Hi David,

Wow… that’s a pretty huge ask and I have to admit that I’m slightly out of my element when it comes to the process of comic book creation. Though I have danced with the idea a few times myself. If I’d been able to find an artist who would work for… well whatever profit we’d made… Drakin and Soul Siphon would likely have been comics. That said, I pride myself on giving my readers something to work with.

So let’s go through your asks one at a time. So it looks like you’re already halfway home in that writing is part of your job. Honestly, I’ve never really had professional training. I simply had a lot of great ideas and was lucky enough to be surrounded by the right connections and the right experienced people to help me navigate the waters. It’s something I’ve tried to pass on here. Since you have that, you’re off to a good start.

I actually want you to look at a few statements you made:

“I’ve been told are some incredible scripts but I always doubt myself ”

“I’m almost 40 and I think I knew I was meant to write; it’s part of my corporate job”

“It’s not my first published work, but definitely will be the most recognized”

“I have one script that’s getting a lot of traffic and noticed”

One of these statements doesn’t belong with the rest. Can you guess which one? If you said the first one, you’d be right. You’ve got four things pushing you forward and one holding you back. Build your confidence. Especially if you’re already getting traction.

Whenever I get apprehensive about something, I usually just shrug and say, “Hey, the best view of Heaven is on the Highway to Hell.”

Basically what I mean by that is that even if you go on a path that will likely lead to crashing and burning, at least you tried and you gained valuable experience… and probably had a great time doing it.

“I was curious if you had any tips as I have what I’ve been told are some incredible scripts but I always doubt myself and rewrite and rewrite; it just seems to be my process!”

There really isn’t any trick here. In most cases, when a writer gets stuck in this sort of rabbit hole, the only way they break out of it is to move on to another project. The best thing you can do for yourself is to do 6… maybe 7 drafts and then say, “You know what? It may not be perfect, but it’s good enough.”

And if your mind says, “Well no it isn’t.”

You just have to put the pen down and be like, “No it is. That’s it, I’m done with this one.”

It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s the only way you won’t drive yourself insane. An artist will never be 100% satisfied with his work. NEVER! The trick is to get yourself at least 75% satisfied and be able to be happy with that. Find a way to pull yourself away, distract yourself, whatever.

I know that’s not much to go on, but you’re talking about something that literally all writers, artists, and musicians have suffered through at some point and none of us have found the perfect answer in how to deal with it.

“Can you recommend any books, online course in creative writing, or just any tips you may use to better yourself. “

I can’t really recommend any books on writing. I’m not really an academic in that way. The few books I’ve read with writing advice and techniques… I’ve found to be extremely arbitrary and in most cases, their methods will only work for one or two small groups of people that think a very specific way. So some of my readers may disagree with me, but instructional writing textbooks may not be the way to go.

I also haven’t taken any online courses. That being said, I have gone to several writing workshops/classes at both the local state and community colleges in my area. These are usually fairly priced, or in some cases, free. I’d look into something like that. Though if you’re looking for something a little more online-community, goodreads.com is worth a peak. They have all sorts of resources and message boards to help writers.

As for tips, I’d recommend going back through my blog. I have a whole library of FAQs, writing styles, etc. that should be able to assist. However to give you at least one piece of advice… I’ll give you the one I always wrote.

I remember when looking for interesting books to read… Most everything was disappointing or hard to get through. Then I watched an interview with someone who helped Tolkien write his novels. Tolkien essentially wrote his novels because there was nothing out there that he found interesting. So he wrote stories he’d want to read.

That’s essentially how I do it. I write for myself… people just happen to like what I write. So when writing, write for yourself. Write something you’d enjoy reading over and over. If you write something you really love, your readers will pick up on it. Don’t worry if other people will like it or not. What is the worst thing that can happen? It get’s some bad reviews, one stars, panned off the interwebs, and you go back to the drawing board. That’s all.

“I’m almost 40 and I think I knew I was meant to write; it’s part of my corporate job, but I’m just looking for ways to be the very best I can because it looks like one of my most recent scripts is definitely a go.”

I don’t know that there is much more I can tell you. You seem like you’ve already found your success. I would just say that you need to work on your confidence. Remember, when writing, it’s not you against the world. It’s not you against other writers. It’s simply you against you. How far are you willing to go? How hard are you willing to work? How much will you endure? If you have the stamina, you can do anything.

Just don’t sweat the small details. Let your editors worry about that.

“It’s not my first published work, but definitely will be the most recognized and get the most exposure, so I want to go back and spend another week or two just cleaning up some dialog and I’m looking for any tips I can get. I read as much as I can and always ask for constructive criticism, so anything you got, please share!”

I would say that it’s time to leave it alone. If it’s already a go, then you really shouldn’t have to do much more. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. Make sure it goes through editing (Other than you!) and then submit it to whoever has shown interest…

And please let me know when it goes on sale and if I can get an autographed copy ;)!

I do collect comics, as well as rare/unique/autographed/1st editions. So something like this would greatly interest me… especially if anything I did helped you along the way.

Readers, do you have any advice for our new friend here? Let him know in the comments.

David, please feel free to follow up with me if you need any further advice.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

Hi Jim,

I’m getting really frustrated with my writing. I’m trying to write a cover blurb for a book I just finished. I have used several others as examples and templates of what to do and what not to do. However, every time I think I’ve got it down, I go back and rewrite the whole thing because it doesn’t convey what I want people to know about my book.

Do you have any insights on writing one of these? I’m getting ready to throw my laptop out the window!

Thanks,
Margie

Hi Margie,

There’s an old saying in IT circles;

Violence and technology are not good bedfellows. 

Don’t throw your laptop out the window! It hasn’t done anything wrong and, despite the momentary feeling of satisfaction, it’s not worth it.

Stop technology abuse!

Okay, on topic. Believe it or not, you’re in good company. Writing a blurb is the bane of almost every writer out there. I know many writers who would rather bang out a 400 page manuscript then write a 2-3 paragraph blurb. It’s tough because, in addition to being a brief summary, it’s also a sale’s pitch. This is the difference between a synopsis and a blurb. A synopsis just gives you a detailed summary of a book without giving too much away.

A blurb does the same to a lesser extent but also attempts to draw the reader in.

Your timing couldn’t be better as I’ve decided to revisit my blurb for The Orphans of Haven.

You’ve already done part of the work by looking at other samples. So what’s next? Well…

I think the first thing you should do is introduce the conflict. What problem are your characters facing? Spend a sentence or two addressing that. Make sure your first sentence is powerful and can effectively draw someone in so that they want to read more. A lot of people rarely read past the first sentence. If they’re not hooked right away, you’re not as likely to make a sale.

The next step is to introduce your main character(s). At a minimum, you need to introduce the main focus of the story. Give them a name and a brief, one-sentence- description of who/what they are. (veteran, police officer, normal guy, etc.)

Next, establish your hook. This really needs to be done in the first paragraph and near the beginning. The whole idea of the blurb is to entice the readers. Give them something that will make them want to rip that cover open.

Next, establish setting and mood. Give your readers a brief peek into the world your characters live in. Let them experience it for themselves.

Finally, leave the reader on a cliffhanger. Leave the reader wondering what will happen. You can do this easily by asking a question “Can our hero beat his enemy?”
“What will happen if he cannot solve the crime?”
“If he fails, reality as we know it may not survive.”

In this case, it is perfectly fine to leave the reader hanging.

Don’t be afraid to use a lot of hyperbole. Treat this like a sale’s pitch. Using big, exciting phrases will help you to draw your reader in. Try to keep your sentence short. This isn’t always possible, but there are ways to break up a longer one.

Finally, keep it short. Do not write a book to put on the back of your book. Three paragraphs at most IMHO. Establish what you need to and then end it.

Now, what should you avoid?

Well for starters, don’t give too much away. If you tell the reader too much, what’s the point of reading your book? This one cannot be overstated. You shouldn’t tell the reader anything past the introductory chapters of your book.

Secondly, leave out irrelevant details. This should be a given, based on how little space you have, but I see people put in distracting details way too often.

Finally, avoid misleading language. Don’t put anything on the back of your book that could be easily misinterpretted. You don’t want to give a reader the idea that your book is one thing, only for it to turn out to be completely different.

Anyway. I hope this helps a little. Good luck with your blurb! Readers, if I’ve missed anything or you have advice on how you write a blurb, feel free to leave it in the comments!

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:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

Hi Jim,

I was wondering if you had any advice on how to bring a character over from another story…

Example, Sherlock Holmes is someone I’ve always loved, so I wanted him to make a guest appearance in a mystery novel I’m currently working on that’s set in the same place.

Second example, I’ve got a character from another series I wrote, Juiliara that I also want to make an appearance, but they’re from completely different universes.

I know you write fantasy, so I wanted to see if you had any advice about how to make this work.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi Mike,

Whoa… okay, so you’re actually asking two different questions here as the examples you gave are of two completely different scenarios. Let’s take the one at a time. We’ll tackle the easier one first…

So from the sound of the second example, you want to integrate a character from a different world where… likely different rules apply and give her a cameo in your current story.

Not knowing the context or what kind of rules apply to the universe you created makes it difficult to give you the best advice I can. However, I’ll do my best. In my novel, Soul Siphon, I gave General Xaphan from Damnation a cameo and kind of made her a mentor to my team of heroes.

In the book, I didn’t give much detail into her backstory, though I did allude to the idea that this Xaphan’s backstory might be slightly different from the one in Damnation. I had the advantage that Damnation was basically a ‘behind the scenes of history’ story. The idea for that story was to write it in a way that history could still proceed normally. In other words, if you believe in religious mysticism, my story was not outside the realm of possibility.

So technically, Xaphan could reappear in the modern world, but there were still some inconsistencies. So I basically brought her back but obscured her experiences and backstory so that the reader would have to decide whether she was the fallen angel from Damnation or a General Xaphan from a different reality where the events of her life happened differently.

Using a parallel counterpart may be a good way of accomplishing your goal while keeping in-universe. Other than that, it really depends on the rules of your world. Is there a way to transport characters from one place to another, or could that character’s world plausibly be the same one?

Sherlock Holmes may be more of a problem for you. I’m not sure of the specifics, but I don’t think he’s public domain yet. The Copyright Act was extended not long ago so that the term of protection went from 75 years to 95 years.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in 1930 and his last work was published in 1926-1927(??). However, a recent legal ruling may have changed that.

The court case of Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate settled the claim and actually put to rest the issue of whether a copyright claim would persist on a character even if the works that contained him/her have fallen out of copyright. The Estate tried to argue that, while the stories aren’t copyrighted, the characters still were.

I really don’t have the time or the inclination to try to contemplate the mental gymnastics around that thought process or the ramifications of someone successfully making that case. However, in rare form, the courts ruled correctly. So you may be in the clear, but I’d contact a copyright attorney on this one just be sure. There may still be some gray area there and you don’t want to tangle with the ACD estate. Even if you’re in the right, it could still cost you.

As long as everything checks out, you should have no problem integrating Holmes into your story. That being said, I’d first go through and carefully study Doyle’s works. Read them and get a feel for the character you’re borrowing. Sherlock Holmes still has a massive following 90 years later. If you’re hoping to break into the murder/mystery community, you DO NOT want to do an injustice to the biggest name in the group.

In any case, I hope this helps a little bit. As always, I’m available if you need further advice. Please feel free to email me.
Readers, do you have any further advice? Let Mike know in the comments!

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:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

Hi Jim,

I have a problem I was hoping you could help me with a rather… sensitive issue. I’ve written a book that deals with a lot of cultural issues. I’ve gone to great lengths to keep my writing as inoffensive as possible, as I want people from all walks of life to be able to read it, enjoy it, and maybe find themselves in it. However… I’ve recently been getting hate mail and negative reviews from people calling some of what I’ve written offensive. I really don’t want to get into great detail for my own protection, but I was wondering if you had any advice on dealing with accusations of bigotry and negative reviews.

Thanks,
(Anonymous by request.)

Hello,

You’re in quite the bind there, I’ll definitely tell you. First of all, there’s nothing you can do about negative reviews. They’re par for the course when it comes to putting media out there for public consumption, so that’s something you’ll most likely have to live with. If you have reason to believe that the negative reviews are trolling or someone who didn’t read the book, there are methods to appeal them with Amazon, GoodReads, Etc. So you might consider that approach.

As to your other problem… having not heard the other side, nor read your work, I’m going to be functioning on the assumption that you didn’t put anything into your book that is blatantly bigoted… or if you did, you framed it in a way that was appropriate to the story. If you basically rewrote Mien Kampf, you’re getting what’s coming to you, but again, I’m going to assume that’s not the case, given what you’ve told me.

Unfortunately, in the current climate we live in, people have a heightened sensitivity to pretty much every social issue on the planet. It seems almost completely unavoidable. Some say it’s because they were raised to believe that they were special and that the world owed them something… others say that these issues have always been around, but social media just really put a magnifying glass on them.
I personally think that the truth is somewhere in between, though I would note that the debate on political correctness vs. free speech is fairly troubling. We’re living in pretty stressful times.

This is honestly part of the reason I don’t tackle social or political issues in any sort of overt way. Yes, they make their way into my writing, but not with the intention of making a political statement. I just go where my fingers take me and people seem to like my work.

Okay, back on topic. At the risk of generalizing people… likely the people you are dealing with who are calling you a bigot are one of two kinds of people;

1. People with heightened sensitivities and insecurities. These people typically see social problems where ever they look and if they don’t find any, they’re pretty good at creating issues for them to complain about.
2. People looking to cause trouble. Yes, unfortunately, there are people out there that actively look to spark some kind of social outrage, usually for their own gain. Either they want to get their name out in the public or they want to get something out of whoever gets in their sights.
3. Legitimate people pointing out a problem. Again, I’m assuming you didn’t rewrite Mien Kampf. However, maybe something in your writing is unintentionally off. Maybe you unintentionally wrote a character as a bad stereotype?

I would re-read your work and if you believe #3 is what you’re dealing with… This is a little more difficult to advise on. I don’t typically recommend revising the original work, but if you’re genuinely concerned about it, you have that option.  That being said, you might consider not changing it… again, I haven’t seen your work and I don’t know what your characters are like, but writing as an art form is supposed to challenge people, it’s supposed to move them, to anger them, to sadden them, to make them uncomfortable, and yes, to make them happy. If this is the option you go with… the best advice I can give you is to grow a thick skin.

If it’s either of the other two, I recommend ‘The Rock’ approach: Ignore it.

Why do I call it the Rock approach? Well, it’s in honor of one of my favorite actors; Dwane Johnson. Arguably one of the most beloved personalities in Hollywood has come under fire recently from cultural figures, Paralympians, and environmental figures alike…

How has he responded to all of this criticism? Well, near as I can tell, he hasn’t. He hasn’t apologized or addressed it in any way. Why do I say that this is the smart thing to do? Because it takes the wind out of their sails. Look at each of these complaints. Have they gone anywhere? Have you heard of them after the initial outcry? Not likely. If you apologize to them, you’re admitting doing something wrong, even if you don’t mean to. Often times, they aren’t looking to, and won’t be willing to, accept your apology. If you try to fight back, you’ll wind up looking like the bad guy. It’s basically a power struggle, one you’ll be hard-pressed to win.

If you say nothing, do nothing, and keep your mouth shut, they’ll be yelling into an empty box and it will likely go away faster. I know it’s not an easy thing to do… take it from someone with boiling Irish blood in his veins, but IMHO it really is the correct approach.

Remember, your writing is all about you. Does it sound good to you? Do you like what you’ve written? Is your book something you’d like to read over and over? Then that’s all that really matters. Other people may like it or may not and your book sales will reflect that, but in the end, you can only write for yourself.

Anyway, that’s my two cents. Let’s open it up to the floor. Readers, what do you think our friend here should do? Should they ignore it or attempt some kind of damage control. Let me know in the comments and let’s get the conversation going.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

Okay, this post is actually just a rant. So if you’re looking for writing advice, feel free to skip.

I have seriously come to despise MOST romantic stories. They all seem to fall into the same damn plot…

Person 1 is in a happy relationship with Person 2. They are successful and literally have everything anyone could ever want. Person 2 has to go away or just leaves the plot for a while.
Person 1 becomes acquainted with a rough-around-the-edges or simply unconventional person. Let’s call them Person 3. Suddenly Person 1 begins to realize that they’re missing something in their lives… or something in Person 3 is something Person 1 never realized they always wanted. They start to develop a romance and typically Person 3 has no care or concern for Person 1’s outstanding relationship.

Just to make Person 1, the supposed protagonist, not look like an absolutely horrible person, the writer then makes Person 2 do something that seems incredibly out of character, turning them into the villain and justifying Person 1’s behavior.

Person 1 eventually leaves Person 2… OFTEN LITERALLY AT THE DAMN ALTER for Person 3. The story typically ends with Person 3 and Person 1 getting married or starting a relationship.

Be honest, how many of you reading this right now can name at least 20 different movies that have this nauseating plot? I bet we could all post a list of stories we’ve read/seen that fall into this plot without overlapping. Need proof?

Just on the movie side of things…

This drives me insane for a few reasons. Firstly, I actually do like romantic stories. I’m not a guy who waves them off as chick flicks and most of my own books have a romantic element to them. At the same time, Stardust is one of my favorite movies of all times, and it is a romantic flick!

The other reason I hate these stories so much is because they’re so unrealistic. Think about it. In every story where Person 1 leaves Person 2 at the altar, what’s Person 2 going to do? Bow out gracefully? Yeah, good luck with that. Try again. Person 2 is likely going to sue for every penny that they put into the wedding.  On top of that, they may actually sue Person 3 for ‘Abandonment of Affection’, depending on where they live. ON TOP OF THAT, Person 1 and Person 2 typically live together, so guess what kind of chaos that’s going to cause. So this is hardly going to end well. Not to mention that Person 3 will have been humiliated in the worst way and will probably develop trust issues where they’ll be in therapy for years afterward. Not to mention all the family and friends who will probably be affected by this, causing rude shocks and anger, even if there wasn’t a wedding involved. This is all after going through a character assassination so that Person 1 doesn’t look horrible.

So I’m sorry, but I’m completely on the side of Person 2 in these cases. I usually envision the ‘after Happily Ever After Scenes’ where Person 2 goes on to make his fortunes, does really well, finds someone who actually loves them and is far more compatible. They live out their days in success and luxury.

What happens to the breeding pair, you may ask? Heh, considering that Person 3 is usually broke, or some level of plebian, there are a few scenarios…

1. Person 3 can’t provide Person 1 the lifestyle they’re accustomed to and their relationship eventually collapses. They go their separate ways and Person 1 sees all the success Person 2 is having and lives in despair over what they lost.
2. Person 1 and Person 3 get close to where Person 1 was with Person 2… suddenly the same story happens, except this time, Person 3 meets their own Person 3 and before long, Person 1 becomes their own version of Person 2, and is yet again, out on the street, alone.
3. Person 1 and 3 do work out, get married, and live a life that is nowhere near the level of quality Person 1 had always envisioned. Though happy on some level, Person 1 regrets what they sacrificed to be with Person 3.

Needless to say, it doesn’t work out well for Person 1. You may consider that petty, but I really don’t care. This plotline is terrible, yet it is continually rehashed in romance stories, particularly romantic comedies, like it’s pure gold.

Anyway, brief rant over. Let me know what you think or what stories/movies you know of that meet the above formula.

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:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim