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

Author’s Advice #19

by Unknown's avatar

Hi all,

Know it’s been a while and I apologize for that. However I hope that Damnation, once it’s published, will make up for this. Anyway, onto today’s advice piece.
Don’t be afraid to break out of your mold.
I hate the term ‘typecast.’ I really do. No one should be stuck into one category as a sci-fi or drama actor or writer or director. Granted, I’m a fan of doing what you know, love, and are good at, but that doesn’t mean that you should be restricted by that.

Are you a fantasy writer who wants to voice their political opinions? Do you have them brewing inside, waiting to burst free? Then you go ahead and write that manifesto. Get it all out on paper and once you’ve finished your Bible-length theories on how a government should run, reread it and see if you can work it into an interesting book, or if it just looks like the ramblings of a crazy person.

Are you a non-fiction writer who is tired of seeing book after book after book turning Vampires from awesome action heroes into… (Insert your own opinion here.) and you want to write them as they SHOULD BE? Then get started.

You’ll face hurdles that you never have in your writing and a little research and reading may be in order BEFORE editing. So I’d recommend following this step by step process:

1. Get the ideas down on paper.

2. Research what you’re writing about.

3. Read other works by people in the same field.

4. Commence editing.

5. Ask for help.

Number 5 especially, even if you don’t think you need it. Let someone else read it, someone impartial who isn’t going to pat you on the head and call whatever scribbling you write Shakespeare. Trust me, you’ll be better off for it.

Now let’s say you’ve done all that, and it still isn’t something you want the public getting anywhere near. Well don’t get discouraged. I know it may seem like you just wasted your time but remember these words from a previous post I wrote:

“Nothing a person does with their own two hands is ever a waste of time. It’s all building towards something.”

You may not have been able to write outside of your own comfort zone successfully, but maybe now you have the bare bones for another story within your chosen genre.

Consider it…

When I started, I wanted to write about religion, fact, fiction, blind faith and corruption. I wanted to write philosophy, but I write Historical Fiction and Fantasy. When I wrote my philosophy piece, upon a re-read, I couldn’t believe how bitter it sounded. That doesn’t reflect me or my beliefs, so I quickly scrapped that idea. However, then I started thinking in context, how can I get my point across while sticking to my respective genre? Then upon seeing the painting “The Wounded Angel,” the seeds for Divinity were planted.

So go ahead and give it a shot, write what you want to write and, success or fail, it’ll be worth it.

Thanks friends,
Catch you on the flip-side,
-Jim

PS – DAMNATION IN THE WORKS BABY!!!

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.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+ advice, Inspiration, literature, Music, Writing

More Inspiration…

by Unknown's avatar

This one, from one of the greatest Metal collectives out there, was instramental when I was writing Divinity. It doesn’t end well as Tobias Sammet’s singing cannot match the power of Amanda Somerville, but it’s still a really great song to listen to if writing about a relationship that may not last.

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.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Science Fiction, Writing

Damnation Status update!!!

by Unknown's avatar

Hi all,

I’m very thrilled to report that Damnation is going very well. The editing is underway and the cover design, care of Brett Warniers who did Divinity’s cover, already has ideas down on paper.

Another facet of the book’s cover that was recently completed was the inclusion of a representation of the main character on the cover. A very special thanks go out to the very talented Rick Chandler, the lovely Nicole Hailer, Jenny French, Nathan Prescott, and the Horrorwood FX team for all their hard work. This is going to be incredible.

Though everything is still being shaped and put into production, we are nearing setting a release date for the book. I thank everyone who has stuck it out this long and appreciate all of your patience with me as this work has caused me to be neglectful of my blog advice column.

Thanks all and catch you on the flip side.

-Jim

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Non Fiction, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing

Author’s Advice Pt. 18

by Unknown's avatar

Nothing anyone does with their own two hands is EVER a waste of time.

This is especially true when it comes to writing. Too often I have heard people write out a few chapters then look up, sigh, and say that they’re wasting their time. Their story makes no sense, the characters suck, and the progression isn’t… progressing.

That’s not a waste of time, as you’ve just discovered characters, a story, and progression that don’t work together. You didn’t waste time, you tried something and it didn’t work. I honestly think that if we looked at some of our failure stories like this more often, we’d be a lot happier. Who knows, maybe you can use those characters or that plot line later. There is no rule against recycling ideas in a story. If there was… I’d have a lot of answering to do.

P.S. I apologize for the lack of posts recently, getting Damnation ready for publishing and the announcement that our second child is on the way has consumed most of my free time. I will make every effort to post whenever I can, thank you all so much for sticking it out with me!!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+

+ fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, literature, Reading, Writing

Character Profiles: Piero Lorenzi.

by Unknown's avatar

From Damnation
Species: Human
Rank: Ensign
Affiliation: Papal Army, Army of the Republic of Florence

Character Information: A brazen young commissioned officer in the Florentine Army during the War of the League of Cognac, Piero Lorenzi seeks to restore the name of his house, who’s honor was taken due to his father’s cowardice. He serves faithfully though his commanding officer, Captain Ferruccio has frequently noted a troublesome level of tardiness in Piero’s performance when it comes to him being on time for his duty. He loves his city and has vowed to protect it from anyone, be it Emperor Charles V, or anyone else who would dare try to breach their walls.

He is very close to the men in his unit and treats them like family. The men he fight with are his friends and would follow him into battle, regardless of risk.

Piero dreams of partaking in a fantastic adventure like those he’d read about as a child… he may soon get his wish…

+

+ fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Reading, Writing

Character Profile: General Xaphan

by Unknown's avatar

As Damnation slowly begins to take form, I thought it might be a good idea to give everyone an introduction to one of the main characters and arguably one of the best characters I’ve ever created, Xaphan.

Species: Angel
Affiliations: Choirs of the Most High, Legions of Hell.
Rank: General

Character profile: Xaphan was originally created by Collin de Plancy in his book, Dictionnaire Infernal. While some of the history remained the same, Xaphan’s gender, overall personality, and appearance have been drastically altered.

Xaphan was originally a skilled tactician in the Choirs of Angels. Upon Lucifer’s uprising, she defected and became his general. For an immeasurable amount of time, Xaphan lead Lucifer’s forces against the armies of the Most High, lead by Saint Michael, fighting them to a stalemate. The war seemed to be without end until a courageous band of angels infiltrated Lucifer’s ranks and managed to capture him. Xaphan considered the act dishonorable and unfitting to the ranks of angels.
With their leader gone, Lucifer’s army fell into disarray. General Xaphan managed to organize the remaining legions into a resistance movement, but they were slowly hunted down and overwhelmed. Xaphan herself was captured and hauled before the Choirs for judgement. Her wings were cursed so that she’d never be able to fly to the Celestial World again and she was cast into the Netherworld. No one knows what became of her following her expulsion…

Unlike Lucifer, Xaphan sought neither prestige nor rank. She joined his cause after learning that the world the Most High was creating was not intended as a reward for endless servitude the angels had endured. The fact that it was being given to a child race that would not respect it, or its creator, was more than Xaphan could tolerate. She joined Lucifer in an effort to free her brethren from eternal bondage.

In addition to being a skilled tactician, General Xaphan is unmatched in single combat with the sword, she is ruthless, vicious, unapologetic, brilliant, and incredibly strong. She lives by a strict code of honor which was evident during her first attack. She successfully destroyed the Celestial Temple, but not without first warning the people within, giving them time to evacuate non-combatants. She viewed the spilling of angel blood, any angel, to be a terrible waste.

+

+ fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, literature, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing

Damnation Update!

by Unknown's avatar

For all you crazy cats just waiting for even the slightest tidbit of news about my latest novel… 😉

I’m happy to report that things are progressing smoothly.

We haven’t set an official release date as of yet, but the book is going through editing, everyone I needed for the cover is onboard and working on it, and we’re officially on track. I personally am excited as what I have planned for this work is… ambitious to say the least. So stay tuned everyone, Divinity’s sequel is on its way!!!

+ advice, blog, fantasy, ficiton, Science Fiction, Writing

Are Sequels Really Necessary?

by Unknown's avatar

“When did the need for series and/or sequels start, anyway? I’ve been reading Diana Wynne Jones’ REFLECTIONS ON WRITING, and she isn’t shy about sharing her thoughts on series arcs (that is, she didn’t like them). If memory serves, out of the gazillion books she wrote, only three, maybe four had sequels. Even in the Chrestomanci series, Chrestomanci himself is not always a primary character. Granted, I’m working on a series myself, and feel good about this decision. I’m just wondering how many stand-alone stories the publishing world takes on vs. sure-fire series stories. I hope that makes sense.” -jeanleesworld

So we have a two-part question here. First, when did the need for series and/or sequels start? Pretty much since writing became a serious business, but probably more so since it became a very cutthroat business. Let me explain…

For one, you can write a stand alone book if you want, but you’re going to face massive hurdles if you want it published via traditional methods. In the fiction world, you’d want to start by submitting your manuscript to agents. I can say from experience that most of them, and the publishers, won’t give your work a second look if you don’t plan to write a sequel. Don’t forget, this is a business to them and they’re looking to make money off of it. It’s not about the art to them.

Keep in mind, this isn’t a criticism, you want them thinking this way, because it’s how you’re going to make your money from your published work. Let it be about the art for you, let it be about the money for them. So that brings us to the second half of the question; how many standalone books get published… honestly it’s pretty rare at this point unless you’re going the self-publishing route.

Why is this the case? Well simply put, the more books written, the more money there is to be made. One could argue that a really good stand alone will continue to sell as some of the classic literature pieces do… but who’s going to risk their livelihoods, business, and income on a venture like that when someone else is offering 3-6 books, each of which will sell?

Is it fair? Not really… but that’s the reality of it. Unfortunately, in this day and age, your options are to bite the bullet and write a sequel, or self-publish and hope for the best.
Personally, I’d say start working on a sequel. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to do this and a sequel doesn’t necessarily have to stick to the same characters.

Hope this helps!

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.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Non Fiction, Science Fiction, Writing

Character Loss vs. Reality

by Unknown's avatar

This happens to everyone at some point. Either we meet the girl of our dreams… only to find out after pouring our hearts out to that person that they’re already engaged to be married! 😡
We see some treasured item that we really want, but can’t afford it, etc.

The worst is when we find out that we could have had that something or someone had we done one or two things differently and that is a pretty serious sting. So how do we make our characters deal with it?

Well if you write fantasy, like me, that’s easy. MAGIC!!!
Seriously, magic has been a way out and it’s been used way to often. Now for those of you who have read my stories, yes I’m aware that I’m being a bit of a hypocrite right now because I’m guilty of doing the same thing, but at least when I did it, it was in furtherance of the plot. The method I chose came with severe consequences, so it balanced out.
Yes, magic solves all problems, be it bringing a loved one back from the dead with necromancy, using a Love Potion on someone… despite the famously dangerous risks that come with it, or just use creation magic to make the characters wildest dreams come true.

But what if we don’t want to do that? What if we’re suddenly faced with making a character suffer through the knowledge that they’ll never have what they want, no matter how close they get. What do we do then? How do we make a character deal with it?

Well to be honest, I’ve seen many potential ways and there are several to choose from that people would actually do in real life under the right set of circumstances. I’ll provide a few examples. Just choose wisely…

1. Move on: The character accepts what they’ll never have, they move on, find other people and things to fill the void and forget about the notion all together. Easier said than done, right? Well maybe, but it’s usually the one with the best outcome.

2. Slink off into the sunset, never to be seen again: I’m not going to lie, this is one way that I actually love. It’s a great way to give a character the ‘Unsung Hero’ persona. We all know the one; he’s the person who fights the most, the guy who works the hardest and is responsible for saving everyone, but in the end, does not get the girl or any reward. Instead, he stands there off to the side and watches as the people he helped cherish the end of their adventure before turning and walking quietly out of the picture.

3. Suicide: Okay, honestly, I’ve seen this one used too many times. It’s an easy way out and often, the cost of life is kind of a little extreme, but if it’s the way you want to go, maybe if the character is sacrificing themselves for a better cause, it’s one thing, but just dying from sorrow wouldn’t cut 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.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Non Fiction, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing

Author’s Advice Pt. 17

by Unknown's avatar

Writers, Sequel Bait is a very dangerous move to make, especially if you’re going to end on a down note. I’ve seen many good stories that didn’t fare too well on the market end with all their loose ends untied in anticipation of a sequel. I’ve seen it in movies too.

Now, I understand that you’re confident in your writing and you want a good setup for your next book, and that’s fine… but just know that there is a lot of risk and if you’re book doesn’t do well, an open ending is not going to improve things. It’s actually going to anger many readers or make them anxious.

This is a lesson that I learned very quickly with Magnifica: Tears of the Fallen. I left the ending wide open and got a LOT of angry emails for it. Thankfully, I never intended on leaving it open for too long and by the time the angry emails started, I was already submitting my final draft of Magnifica: Gravestalker for approval, so my readers did not have to wait long to be satiated.

So I’m not saying don’t do it. If you have a strong readership, then your book should be able to survive any onslaught of reader rage, just be sure you know what you’re getting into.

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.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+ advice, Current events, Fiction, News, non-fiction, Politics, Reading, Writing

Opinion vs. Fact

by Unknown's avatar

So recently I’ve come across many blogs and other writings that are attempting to pass off their opinion as fact. Several different subjects have come up pertaining to politics, nutrition, etc.

In my writing, I feel it’s always important to distinguish between the two. If I’m sighting fact, I’ll give a source and say it’s a fact. If I’m giving an opinion, I’ll make sure that’s known (look back at some of my other posts). However I’ve seen too many times that people attempt to (either deliberately or unknowingly) pass off their own perceptions as fact. In books and stories, I’ve seen it as well.

Now, for the most part, if you point out that these people could be wrong, or just flat-out are, they’re happy to debate your points with their own. In many cases they either didn’t know, or were getting their info from a bad source, or didn’t mean to pass their opinion off as fact. So you’ll often get a polite thank you…

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. A growing trend these days are the graduates of ‘Google University’ who are extremely partisan in their beliefs and don’t want to hear that their facts aren’t always facts. With these people, the best advice I can give is to ask for their credentials or their source of info, if all they provide you with in return is childish insults, block you, or a long misogyny-laden string of nonsense, then move along. PLEASE. Don’t give these people attention, and they’ll go away.

To those of you who write opinion pieces or factual ones, please make sure your readers know what you’re going for. Cite sources for facts whenever you can, and make sure your sources are legit (Partisan blog postings from people who get their info from other partisan sites are NOT legitimate sources. Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN are not legitimate sources… most of the time. A simple YouTube search will prove that.)

Now take what I’m saying at face value. My blog is advice on the philosophies of writing, so there are no right or wrong answers for the most part. It’s really your own style, I’m just trying to relay the secrets of what success I’ve had in the hopes that it’ll help others. If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine, but don’t take what others tell you as fact. Do the research yourself. Check government websites, actual studies from universities, etc. It will take longer, but your facts will be less likely to be attacked and you’ll actually learn something. News agencies are usually second-hand sources.

The more people realize this and start doing the footwork themselves, the better off everyone is.

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.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Non Fiction, Philosophy, Reading, Romance, Writing

The Tragic Romance

by Unknown's avatar

What is it about stories that don’t have a happy ending that we love so much?

Bad enough is the shock of a story that has an unexpected sad ending, but what of the ones that we already know aren’t going to end well? We know it’s going to be upsetting and even heartbreaking, so why do we bother to go see those movies or read those books?

Well to answer that, if you met someone absolutely amazing that you really connected with and then down the line found out that this particular person had a significant;y reduced life due to illness or other affliction… or you’re some kind of freaky seer that knows this person is going to meet an early end, what would you do?
Would you tell that person that it’s more than you can handle and walk away, or would you stick with them, make the most of what little time you have with that person and make their lives happy… as well as your own better for just knowing such an incredible person.

The initial knee jerk response would be of course the latter, though not everyone would. Many don’t want to endure that level of pain and do the best they can to prevent it. Thus walking away isn’t always something you can avoid, and if this is you, no problem. It’s a situation that no one should ever be thrust into. Though I would point out that you may regret such a decision later on, but it is what it is. I don’t judge.
That said, you probably wouldn’t understand the people who like the tragic romance.

However, if you are one of the people who would say yes, then you already know why people like the tragic romance. Think about it, you’re sticking with said person because, while the end will be painful, the road that leads there will (hopefully) be full of joy, adventure, and excitement, or at the very least, happiness. It’s that happiness and that road that will easily eclipse the tragedy at the end. Will it hurt? Oh yes, it’ll hurt, but not forever. Eventually the pain dulls and you’re left with the fond memories that you can always look back on and smile about. In the end, as time goes by, you’ve become better for knowing that person.

Well, to a much lesser extend, it’s the same with the tragic romance story or movie. Too often, the best stories are the ones that don’t end well. You may not be able to experience them more than once and no one could blame you for that, but what a ride that one experience was, huh? I think most people would say that, in the end, the trip was more than worth the ending.

One other point on the tragic romance, it also gives closure to many. In stories that end this way, there will almost always never be a sequel… unless you’re a superhero comic in which case you kill off a character to bring them back some point down the line. But I digress, often in those stories, this closure is needed, otherwise you could wind up with a sequel where the characters split up somewhere in between (Jurassic Park… lookin at you!!!)

When there is no happily ever after, there is no happily ever after to ruin. So honestly, those of us that enjoy the tragic romance, do so i think, because we’d like to believe that we’d be the second person in the question. We’re willing to make that trade, heartbreak at the end for a ride to remember along the way and I wouldn’t say that it’s a bad thing.

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.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

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