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October 5, 2020 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

This is a nice low key song. I love the vocals and the harmony. Nothing else much to say about it… other than it’s somewhat unusual for Van Canto to use this much instrumentation.

When to Listen: Use this song to wind down. When you’re finishing up your writing or at the end of your story, this is the song to listen to.

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

October 5, 2020 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

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

by 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!

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

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

October 5, 2020 + Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Free Book Giveaway! #StayIn#StaySafe #ReadaBook

by Jim

Hi all,

As you may or may not have heard, in recent days, we’ve been seeing a Coronavirus spike in many cities, states, and even countries across the globe. At this time, I feel like everyone needs to do their part and help each other out.

While I’m very limited in what I can do online, but I still want to help. In addition to the writing advice and free entertainment of my reviews, I’m also offering a week-long free book giveaway for Drakin! It is my hope that this will help combat boredom and give people looking for something new and interesting, something to read.

Starting tomorrow, Drakin: The Story of Raiya will be available free of charge for the next week and can be purchased here.

Starting Wednesday, November 11, Drakin: The Orphans of Haven will be available free of charge and can be purchased here.

Remember everyone, stay safe, keep your loved ones safe no matter what!

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

October 4, 2020 + advice, Author, blog, write, Writing

My Interesting Blog

by Jim

“Hello
I began writing my blog a bit more than a month ago and I’m writing fiction. I chose to write it publicly on wordpress mainly because I’m a bit insecure about my writing and I want some honest advice and feedback from people who aren’t my family.
Maybe you could give me some advice on how to make myself (or my blog) more interesting or presentable so that I’d be able to attract more people?”

-Minxed.

Well early bird catches the worm. Thank you, Minxed for being the first to ask a question.

So this is the big money question when it comes to blogging. How do you get people interest? What makes the successful blogs so successful… well… hard work. Blogging is like doing charity work. You get out what you put in. If you just write, post, and forget, you’re not going to get very far. To blog, is to be a part of a community of people with different opinions, goods, ideas, and thoughts to share. Once you’ve posted your own work, go out, check out some other blogs, give someone an opinion, offer advice, or give some criticism in the comment fields. I often like to share stores that other people write as a way to help boost their audience. That’s a really good way of building your community and it will attract people to take a look at what you’ve got going on.

In terms of actual blog appearance and content, the best advice I can give to make people want to come to your blog is to offer something new. If you do book reviews, do something off of the beaten path. Perhaps a little known indie author, or something you read on another blog, perhaps. If you’re just straight up writing and creating a story that you want to share with the world, congratulations, you’re already half way there. Not everyone can do what you do and that will make your blog more unique.

Personally, I’d recommend having the first couple of chapters written and polished BEFORE submitting the first one. When I submitted one of my stories on this blog… granted I never finished the story, but when I started, I made sure I had two chapters written ahead of the ones I was posting.
Another thing I’d recommend is to spruce up your page a little. Right now, you have one of the basic designs that wordpress offers. I’d consider adding images and creating a background. If you have any skill with paints and a brush, you should have no problem creating something you can use.
If not, there are plenty of free/public domain images available on the web.

Another thing that always catches the eye is the cover. Don’t just post the story without a cover. When I check out stories to read under the Reader section of wordpress, the stories that I give preference to are the ones that have an attractive cover. I know the old adage says ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ and that’s very true, but you’re more likely to draw your readers in with an awesome looking cover as a featured image. Below is an example of the cover to my book, which I used as the featured image of any post related to this book’s release.

Cover design by Brett Warniers!

Hiring an artist for $200-$400 may seem daunting, but if you’re really into it, a great design will make all the difference.

Readers, what do you think? Do you agree with my advice and/or do you think that there is more Minxed can do to attract readers? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Minxed, if you have any further questions or would like me to elaborate on the above points, please feel free to email me:
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

Thanks friends, catch you on the flip side,

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 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.

October 4, 2020 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

I know… I know, I’m not supposed to like Episode 1… well I do, so deal with it.

When to Listen: This is some of the best fight music I’ve ever heard. Seriously, use this when writing a climactic combat scene.

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

October 3, 2020 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, Help, non-fiction, topics, Writing

Need advice on a certain topic?

by Jim

Hello all, so as time goes on, my advice blog is getting bigger and bigger. Unfortunately, as with all things, you run out of topics to give advice on. If anyone has any questions about writing, publishing, my stories, etc. etc. please feel free to post a comment or email me at 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.

Note: I only write blog pieces once a day, so I may not be able to get to them all, but if I don’t feel free to repost them and I’ll try to respond personally.

Thanks friends, catch you on the flip side!

Jim

October 3, 2020 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. Admittedly, it get’s a lot of the historical details wrong and… if anything, oddly appears to condemn all of the atrocities committed by the Crusaders, while ignoring the ones committed by Saladin and the Ayyubid Sultanate. It ignores the underlying reason why the crusades happened and really made Saladin far more altruistic than he actually was.
… not that the crusaders were any better/worse in their portrayal. The movie did get a few things right, but if you’re looking for something even remotely historically accurate dealing with the crusades, you’ll have to keep looking. It’s a good action movie, nothing more. That being said, the soundtrack is actually really good.

When to Listen: This one isn’t on my general playlist. Listen to this when you’ve finished writing. It’s a good exercise to prevent writing fatigue or burnout. Put this on, put the pen or keyboard down, lay back, close your eyes, and relax as this song plays.

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

October 2, 2020 + advice, Author, Characters, fantasy, Science Fiction, write, Writing

Author’s Advice pt. 14

by Jim

Choosing to write characters that you hate into your story is a very bad idea.

In a previous posting I talked about how you have to step outside of your comfort zone and often write a character that has views contrary to your own. Indeed this is a very good way of creating relate-able characters and keeping a dynamic story line going. However, that doesn’t mean you have to write a character that you don’t like.

Think about it, most everyone out there has friends with viewpoints that differ from their own. You don’t dislike that person for their views, you simply disagree with them. Well it’s the same thing when creating a character, you can create a character with views that you don’t agree with, without despising that character.

A lot of my readers have commented on how they can’t stand it when people write characters that they hate or at the very least don’t care about and continuously put them through unspeakable horrors that no one would realistically make it through unscathed, if at all. Given the amount of comments I got on this, I felt that a post dealing with this topic was inevitable, so thank you!

I myself have been guilty of this in the past. One of my early stories featured a villain that was based on a guy I went to college with. He was someone who was a few years older than me, completely paranoid about anyone who spoke to his girlfriend, and had one too many character flaws that were just intolerable. I locked horns with this person too many times and really came to absolutely despise them. So, like many other writers, I thought the traits he possessed, his character flaws, and outright disdain was perfect for a villain.

I was wrong…

Every time I wrote, I pictured his face and it made my blood boil. The result was a dark and bitter story that not even the most manic-depressive teenager would enjoy. I read through it once and immediately tore it up. That’s not how I wanted to write, not at all. I knew I was better than that.

The worst part is that the people who write this way and don’t realize what they’re doing, don’t seem to understand that their readers pick up on this kind of thing. Readers are very good about detecting when someone is writing with disdain and it doesn’t leave a good impression. I’ve known people who stopped reading stories because of things like this.

The inherent problems with this method of writing are as follows…

1. The writer doesn’t care about this character and tends to not give them much of a back story, making the character stale and uninteresting.

2. The amount of pain and suffering that a writer puts that character through usually hints at a very misanthropic attitude, whether that’s accurate or not, that’s how it comes off.

3. The character is unrealistic. Though I hate to make this reference, go watch IT, and keep a very close eye on the character Henry Bowers.

I know in the book he’s probably given more explanation and that’s fine, but if you’ve read it, try to look at the movie objectively like you haven’t. There is no development of this character, he’s a one-dimensional villain who sees murder and terror as the only option… why? Is there someone like this that King himself had to deal with growing up? I don’t know….

Many believe that this is the best way to write a villain or a character who won’t survive long, and I can’t say that I agree at all. In fact, one of the best villains I ever wrote about, I based on another college friend of mine, though I would NEVER admit this to her. This person was the type of individual who cared more about the people around them, than their own well-being. They would have given you the shirt of their back for the asking. I thought about it and when the gears were turning, I thought to myself, ‘How awesome would it be to make this character one of the villains? No one would see it coming!’

So I went ahead with it. People like this character, it was someone who just kind of fell in with the group due to circumstances, but quickly became one of them. Even my wife gravitated towards this character. So you can imagine that absolute shock when I revealed that this character was not only not on their side, but had been responsible for most of their problems. They had their reasons, but it didn’t change the fact that they were not on the side of the moral right throughout the story.

THAT is how you write a great and dynamic character. If you write a character with loving care and are truly excited about the impact the character will have, your audience will pick up on it and love that character. It is pretty much the exact opposite of an unfortunately growing trend among writers, especially those who write young adult fiction.

Just keep that in mind the next time you sit down to create a new character.
Thanks friends, catch you on the flip side,

Jim

October 2, 2020 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

Admittedly, I’m not big on the voice of the lead singer. He kind of put me off the band for a while. The release of the album ‘The Last Stand’ changed all that. These songs are amazing and it’s hard for me to resist a band with good music where the subject matter is history!

When to listen: World building. Sabaton likes to tell stories in their songs that deal in historical events and groups of people. It’s a unique type of metal that is great for brainstorming.

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

October 2, 2020 + advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Jim

Okay, so it looks like I’m still getting a lot of publishing questions. These are recurrent questions I get on a regular basis, and while I want to try to respond to everyone who reaches out to me, I don’t want my blog becoming redundant. So I think I’m going to repost this on a weekly basis from now on to help people navigate the publishing world. I don’t really see another way around it.

So if you have questions regarding publishing, PLEASE check below to see if any of this helps you before reaching out. I’m always happy to help, but I may have already answered your question.

Publishing is a tough road to navigate. Please check out the links below. These are previous posts I’ve made about the ins and outs of publishing. They should be of assistance in your journey:

Am I Ready To Publish? This is a must read BEFORE even considering starting the process. I can’t tell you how many authors burned bridges by not being ready.

Editing… There is a Cost That Must be Paid… or is There? You can skip this one if you’ve already had your writing edited (by someone other than you!). However, I’d still recommend reading.

Getting Published… the basics… In this post, we explore traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. Here you’ll get the pros on cons of each and the steps you need to go through in order to be successful in either.

Finally…

Copyrighting my Writing. Am I Protected? This isn’t required reading… however, if you’re concerned about plagiarism, or in the future may need to file a copyright claim, I recommend giving it a read.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? I’d be surprised if you didn’t. The only sage advice I can offer you other than the documents above is simple…

Do not give up. A million “No’s” suddenly become irrelevant if you get that one “yes”.
People will tell you that everyone and their mother wants to publish a book. You’re up against insurmountable odds and a flooded market. This is false. You’re not up against everyone and their mother. Permit me the luxury and I’ll prove this mathematically: First of all, take the entire group of people who want to get published. Now take that number and reduce it by roughly 60%. You just eliminated all the people who want to get something published, but don’t have the time, ability, drive, or inspiration to write. Next, eliminate another 20%. You’ve now taken down all the people who can put pen to paper but can’t afford the time/money to put the work into advertising and getting published. Eliminate another 10% who can’t take criticism and thus aren’t going to be able to get their writing properly edited. Now eliminate another 5% either don’t have the patience for or get discouraged by receiving a series of “No’s” from publishers.
Now take that last 5% and eliminate all of them, except you. Why? Because they’re irrelevant. You have your writing and they have there’s. Whether or not you get published and how successful you are isn’t about other people’s writing. Yes, in the end, it’s you against one person, you. Whether or not I’ll ever get to buy your book off the shelf depends on you; how much time, effort, and funds you’re willing to put into your writing. So make it good!

Let’s open it up to the floor. Readers, do you have any publishing advice for our friend here? Let her know in the comments!

Readers,

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

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

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

I have been writing for several years, have 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

October 1, 2020 + advice, Author, Fiction, literature, Publishing, Science Fiction, write, Writing

Author’s Advice Pt. 13

by Jim

Don’t let writing consume your life.

So you’re writing, you have a great idea and you want to get the whole thing down while it’s fresh in your mind. It’s perfect and if you don’t write it down right now, you’ll lose it. I get it, I’ve been there. There is certainly nothing wrong with taking that moment to get that info down, but the problem with great ideas like your initial one is that they tend to branch.

Soon one awesome idea becomes 3 awesome ideas and then those also branch out into 4 or 5 of their own. The next thing you know, you’ve blown through several hours. Your partner is yelling at you because you haven’t done your chores or paid attention to them. You’ve neglected your responsibilities, even though you didn’t mean to.

It happens, and it’s a difficult habit to break. What’s even more difficult is learning to pull yourself away and say ‘enough is enough.’ I know it may seem like that one great idea is the be all, end all, and you’ll never think of anything that great again… but you will. The fact is that some of the best writing I’ve done is when I passed up seemingly great ideas and then came up with even better ones. Creative juices do not stop flowing. They may ebb, or even slow to a trickle, but they never stop. You’ll get that rush again, and before long, you’ll be steaming out another few chapters.

Remember, when in doubt, the book can wait. Your characters are fictional, off living their own lives, or dead (depending on fiction or non-fiction), so it doesn’t matter if you get everything down today or tomorrow. What does matter are the people right in front of you wanting to spend time with you. It may mean that you will take a lot longer to finish your book, but in the end it really is the better way.

Oh, and for those of you who will respond that your writing is your life…

PUT YOUR PEN OR COMPUTER DOWN, NOW!!! Put it down, go outside and go do something, anything else. Meet up with friends, go on a date, or if you have a family, take them out somewhere. Stay away from writing at least for a little while. You’ll be better off, believe me.

Thanks friends, catch you on the flip side,
Jim

October 1, 2020 + Heavy Metal, Inspiration, Metal, Music, Uncategorized, Writing

From My Writing Playlist

by Jim

I’ve said it before, Yanis Popadopoulis is a Greek God of vocals. His range is insane.

When to Listen: This is a hauntingly beautiful ballad. Honestly, it’s helping me write a novella about Qira’s internal struggles after the events of The Orphans of Haven.

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