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May 4, 2021 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

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

Hello all!

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

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

James Harrington’s Author Page

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

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

Drakin: The Story of Raiya

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

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

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

Drakin: The Orphans of Haven

Book Synopsis:

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

DRAKIN: An Empire of Ashes

Synopsis:

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

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

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

Readers,

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

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

May 4, 2021 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

Interspecies Romances in Fantasy: Where Do You Draw The Line? #Writing #Advice #Fantasy

by Jim

So this isn’t actually a question that someone asked. It’s something I’m currently encountering in a book I’m working on where a dragoness and a human male develop feelings for one another… and someone ‘suggested’ it might be bestiality (ugh!). Not only that, we see it in various other stories as well. In The Orville, we see an amoeba-like creature hitting on a human woman. She rejects his advances of course, but that got me thinking.

Let’s put this one out there… in Fantasy, where does a humanoid and non-humanoid romance or just affection become taboo? Where are you crossing moral or ethical lines… or just pretty much driving away a more squeamish audience?

Humans have a tendency to look at non-humanoid species in fantasy as almost animal in nature. Now, one could argue that apes are also humanoid, but as they’re of lesser intelligence, and not entirely self-aware, a relationship there would be also be considered gross and rightly so.

All right, so now that I’ve disgusted everyone… let’s go into Sci-Fi and fantasy. Where do we draw the line between a relationship and… what would be considered bestiality? Well… that’s tough…

(I can’t believe we’re covering this again…)

First of all, the definition of bestiality is as follows:
“sexual intercourse between a person and an animal.”

Okay, fair enough. However what is a person and what is an animal?

Well let’s look at the definition of an animal:

a living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli.

“animals such as spiders”

a living organism other than a human being.

“are humans superior to animals, or just different?”
a mammal, as opposed to a bird, reptile, fish, or insect.

“the snowfall seemed to have chased all birds, animals, and men indoors”
a person whose behavior is regarded as devoid of human attributes or civilizing influences, especially someone who is very cruel, violent, or repulsive.

“those men have to be animals—what they did to that boy was savage”
a particular type of person or thing.

Okay… well what’s the definition of a person…

noun

noun: person; plural noun: people; plural noun: persons; noun: first person; noun: second person; noun: third person

1.
a human being regarded as an individual.

“the porter was the last person to see her”
used in legal or formal contexts to refer to an unspecified individual.

“the entrance fee is $10.00 per person”

an individual characterized by a preference or liking for a specified thing.

“she’s not a cat person”

an individual’s body.

“I have publicity photographs on my person at all times”

a character in a play or story.

“his previous roles in the person of a fallible cop”

So just so we get everything straight, an animal is a non-human mammal, or a human devoid of being civilized. Or, more ambiguously, a particular person or thing…

While a person is a human being regarded as an individual.

So by that definition, only a human being can be a person. Okay, fine. Fair enough, but then what is an elf? Elves typically (unless you’re a Harry Potter fan) are superior forms of life to humans. They’re in tune with nature and are actually more intelligent, or at the very least, equally intelligent. Are they animals? Or is it because they look similar to humans that this somehow satisfies the requirement.

So then perhaps… in terms of fantasy, we need to set aside the dictionary definition of what a person is. I think in many cases, we as fantasy writers, have already done that.

So what should the definition be?

Perhaps… “A sentient, self-aware, life form”?

Some might say that you should add the ‘humanoid’ to that definition. I do not necessarily think that’s necessary. How can something be taboo if it’s two creatures, both of sentient, self-aware level of intelligence?

However… I could be wrong, what does everyone think? If you made it this far and aren’t icked out too much, 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

May 3, 2021 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Tale of a Frozen Heart Update!!! #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi

by Jim

Well, this is it! The final draft has been submitted. The cover design has been formatted. All the legal is done!

All that’s left is for me to approve the proofs, which I can’t wait to do! Barring any disasters, proof approval should be the FINAL update everyone receives from me before the book comes out!

The scheduled release is May 25th.

It will be available in Digital, Hardcover, and Softcover.

(Just a heads up, there’s usually a slight delay on the hardcover!)

Stay safe, stay frosty, and read a book!!!

“Tale of a Frozen Heart”

Blurb…
“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.”

The projected release date of the book is May 25. So stay frosty! Releasing a new book never get’s old and I’m very excited for this one!

Stay safe, stay healthy, read a book!

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

May 3, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

Ah Tron Legacy… this movie has people completely divided across the spectrum. Some people love it, some people hate it, most people think it’s just ‘meh’.

I’m actually in the ‘LOVE’ camp! This movie is absolutely fantastic! The visuals are awesome, the music is fantastic, the story is great, albeit having little to do with the original, and I loved Quorra’s character.

Granted I might be a little biased because I first saw this in IMAX 3-D… but I own the special edition and watch it regularly.

When to listen: This is a build up song. Preferably before a major battle or campaign.

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

May 3, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

This is a little-known gem from Virgin Steele, a rather classic metal band. It’s a rather sad and solemn song.

When to listen: Does your lead heroine have a dark past or sad story to tell? Listen to it when writing that out. Project the emotion from this song into that writing.

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

May 3, 2021 + advice, Disney, Fairy Tale, fantasy, Fiction, Inspiration, literature, Movie, Music, Novel, Opinion, Princess, Psychological, Psychology, Romance, Uncategorized, Urban Fantasy, Worst, Writing

Can fictional stories be harmful?

by Jim

Unfortunately, I have to say yes… hesitantly.

Fictional stories can absolutely be harmful if taken the wrong way or interpreted incorrectly.

A good example would be many of the Bible stories. The Bible was a good written by man for man. I can’t speak to who wrote the old testaments or how, but the new testament, at least as far as the Gospels are concerned, were written for different groups of people. This is why there are noticeably different from one another.

Is there historical truth in them? I’m sure there is, to a point. Like there was historical truth in Homer’s Iliad. We know that Troy existed, we know that there was a war that destroyed the city, but were there Gods and immortals fighting there? Unlikely…

The Bible is similar in that while I do believe that Jesus existed as any good Christians do, I believe that he was crucified, and I believe that he rose from the grave, some of the stories may have been exaggerated or made up for the purposes of creating parables or lessons for people to live by. Keeping in mind that all of the canonical gospels were written well after the death of Christ and far beyond the life expectancy of his Apostles.

Yet knowing this, how many have been killed because of these stories? How many wars have been fought?
(Again, this is my personal opinion, I know that there are those out there who interpret the Bible as historical fact and I am well aware that I could be wrong.)

Another good example are the fairy tales that we know and love. Disney is a good example of this as they have recently been taking flak for altering the original stories and watering them down (Removing the Little Mermaid’s suicide, removing the part about Cinderella’s sisters cutting their toes off… and don’t even get me started on Frozen…)

How do these harm us? Well…

For starters, I don’t believe in love at first sight and I don’t know very many people who do. Now you can call me glass half empty kind of guy, and maybe I am, but I prefer the term realist. Some of these stories paint a dangerous picture of how relationships are supposed to go. For one, painting women as an unequal part of the relationship, the damsel in distress, and the guy always being the one to save her is especially worrisome, and I’d like to illustrate why.

Guys and girls, we all suffer from a complex, more so than most of the previous generations, that may stem from some of these stories.

We here in the news all the time about a girl getting beaten by a guy, or fleeing for her life, and battered women shelters being overcrowded. Many people ask how they get themselves into those situations. Why do they go back to an abusive spouse or boyfriend. Why do they even give that guy the time of day to begin with?
Well, there are many reasons, most of them psychological, but also conditions like children or not being financially stable, but let’s focus on psychological for a moment.
In most cases, at least in my experience from the friends that I’ve had, the idea that he really is a good guy if you get to know him, or the idea that the woman thinks she can change the guy, or he wasn’t always like this, comes up a lot.

Most of the time when it comes to this, the girl sticks with him because she sees something there deep down that if she can bring out, will make the guy an upstanding person. The ability to see something in someone or something that no one else sees is a wonderful gift, but it can also be a very dangerous one at that. The reality is that most people can’t be changed, even if they want to. Nature is a hard adversary to combat.

This is one of those areas that some… albeit less thoughtful people will say that the woman brought it on themselves that they should have known better. Well maybe, if they saw it at the beginning, then they should have run the other way and quickly. However, if they didn’t see it, then it’s a lot harder to get out of once you’re already knee-deep or beyond. Again, the fairy tale goggles come into play here too in that they may see the man inside the beast. (Beauty and the Beast Reference.)

Guys, we are not immune to this. We’re not. Where women go for the bad boy in order to try and change him… we do the same thing, but in a different way.
Many girls, even if they don’t realize it see themselves as Bell and that guy as the beast. Guys, we see ourselves as Prince Charming. Laugh all you want, whether you realize it or not, it’s true. Where girls go for the asshole, guys go for the… for lack of a better term, the girl who has been damaged in some way.

It’s always the same story over and over, a guy meets a girl, get’s to know her, finds out that she has either a troubled past, cruel or abusive parents, or some psychological issues. Does that make us go running? Should it? Well that depends. Unfortunately for many guys, on some level, we see ourselves as the hero who is going to be the turning point in that person’s life and we start trying to build said person up and try to restore confidence, break the hold a bad parent has over them, or try to help them overcome a psychological issue. The result in too many cases is that the guy who is trying to be the hero, the guy who is trying to help, eventually in the eyes of the girl, becomes part of the problem. The end result is that the girl takes the new-found confidence or strength and using it against the very person who tried to help. Thus pushing that person away and sending the girl back to the downward spiral such as the abusive party that they were trying to break free of.
In the end, you’ve got the opposite of the desired effect, and both parties comes away damaged.

Now, does this mean that the damaged girl or the bad boy are unworthy of compassion and love? No, absolutely not. What it means is that the person who chooses to be with them can not try to change them. Help them, but don’t push them into it. Accept them as they are and go from there. It’s unfortunate, but it is the reality. You can’t change a guy and Prince Charming doesn’t exist.

So that’s it, now are fairy tales 100% to blame for this? No of course not, nature, nurture, and… yeah in some cases, stupidity also play an affect, but that doesn’t mean that the stories we tell our children shouldn’t be examined en mas to see what kind of damage that they could be doing.

Anyway, leave a comment, let me know if you think I’m right or if I’m way off!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

May 2, 2021 + Characters, fantasy, Fiction, Inspiration, literature, Movie, Novel, Opinion, rules, Urban Fantasy, video games, Writing

Elves #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

by Jim

As you can imagine by my written work so far… I love elves. They’re are some of my favorite mythological characters… but over the years, there have been different incarnations of them. So which one is the right one? Well technically speaking, there is no right or wrong in Fantasy… and I can say that with a straight face after watching Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons!

In all seriousness though, everyone has their own interpretation and any one of them can be labelled as ‘correct.’ So where did all of these different variations come from?

In early works, specifically the old norse legends, elves (or ælf, ylf, alp, alpi, elpi, alfr depending on time period and region) are known for having dark skin in many cases, piercing eyes, and are almost flawlessly elegant. They are known for being evasive and deceptive in these stories. There is no reference to whether or not they have pointed ears and given that the characters have a hard time identifying them, it seems likely their their ears are either concealed or similar to humans. They do share many traits with faeries, brownies and pixies, which would lead one to believe that they were all one mythical form at one point.

Hrolf Kraki’s Saga description of elves:
“He sat up and hauled back the fell. There lay a woman in a sheening sark. Never had he seen any this beautiful. The straw hardly cracked as she rose to her knees and smiled at him. Full breasts and hips thrust against her garment, shone through it; their sweetness overwhelmed all winter chill and stench, he was suddenly drown in summer. Raven’s-wing locks flowed past a face pale and strange, too cleanly carven to be wholly human. Her eyes were the unblinking gold of a hawk’s.”

Despite no reference to pointed ears, Skyrim’s version of the elf seems to fit the description:

Now I’ll admit that this is not how I see elves, and there are other perfectly good examples. Take a Mid Summer Night’s Dream…

From Shakespearean times, the word elf saw use in English as a term loosely brelated to the French fairy. It also became associated with diminutive supernatural beings like Puck, Robin Goodfellow, brownes, and even pixies were associated with them. Which may have given author J.K. Rowling the inspiration for her version of elves:

It logically makes sense… but this came from Shakespearean times and, like the Roman’s borrowing from the Greeks, things get distorted. So since I don’t subscribe to the more intelligent and useful version of Jar Jar Binks idea… let’s move on.

Moving forward into modern times, dealing with Tolkien and his Middle Earth. Here we have several incarnations of elves… including, oddly enough, at least one without pointed ears. In his stories, the elves are created as a separate race by the Gods. Near as I can tell, they were meant to be a sort of angel that was not meant to remain forever.

Tolkien, thankfully, tried to go back in some ways to the original designs… though I think he may have pushed the feminine button a little too hard… and apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Following Tolkien’s popular depiction of elves… we now have a plethora of different renditions to choose from, some of them good… others are just downright cartoony! Everything from the early incarnations in Dungeons and Dragons, to later appearances in Warcraft, Dragon Age, etc.

So I realize that I still haven’t answered my own question; which version do I believe is accurate. Well, in my book, Magnifica, elves are much like humans. They are warm blooded creatures that share many of the same traits with our species. They are capable of producing offspring with human partners, so their internal biology isn’t too much different. However, the few elves that are not infected with the Ulium disease, outlive humans by almost 80 years. They are light eaters and have a sixth sense that allows them to detect magic and communicate with nature on a much more personal level than humans. They are about the same height as humans and slightly stronger on average.

So what do they look like? Well if you read my post on creating rules for your story? One of my rules was that everything had to be as realistic as possible. In other words, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to buy that some of these creatures could exist. I’m personally not at all fond of the anime style, while at the same time, the Lord of the Rings version has ears so small that a strategically placed hairdo can cover them… which I suppose you could argue is why early versions don’t mention there ears.

That said, in my personal opinion, the best version comes from a Skyrim mod I often use in my games. This is what I picture when someone mentions an elf:

The ears aren’t too long but stick out just enough to be pronounced, they’re as tall as any human, their skin is slightly tanned while at the same time nearly flawless, so it covers all the bases mentioned above. Again, this is all opinion-based so feel free to disagree with me. I won’t take offense!

You may notice that I didn’t mention Christmas elves… honestly, I just don’t think they fit in here. Given that St. Nicolas’ legend stems from Asia minor, which is a good distance away from the Nordic areas, I’d be more apt to believe that Christmas elves are more closely related to a version of dwarves given that they’re portrayed as being very short, and manual laborers. Maybe I’m thinking too much into this? Well either way, that’s my two cents.

See you on the flip side!
-Jim

May 1, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

I’m just going to say that straight up, I despise Metallica and the notion that they are somehow a metal band. I don’t even consider them a hard rock band. They’ve taken up the alt-rock emblem of Creed and Tantric… though sadly have not suffered the same fade into obscurity.

That… being… said… there was a time when they were a metal band. This album, ‘And Justice For All’ was the end of that era. From the Black Album onwards, this band has been an ear sore that punk rockers and little kids listen to when they want to look hardcore… without actually being hardcore.

Anyway, back on topic…

When to listen: This is an evil song, a really evil song. The opening guitar solo with demonic sounds in the background used to make the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It was especially menacing if I listened to this song at night either driving or when I was laying down. For some reason I always envisioned this song being the theme of a story about a guy who’s home is right on the border of Hell. He can hear the demons and knows if he steps outside his house at night, he’s probably doomed.
Yeah I have a demented imagination, but what fantasy writer doesn’t?
Listen to this song when writing a scary scene in your story. The menacing music give an air of impeding danger from afar.

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

May 1, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

Ugh… okay so the video is not the best thing in the world… minimization baby!!!

When to listen: I’d say during times of ethical quandary where the main character is dealing with a far greater adversary than the main villain; his own conscience.

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

May 1, 2021 + advice, Fiction, literature, non-fiction, Reading, Writing

Writing’s Most Difficult Aspect #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

by Jim

“I’m curious, but what have you found one of the most difficult things that comes with writing?”

-Steven Capps

Hi Steven,

There are a lot of hurdles to overcome in writing… a lot. This is just me personally, but the hardest thing for writing is finding the time to write and then pulling myself away from the keyboard when I need to. It is so hard when the ideas are flowing like a waterfall and you want to get everything down before you miss something. The problem is that life get’s in the way and for people, like myself, that have other jobs, families, and other responsibilities, we don’t always have the time to write. The result usually being that we lose a few of those great ideas. At this point, the only advice I can offer is to not let it get you down. You came up with one good idea, you’ll have another one soon.

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 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

April 30, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

I’m going to regret this…

Yeah yeah yeah… have your chuckles. My kids love this show, what do you want?

When to listen: Well unlike most of the crap songs out of MLP, this one is extremely upbeat and hard to resist tapping a foot to. So when would I listen to this song? Well it’s not on my regular playlist, but it is one I keep on a side list for when I write the ending.

Picture this in your mind while listening to the song. The bad guy has been destroyed. There is a huge party and everything seems perfect. The hero, having done his job, decides it’s time to go. As the chorus line comes up, picture the hero’s craft (Be it a spaceship or plane or whatever) lifting off the ground as the crowd cheers and quickly disappears into the horizon.

It strangely works!

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

April 30, 2021 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

Jim, WHAT THE HELL!?!?!?

Shut up! Every metal head has some non-metal songs they love. My mother was a big Cher fan… so I was listening to some of her music growing up. This song however… I admit had me hooked for a while. I still listen to it and one other of her songs on my own.

When to listen: Fairly obvious, low point in any romantic element of a story. At some point when the leads are in the middle of a fight and reach the point where they question even being together.

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