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March 21, 2015 + advice, Author, Fiction, literature, non-fiction, Science Fiction, Writing

Planning Your Book

“I would be very interested to know how you personally plan a book. I’m writing my first one and started in a very haphazard way. I’m normally quite good at holding information in my head but since I’ve started writing my book discovered I’m not as good as I thought I was. To begin with a wrote a few notes and launched straight in very quickly realizing I need a chapter plan, which I’ve done and revised a lot. By the second chapter I started losing track of my characters so I started writing character notes. To cut a long story short I now have maps, place notes and details of my magic system I’ve produced all these as I have progressed with the book, I’m getting close to 50k words. I now need a timeline as I found myself losing track where everyone is. I can’t help feeling I should have done this before I started writing!”

–Eric Klingenberg

Hi Eric,

Good question… and I’m sorry to disappoint, but when I start writing, there is actually very little planning involved. See when I get an idea for a book, I either select character types from a ‘character bank’ I created with several different character personalities, or I make them up on the spot. Then I start writing.
I think you’re putting the cart before the horse a little bit here. There is such a thing as too much planning. If you put all your eggs into the plan basket, you’ll quickly run out of creative eggs.

Try this:
Put your chapter structure and revisions on the back burner. Leave the plot flaws, misspellings et al for later. Now, you’ve got your story idea? START WRITING!!! Get your ideas down on paper before you do anything else. Write out your story ideas so that you have them etched in stone FIRST. When I first sit down to write, I don’t plan everything out. I don’t even necessarily write my scenes in order. If I have an awesome idea for a climax or an ending, I write those first. If I have a great idea for a romantic encounter, I’ll write that. Feel free to use placeholder character names if you haven’t decided on the characters yet. You can always fill in the blanks and change the names later.

Don’t be concerned with what it looks like or how coherent it is on the first run through. You’re not getting the first draft published. More than likely, you’re going to have at least 2 more drafts (sometimes as much as 6 for me) before you’re done. Once you have your ideas down and you’ve filled in the blanks, then go back and worry about chapter structure and fixing plot holes. Be sure to reread your story a couple of times as making sure the whole thing makes sense should be the priority. See my steps below:

How I write:

So now you’ve got your bare bones down. Your characters have a beginning, climax, and ending. Awesome! You may or may not have loosely decided where chapters go, but that doesn’t matter at this point.

Now add your subplots, character and location descriptions, developments, and character relationships. This is the meat that needs to be added to the bare bones to change it from a draft into an actual story. You’re getting there.

Now start separating the books into chapters and perspective change markers (if you use them). This is where you need to start planning the book structure.

By now you should be on your second or third draft. Be sure to reread your story a couple of times. This is where you fix plot holes and by the third or fourth read-through you should be fixing your run-ons and spelling/grammar errors.

So now you’ve got your story. If you’re trying to write a novel, it should be somewhere in the realm of 80k words (my rule). Anything less is a novella or short story. Now, have someone else read it. In fact, have 2-3 people read it. They’ll each catch plot holes or grammar errors that you may not have.

Once you’ve corrected their mistakes, do one more read through. Polish up anything that you feel is weak and put the final touches on. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO ADD SCENES OR SUBPLOTS! If you really must, you’re going to need to go through all that proofing again, so make sure your book is completely done before handing it off. At this point, you should only be fixing minor errors and weak points.

And… that’s it. Once the final revisions have been made, you’re done. You’re book should be complete and good to go.

Hope this helps Eric, and feel free to email me if you need me to elaborate on any of these points!

Readers, what do you think? Do you think Eric is planning way too much, too early, or is this a reasonable thing to do early on? Leave a comment below!

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!

March 20, 2015 + Fiction, literature, Philosophy, Psycology, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing

Author’s Advice Pt. 15

by Jim

Learning Separation

So you’ve created the perfect character or characters. They’re everything you wanted them to be. Their personalities are perfect, they’re well-liked by your audience, and everything is going well. Then as you get deeper and deeper into your writing, you begin to feel like you’re living through their experiences with them. Suddenly, you’re protective of that character and your writing becomes far more cautious.

I’ve had this happen to me and wound up having to go back and rewrite a lot. At first I thought I was the only one, but over time, I’ve seen it a lot in young adult writers, and a lot of fantasy work. It get’s fairly obvious as the story goes on how the author feels over a particular character, either they aren’t allowed to grow as much as they could, or they’re coddled in the story.

Writers, if this is happening to you, stop. Back away for a moment and reread your work. It’s okay to let bad things happen to a character, even if that character is one you really like. You’re not going to hurt anyone because that character is just that, a character. You didn’t create a real living person as much as it my feel like you did. Trust me, after actually having children of my own, I’ve seen the difference.

Learning to detach yourself from the story and be the author, instead of a participant is very hard to do, especially when it’s a story that you really enjoy, but to a point, it is necessary. Otherwise, the story will be too safe, and trust me, that’s not what you want.

They say that sex sells… well… it does… to a point, but lately sex hasn’t been selling as well as edge has. What do I mean by edge? Well specifically the amount of unorthodox risks a writer is willing to take. Some dark realm that no one else has visited and the joy of seeing just how far you can get away with pushing things before people say you’ve gone too far. That’s what readers like in this day and age. Protecting you characters and writing a safe story for today’s YA and adult populace won’t be well received.

If you have any questions or need further elaboration, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanks friends, catch you on the flip side,
Jim

Readers,

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

March 19, 2015 + advice, Classical, Inspiration, literature, Metal, Music, Rock

Top 10 Musical Numbers

by Jim

So you’ve all heard me talk about what inspires me to write. You’ve heard about how I draw my characters’ moods and scenic tones from music, and what part the melodies play in terms of the emotional direction of an individual scene.

Given that, it seems inevitable that I would do a top ten list. Now keep in mind, this is all personal preference and it’s what inspires me to write, so if you don’t agree with me and don’t get why I draw inspiration from these tunes… well tell me why! Leave a comment.

Let’s begin.

10. Loretta Mckennitt – The Mummer’s Dance.

So this song hold the #10 spot as… well I just recently discovered this one. However, patron readers of my blog will understand why it sits on my list. I have a very sordid history with this song that just came to a conclusion a few weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been listening to it so frequently that my wife had to shut it off before it drove her insane (sorry hun ):) I find this song very mystical, which when writing a fantasy world, is something you want. Especially later in the song when it almost sounds like they’re whispering.

9. Stratovarius – Destiny

This song should come as a surprise to no one who knows me. This song was my gateway into the world of Epic/Power Metal. It’s long and by the end you’re not certain that you’re still listening to the same song. It has everything, ups, downs, an entire choir, an orchestra, a harpsichord, etc.
The singing could be a little better and they don’t harmonize as well as they could, but other than that, this song is definitely key for me. I usually listen to it when writing a battle scene.

8. Rhapsody of Fire – Magic of the Wizard’s Dream

Always been a fan of Luca Turilli’s work. So when I found out that he was doing something with one of my all-time idols, Christopher Lee… Let’s just say that I was overly excited.
I was, thankfully, not disappointed. This song is hauntingly beautiful and one I mostly listen to when writing ominous scenes of a story, but will sometimes listen to at other points as well. By nature, Christopher Lee has a very imposing voice, but he does seem to struggle a little bit keeping pace, even so, this song is definitely a major source of inspiration.

7. Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven

This should really be of surprise to no one. Set aside the controversy surrounding this song, it still remains perhaps the greatest rock song of all time.

6. Dragonforce – City of Gold

So this one was a tough call. I listen to a lot of Dragonforce when I write. Songs like the Warrior Inside, Starfire, Heroes of Our TIme, etc. may have all at one time filled a spot on this list. However, this is the one I’ve been listening to the most as of late and it is… admittedly… one of the few really good songs off of DF’s most recent album. This helped me put the final touches on Divinity and is still one I listen to when I write. I don’t have a particular piece of writing that I really focus on when listening to this. This is one that is sort of all-encompassing.

5. The Beast Dies / Transformation / Finale – Beauty and the Beast OST

Yup, Disney made it on to this list, and really, why not? Some of the best classical musical numbers came from Disney movies and this one is no exception. Paw Dugan, the Music Guru called this one ‘the most fantastic musical number that no one remembers’ and frankly, I agree with him. This is victory in the face of tragedy music. This is what you listen to when you think all is lost, but yet there is still a glimmer of hope. This is what you write before your main hero’s final triumph (if they have one). Everything about this piece is epic, it goes from low and solemn to upbeat and lively. When someone talks about classical music, THIS is what I think of.

4. Fairyland – Score to a New Beginning

Think Stratovarius Destiny, and then increase everything by 10. This is something I listen to at pretty much any point during my writing. This song is like watching a musical. It tells a story in itself and the change-ups are very well done. This song is an omni piece that can be listened to whenever inspiration is needed, regardless of scene, mood, or what the characters are experiencing.

3. Avantasia – Forever is a Long Time

Another tough call and honestly, I was going to go with something off of Avantasia’s Metal Opera, but I couldn’t decide which song. So I went with none. This is the song I listen to the most that isn’t part of that album, but really any of their music will work. Tobias Sammet, the lead singer of Edguy is the creative genius behind this music and he does not disappoint.

2. The Lion King Soundtrack – King of Pride Rock

Yet another one that should really not be of any surprise. Lion King was one of my favorite Disney movies of all time and this song embodies everything that is right with that movie. They couldn’t have chosen a better note to end on. As it is in the movie, this is the song you listen to at the end, or rather right before it. When the final battle is over and the smoke slowly begins to clear to expose the tattered ramparts that remain. When it may still be unclear who won. Before the final reveal, THIS is what you listen to.

1. Shaman – Blind Spell

This is a song that has never failed to cheer me up. EVER. It remains my #1 favorite of all time and it’s something I listen to after accomplishing something I never thought I could, or I’m just very happy. This is, I guess you could say, my victory song. I love everything about it. The tempo is great, the uplifting melody is incredible, and the voices are right on. The amount of power behind this song is through the roof and it comes highly recommended by me.

So that is my list, hope you all find something awesome to listen to from reading this, and if not, feel free to post your own sources of inspiration in the comment section below.

Thanks Friends, catch you on the flip side,

Jim.

March 19, 2015 + advice, Author, literature, Publishing, Writing

Marketing Your Book

by Jim

“Marketing is a big one! I’d love to know more about that. My book will be free for all, so I’m trying to figure out how best to handle that. But that’s a very specific situation.”

-Thesarahdoughty

Excellent question.

So you mentioned that your book is going to be free… personally I always say that if you’re good at something, don’t do it for free, but that’s up to you. If your goal is simply to get your name out there and your first work is the sacrificial lamb to accomplish this goal, all power to you. Just remember that once it’s out there, it’s out there permanently and if you change your mind, it could hurt your sales.

But that’s not the advice you came here for, is it?

So marketing… well since your book is free, I’d suggest going the free route. As any good economist would tell you ‘an investment with no return is a poor investment.’ (Which is probably why people hate paying taxes so much these days!)

In the book industry, there are 5 words that sum up marketing; Word of Mouth is Everything.

So how do you spread the word? Well the good news is that you’re already halfway home. You’ve got your blog going. Refer back to My Interesting Blog on how to help spread that around. Other than that, if you’ve noticed, on the left hand side of my blog page, there is a link to my books’ Facebook page, The Creative Works of James Harrington. On that page are links to where to buy my books as well as links to this page and my twitter account. You’ll want to link any page you create so that what appears on one will appear on them all. Personally, I use this blog as my flagship page because it’s easiest to create posts here and have them flow to places like Facebook and Twitter. In addition, you want to link every page you create to where your book is available.

A site that has helped me gain a following is known as Copromote . There, I use my twitter account to spread word about other people’s work and they do the same with mine. It is a way to get your book a much wider exposure. Also, ask that your readers leave reviews about your book. The more positive reviews, the more appealing your book will be.

BookCrossing.com is another site to help advertise your book. I have tried it, though with not a ton of success, but I have heard that others make it work.

Make sure to create yourself a profile either here, amazon, or somewhere else. You’ll notice that my books’ Facebook page, in a way is my profile. It has info about me up there as well.

What to avoid:

Well… really I’d be careful about any paid advertising, there are many out there that are reputable, but also many that aren’t. I’d also recommend avoiding using the paid promotion Facebook offers. Many people have said this before, and I feel the same way; using that tool will get your page a lot of likes, but few sales.

Finally, start early, like before you’ve published your book tell people about it, what to expect from it, but keep your audience as bay. Some people say 1-3 years, but I’d say 6-8 months would suffice. People don’t have very long attention spans these days.

I hope that this was helpful, Sarah! If you have any further questions on marketing or would like me to elaborate on anything a little more, don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Readers,

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

March 18, 2015 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, non-fiction, Writing

Horror Roots

by Jim

“…They say that horror comes from the uncanny. The evil things lurking in the backs of our minds. Those creatures seldom compare to the torments that insecurity and shyness impose upon their respective victims, do they?”

-Bad Nog

Hi Bad Nog,

Phew… quite a loaded question. Now we’re getting into the psychology of evil. Are their demons worse than the ones they inflict? Well to answer that, let’s take a look into what causes evil. What makes bad people tick? Well, I’ve touched on this a little in the past, but we can certainly delve into it a little more.

First, let’s take a look at the different types of bad guy…

The sociopath: This is one of the most common bad guys we know. The classic bad guy who is bad because… well why not? There is no rhyme or reason to his madness, he likes pain and he likes inflicting it on others. Not much else to it. Maybe there are a few screws loose, maybe not.

The philosophical bad guy: This is usually a more learned bad guy. We’ve seen this a couple of times more recently. This is the bad guy who has studied the human condition, psychology and philosophy, and is often extremely intelligent. Over time, after years of research or experience, he’s come to the conclusion that he has to be evil to maintain so preconceived notion of balance. It doesn’t really seem like this bad guy enjoys what he’s doing and may often regret it, but to him, the evil is a means to an end.

The bad guy of circumstance: So this is a bad guy who has a justified reason for it. Often, this is the bad guy that most sympathize with. They’re most of the time not rotten to the core. They’re doing what they’re doing to save someone or something they care about. People often gravitate towards this type of bad guy because they’re the most realistic and most people could see themselves in this circumstance if the situation was right.
Now there are some out there who would criticize such a bad guy. They’d say that there is always a choice and while that’s true, when someone you care about is suffering, or could be hurt or killed, and the devil is standing there offering a deal, it’s not so easy to turn it down.

The victimized villain: This is someone who was not always evil, probably wouldn’t be evil if their life had taken a different course (which brings up nature vs. nurture), but unfortunately has seen horrors throughout their existence that have conditioned them to this point. Perhaps they are driven by revenge, mad at the world for being tortured or watching a loved one die. Perhaps they’ve been psychologically tormented to the point where their mind is twisted.

The narrative villain: This is the bad guy I take the most issue with. Think Javert from Les Miserables or pretty much any law enforcement officer in a gangster movie. Essentially, he’s the villain for no other reason than the author has decided to make the bad guy the ‘moral right’ in the story. So basically it sucks to be the real good guy.

So let’s take into account all of the above and go back to your original question are their demons as bad as the ones they impose on their victims. Unfortunately, all I can say is maybe… because it really depends. You have to look at what kind of damage the villain is doing vs. the damage that has been done to them.

If we’re talking about one villain and one victim, then we need to look at the mental demons that the bad guy is suffering from and are they worse than the ones being inflicted?

Keep in mind, this is not to try to justify actions or let a villain off the hook. I’ve always been a proponent of holding people responsible for their actions. This is simply to explain the why.

Anyway, I hope that answers your questions Bad Nog. Good luck with your writing!

-Jim

Readers,

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

March 17, 2015 + advice, Author, blog, write, Writing

My Interesting Blog

by Jim

“Hello
I began writing my blog a bit more than a month ago and I’m writing fiction. I chose to write it publicly on wordpress mainly because I’m a bit insecure about my writing and I want some honest advice and feedback from people who aren’t my family.
Maybe you could give me some advice on how to make myself (or my blog) more interesting or presentable so that I’d be able to attract more people?”

-Minxed.

Well early bird catches the worm. Thank you, Minxed for being the first to ask a question.

So this is the big money question when it comes to blogging. How do you get people interest? What makes the successful blogs so successful… well… hard work. Blogging is like doing charity work. You get out what you put in. If you just write, post, and forget, you’re not going to get very far. To blog, is to be a part of a community of people with different opinions, goods, ideas, and thoughts to share. Once you’ve posted your own work, go out, check out some other blogs, give someone an opinion, offer advice, or give some criticism in the comment fields. I often like to share stores that other people write as a way to help boost their audience. That’s a really good way of building your community and it will attract people to take a look at what you’ve got going on.

In terms of actual blog appearance and content, the best advice I can give to make people want to come to your blog is to offer something new. If you do book reviews, do something off of the beaten path. Perhaps a little known indie author, or something you read on another blog, perhaps. If you’re just straight up writing and creating a story that you want to share with the world, congratulations, you’re already half way there. Not everyone can do what you do and that will make your blog more unique.

Personally, I’d recommend having the first couple of chapters written and polished BEFORE submitting the first one. When I submitted one of my stories on this blog… granted I never finished the story, but when I started, I made sure I had two chapters written ahead of the ones I was posting.
Another thing I’d recommend is to spruce up your page a little. Right now, you have one of the basic designs that wordpress offers. I’d consider adding images and creating a background. If you have any skill with paints and a brush, you should have no problem creating something you can use.
If not, there are plenty of free/public domain images available on the web.

Another thing that always catches the eye is the cover. Don’t just post the story without a cover. When I check out stories to read under the Reader section of wordpress, the stories that I give preference to are the ones that have an attractive cover. I know the old adage says ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ and that’s very true, but you’re more likely to draw your readers in with an awesome looking cover as a featured image. Below is an example of the cover to my book, which I used as the featured image of any post related to this book’s release.

Cover design by Brett Warniers!

Hiring an artist for $200-$400 may seem daunting, but if you’re really into it, a great design will make all the difference.

Readers, what do you think? Do you agree with my advice and/or do you think that there is more Minxed can do to attract readers? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Minxed, if you have any further questions or would like me to elaborate on the above points, please feel free to email me:
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

Thanks friends, 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.

March 17, 2015 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, Help, non-fiction, topics, Writing

Need advice on a certain topic?

by Jim

Hello all, so as time goes on, my advice blog is getting bigger and bigger. Unfortunately, as with all things, you run out of topics to give advice on. If anyone has any questions about writing, publishing, my stories, etc. etc. please feel free to post a comment or email me at 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.

Note: I only write blog pieces once a day, so I may not be able to get to them all, but if I don’t feel free to repost them and I’ll try to respond personally.

Thanks friends, catch you on the flip side!

Jim

March 17, 2015 + advice, Author, Characters, fantasy, Science Fiction, write, Writing

Author’s Advice pt. 14

by Jim

Choosing to write characters that you hate into your story is a very bad idea.

In a previous posting I talked about how you have to step outside of your comfort zone and often write a character that has views contrary to your own. Indeed this is a very good way of creating relate-able characters and keeping a dynamic story line going. However, that doesn’t mean you have to write a character that you don’t like.

Think about it, most everyone out there has friends with viewpoints that differ from their own. You don’t dislike that person for their views, you simply disagree with them. Well it’s the same thing when creating a character, you can create a character with views that you don’t agree with, without despising that character.

A lot of my readers have commented on how they can’t stand it when people write characters that they hate or at the very least don’t care about and continuously put them through unspeakable horrors that no one would realistically make it through unscathed, if at all. Given the amount of comments I got on this, I felt that a post dealing with this topic was inevitable, so thank you!

I myself have been guilty of this in the past. One of my early stories featured a villain that was based on a guy I went to college with. He was someone who was a few years older than me, completely paranoid about anyone who spoke to his girlfriend, and had one too many character flaws that were just intolerable. I locked horns with this person too many times and really came to absolutely despise them. So, like many other writers, I thought the traits he possessed, his character flaws, and outright disdain was perfect for a villain.

I was wrong…

Every time I wrote, I pictured his face and it made my blood boil. The result was a dark and bitter story that not even the most manic-depressive teenager would enjoy. I read through it once and immediately tore it up. That’s not how I wanted to write, not at all. I knew I was better than that.

The worst part is that the people who write this way and don’t realize what they’re doing, don’t seem to understand that their readers pick up on this kind of thing. Readers are very good about detecting when someone is writing with disdain and it doesn’t leave a good impression. I’ve known people who stopped reading stories because of things like this.

The inherent problems with this method of writing are as follows…

1. The writer doesn’t care about this character and tends to not give them much of a back story, making the character stale and uninteresting.

2. The amount of pain and suffering that a writer puts that character through usually hints at a very misanthropic attitude, whether that’s accurate or not, that’s how it comes off.

3. The character is unrealistic. Though I hate to make this reference, go watch IT, and keep a very close eye on the character Henry Bowers.

I know in the book he’s probably given more explanation and that’s fine, but if you’ve read it, try to look at the movie objectively like you haven’t. There is no development of this character, he’s a one-dimensional villain who sees murder and terror as the only option… why? Is there someone like this that King himself had to deal with growing up? I don’t know….

Many believe that this is the best way to write a villain or a character who won’t survive long, and I can’t say that I agree at all. In fact, one of the best villains I ever wrote about, I based on another college friend of mine, though I would NEVER admit this to her. This person was the type of individual who cared more about the people around them, than their own well-being. They would have given you the shirt of their back for the asking. I thought about it and when the gears were turning, I thought to myself, ‘How awesome would it be to make this character one of the villains? No one would see it coming!’

So I went ahead with it. People like this character, it was someone who just kind of fell in with the group due to circumstances, but quickly became one of them. Even my wife gravitated towards this character. So you can imagine that absolute shock when I revealed that this character was not only not on their side, but had been responsible for most of their problems. They had their reasons, but it didn’t change the fact that they were not on the side of the moral right throughout the story.

THAT is how you write a great and dynamic character. If you write a character with loving care and are truly excited about the impact the character will have, your audience will pick up on it and love that character. It is pretty much the exact opposite of an unfortunately growing trend among writers, especially those who write young adult fiction.

Just keep that in mind the next time you sit down to create a new character.
Thanks friends, catch you on the flip side,

Jim

March 13, 2015 + advice, Author, Fiction, literature, Publishing, Science Fiction, write, Writing

Author’s Advice Pt. 13

by Jim

Don’t let writing consume your life.

So you’re writing, you have a great idea and you want to get the whole thing down while it’s fresh in your mind. It’s perfect and if you don’t write it down right now, you’ll lose it. I get it, I’ve been there. There is certainly nothing wrong with taking that moment to get that info down, but the problem with great ideas like your initial one is that they tend to branch.

Soon one awesome idea becomes 3 awesome ideas and then those also branch out into 4 or 5 of their own. The next thing you know, you’ve blown through several hours. Your partner is yelling at you because you haven’t done your chores or paid attention to them. You’ve neglected your responsibilities, even though you didn’t mean to.

It happens, and it’s a difficult habit to break. What’s even more difficult is learning to pull yourself away and say ‘enough is enough.’ I know it may seem like that one great idea is the be all, end all, and you’ll never think of anything that great again… but you will. The fact is that some of the best writing I’ve done is when I passed up seemingly great ideas and then came up with even better ones. Creative juices do not stop flowing. They may ebb, or even slow to a trickle, but they never stop. You’ll get that rush again, and before long, you’ll be steaming out another few chapters.

Remember, when in doubt, the book can wait. Your characters are fictional, off living their own lives, or dead (depending on fiction or non-fiction), so it doesn’t matter if you get everything down today or tomorrow. What does matter are the people right in front of you wanting to spend time with you. It may mean that you will take a lot longer to finish your book, but in the end it really is the better way.

Oh, and for those of you who will respond that your writing is your life…

PUT YOUR PEN OR COMPUTER DOWN, NOW!!! Put it down, go outside and go do something, anything else. Meet up with friends, go on a date, or if you have a family, take them out somewhere. Stay away from writing at least for a little while. You’ll be better off, believe me.

Thanks friends, catch you on the flip side,
Jim

March 12, 2015 + art, Artist, Chrissie Zullo, Collection, Comic art, Comic Book, fantasy

Fantasy Art, Chrissie Zullo

by Jim

I know that this is slightly off-top for me, but I really couldn’t resist…

Let me preface this by saying that I love comic book art. I have original pieces from Alex Savuik, Pop Mhan, and Zeke Savory Jr. I’d just like to say that whomever came up with the idea to print blank cover variants of popular books is a genius!

So as most of you know, when I write about elves, I use my Skyrim companion as the example image:

Well, my local comic book store was having an event where a couple of known (and talented) artists were going to come, sign autographs, sell prints, and if you got there early enough, do commission pieces. I’ve been a fan of one of the artists, Chrissie Zullo, for some time. Her work in the Fables series has been nothing short of extraordinary. I’d tried to buy an original piece from her in the past, but always got to her online store two seconds too late (wish I knew how some of these people do this!!!!). So I was determined to have her do one for me.

In all her wisdom, my wife told me that I’d better get up their early and be ready. To my wife’s credit, she was right. I came back later and overheard Chrissie turn down another piece, presumably because she didn’t have time. (She was only at the store for a few hours)

So I went up to the store and that’s when I saw the blank cover variant of Batgirl. I knew she’d done a few Batgirl pieces in the past and frankly, they were my favorite of her work. So I figured, what the heck, I’d try it out. Most of the time, I’d just have the artist use a sketch pad, but I thought this would be more interesting.

There was one person already there ahead of me. He also wanted artwork done. So I waited and then it was my turn. I asked her if she could do the pic like she had done of batgirl, but then I stopped, did I want the same thing? Just a copy of the image she had already done and sold? I like one-of-a-kind stuff… so that wouldn’t be cool, but what character would I like?

Well the guy before me had given her a character that she didn’t know, so he brought it up on his phone and took a picture of it. That’s when the idea popped into my head, what about my Skyrim companion? I had a picture of her on my phone and it would be awesome to see her done.

So I asked, and Chrissie was more than up to the challenge. She took a picture of it and said that she preferred doing original stuff anyway. So she took the comic, though she warned me that two characters might be a little crammed, but I said that whatever she could do would be fine.

Well… the work speaks for itself…

March 11, 2015 + Uncategorized

WONDERCON UPDATE: VOLUME THREE COPIES

by Jim

Hey all, be sure to check out this new and exciting book by a talented author!!

March 11, 2015 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Science Fiction, Writing

Going Against Your Beliefs.

by Jim

So is it possible to ethically write characters or circumstances that go against your personal beliefs, code of honor, and/or standards?

It’s not an easy thing to do, for sure, but to a point, I’d say yes. Allow me to provide an example:

In college, I took classes dealing with European Socialism and Fascism. In one of the classes, we were asked to recreate the Nuremberg Trials. I was asked to play one of the defense attorneys in the debate and to come up with a viable defense for the Nazis that I would be representing.

My grandfather fought in WW2 and helped liberate one of the German labor camps. It was something he refused to talk much about, if at all. So coming up with a defense for people who committed such monstrous acts was… well… I wasn’t entirely comfortable with it. However, I sucked it up, because I wanted a good grade and frankly, I found the subject interesting. I wanted to see how it would play out.

However, I told the professor that under no circumstances would I use Holocaust denial as a defense. In my mind, that was going too far. She thankfully understood.

In writing, I’ve done the same thing. I’ve created characters in my stories that don’t share my views, and I haven’t always made them bad guys either. Going against your beliefs is uncomfortable, admittedly, but it also makes you think outside the box and embrace other thought processes in order to create a realistic perspective. Do you want to understand why/how someone could allow other people to suffer like they did in the 1940s? Do you want to understand how such evil occurs?

Well as someone who has tried to understand it and done heavy research into the whole mess that was WW2, I can honestly say that you’re not going to get very far unless you try to look at things from the perspective of the people who committed such evils. You have to get into their background, get into their mind frame, and understand what brought them to that point where something like mass murder was okay. I’m not saying come up with excuses for such deplorable and disgusting actions, but simply to take a look at things from the other side.

This analogy is, in my mind, how you create a perfect villain. When writing the bad guy, put yourself in his shoes. How does he react to outside stimulus, what brought him to where he is? Does he have any mental deficiencies? Could he have been good had just a few set of circumstances happened differently? Nature vs. Nurture.

But I’m getting off track…

So to put it simply, unless you plan on writing a very linear story, going against your beliefs and thinking outside the box is not only possible… it’s actually essential in many cases. Don’t be afraid to try it, and feel free to leave comments below discussing how you feel about such things.

Thanks Friends,
Catch you on the flip side,

Jim