Did you recently kill off a character? Do you regret it? Do you want to get that character back but are too good to simply resurrect the character?
Well we’ve got a lesser known, yet equally cheap gimmick for you; take the character from another reality! At the low cost of your writing credibility, you can have you character back without any consequences, retconning, or necromancy what so ever!
Ugh… okay… Like I said above, it’s a lesser known work-around for death, but still a pretty bad one. I think I first saw it in the mid-late 90s early TV show: Hercules. At one point late in the series, we see Iolaus, the lovable sidekick get killed off… and almost instantly brought back as a meager character with a different personality. I’m not sure where they went with this, because I lost interest in the show, but I can’t imagine the gimmick stuck.
As I’ve stated before, we’ve seen this type of thing for a very long time. When a character dies in Marvel or DC comics, mass eye-rolling ensues. Why? Because its seen as a gimmick now. It has no heart, no impact, nothing. Everyone knows that more than likely that character won’t be dead for more than a year or two, AT MOST.
This lackluster story-writing is probably one of the main reasons that comic sales are dropping, second only to the complete over-saturation of identity politics in Marvel and DC comics. (Arguably more so Marvel, but when the Green Arrow calls himself a Social Justice Warrior… ugh!)
Anyway, I’ve started seeing this in traditional writing, specifically in the fantasy realm. Fellow writers, if you take nothing else away from my blog, let it be this piece of advice;
Don’t cater to your writers, but please respect them!
Write what you want to write. Make sure that what you right is something that YOU enjoy first and foremost. If you don’t like what you’re writing, it will reflect in your writing, and your readers are going to pick up on it. At the same time however, if you kill off a character, PLEASE don’t find a way to bring them back just because it was a likable character. If your writing is strong enough, a story can survive a beloved main character dying off (Star Wars anyone?).
We’re not fragile little snowflakes. We don’t need to be treated as such. Will we be upset when a character dies? Did I shed a tear when Asajj Ventress was killed off in Dark Disciple? SHUT UP!
But we get over it and often see it as a bold choice that only served to enhance the story as time went on.
Anyway, that’s just my thoughts on the subject. Let a character stay dead, this cop out isn’t a cop out at all. It’s bad… really bad!
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:
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!
I’ve been following your blog for a little while now and was hoping I could get some advice from you. I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of character you like more, a dynamic or static character. I’m creating one right now for my story and am having trouble coming up with ideas.
Thanks,
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
I’m afraid you’ve got me there because both types have their advantages and can hit the various pitfalls. Whether or not a character is good varies greatly and inevitably depends on how they’re used, portrayed, and what circumstances you place them in.
Let’s start with the static character. Arguably, this is the harder one to get right. I know a lot of people say that static characters are a lot more simplistic, and that’s true. However, this does not mean that they are easier to write. Simplistic characters can turn readers off very easily, especially if they’re center stage. Usually, most people advise against making them center stage unless they’re just a simple villain used as an adversary when a writer is too busy with hero development to bother with their backstory. Which, don’t get me wrong, may sound lazy, but can actually be done well…
The best way I’ve seen to do a main static character right is to start the character off with very little detail. The readers are likely going to hate him/her early on and that’s fine. When I wrote Mary Kelly, I fully expected that she’d be hated and actually wanted it that way.
Over the rest of the story, you find out more and more about why that character is the way he or she is. Suddenly your reader’s view of them changes as they begin to be able to empathize with him/her. In other words… the character doesn’t change, but the audience’s attitude towards the character does. In essence, the character’s portrayal is what becomes dynamic over time, but the character itself remains static.
So what about a dynamic character? You also have to be careful here. Change doesn’t take place overnight… unless you’re Anakin Skywalker…
However, even for all the criticism he received, he still had the seeds of doubt planted in him by Palpatine over the years, we simply didn’t see it. This is where we run into problems with dynamic characters. Too often, they change personality traits, opinions, and long-held beliefs at the drop of a nail. It’s unrealistic and hard to really empathize with a character who does this. The development of this kind of character really needs to take place over time. It may even take until the end of your book for them to fully embrace the dynamics of their personality.
On the other side, people do tend to gravitate much easier to a character that can change and become more over time.
So in the end, it really depends on you and your perceived level of skill with character creation. Don’t start writing until you’ve got your characters fleshed out. That’s the best advice I can give you. I know some people will just start with a couple of leads who are blank slates and then build them using the outside stimulus to work at character development, but doing so can very easily lead to disaster. Without having a personality pre-created, your character can do things that may make sense to you, but going back later will seem very out of character. This is something an audience will pick up on and typically reject.
Readers, what do you think? Which character is the stronger of the two? Let me know down 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:
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!
So this isn’t going to be one of my typical Q&A posts. I’ll get back to those later. This is likely about to be little more than an editorial rant, if anything. Let’s get started…
So I just finished playing Mass Effect 3.
… and already half of my readers probably know what this is going to be about. I love the series. I love the characters, I love the emersion, I love how the side quests actually contribute to the main story, and I love the multi-aspect of the games.
The first game, as expected, was a complete story. I think BioWare and EA were being cautious to give everyone a complete story surrounding the characters and crew of the Normandy with room for a sequel but weren’t really banking on one.
The second game destroyed the original Normandy… kay… and landed the main character in a two-year restoration program to bring him back to life. I actually liked this one the best. Why? Well right off the bat, you find yourself working for the bad guy. That’s right, Cerberus saved your life, rebuilt your ship, and reassembled your crew. Right away, you know these people have their own agenda, but they have the survival of humanity at the top of their list and there are bigger fish to fry, so you have little choice but to go along with it. It’s also in this game where the romance options really start to come into play.
Now, once you’ve beaten the second game, you find yourself under house arrest for working with Cerberus, while the Reaper fleets are moving closer and closer to Earth. The game actually starts off with the kick-off of the Battle of Earth. You’re forced to evacuate, and the Normandy (now an Alliance ship), is returned to you. You go through the galaxy, building Alliances, bringing other fleets into the fold and attempting to get the galaxy up to a military strength rating of 5000… which isn’t the easiest thing to do.
Spoiler Alert: Though the games have been out for years now.
If you either don’t gain enough military strength or make the wrong decisions in the game, the main character dies…
Okay, I’m not a huge fan of that, but whatever. I’m not the writer, so if that’s the logical outcome to the people who created the story, then so be it. This is why I started writing my own stories because I too often find the endings of other peoples, disappointing.
My main gripe comes with ‘Good’ ending. If you get that 5000 EMS, and make the right choice, you go through the typical ending, but after the Admiral gives his speech and we see everyone go their separate ways… you’re then taken to a massive debris field where you see a familiar suit of armor and a dog tag with the letters N7 on them. The suit of armor moves as its wearer takes in a deep breath, signifying that Shepherd is still alive.
I anxiously awaited what was to come next. Was someone going to find him? Where was he? Would he be reunited with the crew and his love interest (in my case, Tali’Zorah)?
Was any of this going to be answered?
NOPE!!!! That’s where the game ends. It’s supposed to give you hope that Shepherd lives, but given how badly he was hurt, given that he’s been beaten up, shot, survived a massive explosion, survived mind control, and then survived whatever happened with the Crucible… for all we know, he could be brain dead, he could be badly injured and not survive long, etc. There is any number of things that could happen here. Just because we see him breathing, doesn’t mean he’s going to survive or if he does, they may not find him.
This wouldn’t be so bad if there was a fourth game (No Andromeda doesn’t count!), but it doesn’t seem like there are any plans to make another one following this cast.
Writers in all formats, I’m begging you now… PLEASE STOP DOING THIS!!! Open endings at the end of series or the end of a story is a good way to piss your audience off. If they’ve devoted the time and energy to get through your story (in the case of Mass Effect, 150 hours of gameplay to effectively do everything), they’re not going to appreciate being left hanging.
This is especially dangerous as a bad ending can break a good story, whereas a good ending can absolutely save a bad story. The wrap up is arguably one of the most important aspects of your work because that’s the note people are going to be left on. If you build everything up and then the ending lets them down, it will leave a bad taste in people’s mouths. You want people to remember your stories fondly because you want them to reread those stories or even look into more of your work. Even if they loved your story throughout the entire thing, a lousy ending can suddenly unravel everything you’ve built.
This is why so many people say that a bad sequel turned them off to a story, or they simply pretend it doesn’t exist. Well, that’s great, but you don’t have that luxury when the part you don’t like is an integral part of the main story.
My advice honestly when it comes to things like this… if you don’t intend to write a sequel, or you’re goal isn’t really to make people think philosophically on a topic… then don’t write an open ending. Don’t leave things up in the air or open to speculation, because if you do, the specter of doubt will always be there, and most people will not like it. Wrap everything up, finalize everything and leave it.
Fortunately, gamers these days “suffer” from a condition known as ‘Weaponized Autism’. Apparently, a few people who felt the same way I did, took it upon themselves to do something about it. With several game developers leaving their code open so that gamers can modify aspects they don’t like (See Skyrim and Dragon Age on Nexusmods), a final fix for this ending was put in place.
This anal-retentive attention to detail cleaned up the problem areas of the original ending that made no sense and still respected the original ending while expanding on Shepherd’s survival. If you haven’t played the game, but plan to… do yourself a favor, DOWNLOAD THIS MOD!!! Do it before you finish the game.
Okay, not that we’re past that, is there a place/time where an open ending is a good thing? I’d like to think so.
Spoiler Alert!!!
In my book, Damnation, General Xaphan has committed horrible atrocities. First by helping Lucifer wage war against the Most High, then by helping him build a new army in the Underworld, and even after that by attempting to murder her own sister. However, out of love she developed for a human, she turned on Lucifer, foiled his plans to launch a second attack on the Celestial World, and sacrificed her own life in an attempt to save the human she loved.
As I was writing the ending, I was stuck on whether or not the Choirs of Angels would overturn her exile and permit her return to the Celestial World. Were her sins too great to be redeemed? I couldn’t decide. I alluded to the outcome I wanted for her but decided to leave her with two possible outcomes. At the end of the story, she’s resurrected and given a human form. The angels tell her that, in order to earn her place in the Celestial World and thus, a chance to be with the one she loved again, she would need to linger on Earth for an average human lifespan. She was given two options;
Live a righteous life, a life of charity, celibacy, and selflessness. If she could do that, she would be allowed to return.
Refuse the offer or fail to live that way, and she would be returned to the Underworld to linger forever in darkness.
She took the offer, but that’s where I ended the story. Did she redeem herself or not? Well… that really depends on the reader in each case. If the reader thought that she’d done enough and deserved to live out eternity in happiness, the reader would grant her that, if not, her banishment to the Underworld would be on them. It depends on the philosophical question of what it takes for a person to be redeemed.
Anyway, that’s my opinion regarding the problem of open endings. Let me know what you think 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:
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!
I was wondering how important you feel it is to portray history accurately, even in a fantasy universe?
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike,
It really depends on how close to reality your story is. If you’re doing a sort-of ‘what if’ story, you can pretty much do whatever you want… to a point.
I’d say no matter what the case, you really do want to get some things right. You’ll want to be careful and do your research regarding things like what sort of items were available at the time, the personas of any people you’d be portraying, and the circumstances around what historical events you’re talking about.
Writing about history, even in a fictitious manner can be damaging. Let me give you a few examples…
I hate this movie for a number of reasons. Fast forward to 1:50 and watch what happens…
The Japanese open fire on Civilians and medical staff at the hospital in Pearl Harbor.
Sorry to swear, but this is bullshit! 100% bullshit and it really pisses me off. This scene is an attempt to #1 Put the heroine in harms way, #2 Needlessly over-vilify the bad guys.
Look, the attack on Pearl Harbor was terrible and the Japanese military was guilty of a lot of things, but attacking the Hospital was NOT one of them. This is easily researched, easily found documented history that the Japanese did NOT attack the hospital, even when they had a clear shot, they would not open fire.
This understandably pissed off the Japanese, Vets, and historians alike as anyone who knew ANYTHING about the Pearl Harbor attack, knew full well that the Japanese pilots were under strict orders not to attack civilian targets, and survivors note that even when they had a straight line of attack, the Japanese did not once attack the hospital itself.
Michael Bay himself OPENLY ADMITTED that the scene was added because it made the attack seem more barbaric.
That… is just wrong and the excuse that this movie is fiction doesn’t protect it.
One other example… and this one is more the fault of a misreading of history and inaccurate reporting by the American Press… imagine, the American Press wrongfully smearing someone’s reputation.
Okay, this one is a little bit more tricky, so let’s dive into the actual history a little more…
At that point in time (Early 1900s), it was considered noble for the captain, crew, and pretty much everyone over 13 with a penis to go down with the ship while everyone else made for the boats. At the very least, this was the attitude of American journalists at the time.
As such, Ismay, seen as ‘another captain’ by many was smeared for being a coward and, again per the media, jumping into a lifeboat while women and children were still on the deck:
Unfortunately, this movie follows that narrative and further smears the reputation of Ismay.
Here’s the problem with this… Ismay was a passenger. He wasn’t the captain. That role fell to Captain Edward J. Smith. He was the man that failed to heed ice warnings, did not slow his ship when ice was reported directly in his path, did not issue a general abandon ship order, allowed lifeboats to leave the sinking ship partially filled, and even confused which ship he was on by ordering lifeboats to be launched from the promenade deck, which was enclosed on the Titanic. The Olympic had lifeboats there.
He is directly responsible for the loss of the Titanic, he is ultimately responsible for all the failures of the command structure on board, and the tragic life that was needlessly lost.
… But he went down with the ship.
Ismay on the other hand was seen helping and urging passengers into lifeboats and even helped lower them away. There are witness accounts to this. Further, witnesses say that he was actually ordered into the lifeboat as there was no one else in the vicinity.
‘Had he not jumped in he would simply have added one more life, namely his own, to the number of those lost.’
-High Court judge Lord Mersey, British enquiry into the loss of Titanic
But because he survived, while Smith went down with the ship, Ismay is continuously smeared to this day. The clip I provided showing Ismay convincing Smith to light the final boilers is pure fiction. The boilers were already lit, and there is no evidence nor witness testimony that Ismay acted outside of his place as a passenger. He lived out the rest of his life in shame, labelled a coward.
Meanwhile, Smith has a statue in Beacon Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. He is portrayed as a noble man in most works, and there are even unsubstantiated stories of him placing a child into one of the boats before swimming off into the night.
Do you see now the importance of getting history right, even in a fictitious universe? A quick look at the facts surrounding the history, and Cameron could have made the bold move of helping to rightfully clear Ismay’s name. Instead he followed the bandwagon and furthered the narrative that the man was a coward who jumped into a lifeboat willingly and left women and children to die.
My advice to you is to take as much license as you like when writing history into fantasy, just take care not to wrongfully smear anyone who doesn’t deserve it… and be ready for the historical nitpickers to pull everything apart if you didn’t get the history right.
Remember, the First Three Rules of Writing History:
Research, Reseach, and God Help You If You Don’t Research!!!
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:
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!
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: Tale of a Frozen Heart
Book Synopsis:
War always comes with consequences, many of which are not immediately apparent. The remaining dragons were allowed to integrate into human society, despite many underlying tensions. A recently discovered ability that makes dragons appear more humanlike has helped move things along. However, not everything is as peaceful as it seems. Asher Cole is attending his final year in one of the many integrated high schools. Life is relatively mundane until he crosses paths with Taryn, a green-eyed girl who does nothing but make his life difficult. They wind up stuck working together on a science project. As he works with her, it becomes apparent that there is more to her than meets the eye. A dark secret that even she doesn’t know could threaten the fledgling peace. Taryn’s dreams become haunted by a malevolent entity that is hell-bent on destroying her. Ash is in a race to save them both before they both lose their sanity. If he fails, she will not have the strength to prevent this unknown evil from wreaking havoc on the world.
DRAKIN: An Empire of Ashes
Book 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.
DRAKIN: The Butcher’s Endsong
Book Synopsis:
The most difficult enemy to fight is often oneself, their past, and guilt. Sgt. Petra Penkrav came to learn this the hard way. After serving the Empire loyally for several years, she gets transferred to a new post, guarding a camp where dragons and dissidents are in protective custody… or so the imperial propaganda says. Petra quickly realizes this new posting is not an internment camp at all. It’s a death camp, and her job is to oversee the execution of its inhabitants. After watching a large group of dragons die, she resigns. Attempting to leave the horrors behind, she settles into a mundane existence on her family’s farm. Her hope to live in obscurity is short-lived when an enemy soldier appears at her doorstep, desperate to save the woman he loves. Hoping to gain some level of forgiveness for her crimes, she agrees to help and sets out on a journey that will forever change the course of history. The only question is whether that history will remember her as a hero or a war criminal.
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:
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!
I’ve been writing for a very long time, but I need some advice. I’ve mostly worked on children’s books, but recently have started writing adult fiction. I want to use one of my characters from my children’s books in an adult setting, but I’m worried about how my audience will react to it. Some of my readers have grown up with my books or read them to their kids.
What do you think I should do?
Thanks,
Cheryl.
Hi Cheryl,
Good question and a tough one to answer. The best thing I can do is give you the same answer I give to everyone who has concerns with how their audience will react; Do what YOU want to do. If you want to bring this character over, if its one you like to write about, then go for it. In the end, don’t worry about what your audience might think. Love them, entertain them, be there for them, but don’t try to interpret what they’d like. They obviously like what you do, so you’re doing something right.
That said, I do understand your concern. Honestly, when I write, I try to avoid such pitfalls because there’s a certain trauma when you see a childhood hero fall.
Let me give you an example. When I was young, one of my favorite movies was Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I used to watch it with my grandmother, and always enjoyed the loveable Ned Land as portrayed by Kirk Douglas
I still sing that song to my boys sometimes. It always puts a smile on their faces.
However, as time went on, I started getting into other classic films. Finally, I came across an absolutely incredible World War 2 film: In Harm’s Way. With the knock out cast of John Wayne, Burgess Meredith, Slim Pickens, Kirk Douglas, and Henry Fonda in the film, I was practically guaranteed a good time. I was also looking forward to seeing Douglas in something other than 20,000 Leagues as that’s all I really knew him from at that point, and honestly, he was recognizable right away. The characters were similar to the point that I started referring to him as Ned instead of Captain Eddington.
But… then as the movie progressed and I started getting into it, we see some of the true demons that Eddington contended with. After losing his unfaithful wife, an event which tortured him to the core, he got involved in a flirtateous relationship with another young lady… one that happened to be engaged to his best friend’s son (though he didn’t know that). They became romantic, but before it went too far, she warned him that she was engaged. At this point, Eddington became enraged. It was as though anger that she was acting like his late wife, and that he’d been played with, making him no better than the man who messed with his wife. He proceeded to rape her on the beach.
Following that, she suspected that she was pregnant, and when she went to Eddington, he refused to believe her. Having no way out, she comitted suicide. When Eddington found out what had happened, he stole a plane and went on a suicide mission instead of face the consequences.
I admit, part of me was crushed. It was a long time before I could watch the movie again. I grew up watching an extremely similar character in all ways and thoroughly enjoying it. To see this, hurt quite a bit.
I suppose I should have seen that coming at some point, but that’s on me.
With that being said, I still recommend you write how YOU want. There may be rude shocks, and hurt childhoods, but part of what makes our writing good is how much emotion we can drum to the surface. It’s not just happiness and satasfaction. Anger, fear, sadness, and the negative emotions are just as powerful and can draw a reader in just as easily.
So if you want to use this character, go for it.
Readers, what do you think? Is this the right move for Cheryl or should she excercise more caution with her audience’s emotions? 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:
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!
I’ve been writing for years and have a book series out that I’m completely finished with. I’ve moved onto other stories, but one of my friends and a fellow writer wants to write a sequel to the series. He has a really great idea for a story set in the world I created, with both my characters and some new ones.
While I like his idea, I’m not too sure I want to hand the reigns of the novel over to him. I’m also not sure of anything legal I’d have to do, given that my stories are in print and copyrighted. Can you point me into the right direction on any of this? What would you do if someone wanted to write a sequel to one of your books.
Thanks,
Jackson.
Hi there, Jackson!
Good questions. All right… for starters, you need to do a little soul searching. Go back and read the books you wrote. Decide for yourself if you want to hand over the reigns and if so, do you trust that person to remain authentic to the story and the characters? Do you trust this person enough to become God of the world you created? Keep in mind, you’re not under any obligation to hand over anything to anyone. If you don’t want him touching your story or characters that’s the end of it. They’re in print and you have them copyrighted, don’t be afraid to say no.
On the other hand, if you’re done with the series and are interested in seeing it continue, a fresh pair of eyes can often breathe new life into your world. If I were in your shoes, it really depends. If someone wanted to write a sequel to Magnifica, Soul Siphon, or Drakin, I’d likely say no. I still have sequels (or prequels) planned for those. Some of which may not come to fruition, but until I make that decision, I’m keeping them close to my vest.
That being said… if someone wanted to write another installment in the universe that Divinity set up, I wouldn’t be opposed to that. I’d absolutely want to see what they have in mind before agreeing to anything, but as long as it was along what I had envisioned, I’d be fine with someone putting a new spin on it.
Now onto your second question… in terms of handing over the rights… It really depends on your situation. If you’re self-published and have the works registered to you, then you shouldn’t have much of a problem. If, however, a traditional publisher holds the rights to your stories, you may have a bit of an uphill battle ahead of you.
In either case, I’d recommend contacting an attorney with an expertise in copyright law. They can give you the ins and outs, and help you draw up a contractual agreement dealing with rights, royalties, and credit. That’s about all I can offer in terms of advice as this isn’t a situation I’ve encountered personally. However, if you’d like to talk about it more, please feel free to email me.
In the meantime, let’s open it up to our readers. What does everyone else think? Have you encountered an issue like this? How have you responded? Did you allow someone else to continue your story?
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:
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!
So I’ve gotten this question a lot ever since I posted my piece of how to handle criticism. From people wondering how to write criticism without insulting the creator or their work.
The best I can offer in the way of advice is to just be respectful, be constructive, and avoid hyperbole.
For example:
“This book sucks!” <This is not constructive.
“I didn’t care for this book.” <More polite, but still not constructive.
“I didn’t like this book. I felt it was far too drawn out. The story would have been good, but the writer spent too much time on physical descriptions and alteration that it took me right out of the story.” < DING DING DING DING!!! This is exactly what you want.
“I liked the story, but was really turned off when the writer took his main character out of the story to go on a political tirade. It just really didn’t seem like it was part of the story or had any relevance. Had he left this out, it would have been a decent story.” < (Looking at you Marvel) This is also constructive.
So that’s pretty much how to do it. Be courteous, be constructive. Say what you didn’t like, why you didn’t like it, and what you might suggest for future writing .
Jim, I followed your advice and got a very harshly worded response from the creator.
Ugh, yes this will happen from time to time. Not everyone is going to agree with you or appreciate your opinion. Basically they just want positive comments, they want yes men and nothing else. Honestly, don’t worry about these people. They are the ones with the problem, not you.
Hope this helps. Readers, please let me know below if you think there’s more we can do or if my advice is missing something.
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:
I have always wanted to share stories as I have so many in my head constantly, but all I want to do is write some and get feedback as to whether I should go for it or not. Any suggestions as to where I could post something? Please note I work so time is limited sometimes.
Great question. So this is something that has plagued writers from the very get go. Personally, I would say to just write. I’m not kidding, forget the feedback until you have your stories out on paper. Once you do, then read them over once or twice. If they look good from your perspective and you’re happy with them, that is when you can start looking at feedback.
As an INITIAL FILTER I would say ask a trusted friend or family member. I use the term initial filter because in my experience family members and friends aren’t the most reliable critics of your work as they don’t want to offend you… however if even they say it’s bad, there’s a good chance you need to start over.
Now let’s say they give it a seal of approval and give you the usual song and dance about how great it is and how you need to get it published, now it’s time to look for a real critic. The best advice I can give you there is to seek out another writer. There are plenty here on wordpress that are willing to do peer edits in exchange for the same, or you could go to sites like Goodreads and join one of their writing circles. Have someone there look over your writing and see if there is any merit to it. They’re usually pretty good about giving you their opinions straight.
Another option would be to have a professional look at it. I would discourage this because… well they’re not cheap. $.10/word may not sound expensive, but when you’re like me writing books that go into the 100k word range… yeah that’s expensive.
Another option is to have a writing student look at it. A quick google search for student editors usually will give you a HUGE number of student editors that are nearly, if not as good, as professional editors, but they tend to do the job for around $100.
So those really are your best options. All I can say is be careful of which option you choose and do your research before hiring anyone if you go that route. There are con artists and schemers everywhere. Just be careful, okay?
I’m going to open this up to the comments section now. Readers, do you have any advice for Maria, would you be interested in looking her work over? Let her know in the comments 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.
You can also add me on Twitter!
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:
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: Tale of a Frozen Heart
Book Synopsis:
War always comes with consequences, many of which are not immediately apparent. The remaining dragons were allowed to integrate into human society, despite many underlying tensions. A recently discovered ability that makes dragons appear more humanlike has helped move things along. However, not everything is as peaceful as it seems. Asher Cole is attending his final year in one of the many integrated high schools. Life is relatively mundane until he crosses paths with Taryn, a green-eyed girl who does nothing but make his life difficult. They wind up stuck working together on a science project. As he works with her, it becomes apparent that there is more to her than meets the eye. A dark secret that even she doesn’t know could threaten the fledgling peace. Taryn’s dreams become haunted by a malevolent entity that is hell-bent on destroying her. Ash is in a race to save them both before they both lose their sanity. If he fails, she will not have the strength to prevent this unknown evil from wreaking havoc on the world.
DRAKIN: An Empire of Ashes
Book 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.
DRAKIN: The Butcher’s Endsong
Book Synopsis:
The most difficult enemy to fight is often oneself, their past, and guilt. Sgt. Petra Penkrav came to learn this the hard way. After serving the Empire loyally for several years, she gets transferred to a new post, guarding a camp where dragons and dissidents are in protective custody… or so the imperial propaganda says. Petra quickly realizes this new posting is not an internment camp at all. It’s a death camp, and her job is to oversee the execution of its inhabitants. After watching a large group of dragons die, she resigns. Attempting to leave the horrors behind, she settles into a mundane existence on her family’s farm. Her hope to live in obscurity is short-lived when an enemy soldier appears at her doorstep, desperate to save the woman he loves. Hoping to gain some level of forgiveness for her crimes, she agrees to help and sets out on a journey that will forever change the course of history. The only question is whether that history will remember her as a hero or a war criminal.
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:
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!
So a few days ago I was reading a the original ‘Little Mermaid’ by Hans Christian Anderson. I was curious about the story after my boys took a liking to the Disney version. I won’t spoil anything for anyone, but I highly recommend reading the original. It is superior in every way to the lax character development of the Disney version.
Anyway, more on topic, the reason I bring it up is because the story is written in a very old form of storytelling. This is a narrative story. What does that mean exactly? Well it’s a story where the reader tells, instead of shows in many cases. Where in more modern times, things are shown through dialogue and action, these stories were loaded with much more description and close to no dialogue at all. The best example I could give would be a campfire story. When you’re around the campfire speaking your adventure, are you going to load it down with dialogue? Of course not, that’d just look silly. You’re going to talk out everything, including descriptions and character actions.
In modern literature, the golden rule is now ‘Show, Don’t Tell.’ To keep an audience engaged, you need to allow them to draw their own conclusions as to what’s going on, what characters are thinking, and much of the who/what/where. Narrative stories essentially deny the audience that, which is why they are often frowned upon in today’s market.
Does that mean that they are out of date and should no longer be used?
Well… yes, to a point. In more simplistic children’s literature where a child is only beginning to think outside the box, a narrative story is exactly what you want… unless you want your kid asking you a million questions during the story.
However in terms of adult stories… I’m afraid it’s something we rarely see any more. Would I say that they’re out of date? No… more like out of style. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of narrative stories that keep my attention and keep me engaged, but they are often far in between. The best thing to do is enjoy them as you would any other antique. Though they may not be what they were, often they are still great stories worthy of remembrance. I just wouldn’t recommend writing a new story in this style.
I have a manuscript I want to send out to see if I can get it published, but I’m worried that they’ll take one look at it, find a couple of grammatical/spelling errors and dump it in the garbage.
I was wondering what measures you’ve taken and what you’ve done before you hand you’re book off to be published?
Thanks, Mike
Hi Mike,
Are we talking about searching for literary agents or do you already have an agreement with a publisher and you’re handing your book off to a publishing editor? HUGE difference here.
Editors when you’ve already got the deal tend to be a bit more forgiving as it’s usually their job to make the book look professional. So while I certainly wouldn’t send them a first draft because of the angry emails I’d get in response, I wouldn’t need to go through the same motions I would with a literary agent or a publishing agent for the first time.
So I’m going to assume that this is a first time manuscript pitch to either a publisher or agent, because that’s a bit more involved. So getting this right and making your manuscript look as professional as possible CANNOT be understated. So here is the process I follow when I write my books. I’m going to add in a step or two just to ensure you get the full scope of editing.
Get your ideas on paper: This step is obvious. Get everything out, get everything down on paper. It doesn’t need to be coherent or in order at this point. If you’ve got some great ideas, there’s no need to write them down in the linear format. Get them down while their fresh and worry about making sense at this point. Get them out, get them on paper, and see if they’re everything you thought they were in your head.
Organize your thoughts into a flowing story: Once you have everything down on paper, get them organized and form a linear story. Cut out what doesn’t make sense. Get your story together into a draft. This is where you’re going to work on your narrative, character development, and plot.
First Rewrite: So by now, you should have your rough draft. This is the first place people tend to make mistakes. You send this to a publisher or agent, your chances of getting it published are… well, none. Read through your manuscript. Add more detail to the story, paint each scene with lavish detail to immerse your audience in the world they’re experiencing. Be careful not to overdo it. Make sure to leave some thing to your readers’ imaginations or else you’re going to bore them very quickly.
First Draft: Okay, so now you’ve got your first draft. I’d re-read it at this point, make as many corrections as you can. Make sure the story makes sense and has a coherent plot. Run through as many corrections and edits as needed. Rewrite any part that doesn’t make sense and remove any plot points that aren’t needed.
Spell check: Yes, yes, I know… The spell check feature in most word processing applications is weak sauce, but right now, we’re not looking to make the damn thing look professional. Just make sure everything makes sense, you have plurals where you need them and your “there’s” and “theirs” are in order.
Alpha reader: Okay, find someone to read your manuscript. One or two people here will suffice. MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THAT THEY’RE NOT MAKING SPELLING/GRAMMAR corrections or they’ll be there all day and you’ll be in for a headache. All you want here is feedback on the plot and narrative. Make sure that the STORY makes sense and is engaging. We’ll worry about making it scholarly later.
Second draft: Okay, so now your story makes sense. You’ve got your ducks in a row for story, you’ve got your narrative and plot. Perfect! You’re getting there. Now, I’d reread the book and fluff it out a little more. Add in whatever else you need.
Second round of editing: So at this point, your story should be taking shape. So the first thing I’d do is once again run the spell check. Once that’s done, run your story chapter by chapter through Grammarly. If you’re not familiar with this app, it’s a wonderful advanced version of the standard spelling/grammar check. It makes you look… reasonably professional? It’s not perfect, but it’s very damn good. The free version is fine, though I’d recommend shelling out for a subscription while you write. Either way, just make sure that each chapter is error-free before moving on to the next.
Third draft: By now, you should have an air of confidence about you. Your narrative and plot work. Your story is all there, and already it looks somewhat professional… sort of. Anyway, the next thing I’d do is utilize MS word’s text to speech function under the editing menu. Adjust the speed so it sounds… reasonably human. Remember, there is a lot of truth to the idea that something sounds good in your head, but not so much aloud. Listen carefully as the software reads your book to you. Does a sentence not sound right? Do you use the same pronoun twice in close proximity? Now’s your chance to catch it. This function is a HUGE help. If you don’t have it available. Find someone willing to… read it to you. (Yeah, this will look silly, but…)
Beta readers: Get two to three people to read the book for you. Writing circles on Goodreads.com or other writing groups are a great way to find people to help with this, just be prepared to give a little feedback as well. Take their advice, not only when it comes to plot, but also spelling, grammar, and sentence structure.
Final draft: Read through it one last time. Put everything together and nip off any final bits of spelling grammar mistakes. I’d recommend going through it with Grammarly and then the text to speech app one last time as well.
Now you should be ready to and have a book that looks reasonably professional. One final piece of advice… after everything is said and done, make sure you’re satisfied with your final manuscript. This is what’s going to be representing you to publishers and agents. Make sure that, after everything you’ve done, it’s still the story you want to tell. If not, you may want to consider starting from scratch… as much as that stinks.
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:
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!
James Harringtons Creative Work 