it. Whatever happened with Toby, no doubt his friends were taking care of it.
Toby had been acting weird ever since he’d met Lia’na. The glowing eyes, the hands, the unexplainable powers, it all didn’t add up, but again, there was nothing that he could do about it. He would have liked to have gone and seen Toby at his new place, but he had a feeling that he would most likely not be welcomed there. There was nothing for Tom to do but ignore it and go about his day.
Taryn The Legacy
I
Darkness surrounded Taryn as and her breathing became more rapid. Her head darted back and forth as she looked for any sign of life, “Hello? Is anyone there?”
No response.
“Hello, hello?”
An odd sound appeared in the distance, it was little more than a whisper, but nothing that she could make out.
“Is someone there?”
The voice grew louder and the darkness began to fade. At that moment, a pair of red eyes appeared in front of her. The darkness was fading fast now as a man with pointed ears and long black hair appeared in front of her. Goose bumps appeared on her skin as she took a fearful step back. Her heart raced as though she had run a great distance, “Who are you?”
The creature’s mouth open as it continued its menacing gaze. Its eyes burned as bright as the campfires she’d sat around in the woods of New Hampshire when her high school friends had gone camping. The creatures dark hair made them appear even brighter.
A high-pitched scream was the only response she received as the creature suddenly moved forward and passed right through her. She covered her ears, trying to block it out, “Who are you, what do you want?”
As the creature passed through her, the pain of the scream became intolerable. She squeezed her eyes closed and cried out, hoping she’d be heard over the screaming, “Stop it!”
“Whoa, Taryn, are you okay?”
Taryn gasped as she opened her eyes, “Bobby…”
“Easy, sounds like you had a rough ride.” Bobby replied as Taryn slowly sat up. “What happened?”
She rubbed her eyes before turning to him, “It was the same as before.”
“The dreams again, huh?”
Taryn nodded, “Now I’m glad I left my door unlocked. I keep seeing this man with pointed ears. I don’t know who he is, but I feel like he’s important somehow. It’s strange.”
“Yeah, like the pictures we saw in biology…” She replied. “I think he might have been some kind of elf.”
“You mean a half elf?”
“No, his ears were very pronounced.”
Bobby frowned, “Taryn, the last elf died a few years ago. They’ve been extinct for a few years now. You of all people should know that.”
Taryn nodded and ran her hand over the point of her own ear, “Yeah… don’t remind me. Even so, that’s what I saw.”
“Maybe your own Elven senses are playing tricks on you?”
“Maybe.”
Bobby smirked as he stood up, “You should probably get up. Your hair’s a mess!”
Taryn ran a hand through her dirty blond hair and brushed it back behind her ears, “All right I’m up, now leave me alone!”
She looked over at her clock as her feet touched the floor, “7am… well at least I have time for a shower.”
Bobby nodded, “I leave you to it then.”
“Thanks.”
The moment Bobby was gone from the room, Taryn stripped out of the sweat-soaked pjs she was wearing, grabbed the towel hanging off of her bedpost, and headed for the bathroom.
The hot water pouring over her skin helped wake her up. Her hazel eyes widened as her newfound energy flowed through her. A cloud of steam surrounded her as she washed herself down. She took a few minutes to savor the serenity. College had always been something of a rollercoaster ride for her so she appreciated any moment of peace she received.
Thankfully, classes were wrapping up for the summer. At which point, she would need to go find a job if she wanted any spending money for the summer. It wasn’t something she enjoyed, but she knew that she needed to. Her parents had provided everything for her up until this point and had even taken out a mortgage on the family home to make sure that she would make it through college debt free.
Knowing that did not make life any easier for Taryn and she refused to take another penny from her parents as a result. Her goal was to pay the mortgage to make sure that the house would always remain theirs.
She grabbed the towel and dried herself off before moving to the bedroom to get dressed. She pulled open her top drawer to the usual assortment of underwear and grabbed a pair of hip huggers. Normally on a Friday, she’d go for the bikini briefs, but she didn’t have a date or any plans for the evening, so she wasn’t looking to impress anyone. She quickly slid the underwear over her legs before reaching for a bra.
Once she was dressed in her normal black caprices and white blouse, she went about fixing her hair. The shower had worked wonders. Her hair was very thin, so combing out the knots wasn’t difficult. Her ears were slightly longer and more pointed than that of a full human. It was something she relished as keeping her hair tucked behind them was much easier.
Finally, she turned to her small make up case. I don’t think so. She thought to herself, not today. Taryn wasn’t a huge fan of makeup and often just went without it. Lipstick and maybe some cheek blush were about all she’d tolerate if she was going on a date, but even then, she’d often just wipe it off later.
At that moment her eye caught the digital clock on her desk. 7:45
“Fuck!” She blurted out. “I’m going to be late!”
Without a thought to her book back, she dashed out the door, down the steps, and out the front entry way. With a clear path, she dashed across campus to the main building. She was determined to minimize her tardiness.
The warm breeze that passed over Taryn’s skin was no comfort to her as she ran. The grass around her was slowly returning to green as spring was quickly giving away to summer. Typical Boston, she thought to herself. The seasons here change so quickly.
Taryn arrived at the main classroom hall with barely a few minutes to spare. The building was a large brick structure with gold lettering on the side that read ‘Arcanus University.’ She immediately proceeded inside.
She quickly made her way down the hall to room 103 and took her seat. The room was a large auditorium that seated about a hundred people, but only thirty seats were occupied. Either the class wasn’t very popular or they were just using a large room due to lack of space.
Taryn favored the back of the room for reasons she could never quick figure out. She sat down and pulled out her books as a portly dwarf sat down next to her, “Hey Taryn.”
“How are you, Merrin?”
The dwarf shrugged, “Can’t complain… much.”
“Did you break into that rock salt vodka again?”
“No…”
“Merrin?”
“Maybe…”
Taryn shook her head, “You know you can’t handle that stuff. It blows right through you!”
“Hey dat shit be dwarven-made!” Merrin replied. “I can handle anythin’ my people make. Rememba that!”
Taryn chuckled, “Okay Merrin…”
Anyway, please let me know what everyone thinks. I’d love some input on which story everyone favors based on what I’ve given you above. I appreciate any insight anyone can provide, thanks!
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:
It occurs to me as we get down to the wire that I should probably start doing these on a regular basis. At least weekly. That way I don’t keep getting emails about it.
In any case, we’re on track for release. The cover is looking great the more and more I see it updated. The edits are complete and just need to be added to the final manuscript and everything is proceeding on schedule.
We are on track for our release date of 8/21/15.
I’d like to thank everyone for your kind words and hope that Damnation provides exactly the level of entertainment you’re hoping for!
Thank you all so much for your support! You don’t know how much I appreciate 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:
I saw the updates on the book you have coming out (congrats by the way) and was wondering if you could tell us how you overcame certain obstacles. For example, in my writing, I’m having a hard time establishing character relationships. I don’t want my story sounding like a Disney princess story where two people just instantly fall in love, but I don’t want to flood my book with a lot of filler dealing with how they fell in love. I’m not writing a romance novel, but I do want it to have a romantic element.
Thanks,
Jbob”
Hi J,
Good question… and personally I myself have been trying to find ways around it for a while myself. There are three ways I’ve discovered so far;
1. Start the story off mid-relationship. Establish that your characters have had a relationship all along, so that when the story starts, you’re already where you need to be. You can go into detail through monologue or character discussions as to how the two of them got to where they are throughout the story. That isn’t something you necessarily need to find out early on.
2. If you plan to start your story off before your characters meet, this is where it can get a little more complicated. The way I’ve used so far is to start the story off before they meet, have them meet, summarize in a page or two what they’ve been going through over a few months to a year and then get back into the main narrative. This way you get the beginning of the relationship set and you get moved right to the main point in the story.
3. “The afterthought.” Start the story off at the climax and have the main character remember back to when they first forged their relationship and have him/her describe it in a few chapters leading up to where they are now.
Hope this helps, but I’ll open it up to the floor and ask my readers if they have found ways to establish character relationships quickly for the sake of the flow of the story. Feel free to email me if you have any more 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:
I’m currently writing a story dealing with fantasy characters. I wanted to include a couple of classical fantasy characters in my story. I was wondering if you had any advice about how to go about this? I don’t want to get sued by their owners.
Thanks,
Jeremy J.”
Hi Jeremy,
Hi Jeremy, by classical, I assume you’re talking about the creative works of people like the Brother’s Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, etc?
If so, you’re in luck, most of those characters fall under public domain.
“Works in the public domain are those whose intellectual property rights have expired,have been forfeited, or are inapplicable.” Wiki
The standard rule, at least in the United States, is that pre-1923 works are in the public domain. This is… mostly correct, however, determining whether a work has entered the public domain or is still under copyright can be a lot more difficult than this, mostly because copyright terms have been extended multiple times and in different ways. At first, it was a fixed term based on the year of publication with a renewal term, to a term extending to fifty to seventy years after the death of the author. So the claim above is correct FOR PUBLISHED WORKS. Unpublished works fall under Federal Copyright laws and extend to the life of the author + 70 years.
This can differ in other countries, so check your local copyright laws or, as always, consult and attorney.
The best advice I would give is to read the stories that surround the characters thoroughly. I say this because most of those classical characters have been used in movies by Disney or have been adapted and rewritten in other versions. DO NOT JUST USE THE NAMES AND ATTRIBUTES YOU KNOW THE MOST!! I can’t stress that enough.
Why? Because if were to put the dwarves from Snow White into the story and use the names from Disney (Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, Dopey), you will get sued. Those names are not original to the story and are the intellectual property of the Disney Corporation.
Like I said, know your story, know your characters and know what you’re writing. Often times, taking a little creative license with these characters is not only warranted, but 100% necessary to keep the work from treading into intellectual property waters.
Lastly, please remember, I am not an attorney. I have studied the laws, having been published myself, but even I don’t know all of the nuances. My words are for advice purposes only. If you find yourself in a bit of gray area, PLEASE consult an attorney. A little money now is a lot better than being sued for a lot later and I take no responsibility if don’t.
Any thoughts from the reader base? Further advice for Jeremy?
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:
James Harringtons Creative Work 