+

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

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

by Unknown's avatar

Hello all!

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

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

James Harrington’s Author Page

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

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

Drakin: The Story of Raiya

Book Synopsis:

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

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

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

Drakin: The Orphans of Haven

Book Synopsis:

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

DRAKIN: 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:

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

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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, Characters, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Reading, Writing

From One Universe To Another… #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

 

Hi Jim,

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

(Jesus… how is that man still alive.)

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:

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

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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

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

Writing Advice: Granting Someone Else ‘Godhood’ #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim,
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:

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

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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, books, Fiction, non-fiction, Opinion, Uncategorized, Writing

Levying Criticism #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

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:

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

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, literature, Opinion, story, Uncategorized, Writing

A Writer in Need. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim.

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.

-Maria nunes

Hi Maria,

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:

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

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

 

+

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

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

by Unknown's avatar

Hello all!

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

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

James Harrington’s Author Page

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

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

Drakin: The Story of Raiya

Book Synopsis:

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

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

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

Drakin: The Orphans of Haven

Book Synopsis:

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

DRAKIN: 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:

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

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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, Editorial, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Uncategorized

Are Narrative Stories Out of Date #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

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.

+

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

One word: Editing. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim,

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. 

  1. 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. 

  2. 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. 

  3. 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. 

  4. 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. 

  5. 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. 

  6. 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.

  7.  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. 

  8. 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. 

  9. 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…)

  10. 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.

  11. 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:

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

+ Uncategorized

IS WRITING THERAPEUTIC? — Peace To The Mind #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

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 […]

via IS WRITING THERAPEUTIC? — Peace To The Mind

+

+ advice, literature, Opinion, Question, Uncategorized, Writing

Just Start Over… #Fantasy #Fiction #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

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

+

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

The Sound of Editing. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

So you all know my editing/proofing stages at this point:

  1. Getting all my thoughts down on paper.
  2. Organizing thoughts into a cohesive narrative
  3. Write out the first draft.
  4. Add details and meat to the first draft on second write through.
  5. Re-read first draft, make edits and rewrites to the plot and narrative.
  6. Begin writing second draft with new edits organized in.
  7. Re-read second draft and begin making spelling/grammar edits.
  8. Run through spell check and make edits as needed (be careful the spell check is dated software and not always the best correction software.
  9. Re-read to make sure edits make sense.
  10. Run through Grammarly. Make sure each chapter yields as few errors as possible.
  11. Pass your book off to beta readers.
  12. Make beta reader recommended changes as needed.
  13. Submit to agent for publishing or self publish.

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

+

+ advice, blog, Opinion, Uncategorized, Writing

A Better Blogger #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

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

A WordPress.com Website.