Using a personal journal to record your thoughts and concepts on a daily basis can be a stress reliever. This a way to be in touch with yourself and the universe about what’s essential to you. Someone may say ‘That doesn’t make any sense’ or ‘How can writing down a few sentences make anyone feel […]
Hi Jim,
I’m in a major bind… I was working on my latest piece. I’d been working on it for days and… forgot to save it. I was about 140 pages in and suddenly my computer blue-screened. I’ve lost everything and Word didn’t auto-save it. I’m not sure of what to do now. I feel like having to start from scratch is a fairly daunting task.
What should I do?
Thanks,
Terry
Hi Terry,
We’ve all been there. This is a mistake that we’ve all made at one point or another. I personally had to dodge being hit in the head by a laptop thrown by my roommate in college after his 20 page paper was lost when the same thing happened to him.
(Hehe… after writing multiple novels, thinking back on how tough we all used to think a typed 30 page, double spaced paper was… Oh man…)
Ahem… However, seriously Terry, 140 PAGES AND NOT ONE SAVE!? I’m sorry to say this, but you were really tempting fate more than any writer EVER should. Always save… ALWAYS! At minimum, save it at the end of every page, at minimum. Sorry to repeat myself, but it bears repeating.
Look, you’re going to have to. There really isn’t anything you can do. Think of it this way, you remember most of the story and can now really start to add meat to what you had already started on. Think of it as a chance to improve upon what you previously wrote.
Honestly, I myself have completely deleted and started stories over more than once when I didn’t think the story worked well, so it’s not unheard of and starting over is par for the course.
Anyway, that’s the best advice I can give you. Start over, good luck, and start saving!!!
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:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
So you all know my editing/proofing stages at this point:
That’s always been my recommendation. Lengthy, yes. Tedious, yes. Necessary? Absolutely. However, I’d like to add one more step which should go in before passing the book off to Beta readers.
MS Word has an awesome tool that will read your book to you. It’s not perfect, but if you choose the correct voice for you and the correct speed, you can make it sound almost human. Editing goes to a whole new level when you can hear your words read back to you. What sounds good in your head, and even reading it to yourself, doesn’t always translate well audibly. Running my most recent novels through this software before handing it off to a beta reader has greatly reduced the amount of errors that come back my way for correcting. I cannot recommend it enough.
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
Can you give some advices about how to get traffic towards your blog? How do you get so many followers on this app?
By the way, your posts are really good😊!
–Simmone
Hi Simmone,
Great question. The best way to think about WordPress, or any other blogging page is to think about it as a community. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out of it. So the best advice I’d give is to explore the other blog posts, especially others that tag and categorize their posts the same way you do. Read, like, comment, reblog, and offer advice when and where possible. I’ll be honest, my blog only had about 500 readers before I started offering writing tips and advice.
Secondly, I’d network as much as you can. Got a Facebook page? No?? MAKE ONE. Got a twitter page? No??? MAKE ONE!!! Got a Pinterest account? NO??? Oh man! Make accounts on these pages and link them to your blog. You don’t even have to use most of them. WordPress will post all of this for you. This will gain you greater exposure.
Really though that’s all there is to it. If you build it and expose it, people will come to it. If they like what you have to say they will come and visit your blog. YOU need to give them a reason to.
Anyway, hope this helps. Readers, do you have any advice for Simmone? How do you get more readers?
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:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
Hi Jim,
I was wondering if you talk a little bit about how you create characters for your book. I’ve got an awesome idea for a story, but I’m having a hard time creating characters to go along with it. Do you have any advice?
Thanks,
Kris
Hello Kris,
In my personal opinion, you’re doing this backward. You’ve got a great story, but no characters. I don’t believe that’s the correct way of going about this. I’m sure that many of my readers will disagree with me on this one, but I think that the best way write a story is to create a set of characters first, then create the story around them.
For me, I have a library of characters written out that I have not yet used. Actually, many of the characters for some of my more recent books have come from that library. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you have to create characters for specific plot devices in the story, but largely, it may be better for your main characters to be an independent creation.
I have characters that are elves, half-elves, dragonkin (half-dragons), Dragons that have the ability to appear in human form, dwarves, modern humans, medieval and prehistoric humans, fantasy humans, humans from other planets that evolved differently from ones on this planet, and several different vaguely-written backstories. They are all just anxiously awaiting their chance to take center stage.
When the time comes and I come up with a new story, I go back to that library and pick out the characters that I think best fit the story. Then I adapt their backstory to the world rules I established and go from there.
Think about it for a second. In life, do you think people are pre-written for an experience or do they simply adapt as they are put through it? There’s no wrong answer here, I just tend to believe the latter.
So I would say that the best thing for you to do would be to put the idea for your story on the back burner and just think about interesting people that you know in your life. Think about stories that have peaked your interest in the past and create characters based on those. Create their backstories, their races, and their appearances. Once you have around 10+ characters, think about the story you want to write. Then go back and pick out 2-3 characters that you think would fit.
Take a blank word document and fill in the following;
What’s this character’s name?
What’s their gender?
What’s their race/species?
Where do they come from?
Describe their physical appearance.
Describe their personality.
Describe their backstory.
Both the plot and the story can be adapted so that they suit each other as you go through, so don’t worry about that.
So that’s generally how I do things, but let’s open this up to my readers and keep the conversation going. I’d love to hear about how other people create characters for their stories. Do they write the story first and then the characters? Is it the other way around? Do you just write the characters as you’re writing the story?
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 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
Hi Lauraine,
Always happy to share my experiences. So honestly, there are a number of issues that I encounter when I write. I can’t say that there is one particular recurrent issue that I encounter. Usually when I have an issue, I figure out a workaround that I can apply in future writing. However, I can give you an example of one I’m currently going through.
Between other projects, I’ve been working on a prequel to Magnifica. Whether or not I ever publish it, remains to be seen. I just really wanted to explore the story behind Toby and Lia’na’s parents and how their decisions landed their children in the middle of a struggle for survival. So the problem I’m running into is that I keep rewriting scenes that deal with norms of the 80s. It really hold me up from progressing further because I want to get the scenes perfect. I have very fond memories of the 80s and wanted to properly portray them in my writing. Sometimes when writing these scenes, I find myself willing to give almost anything to be back there again. This has unfortunately slowed the progression of that novel to a halt.
The only way to deal with it is to stop and either work on something else, or if I’m determined to get through the current chapter, sit back and flick on some calm music from that time period. Something that adds a little atmosphere to the nostalgia. It’s not perfect, and honestly that’s why this story has been ongoing for two years now, but it’s how I deal with the urge to constantly rewrite those scenes. Sometimes taking a break can also be helpful, but that only prolongs writing the book even further.
Anyway, hope this gives you some idea of what I encounter when I write. Readers, do you have a specific issue that you encounter when you’re writing that has proven to be a bane? 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:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
Hi Jim,
I was hoping you could give me a little advice on how to write perspective. The main character in my story is going to be a bad guy. When I say bad, I mean the story is going to revolve around the villain. I’m just really not sure how I can write that effectively. I mean typically you try to get people to relate to your main character and I don’t know about getting them to relate to a villain. Any thoughts?
Mike
Hi Mike,
Believe it or not, people tend to gravitate quite a bit to villains these days. Darth Vader, Maleficent, James Hook, and even Saruman of Many Colors, are all bad guys that often get rooted for by audiences.
It’s not hard to fathom, or in some cases find, stories where they are the primary character. Maleficent and Hook have their own movies, Darth Vader get’s as much screen time as anyone else in Star Wars and he has a full library of his own comics and books.
A lot of people do relate to the struggles of the villain. Why, because it’s not a huge stretch to see yourself being put into a difficult situation and either making the wrong decision or becoming the devil himself in order to protect something you care about. That’s just life sometimes.
I would just advise you to give your villain a good backstory, make them likeable in their own way, give them good vices, and then go from there. As long as you write a good character, people will love or love to hate that person. There really isn’t much more I can tell you without going into greater detail into your story.
Good luck! Readers, what do you think? Leave a comment and let’s keep the conversation going!
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
So a lot of people ask me where my inspiration comes from. Where do I get my ideas, how do I decide what happens to each character?
Well it really depends on what day it is and what part of the story I’m writing about. I’ll explain a little bit more in-depth as we go…
First off, Lia’na, one of the most beloved characters I’ve ever written about was actually based largely on my wife’s personality. She can be feisty, independent, and very saucy at times, so I did the best I could to emulate that in my story. The result was a very multi-dimensional character that got pretty decent reviews. So character creation can really depend on experience and emulating the people around you, it’s not a must, but it is one way of creating their personalities.
Of course this basing them on people you know and love comes with it’s own set of problems. As the character grows and faces adversity, it can be hard to do anything that injures the character. This is because often times when you’re envisioning the character experiencing hardships, it’s not too much of a stretch to see the person that character is based on in the same situation. Without giving too much away, this is why I struggled so much with Tears of the Fallen. One of my cousins said basing that character off of my wife was an epic mistake… and now I see why. So all I can say is be careful and try not to let the person your basing the character on know that your basing it on them. It can lead to an uncomfortable situation if you put the character through hell.
So that covers character, but what about plot points?
Well to be honest, the main plot point: Love, tragedy, revenge, etc. I always have ready before I ever get started. I know what the story is going to be about long beforehand. Often it’s a different take on a plot I saw in a movie or a game I played, but just as often, it’s something that just randomly popped into my head. Once I have that, I can begin writing. I have a library of characters to work chose from that I’ve already created in my mind it’s just a question of whether or not the story will fit them (Tersa, your day is coming, I promise!!!)
So what about the secondary plot points? Say the death or dismemberment of a character, or a change of heart…
My answer there is music. Yup, it’s that simple, when I’m writing, I listen to a lot of music. To me it’s not the lyrics as much as the melody and the notes chosen by the singer…
Let me give you a few examples… (Warning!!! I’m a metal head!)
Rhapsody- March of Time
Listen to the opening female vocals and the chorus line. Listening to the overall mood and tone made me picture a bittersweet memory, like something you look back on fondly, but that also causes you a good amount of sadness. After coming to that realization, I made the decision to kill of a character in one of my stories and to put a lot of emphasis on how that person’s death affected the other characters. That alone helped set the stage for a third adventure that I hadn’t even counted on.
Into the West – Peter Hollins (I’m more partial to this version than the original.)
This is one of two songs that I listen to when I’m dealing with intimate moments. This song helps me write about loving care, like when a character is in pain and another character is trying to comfort them. See how it fits?
Russel Crowe – Stars
Okay, before anyone goes nuts, I know how people feel about Russel Crowe’s performance as Javert, and no, this is not my choice version of the story. I prefer the Irish rendition starring Jeff Leyton. That being said, there is something… touching about this version of the song. Ignore the lyrics, listen to the melody and the music in the background. To me, it sounds almost like a lullaby. I’m sure that everyone will think that this is crazy, but this is what I listen to when writing a part dealing with mentoring or parenting, and honestly, it fits perfectly.
Other songs I listen to for inspiration for things like fighting scenes or finales include:
From one of my favorite bands ever:
As well as a plethora of things like Dragonforce, Luca Turili, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Ancient Bards, and Fairyland. Things like:
So now that I’ve increased everyone’s playlist exponentially (you’re welcome), I have one more to show you. If you’ve read my explanation of where my inspirations come from and you’re still scratching your head (don’t worry, you’re not alone), then I have a little exercise for you:
This is, in my opinion, one of the most fantastic musical numbers that somehow no one knows about! Start at the 2 minute mark, close your eyes, and listen, just listen. See what pops into your head (aside from this scene from the movie). What do you picture happening? What does the song mean to you? When you hear the tone of the music, how does it make you feel and if you were to create a story around it, what would it say?
Anyway, I hope this helps and hopefully gives other writers or writing hopefuls out there a few more tools to work with!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
Hi Jim,
I’ve been writing for some time now and was actually wondering what made you decide to give out writing advice on your blog. Isn’t that like giving away all of your secrets? Couldn’t you wind up giving advice to someone who may wind up outperforming you?
Just wondering,
Craig
Hi Craig,
Just kidding. Honestly, if that happens, great! If honestly I give someone advice that helps them become the next Stephen King, I’ll be happy! (Though a little recognition for it wouldn’t go unappreciated *hint, hint*)
Honestly, I don’t worry about it. No matter what happens, you’ll always have people who enjoyed your work and will always come back to read more as long as the writing keeps up. It’s not like you’re giving out advice to help them write exactly like you do, far from it. You’re just giving them a push in the right direction.
Finally, what is knowledge if it isn’t shared? Of what benefit is it? I struggled through the writing/publishing world with no foreknowledge of the industry because I didn’t know anything about it. So if I can help someone not make the same mistakes and experience the disappointments that I did early on, then why not help?
As to your other question ‘why’? Well there are a few reasons. For one, I like receiving emails from my followers/fans… though I may have shot myself in the foot by promising a personal response to all of them, but I feel I must also admit to a more selfish reason as well.
One of the few pieces of advice I was given when I started trying to get published was to get my name out there. Join a blogging community and contribute heavily to it. That’s how you get notoriety. So I figured the best way was to write about things I knew. I wrote about history, writing, social commentary (which i’ve now stopped unless it pertains to writing, because the world is already saturated with politics.), and fantasy. Before long, I started getting questions about my writing and decided to make an email to accept and respond to fanmail/ questions.
That’s when I found my niche; writing advice. I’ve been doing it ever since.
So while I’ll admit that my motives haven’t always been altruistic, and are a good way to promote my books, I’ve come to really enjoy answering questions and offering my opinion.
Readers, do you have any follow up for Craig? What are other ways you get your name out there?
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have multiple published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
Hello all,
So this is mostly for the self-publishing people. There’s been a lot of back and forth about how to make publishing affordable. Obviously with self-publishing, there are a lot of expenses and nuances to the process. Sites like Createspace and Lulu make the process easier, but it’s still a lot of work and decision-making.
Below is a list of expenses, what to pay for and what not to pay for… Keep in mind though, this is my own opinion. So if you’ve had other experiences or disagree on where the priorities are, feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
So let’s get started…
You’ve written your book and you’ve decided to go with the self-publishing route. Awesome! There are quite a few advantages here, but also several disadvantages. I’ve explored these in other topics, so feel free to take a look back through my posts.
Now obviously with self-publishing, you’re going to incur a lot more in the way of up front costs for publishing. Let’s go through them one at a time. I’ll address what each one is, how much it’ll cost, and whether or not you can avoid it.
In the end, I would say to expect your book to cost you roughly $800 on average. $400 is the MINIMUM. Anything less… I’d say don’t even bother because you’re going to be cutting way too many corners.
Anyway, hope this helps. We can discuss it further in the comments if anyone has any further advice or questions!
-Jim
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have multiple published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
Hi Jim,
I was actually hoping you could help me out with a problem I was having. I’m currently writing a book that will be part of an established series. It’s been a pretty good run so far, but I’m worried because this next book actually takes place before the one I just published. I got this idea fairly late in the game, but want to include it. I’m just worried about publishing my books out of order. What should I do?
Thanks,
Randy
Hi Randy
Prequels and bridging stories are always tough. The hardest thing about them is creating an engaging story, despite people already knowing the outcome. In many cases, unless you’re writing a series where each novel surrounds a different cast in the same universe, I’d recommend avoiding it altogether. However, if you can find a way to tell a story within a story, you may have something there. My advice to you is to look at your story outline and then go back and read the other book. Is too much already revealed? Is everyone going to know what’s going on the moment they open the cover? If your answer is yes, you may want to consider abandoning it or releasing it as sort of a free addendum to the book you already have out. That one is really up to you.
However, if you think that you can make a good story out of the in-between years, then by all means, go for it. The space between one story and the next could easily be a story of its own. Don’t worry about writing out of order. Though it may be slightly confusing for some readers, I think most will pick up on what’s going on. There’s no rule saying that series have to be written in order… look at Lucasfilms!
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!
-Jim
James Harringtons Creative Work 