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August 16, 2021 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Copyright Infringement Imminent #Writing #Author #Advice

Hi Jim,

I don’t know what to do. I saw your blog recently and thought I’d ask here. Recently, I’ve seen some of my work appearing on a site where someone blogged it. I was planning on publishing that work on Amazon and this person appears to be giving it away for free while making AD revenue. What should I do?

Thanks,
Lillian

Hi Lillian,

First things first, remain calm. There is a lot here that needs to be considered. I am an attorney, so I can only give you a high-level overview here. Please don’t take what I say as legitimate legal advice.
First, do they just have your work in its entirety published on their site or are the putting snip-its of it up and doing commentary?

If its the latter, there may not be anything you can do. That may fall under fair use if they’re doing a parody or reviewing your work.

So what is fair use?

In short, per US copyright law, the doctrine of fair use allows that brief excerpts of copyright material may, under certain circumstances, be quoted verbatim for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or payment to the copyright holder.

You’ll want to see if what they’ve done falls under that. If so, you can (politely) ask them to remove it. Most ethical writers will do so without argument… however they aren’t really under any obligation to. So do not be surprised if they refuse or do not respond.

Now if we’re talking about just stealing your story in its entirety and posting it, that’s something different all together. They are profiting off your work, hurting your profits, and they should not get away with that. One question I have is whether or not you have your work registered with the U.S Copyright Office?

This isn’t mandatory, but I usually tell people it is a good idea for a plethora of reasons. Copyright protection technically exists from the moment the work is created in a tangible medium. However, registration provides a few important benefits, such as proof of ownership. Likely no court will hear your case, no will any site owner act on a claim without proof of ownership. So you’re likely going to need to do that first.

That said, before doing anything else… please, please, please, CONTACT A LAWYER!!! Get someone professional who knows the nuances of the law working for you. Do not do anything until you do. I cannot stress this enough. Any action, including contacting the perpetrator, could jeopardize your chances in court.

I hope this helps in some small way. Readers, do you have any further advice for Lillian? 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 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

August 16, 2021 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, Opinion, Uncategorized, Writing

Escapism Exists For a Reason! #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know how I feel about things like preaching in your story, out of context political diatribe, breaking the 4th well, inappropriately clashing reality with fantasy, and so on.

Well… today I wanted to touch on a subject that I think is getting constantly overlooked and deals with pretty much all of the above. It’s a little-known term called escapism.

First, let’s look at the definition:

es·cap·ism

əˈskāpˌizəm/

noun

the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.

synonyms:

fantasy, fantasizing, daydreaming, daydreams, reverie;

imagination, flight(s) of fancy, pipe dreams, wishful thinking, woolgathering;

informalpie in the sky

“romance novels offer a form of escapism that many people thoroughly enjoy”

So over the long weekend, I went to see a movie with my wife. Because she asked me not to, I’m not going to bring up what movie, but it was one with some singing and dancing, a lot of it seemed very dated and the whole thing was kind of giving the feel of a very fantastical world.

Honestly, though not my type of movie, I was getting into it. The actors were great, you could really feel the chemistry from the main cast, and really… though the singing musical numbers sucked, the soundtrack as a whole was pretty good.

Then for some reason, the writers had to smack us across the face with a dose of reality. After all the boosting the main hero did, after everything he did, and how wonderful things went… In the end, he’s not with the leading lady. They split up and went their separate ways, despite all of the build-up and development of the two characters.

Of course I understand that there is such a thing as a tragic romance and stories that surround tragic events, but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about doing that.

When you set the stage that this is going to be a certain type of story, a certain type of light-hearted fantasy story, then bashing your audience over the head with a sudden dose of reality is both unwelcome and inappropriate.

And the excuse is always the same thing…

Per one of the creators of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ a show that is credited by many as having the worst finale in TV history:

We did a finale about life's twists and turns and that is not always what happens…but THANKS!

— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) April 1, 2014

Ugh… no matter how many times I hear a writer justify that choice, it never ceases to piss me off. ‘Well I wrote it that way because that’s how it is in real life, and real life isn’t always the cookie-cutter Happy Ending.’

Yes, we know that. We LIVE in the real world. We’re quite familiar with how harsh the real world is. We do not need a reminder of that.

I’ve always been a big proponent of people writing things the way they want. As a writer myself, I’ve always told people to write what makes you happy and your readers will pick up on that. As always, that’s fine. My issue comes in when a writer feels the need to either insert a ‘shock’ element because they think that this will stir up controversy and bring in more ratings, or feel like their story is getting too far away from reality due to some unwritten rule and thus smack their readers with a dose of it right at the end.

RED FLAG.

This is why I have such an issue with dropping soapbox politics, unsolicited opinions on political topics that a character should in no way, shape or form, have any concern or even knowledge of, and why characters shouldn’t be coming out of character and breaking the 4th wall for no reason.

This is especially crucial in this day and age with the political climate being extremely hostile to anyone with an opinion on anything. Regardless of what that opinion is. As human beings with a measurable tolerance for every day stresses, we need an escape from politics, an escape from the real world, an escape from harsh reality and that’s what fantasy is supposed to provide. It’s a coping mechanism.

Think about it. When my kids get home from school their tired, they’ve worked hard at school all day, came home and did their homework, and then they want to hear Daddy tell them a story. So every night, it’s on me to come up with something good. Could you imagine what would happen if I ended one of my stories with ‘And the princess had to miss the ball because she had WAY too much homework to do. Her fairy Godmother told her that unless she finished her multiplication tables, she wouldn’t be going out all weekend.’

Mommy would be replacing Daddy as the go to storyteller.

It’s a crude example, but a valid one, none the less. Why do some of us, as writers, feel the need to do this to our readers? Are we really so worried that their heads will go so high into the clouds as to not be able to come back down?

So Jim, what would be your opinion of an appropriate dose of reality?

Well… though I despise this movie for its gross historical inaccuracies… Titanic.

Yeah I know, the portrayal of Ismay was way off. Captain Smith and Mr. Murdoch was way off, but the overall story is one that I think was done correctly. Think about it… a rich girl has a fling with a poor guy on the Titanic who helped her realize that there was more to life then what she knew and more out there than what she had seen. He was the needle she so needed to burst the bubble that she was unable to fight her way out of.

However we’re on the Titanic, so we all knew what was going to happen. The ship was going to sink and most of the people onboard were going to die. Thus what happened to Jack wasn’t outside the realm of possibility in this fantasy retelling. This teetered right on the edge of realism to the point of it credibility.

Would their romance have survived had they gotten off the ship together? Even in that world, I’d say it would have been unlikely. Even in the context of their universe, just by looking at their personalities and character archetypes.

Honestly, this video came out a while back detailing what likely would have happened:

I know that this kinds of seems like the same type of dose of reality, but its not. The Titanic story has no supernatural elements, no reality-freezing dance numbers, nothing other than a few poor character portrayals.

Honestly for that reason, I think a ‘What if’ story would be pretty good… even if it did wind up damaging people’s view of the original source material.

Anyway, in the end, I understand if you want to keep people’s feet on the ground in your story. Honestly, there are ways of doing this… a piece here and a piece there will keep your audience engaged. A major plot-bomb at the end of the story will turn readers and viewers off.

In my opinion, keeping people’s feet firmly planted on the ground when they’re looking for an escape isn’t going to gain you many fans, at least not in my opinion.

Let me know what you think 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.

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

August 15, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

ETERNAL FLAME!!!

Oh man, this is a band that you can listen to and get a complete story out of that. They’re kind of a leftover group from the 80s, not that they themselves are from the 80s, but their style is just that.

When to Listen: When heroism is realized. As the hero reaches his height. That is the best place for this song.

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

August 15, 2021 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Am I Ready to Publish? #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

Hi Jim!

I’ve always dreamed of being a writer, but always feared the steps it took to really “make it” being published. In your experience, when did you feel ready to submit your first book for publishing? How long did it take, what steps did you follow, did you already have a following, or enter any contests to get recognized first?

Sincerely,

Marian G.

Hi Marian,

Welcome to Godhood. I’m actually not kidding. Writing puts the ability to create worlds, whole universes, people personalities… literally everything right in your hands. It’s a wonderful yet daunting responsibility, especially when you take your first steps.

It’s very difficult to know when you’re ready. VERY difficult. You literally have to have all your ducks in a row. You need a synopsis, hook, an edited manuscript, and a good literary letter to send to agencies (assuming you’re going the traditional route).

Before you get going on putting your work out there for all to see, you want to consider whether or not its professional enough. Get someone to read it, get a group of people to read it, edit it, and give you their thoughts. Do NOT assume that you can do this yourself. You can’t. Trust me, your eyes are biased and rigged in a way that you will overlook your own mistakes over and over. Also, what makes sense in your mind, may not make sense in other people’s.

This cannot be overstated. Editing as much as possible is key!

If you’re going to go the traditional route, then yes, I would say getting your work printed in Magazines, entering contests, and getting yourself out there is essential. This will get you recognition that you can put into a pitch letter you send to an agency. Almost like a resume.

If you’re not going to go the traditional route, this may not be necessary. However yes, I would try to build a following on social media. You can do this by creating a blog, handing out advice, talking about your experiences, or just write about things that interest you that others may gravitate towards. I personally found my niche long ago by helping people and giving out advice, as you can see.

There are a lot of writing blogs out there, but not as many that actually answer direct questions, so that’s where I found my place.

You also want to make sure that you do this across multiple platforms. I have this blog connected to my Facebook page, pinterest, twitter, and several other social media sites so people can see what I’m doing and follow me if they don’t have a WordPress account.

Whichever publishing route you choose, DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! Look into everything you need to know before going ahead. Feel free to look back on my blog. I provide several resources over multiple posts that can help point you in the right direction. However, don’t just use my blog. Look at several literary sites to gain a feel for the environment ahead of you.

Hope this helps, thanks for the question!

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

August 15, 2021 + Dark Romance, literature, Movie, Plot, Romance, Uncategorized

Romance Movie Redundancy #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

HAPPY SAINT VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!

As activists and those who don’t have dates say… Happy Manufactured Holiday that has nothing to do with anything (which isn’t true), except selling candy and flowers!!!

Anyway, I wanted to comment on love stories, particularly in the visual medium. Now before I get started, I’m not talking about ALL romantic movies. Ones like say… The Proposal and Just Like Heaven are funny as Hell. Heck even the end credits of the Proposal is hilarious:

“What is her favorite color?”
“Her favorite color is blue.”
“What is her favorite color when she’s not at home.”
“… I don’t know!”

That makes me laugh every time. If you haven’t seen this movie, don’t be fooled by the whole ‘Chick Flick’ concept. It is a very funny movie.

I’m talking about the phoned in ones that all seem to have the same plot line… and God damn there are a lot of them!

So what is this basic plot?
Character 1 (Guy or Girl) is engaged and seemingly happy in their life.
Character 1 meets character 2 who is usually either very unorthodox or someone character 1 knew from their youth.
Character 1 spends time with character 2… arguably a lot more time than they spend with their own fiance’ in the movie.
The fiance has something going on either illegal, amoral, or unethical.
Character 1 discovers this and leave their fiance, ending up with character 2.

We’ve seen this done over and over and over again:
Titanic
When Harry Met Sally
Made of Honor
Someone Like You
Some Kind of Wonderful
The Wedding Singer
Can’t Hardly Wait
The Wedding Planner

Just to name a few…

I know that there are other plot cliches out there that romantic movies tend to fall into, but in my opinion, this is the most glaring. Not only that, but it’s also the most unrealistic and MOST AWFUL!

For starters, this is one of those plots that would be an absolute nightmare if it ever happened in real life. Often times the climax of the movie occurs days if not weeks before the wedding. Which means all the money that was put into the Wedding, all the money spent by people coming to the Wedding, and all the effort put in has been thoroughly WASTED!

Another problem with this kind of plot line is when the writers clearly have no idea what they’re doing. You’ll see it every now and again… throughout the entire movie the fiance or significant other is a totally awesome person. They’re perfect in every way for the main character in every way until right near the end, apparently the writers forgot that this person was supposed to be the antagonist, so they instantaneously bring up a plot point that is way out of character and completely out of left field that no one was expecting in order to make the lead less of a horrible person for turning away from them.

Disney’s Frozen in a lesser way is actually guilty of this.

Not only that, but the movies almost NEVER deal with the ramifications of the main character’s actions. What about the embarrassment and/or feelings of the person who is being spurned. Are we just not supposed to care about them because of a forced plot point?

Or worse… the character is actually OKAY WITH STEPPING ASIDE! As if this would ever happen.

Personally, I usually find myself cheering for that person. It may be bitter, but I’ve always envisioned the lead character who turned around and left their original significant other getting screwed over and/or cheated on by the person they chose to be with… Because if that person is okay with sneaking around with a person who’s already spoken for… what other unethical/amoral things are they capable of?

Jim… remember what you said about Fantasy?

Yes I know. That doesn’t mean that I have to enjoy every single story cliche and it certainly doesn’t mean that I can call out whenever someone does it over and over. On top of that, I said that I was a realist and try my best to make my stories believable in some way. These are not.

Now again, not all romance movies are like this. Heck, not even all BAD romance movies are like this…

Yeah I’m not even getting into these, especially not the first one. The lack of creativity on the poster should say it all.

If you REALLY want me to rant about one of these… see my review of The Vow, a movie that to this DAY remains on my top 5 worst movies of all times list for its absolutely deplorable plot. I personally can’t be bothered to get into it again.

Anyway, can anyone name off other movies like that or other movie tropes that they can stand? 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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

August 14, 2021 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Beta Readers, The Do’s and Don’ts #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

Hey Jim,

I swear I don’t stalk your blog. It is just refreshing to see a familiar face everyday. (Someone that posts consistently)

Maybe you have done a segment on this..

What is your take on Beta readers? How do you find a Beta reader that A. will actually suffer through a horribly rough draft B. Wont steal your shit and C. Will provide useful and honest feedback on your writing style, story line, and character development?

BTW. I am not a metal fan by any means. Nor a country fan. Like I said before, I find vocals to be extremely distracting. I stick with classical relaxation music in the background and currently would appreciate a good “muse” in the form of music but have yet to find that medium. I can, however, appreciate your insight on the subject. Thank you for sharing your playlist.

Cheers.

Dacia

Hi Dacia,

Haven’t seen you comment on my posts in a while. Was starting to wonder what happened. Hmm… looks like we’ve got a multi-question one today… all right. Let’s take it one at a time.

First off, stalk away. I don’t mind frequent visitors, it helps my blog more than anything!

So beta readers… it’s tough. It’s really tough. First thing I would do when looking for a beta reader is document every exchange you have back and forth with someone if you don’t know them. Goodreads usually has some pretty trustworthy beta reading circles, but you still need to be careful. I tried to go through their a while back and honestly, got a bull assessment of my first chapter from someone who claimed to be a ‘speed reader.’ They wanted money to review the rest… and not a small amount either.

Look into the person you’re considering working with. Do they have other publications with reviews? What is their level of education? Are they an active member of whatever community you’re searching through? Don’t be afraid to ask questions and turn down offers if something doesn’t seem right.

The second thing you can do is try to forge a relationship on here with someone. That’s pretty much how I did it. I’d also recommend finding more than one person, two sets of eyes, one biased (yours), one not (a beta), are still likely to miss a few things. Multiple beta readers however will help you out a lot. So… I guess I’m volunteering if you’d be interested in doing an exchange?

That’s usually the best way to do it. An exchange with another author anxious to find someone who’s willing to sift through their work as well. Otherwise you’ll likely shell out $100-$300 for a college student to do the work… which is fine, they really do a great job, but when you’re spending $300 (min.) for a cover, $100 a piece for each ISBN needed, and $35 for the copyright fee, it adds up fast.

One piece of advice I’d give you before reaching out to people you don’t know is to REGISTER YOUR WORK! That’s right, get it copyrighted. It’s technically already copyrighted the moment you put pen to paper, but registering it guarantees that you’ll be protected and able to furnish proof against another writer who hijacks your book.

Finally, inspirational pieces with no vocals… that is a tough one.
I’m afraid I don’t work with much in the way of instrumental music, but I do have a few selections…

Since you mentioned classical, might I recommend checking into music from the Baroque era? I tend to like that a lot more with my writing. I don’t have any real selections for you as I wouldn’t be able to identify them. I usually just switch on baroque stations on spotify.

Anyway, hope this helps!

Readers,

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

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

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

I have been writing for several years, have 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

August 14, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

I hope you people appreciate these… this one is a little more of a very guilty (embarrassing) pleasure:

WARNING!!!! Listening to anything by the Caramella Girls is insanely catchy… we’re talking Duck Tales theme level! You listen, these will stick in your head, forever!

You have been warned.

When to listen: BOOGIE BAM BAM!!! …sorry, um… mostly when you need a break. This is a 7th inning stretch song for when you need a break. If not, then general playlist.

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

August 14, 2021 + fantasy, feminism, Fiction, Movies, Opinion, Uncategorized, video games

Is Skimpy Armor At All Practical? #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

As an avid gamer and realist who tries his best to find the medium, I’ve always wondered what the best outfits are for my characters/companions. I honestly try to find the best fit between the practical:

And the not so…

Ahhh… okay, that has been burned into my retinas… For everyone scarred by that, I apologize.

Yeah, for aesthetic reasons, I’m going to to use my Skyrim companion for all further examples. Yes, she’s female… I know I know, ‘typical male gamer, blah blah blah!’

Look, my blog is about MY OPINION on different geek and writing topic. Opinion, not appeasement. If it’s appeasement you’re looking for, I’m sure there’s a liberal arts community college nearby that’ll be happy to cater to you.

Ahem.

Honestly, my overall opinion on the different armor is that everyone has their own imaginations, vices, views of beauty… fetishes… etc. It all fall under fantasy:

fan·ta·sy

ˈfan(t)əsē/

noun

1.

the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable.

“his research had moved into the realm of fantasy”

synonyms: imagination, fancy, invention, make-believe; More

In other words, there is no right or wrong when it comes to fantasy. Everyone has their own imagination, everyone is entitled to do as they want in these games, despite what Anita Sarkeesian and her cult following say.

But Jim, don’t you think these skimpy outfits objectify women? I mean that kind of objectification promotes a rape culture and gives women an unrealistic body image.

As opposed to the male armor where the arms are all exposed with muscles that couldn’t possibly be supported by the upper torso? Or what about showing pictures of Chris Hemsworth without his shirt on to a crowd of women on a show typically aimed at the feminist culture?

That’s not the same thing…

Yes it is, and this hypocrisy is why I have ZERO tolerance for 3rd wave feminism. Thus I will not be dealing with those arguments any further in this post. Moving on…

And here I am, pretty much off topic on a tangent. Time to refocus. Skimpy armor… can it be practical? The answer is… it really depends.

One could make the argument that a character that is supposed to be a spy, assassin, or scout should be light on their feet and thus not have a need for heavy armor, which is a fair assessment. However, where is the line?

Please note that I’m speaking on my opinion of realistic practicality in a fantasy universe, if your opinion differs from mine, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments… even if you are completely wrong. 😉

So let’s take a look at my usual companion in Skyrim:

My character, Lia’na, is a takeoff and slight modification (stats, race, textures, etc.) on the character Aranya, by StephieRawx from Nexusmods. So when you first download Aranya, this is the armor she comes in:

It’s… actually not bad for a rogue class warrior. It’s light, kind of gothic in design… yes her legs are fairly bare, but if you’re looking to sneak, that’s probably the best way to do it. So all in all, it seemed like a fairly decent outfit… until you got a closer look at the lower half…

Upon accidentally swimming underneath her during a battle in Dawnstar, I made a rather… unexpected discovery. Apparently someone forgot to… or now that I think about it, intentionally did not create underarmor for this getup, because she’s 100% commando. Yes, a fully detailed and textured elf-gina, light pubic hair and all, for all to see.

No I will NOT be posting a screenshot!

Now obviously this might not be an issue for some, but in the wintry, Scandinavian-like climates of Skyrim… yeah I don’t know if there’s a female equivalent for shrinkage, but I can’t imagine frozen lady-bits being that much fun.

So again, I wanted an outfit that was appropriate for a rogue and would have been a little more… realistic in terms of the environment. Factoring in that elves tend to have a slightly higher tolerance for cold weather than humans or orcs.

My first outfit replacement choice came to this:

Loose leather pants, an almost pirate esque top and a jacket… Light, but not a lot of protection. Still she’d fit in with the ruffians at each location a little better if she needed to blend in and the outfit definitely screamed rogue. Appropriate or realistic? Eh… maybe in a different climate or pirate adventure. I didn’t stick with it.

Next one up was this one… she dressed in this during the Dawnguard campaign.

Though looking back… it might have been smart to put her in something that protected her neck a little more. Still, this one was definitely pretty good, offering some upper body protection, but not enough to be inhibiting.

Sadly, though I liked that one a lot… It had to change. This is where I currently am:

Decent upper and lower body protection, chain mesh across the chest, gloves, leather padding on the pants… still has a midriff, but it’s passable. Again, not perfect, but not bad either.

So the costume is slightly skimpy around the midsection, but that’s it… To be fair though, I don’t think that this is what people consider all that skimpy or feminist-level objectification… so let’s take a look at a few of the other outfits I’ve seen floating around Nexus…

… … yeah nothing about that screams defensible. The pants look like they could pass, but the top? Some archer would have her heart in seconds.

I see this style over and over in outfits… yeah you’re a warrior trying to be taken seriously, and you’re wearing a thong out in public.

Unless you’re trying to distract your enemy from… something… pretty much anything… what point was I trying to make again?

Ahem!

Yeah I don’t think so.

Um… hmmm… this one isn’t that bad. Though this would more be for a magic wielder than a rogue, and there is STILL the issue of a good archer taking out her heart!

So this one actually isn’t bad, it’s feminine, but not objectifying and it protects everywhere it needs to. My only issue with this is that… SHE’S A ROGUE! This won’t work. I could see her wielding a greatsword, maybe, but two daggers? No!

Anything else?

No, and I’m not even going to bother downloading any of those. Christ, now you’re not even trying!!!

So it looks like the search for cool-looking yet class-appropriate realistically feasible armor is still on. I’m working on my own, but I’ve gotten nowhere with it.

In conclusion, is there a place in the game for skimpy armor? Sure, when it comes to stealth missions, missions where you’re going to get wet, or perhaps a mission where your character is undercover at some kind of brothel or something where they need to attract attention. Otherwise it’s pretty much just fan service.

Now, is there anything wrong with that? No. Again, it’s FANTASY! If you can justify it, or just find it aesthetically pleasing, don’t follow my rules and don’t follow anyone else’s. Go ahead and enjoy it. That’s what fantasy is here for.

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

August 13, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

I love this band. I saw them live and got to meet their lead singer recently. Great guys… everyone should experience them once in their lives. Their shows aren’t just concerts, they’re experiences. The band members actually do tricks on stage… things you wouldn’t think possible while playing musical instruments. They really play to the crowd in every possible way.

This song… I just love it. It’s Heavy Metal, but there’s actually singing, honest to God harmonized vocals, and an upbeat tone. That’s not typical in metal.

When to Listen: When you’re writing your ending. Don’t believe me? Fast forward to 5:54. HEAR THE SOUNDS OF FREEDOM RING, IN A SILENT DREAM, AND A MILLION MILES AWAY!!!!

God that’s awesome!

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

August 13, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

This song… I just love it. It’s Heavy Metal, but there’s actually singing, honest to God harmonized vocals, and an upbeat tone. That’s not typical in metal.

When to Listen: When you’re writing your ending. Don’t believe me? Fast forward to 5:54. HEAR THE SOUNDS OF FREEDOM RING, IN A SILENT DREAM, AND A MILLION MILES AWAY!!!!

God that’s awesome!

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

August 13, 2021 + fantasy, literature, Reading, review, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Uncategorized

Rare Reviews… Star Wars Darth Plagueiss #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

… … … You remember how I said that I HATE having to denigrate someone else’s work? Well…

All right, I went into this book SUPER ENTHUSIASTIC!!! I didn’t even read the synopsis. I wanted to hear about the tragedy of Darth Plagueiss The Wise. To me, this was something that I’d been curious about for a long time. So I finally sat down and began to read…

And I read….

And I read…

And for change of pace… I read…

And then about half way through I bought the audio book…

And I listened…

And I… yeah you get the idea.

This book is long, REALLY REALLY long and drawn out! It is as slow moving as they come. This basically starts off with Plagueiss betraying his master and becoming the lord of the Sith. He disagrees with Bane’s rules and seeks to understand the will of the force… and even become the physical embodiment of it.

Unfortunately the book sort of tries to balance Plagueiss’ life between his dark side pursuits and his dealings in galactic politics, including the Trade Federation and the Banking Clan… because that worked out so well in the prequels.

Unfortunately, the dark side aspect seems to lose out and we find ourselves dealing more in galactic politics. If you’re looking to hear about the Sith and their philosophies… you’ll get it, but it will be sort of more of a footnote than anything else. You’ll also get a lot of background to Palpatine and how he came to be a senator.

Spoiler Alert:

This book confirms a theory that I’ve long dismissed as inaccurate, because the evidence doesn’t back it up…

Palpatine was the apprentice who slew Plagueiss. UGH!!! Look, one of the few redeemable qualities about the prequels took place in Episode 3, which in my opinion was the only one that was really up to par with the original trilogy. Specifically this scene:

This scene is powerful on several levels, but perhaps the most impressive part is the story Palpatine tells about the tragedy of Darth Plagueiss. This was powerful because it is the first time in the actual movies that we are exposed to the Star Wars Universe’s mythos and beliefs. The tragedy of Darth Plagueiss could have been a moral tale about the quest for power. When I hear Palpatine speak of it, I think of Plagueiss as an almost shakespearian tale. An ancient Sith Lord that had discovered powers within the force that, by the time of Palpatine, had long since been forgotten.

This book ruins that. Essentially it turns Plagueiss into little more than a pawn in Palpatine’s rise to power and that’s it.

It’s my personal opinion, but in the end… I didn’t care for this book.

The story: When it actually deals with the dark side, its decent… However the politics of the galactic senate are as boring here as they were in the prequels. In the end, it explains too much that should have been left to the reader’s imagination.

The Characters: Honestly, I found them somewhat stale and predictable.

The Writing: WAY too slow. This whole story is far too drawn out for my taste.

My Rating…
2/5 Stars…

Honestly its okay when it actually deals with Sith topics and actually can get interesting. However weak character development and an unnecessarily long and drab story that doesn’t really even show the extent of Plagueiss’s power can’t cover that.

My advice: If you want a good Sith Tale, go with Bane. If you ABSOLUTELY INSIST on reading this one, get the audiobook. It’s well-read and makes it more manageable.

Anyway, let me know what you think. Is this book better or worse than I gave it credit?

Readers,

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

August 12, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

I hope you people appreciate these… this one is a little more of a very guilty (embarrassing) pleasure:

WARNING!!!! Listening to anything by the Caramella Girls is insanely catchy… we’re talking Duck Tales theme level! You listen, these will stick in your head, forever!

You have been warned.

When to listen: BOOGIE BAM BAM!!! …sorry, um… mostly when you need a break. This is a 7th inning stretch song for when you need a break. If not, then general playlist.

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