A site of writings, musings, and geek culture, all under one domain!

November 11, 2014 + advice, Book, Characters, fantasy, Fiction, Inspiration, literature, Novel, Uncategorized, Writing

Writing Elves…

Okay so I recently got into a discussion about elves and the use of their names.

A lot of people believe that the words Elvish/Elfish/Alvish and Elven/Elfin/Elfen/Alven are interchangeable. This has been used by many modern authors who are writing fantasy.

Well, stop it! No, I’m serious, for your own good, stop it. In the end you’re just going to confuse yourself and wind up using elvish at some points when you’ve used Elven at those exact same points. This can cause some readers to disengage or become equally confused.

So how do you decide which is which? Well two ways:

1. Look at the way things are categorized today. I’ve heard people in the past who speak Spanish and are from a Spanish country be called ‘Spanish.’ The correct term, albeit a little out of date, is actually Spaniard.

The same goes for a ‘Gaulish’ person, whom should just be referred to as a Gaul. (Can you tell I’ve been listening to Eluvietie a little too much recently?

So here is the ‘correct’ way if you want to play by the established rule:
Elvish= Language

Elven= of Elves/Elfs/Alves.

2. You can throw my advice out the window and just say ‘Okay, Elven means one thing while elvish means the other.’

That’s all, catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

November 10, 2014 + Uncategorized

Excerpt from Healer’s Touch

by Jim

Hey all, please take a moment to check out this new and exciting piece!

Amy Raby

Here is Chapter One from the upcoming Healer’s Touch, book 4 of the Hearts and Thrones series, which will be out later this month. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Marius had never seen a carriage like this one. It sat before a backdrop of sagging storefronts and fading paint, as incongruous with its surroundings as a swan in a mud puddle. Bars of gold and ivory swooped upward to outline its form, and a crystal lamp sparkled at each corner. Four dapple gray horses waited in harness. He could not imagine what even a single horse of such quality would cost, let alone four of them. A thousand tetrals? More?

He pushed open the wooden shutters of his apartment window for a better view. The carriage was escorted by two others, one in front and the other behind. The escorts weren’t as fancy as the middle carriage, but they were finer than…

View original post 3,248 more words

November 9, 2014 + advice, Belief, Book, Cover, Fairy Tale, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, horror, Inspiration, literature, Mythology, Novel, Opinion, Poetry, Romance, rules, Script, thriller, True Story, Uncategorized, Urban Fantasy, Worst, Writing

Author Advice Pt. 5

by Jim

One thing I’ve had to continuously tell myself over and over again is not to write with a bad attitude. I’m not kidding, if it’s time for you to write and you’re mad, annoyed, or just upset about something it’s not a good time to strike the keys. Stop, put the laptop down, and go do something else.

The problem with writing while angry is that unless it’s a seen that calls for anger or sadness, such as a character dying or a loss another character suffers, it is unlikely that any good will come from writing.

It’s tough to put the pen down, believe me I know, but once a bad attitude enters someone’s writing, it can be hard to continue or complete it. Writing can become a chore at that point and no longer something the writer is enthusiastic about.

November 6, 2014 + advice, Artist, Belief, Book, Characters, Cover, Fairy Tale, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, History, horror, Inspiration, literature, Novel, Opinion, Poetry, Romance, rules, Script, thriller, True Story, Uncategorized, Urban Fantasy, Worst, Writing

Author Advice Pt 4

by Jim

Rules of grammar and spelling…

I have a feeling that this one will get me a few rolled eyes, but we all remember or… partially recall studying where to place comma’s, how to punctuate, and how to spell. This is all stuff we know.

However, are those rules solid? Must they always be followed? Absolutely not!

You’re going to find in your writing that, when building a sentence to describe something that is ongoing that a rule or two may need to be bent or twisted. Maybe there is a scene that requires you to create a word like ‘deindustrialization’ or something like that. Dialogue is a perfect example of this. Nowhere else will you see more run-on’s, sentence fragments, or words misspelled. Why? Because that’s how some people talk.

Now, does this mean that the rules can be ignored completely? God no. Bad spelling and grammar will turn your reader off quicker than a poor plot ever could.

It’s important to know the rules, but it’s almost important to know that there are gray areas. A good example of the gray areas is when you’re writing in the past tense and trying to figure out when to use the words laid, lay, lied, lie. If you google one of those words and look at any grammar site, you’ll notice a good deal of discussion and disagreement on when to use each.

So I guess what I’m saying is follow the rules, but be conscience of when you can’t follow the rules and find a way to work around them that doesn’t degrade your writing.

Thanks all for me. Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

November 5, 2014 + Uncategorized

Prequel to the Yden Trilogy!

by Jim

Take a moment to check out this exciting looking new release!

Child of Yden (Author Suzanne G. Rogers)

I’d like to announce the release of my Yden prequel KIRA, which shines the spotlight on Kira Szul, the Nomad princess who figures prominently in the Yden trilogy.

Blurb:

Although Nomad princess Kira has trained all her young life to be a warrior, she begins to yearn for something more. She unwittingly stumbles onto a plot to invade Nomad Territory, but not before being poisoned with a potion that makes her a slave to her enemy. Although she manages to blunt the worst effects, she’s never free of her obsession for the handsome warlord who seeks to make her his bride. Can she find an antidote for the incurable poison running through her veins, or is she destined to become the enraptured wife of a wicked conqueror?

At the same time, I’ve revised and released The Last Great Wizard of Yden, and added a bonus Yden short story…

View original post 160 more words

November 3, 2014 + Andrew Lloyd Webber, Artist, Belief, Book, Characters, fantasy, ficiton, Fiction, God, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Inspiration, John Carpenter, literature, Novel

Switching from 3rd to 1st person mid-story?

by Jim

So recently I’ve been working on trying this out. Would it work? I’ve certainly never read any stories where anyone has tried this, though I’m sure I’m not the first to attempt it. I believe that it should be possible.

Where would one need to switch point of view? Well for starters, switching from 3rd to first person wouldn’t necessarily by switching the point of view. A good example would be if the narrator were to suddenly have to take an active part in the story. This is referenced below in a story that I have been working on recently.

Example:

Tom had no idea what to expect as he reached his hand up to the portal. How could he? There was no telling what was on the other side. The portal shifted in color from blue to red as his skin touched it.

Hesitant, he looked back at Tersa. She nodded at him to continue, “It’ll be okay, I’m not sensing anything malicious there.”

Tom turned back and stepped through the portal. He found himself in what looked like someone’s living room. There were two couches with end tables, a bar, a TV, and an assortment of antiques. Nothing looked out of the ordinary at all.

At that moment, Tom heard the pattering of keys and turned to see where the sound was coming from. There was a man dressed in black sitting at the table in front of an old Dell laptop. Tom stepped forward and cleared his throat before speaking, “Who are you?”

I stopped typing and looked up at him, surprised, “What… how did you get…”

At that moment, I recognized him and knew who he was, “So you actually made it, Tom. I was starting to think that you weren’t going to show.”

Tom’s eyes narrowed, “Where am I? Who are you?”

I stood up and smiled, “Well, I guess you can just call me the author… your author.”

“My author?” Tom asked. “What are you talking about?”

I showed him the screen of my laptop and the story that was currently being written… this story. His eyes widened as he saw the most recent events of his life accurately spelled out on paper, “What the hell? What have you been doing, stalking me?”

I chuckled, “No, not exactly… I’ve been writing you.”

“What?” Tom asked.

I sighed, knowing that what I was about to tell him would not be easy for him to hear, “Tom, you are a character in a story that I wrote about a year ago called Magnifica. The story was about a modern version of my world except with elves, dwarves, and magic in it. I created you, Toby, and Lia’na as part of the cast.”

Tom took a step back, “But that’s impossible!”

I placed my hand on his shoulder and sighed, “Tom, I know about what happened at Arcanus back in February. I was there. I know about your struggle since then for forgiveness. I know about your relationship with Tersa, and how she came to be.”

“How?” Tom demanded. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Because I created them all.” I replied.

Tom couldn’t believe what he was hearing and was trying to piece it together, “So what are you then, God?”

I laughed, “Not at all. I don’t have mystical powers; I’m not omnipotent or immortal. In fact, you have far more abilities than I do.”

“What do you mean?” Tom asked.

I watched his eyes as I responded, “With the flick of a key, I could make you ruler of the world. With a simple strike of a button, I could make you a God. Your possibilities are endless.”

Now Tom was piecing it together, “You wrote me as catalyst for Toby and Lia’na’s relationship. I was nothing more than a side character to be used as and discarded! You wanted me to be a villain… a guy who stood by and did nothing while an innocent girl was hurt. That’s why what I did was so out of character for me!”

I scratched my head as I took a step towards Tom, “At first you were. I had intended you to be an early turning point in the story, but as time went on, you became more. You changed and evolved into something that I had never intended. Now you’re on the center stage. Everything in this story depends on you.”

“I don’t want this.” Tom replied. “Please, take it all back, fix me, fix my world, and make it so that I never met Michael!”

“If only I could do that.” I replied. “The story has already been written. It has already been ingrained in the minds of the people who have read the story. “

Another possibility is if a new character needs to take over as the narrator.

In any case, drop me a line and let me know if you’ve encountered this kind of writing before.

Catch you on the flipside,
Jim

November 3, 2014 + angels, Artist, Belief, Book, Characters, Church, Fairy Tale, fantasy, ficiton, Fiction, God, Heaven, Hell, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, History, Inspiration, literature, Mythology, Novel, Opinion

Countdown to Divinity!

by Jim

So excited, Divinity will be published in another two weeks! Can’t believe it! 8 years in the making!!!

Synopsis:
How could it come to this? Why would God let this happen to me? These were questions two very different souls in very different circumstances were forced to ask.
Giovanni was a poor fisherman living in 16^th Century Venice. His entire family had been lost to the white plague. He suffered through their deaths only to discover that he too was infected with it. He is now alone and questioning his faith.
The angel, Adalyn, was a hero of the Celestial War against Lucifer. All knew and admired her until she uncovered a plot to overthrow the Most High. In an attempted cover up, Adalyn is betrayed and cast out of Heaven. She is sent to the mortal world to face torture and death at the hands of the creatures she most fears: humans.
Their worlds become intertwined when, by chance, Giovanni rescues her while out fishing. Injured and blind as the result of her expulsion, Adalyn has little choice but to rely on this primitive creature for protection against the Church, Lucifer, and God’s own decree if she is to expose the true traitor and save all of existence.

Check it out on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or (hopefully) at your local book store.

November 3, 2014 + Uncategorized

Departure: Chapter 2

by Jim

Awesome new story to check out!

October 31, 2014 + Uncategorized

The Callindra Chronicles Chapter 3

by Jim

Yet another up and coming author, The Callindra Chronicles looks pretty interesting thus far.

Benjamin Fisher-Merritt (author)

Glarian had found the Healer, purchased some boneknit root and enough basic supplies to hopefully last the winter. He could feel something looming large on the horizon as he approached the inn and it was making him nervous.

“Strange weather eh?” The man at the door said, looking at a cloudbank that was towering over the forest. “Is a bit early for a storm but I ken we’re gettin un. Yeh need a room fer th night?”

Glarian looked back at the hand cart he was pulling; he knew that he wouldn’t be able to drag it through any amount of snow. He shook his head, “I’d best be heading back. If I get caught out in the snow I’ll never make it home. I do need a cask of wine and a jug though, something to keep me warm during those cold winter nights.”

“Wha yeh need’s a woman…

View original post 2,624 more words

October 29, 2014 + advice, angels, Artist, Belief, Book, Characters, Fairy Tale, fantasy, ficiton, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, horror, Inspiration

Author Advice Pt. 3

by Jim

Rewrites are our friends.

I know, it’s hard. You’ve just spent days, if not weeks getting your story down on a piece of paper or into a Word file. You’ve worked hard on it, but something just isn’t right. It doesn’t flow and no matter how many times you change things in the story, it still doesn’t work.

Now you’re thinking, maybe I should just scrap the whole thing and start over.

Well let me save you the debating… DO IT! Close out of that file, put the paper aside and start anew. I know it may seem like the first draft was a waste of time, but trust me, nothing a person creates with their own two hands is ever a waste of time. Maybe there is a theme or a scene from that first draft that you can use.

The second time through, your writing will be more polished and everything will look better on paper.

October 27, 2014 + advice, Artist, Belief, Book, Characters, Fiction, Inspiration, Music, Poetry

Author Advice Pt. 2

by Jim

Many will say to write alone in complete silence. I would say definitely alone so that you’re not distracted, but complete silence? Try that and then turn on some music that you absolutely love, something well orchestrated like either classical or Epic Metal, or something like that. When you hit a creative wall or can’t choose the correct words, stop for a moment. Flick on a song that has meaning to you, maybe one that has themes similar to what you’re writing (love, loss, happiness, defeat, victory, etc.) let the melody roll over you (try to ignore the lyrics). Listen to the tone of the singer’s voice as well. Feel the emotion… then write.

This is how I am able to write as much as I do. For me, this method of music therapy has worked wonders on improving my writing. Highly recommend trying it.

Try it out, then leave me a comment and let me know if it worked for you.

Catch you on the flip side.
-Jim

October 25, 2014 + advice, angels, Artist, Belief, Book, Characters, Church, Cover, Fairy Tale, fantasy, ficiton, Fiction, God, Heaven, Hell, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, History, Inspiration, literature, Mythology

A New Inspiration

by Jim

So I recently came across this new song off of Amaranthe’s CD. Over and done. This gave me the idea to rewrite a scene from my upcoming book where the Angel admits that she has romantic feelings that are forbidden for her species. It’s far more poetic now as a result.