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+ Action Figues, Comics, fantasy, Movies, Opinion, Science Fiction, Skyrim

Jaina Solo: Black Series #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Since I’m on an action figure kick recently, I wanted to give my first impressions of an action figure I am fiercely anticipating.

Jaina Solo: Black Series.
Release Date 12/10/2017

idztg6l5x0pjag5xvdfa

A little history:
Hasbro, quite awesomely allowed people to vote for the next character that they wanted to see made into a figure. There were several finalists ranging from several mediums… but the majority pick was surprising. Based on what I’ve learned from some sources at Hasbro, they were taken a bit by surprise that people wanted a character from the now-Legend series, likely the only one.

To their credit, they didn’t back down. The fans said what they wanted, and Hasbro went to work… and so far the results look very promising.

I have mine pre-ordered, so I’ll post a full review when I receive her. On the surface, she seems like exactly what you’d expect from the Black Series; a fully articulated, high detailed figure with all the trimmings.

One major setback that the black series has always seemed to suffer from is the faces. I’m sorry, the Rey Jedi figure’s face seems a little too fat, Han looked okay except that he looked even older than he was… and Luke… well let’s just say that I finally have an action figure from the Big Lebowski. (I’m talkin’ bout the Dude here.)

However, in the case of Jaina, all we have on her appearance is the various descriptions in the books, the cover images… and this pretty bad ass fan-made video:

That is still one of the most badass fight scenes I’ve ever seen.

So of course Hasbro had some leeway and from what I’ve seen, she looks really good. I can definitely see Han’s less than series expression with Leia’s facial structure.

Any criticism… well… its personal preference really. I’d rather have seen her in her Jedi robes as we saw her in the Legacy Collection (which I also have).

jainasolo-bd60.jpg

So my initial thoughts are that it is arguably one of the best LOOKING figures in the black series thus far. The articulation looks like it may be hindered by the equipment she carries, but that’s to be expected. Her weapons and helmet look accurate to the series, and she’s one of the few figures with an off-colored lightsaber. I personally catch wait to add her to my collection .

I’d advise if she’s on your list, you preorder. I get the feeling she’ll be flying off the shelves in short order.

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

+

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

The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Okay, so it looks like I’m still getting a lot of publishing questions. These are recurrent questions I get on a regular basis, and while I want to try to respond to everyone who reaches out to me, I don’t want my blog becoming redundant. So I think I’m going to repost this on a weekly basis from now on to help people navigate the publishing world. I don’t really see another way around it.

So if you have questions regarding publishing, PLEASE check below to see if any of this helps you before reaching out. I’m always happy to help, but I may have already answered your question.

Publishing is a tough road to navigate. Please check out the links below. These are previous posts I’ve made about the ins and outs of publishing. They should be of assistance in your journey:

Am I Ready To Publish? This is a must read BEFORE even considering starting the process. I can’t tell you how many authors burned bridges by not being ready.

Editing… There is a Cost That Must be Paid… or is There? You can skip this one if you’ve already had your writing edited (by someone other than you!). However, I’d still recommend reading.

Getting Published… the basics… In this post, we explore traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. Here you’ll get the pros on cons of each and the steps you need to go through in order to be successful in either.

Finally…

Copyrighting my Writing. Am I Protected? This isn’t required reading… however, if you’re concerned about plagiarism, or in the future may need to file a copyright claim, I recommend giving it a read.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? I’d be surprised if you didn’t. The only sage advice I can offer you other than the documents above is simple…

  1. Do not give up. A million “No’s” suddenly become irrelevant if you get that one “yes”.
  2. People will tell you that everyone and their mother wants to publish a book. You’re up against insurmountable odds and a flooded market. This is false. You’re not up against everyone and their mother. Permit me the luxury and I’ll prove this mathematically: First of all, take the entire group of people who want to get published. Now take that number and reduce it by roughly 60%. You just eliminated all the people who want to get something published, but don’t have the time, ability, drive, or inspiration to write. Next, eliminate another 20%. You’ve now taken down all the people who can put pen to paper but can’t afford the time/money to put the work into advertising and getting published. Eliminate another 10% who can’t take criticism and thus aren’t going to be able to get their writing properly edited. Now eliminate another 5% either don’t have the patience for or get discouraged by receiving a series of “No’s” from publishers.
    Now take that last 5% and eliminate all of them, except you. Why? Because they’re irrelevant. You have your writing and they have there’s. Whether or not you get published and how successful you are isn’t about other people’s writing. Yes, in the end, it’s you against one person, you. Whether or not I’ll ever get to buy your book off the shelf depends on you; how much time, effort, and funds you’re willing to put into your writing. So make it good!

Let’s open it up to the floor. Readers, do you have any publishing advice for our friend here? Let her know in the comments!

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

+

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

Writers vs. Fans… Who Makes the Call. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

 

Hi Jim,

I’m currently writing a sequel to a short story I posted recently and was hoping you could give me some advice. I’ve been getting a lot of people emailing me with questions, suggestions, and criticisms about the previews. A lot of people don’t seem to like the direction I’m taking my story. To me it feels natural, but given the level of objection, I’m wondering if I should scrap the story all together and start from scratch. I don’t know what to do.

Thanks,
MB Nelson.

Hi MB,

You have my sympathies. That’s a pretty tough conundrum you’re dealing with. My advice is and has always been to write how you want to write. In the end, your fans are your fans because they like what YOU created.

That being said, I know a lot of people these days are angry about reboots of beloved series and movies (Ghostbusters, Star Trek, etc.), and I’m definitely in their camp. However I’m not against these series and reboots being made. I simply vote with my dollar and don’t partake in these movies/books/TV shows if I don’t think I’ll like them.

So that’s the rub, you have every right to create your stories from your IP as you see fit. Just be aware, your audience also has the right to criticize your work and choose not to partake in it. This is a risk we, as writers, have to take every day of our lives. I always take constructive criticism, but in the end, I’ll still do what I believe is right whether that is following the advice or not.

One side note I will say, do not get mad at your fan base. As I’ve stated in multiple posts, getting mad, argumentative, or going out of your way to taunt your detractors, or accuse them of some kind of bias is a quick way to lose yourself an audience. Take the criticisms with a grain of sand and do as you see fit. Just keep a cool head.

If you wind up losing a large portion of your audience or they don’t like your book, then you have a few options open to you…

  1. Abandon the series. I don’t recommend this lightly, but if you’re doing this as a source of income and people really don’t like the direction you’re taking your story, then it may be time to end it. Fans are a fickle thing and once they’re turned off, it can be very hard to win them back unless the next follow up is Empire Strikes Back level good.
  2. Divergent Timeline. I know a few people MAY see this as kowtowing a bit and maybe it is, but usually when I write, I have multiple directions in mind that a story can go. After fleshing the story out, I’m subject to change that because something didn’t fit. Maybe you could explore one of the other paths and create a sort of ‘what if’ timeline. I actually have a few novels written like that which I’ve never published.
  3. Press on. If you’ve got the sort of Devil May Care attitude, you can try to press on and hope that the overall story will reconnect with your fans… its not easy to do and I’ve rarely seen it succeed, but it’s not impossible.

Anyway I hope this helps a little bit. I definitely think you should write your story the way it works for you. Above all else, if you’re not enthusiastic about what you write, you certainly can’t expect your fans to be.

Let’s open this up though, readers does anyone have a suggestion for Nelson? Let us know in the comments.

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 multiple 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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

 

+

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

Choosing a Name? #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim, 

I was hoping you could help me out. I’m trying to choose a name for my novel, but I can’t seem to figure out a good one. Every one I choose doesn’t really sum up anything about the story or seem to stick. Do you have any advice for choosing a title?

Thanks,
Aubri

Hi Aubri,

I do indeed. The best way I’ve found to choose a title is to choose something that really sticks out in the story. Pick one central focal point and then choose a word that adequately describes that theme. I’ll give you a few examples from my own work…

divinity9

I have to admit, this one was fairly easy for me. The whole book centers around the loss of an angel’s divinity and what effect it has on her and the people around her. Divinity was the obvious choice for the title. So let’s move onto something a little more complicated, shall we?

Drakin-Cover-Poster-Final

The series title: Drakin was a lot more difficult. What am I going to name a post-apocalyptic story about dragons falling from the heavens and waging a war of total annihilation of all of mankind? What do I name something where the focal point of the story is an accidental abomination of both dragon and human origin that had a score to settle with dragonkind?

Dragonheart? Taken.
Dragonrein? Taken.
Reign of Fire? Taken.

To figure out the title, I needed to reread the story. My eyes caught one specific word that was mentioned throughout; ‘Drakin’. In the ancient language of the drakeas (the proper name of the dragon species), drakin is their word for relative. It’s an unspecific term for ‘relative’. The dragons refer to Raiya as such because, while she isn’t a dragon herself, she is related to them in some way.
I came up with the word as a way to say ‘dragon-kin’ in a made up language.

The subtitle was actually easier. The story is about Raiya and her quest for vengeance. However, the Orphans of Haven was slightly more difficult. I started the story with a working title of ‘Qira’s Tears’, but I didn’t care for it very much. So I looked more into the story. Basically, the main mission of the characters is to save the west from restarting the war against the dragons. However, their more focused goal was to keep a special place called ‘Haven’ safe. Haven is a shelter for orphans from the previous war. Not only that, but Qira and Radley are also orphans of the war who wind up living there when they abandon their old lives.
So you could argue that the title may be describing the people that Qira and Radley are trying to protect, or you could interpret it as describing Qira and Radley themselves. I thought it was kind of a moderately clever idea so I went with it.

My only advice is to make it something that will stick out and no more than a few words. Try not to go with anything too basic or your book will get lost among several others.

I hope this helps, but let’s open it up to the readers and see if they have any thoughts or advice. As always, feel free to reach out to me again 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

+

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

Music Inspiration for Writing #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim,

I’ve been following your blog for a while and was wondering about the ‘From my Writing Playlist’ pieces you do. Maybe it’s because I don’t like the same music, but I’ve never found music especially helpful in my writing. Now that I’m suffering from writer’s block, I’m desperate to try anything. I read some of your other recommendations, but they only helped me for a little while. Now I’m back to square one. Can you help me understand how music translates to words for you?

Thanks,
Julie

Hello Julie!

 

Seems like you’re in quite a bind here. Honestly music doesn’t work for everyone and different people hear different things. For example, when I listen to Beast in Black:

It makes me happy and brews a story about someone who lost a love to a vicious evil. Years later, after suffering with her loss, he discovers she’s still alive and has to face down that evil to get her back. However you might hear something different.

Here’s what I want you to do…

Take a song that energizes you, one that really gets your blood pumping and makes you happy. Listen to that song twice. First time, really listen to the lyrics, then listen to the melody on the second run. Really focus on the melody and the notes. Then write what pops into your head. What does that song make you think of? Whatever it is, write it out and describe it in detail.
Once you have that all written out, go back and re-read what you’ve written. Next listen to a song that invokes sadness. Listen to it the same way said above. absorb the lyrics and then the melody. Close your eyes and let your mind wander. What’s the first thing that pops into your head? Write it down and describe every detail; every emotion, every thought, every scene. Use metaphor and alliteration when you do it.  I want you to write everything out.

Don’t worry about not doing it right, there is no right or wrong way of going about this.

Then repeat with songs that invoke other emotions. Keep doing this until your mind begins flowing again with ideas. It’s what I call a mental jump-start. Once you’ve done this a couple of times, you should find yourself writing a whole new story out… or several new stories… or you’ve described something in great detail.

Either way, you should be able to write again, and you’ll have started the process of training your mind to brainstorm to music. Keep doing this and when you feel you’re ready, start listening to music while you write. This is how I write my novels.

I hope this helps, please feel free to email me if you have any further questions!

Readers,

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

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

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

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

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

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

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

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Drakin, where to buy, and what’s next? #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi

by Unknown's avatar

Hello all!

I hope everyone has enjoyed The Drakin Series!! Please don’t forget to leave me a review on Amazon once you’re done. That really helps me out a lot.

Copies of these books, as well as my others, can be purchased on Amazon by following this link:

James Harrington’s Author Page

They’re also available at Barnes and Noble, as well as many other places where books are sold!

Please feel free to like and reblog this post. Word of mouth helps us writers out a lot!

Drakin: The Story of Raiya

Book Synopsis:
‘ “Abomination, freak, monster…”  You get used to names like these when you have yellow eyes, horns, and scales, but Raiya could have really cared less.

After being forced into exile because of her appearance, Raiya’s mind has been focused on one goal; hunting down the dragon lord that killed her parents. For over thirty years, humanity has been locked in a struggle for survival against a race of dragons that had fallen from the heavens. They took everything from her and consumed the planet in a fierce war. Humanity’s numbers are quickly dwindling, leaving her few options in the way of allies.

What she doesn’t know is that her journey will strike at the very heart of the Red War and uncover truths about her past that she may not want to know. Can she finish what she started while coming to terms with the truths of her origin? ‘

Drakin: The Orphans of Haven

Book Synopsis:

The Red War may be over, but not all wounds have healed. For Sergeant Radley Zall, the nightmares never end. After years of struggling for survival, he finds himself in a dead end job, deporting wayward dragons to the Exclusion Zone. The horrors of his past have left him a broken man, slowing killing himself in a bottle of whiskey. It’s a wearying existence that many former soldiers have been subject to since the war ended, but for Radley, that is all about to change. Throughout his life, Radley’s hatred of dragons has been unmatched until one evening when a small one shows up on his doorstep. The pathetic creature is emaciated and begging for shelter. Her appearance reminds him of his younger self, compelling him to help her. That uncharacteristic decision forces him to confront his past actions— some of which may have contributed to a sinister plot to reignite the Red War and wipe out the few remaining dragons on Earth.

DRAKIN: An Empire of Ashes

 

Synopsis:

Two hundred years have passed, and the Red War has become a distant memory for most. Dragons and humans now live together in peace… but one powerful woman who has been deranged by her own history unleashes her vengeance on a helpless population.

Now, the world’s only hope for survival rests with Kaori, a naïve and wayward princess of the Eastern Empire. Having been disillusioned with her mother’s rule, she discovers a dark secret about her family that will change the course of history forever. She soon crosses paths with Nayeli and Joaquim, a pair of rogues living within her borders.

Their fight for survival takes an unexpected turn as a shadow of from the past reveals that the situation is more dangerous than they know. The fate of billions of lives rests on these three unlikely companions putting aside their differences to stand against the world.

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

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Drakin, where to buy, and what’s next? #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi

by Unknown's avatar

Hello all!

I hope everyone has enjoyed The Drakin Series!! Please don’t forget to leave me a review on Amazon once you’re done. That really helps me out a lot.

Copies of these books, as well as my others, can be purchased on Amazon by following this link:

James Harrington’s Author Page

They’re also available at Barnes and Noble, as well as many other places where books are sold!

Please feel free to like and reblog this post. Word of mouth helps us writers out a lot!

Drakin: The Story of Raiya

Book Synopsis:
‘ “Abomination, freak, monster…”  You get used to names like these when you have yellow eyes, horns, and scales, but Raiya could have really cared less.

After being forced into exile because of her appearance, Raiya’s mind has been focused on one goal; hunting down the dragon lord that killed her parents. For over thirty years, humanity has been locked in a struggle for survival against a race of dragons that had fallen from the heavens. They took everything from her and consumed the planet in a fierce war. Humanity’s numbers are quickly dwindling, leaving her few options in the way of allies.

What she doesn’t know is that her journey will strike at the very heart of the Red War and uncover truths about her past that she may not want to know. Can she finish what she started while coming to terms with the truths of her origin? ‘

Drakin: The Orphans of Haven

Book Synopsis:

The Red War may be over, but not all wounds have healed. For Sergeant Radley Zall, the nightmares never end. After years of struggling for survival, he finds himself in a dead end job, deporting wayward dragons to the Exclusion Zone. The horrors of his past have left him a broken man, slowing killing himself in a bottle of whiskey. It’s a wearying existence that many former soldiers have been subject to since the war ended, but for Radley, that is all about to change. Throughout his life, Radley’s hatred of dragons has been unmatched until one evening when a small one shows up on his doorstep. The pathetic creature is emaciated and begging for shelter. Her appearance reminds him of his younger self, compelling him to help her. That uncharacteristic decision forces him to confront his past actions— some of which may have contributed to a sinister plot to reignite the Red War and wipe out the few remaining dragons on Earth.

DRAKIN: An Empire of Ashes

 

Synopsis:

Two hundred years have passed, and the Red War has become a distant memory for most. Dragons and humans now live together in peace… but one powerful woman who has been deranged by her own history unleashes her vengeance on a helpless population.

Now, the world’s only hope for survival rests with Kaori, a naïve and wayward princess of the Eastern Empire. Having been disillusioned with her mother’s rule, she discovers a dark secret about her family that will change the course of history forever. She soon crosses paths with Nayeli and Joaquim, a pair of rogues living within her borders.

Their fight for survival takes an unexpected turn as a shadow of from the past reveals that the situation is more dangerous than they know. The fate of billions of lives rests on these three unlikely companions putting aside their differences to stand against the world.

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

+

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

Major Character Trait Annoyance! #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

 

This is more of a rant, so if you’re looking for advice, you can skip this post.

Have you ever seen or read about a character that at some point in the story encounters an issue that he was neither the cause of nor at fault with… yet when he’s confronted, he says nothing… for no apparent reason?

It’s especially frustrating when the person who confronted him later finds out that the character wasn’t at fault… but for some reason doesn’t ask why that character didn’t tell him the truth.

In cases where the character is standing up for, or defending, someone else, it’s understandable. However in other cases where there is no logical reason for it, the character keeps his mouth shut, thus incurring the wrath for something s/he isn’t guilty of.

So my question is why? Why does a character do this? All the writer accomplishes by having their character do this is getting the audience mad and making them yell at the screen/book saying, “What are you doing? Defend yourself! It wasn’t your fault!”

Am I missing something here? Let me know in the comments.

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 multiple 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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

 

+

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

Linear Writing Rule? #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim, 

I was actually hoping you could help me out with a problem I was having. I’m currently writing a book that will be part of an established series. It’s been a pretty good run so far, but I’m worried because this next book actually takes place before the one I just published.  I got this idea fairly late in the game, but want to include it. I’m just worried about publishing my books out of order. What should I do?

Thanks,
Randy

Hi Randy

Prequels and bridging stories are always tough. The hardest thing about them is creating an engaging story, despite people already knowing the outcome. In many cases, unless you’re writing a series where each novel surrounds a different cast in the same universe, I’d recommend avoiding it altogether. However, if you can find a way to tell a story within a story, you may have something there. My advice to you is to look at your story outline and then go back and read the other book. Is too much already revealed? Is everyone going to know what’s going on the moment they open the cover? If your answer is yes, you may want to consider abandoning it or releasing it as sort of a free addendum to the book you already have out. That one is really up to you.

However, if you think that you can make a good story out of the in-between years, then by all means, go for it. The space between one story and the next could easily be a story of its own. Don’t worry about writing out of order. Though it may be slightly confusing for some readers, I think most will pick up on what’s going on. There’s no rule saying that series have to be written in order… look at Lucasfilms!

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

+

+ Action Figues, Comics, fantasy, Movies, Opinion, Science Fiction, Skyrim

Action Figure Collection Woes #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

 

So as most everyone knows… I’m huge into action figure collecting. There are two big ones I’m waiting for. The first and perhaps most important is a commissioned one-of-a-kind action figure. See I love Skyrim… but let’s face it, the figures that came out from the game kinda sucked! All they had was a Daedric lord and a fairly generic Dragonborn. Yeah sign me up for that!

Well I sought to rectify that situation. There were two characters from the game I absolutely loved. The first was a custom character that I’d done some work on, known as Aranya:
2015-07-09_00003

My most badass elven follower. She has no magic but wields two cursed knives and a very powerful bow.

Obviously, no company is going to release a figure for a character that people modded into the game… so it fell to me to find a way around that. That’s when a google search revealed… what I can only describe as a master figure sculptor John Harmon.

The commission wasn’t cheap, good geeky things never are, but the results… well they speak for themselves:

win_20161018_08_26_05_pro

Needless to say, I wasn’t done. The other figure I wanted was my other favorite follower. One that is actually canon to Skyrim and… well is either beloved by fans or hated by them. I personally love her and am a huge fan of her voice acting:

20171106195801_1

Yeah, I am in the fan of Serana camp. I’m anxiously awaiting this commission to come through.  Don’t have any really good pictures to show yet as it’s not finished, but I can’t wait for John to send me the final product.

So what’s up with the whole ‘woes’ thing???

Sigh… well that’s the other figure I’m waiting for… As most of my readers know… I’m a huge Fire Emblem fan, so whenever something comes out related to that, I grab it… so a preorder of Corrin from Fates? I’m all over that!!

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Oh yeah! I already have the Lucina one… so this one was pretty big for me! It looks absolutely amazing. The problem? Figma and the goodsmile company have a habit of taking FOREVER to put anything new out and also have an irritating tendency to delay releases, often multiple times!

This figure was set for release back in September, but it was quickly pushed to November… well it’s November and guess what? I get an email today that it’s pushed back to December. I seriously could have done without that today…
I wouldn’t mind so much except that this company NEVER gives specific dates for release. So even if it is released that month, you won’t know when until its on the way… unless I’m missing something. If anyone knows of a newsletter or something like that they send out, please let me know.

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

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Inspiration, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

 

Got a request to recommend a good ‘rock opera’ song. Really it doesn’t get any better than Avantasia and in particular this song! The Great Mystery has everything; chorus, amazing instrumentals, guest performance by metal legend Bob Catley from Magnum… oh yeah! This has to be on my list!

When to listen:  I’ll give you a hint, skip to 9:19. Then picture your favorite Disney animated classic. Yeah, this is an ending song. When you’re ready to close up your story, THE INTENSE ENERGY at the end of this song is what you want!

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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

 

Another one of Edguy’s best. They’re technically a metal band, but I wonder if they would be more appropriately labeled as a ballad or showtune metal band? Honestly I’m not sure.

When to Listen: I have a very specific view of this song. This is a reflection song. What do I mean by that? Place yourself in the scene where you two main characters, your breeding pair if you have one, either meet for the first time, or have a successful first date. It’s a time when they realize that somethings there. So let’s go through a specific set of lyrics: (Starting at 3:12)
One of your characters is walking into her building after the encounter. In fact, have him/her sing the parts… (Yeah I’ve been dying to use the Edguy songs in a Rock Opera).
9-2-9 A number at Sundown
(She leans against the door of her apartment after closing it. )
A Room with a view
(She walks over to her balcony, throws the door open, leans against the railing as she looks out a the city…)
9-2-9
(…and throws her arms up.)
A night to remember!
9-2-9 I’ve been reaching out
(She leans back with a content smile.)
I’m finally home. 

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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

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