by Jim
Hi Jim, I’m having trouble with two separate stories I’m writing. I’ve got both of them complete, but neither one of them is particularly long and I don’t think they’re strong enough to stand by themselves. I wrote them as sort of a separate story in the same universe where the characters from both stories meet up at the end and basically finish off … Read More Two Stories In One
by Jim
This is definitely some of the more run of the mill Avantasia. Even so, I do love it. Seeing them live is still #1 on my bucket list. When to Listen: Adventure story, usually when the hero first metaphorically picks up his sword. When something or someone he loves is taken from him and he begins his journey to get it back. Readers, Do you … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
I’ve gotten a few questions asking about the possibility of a Drakin sequel. I want to make it clear that Raiya and Jagger’s story is complete. There really isn’t much more to go over with them. That having been said… yes there will be a follow-up story. I have just finished the preliminary work on the sequel. I’m currently on the second draft and … Read More A Drakin Sequel?
by Jim
I’m admittedly not a huge fan of these guys. Their lead singer’s voice just doesn’t fit very well and he often sounds like he’s straining to hit high notes. That being said, they do have some gems. This is one of them. Ghost Division from The Art of War. When to listen: Given who this song is about… I would say use it when creating your villain. The music isn’t all that dark, but it paints some decent imagery. On a side note, if you want a version with better vocals (sorry Sabaton fans!) Minniva does a pretty serviceable version: Readers, Do … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Hi Jim, I have a question maybe you can help with. I’m trying to write a fantasy novel dealing with biological warfare, but I don’t have a lot of scientific or medical knowledge. I don’t want it to sound like I have no idea what I’m talking about, but I want to try to explain the mechanics of how certain things work in the … Read More Expert Consulting on Fantasy?
by Jim
One of the few welcomed changes to the Star Wars classics. I was never a huge fan of Yub Nub. That being said, they ruined the scene this song was in by replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christiansen. RUINED ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL SCENES! When to Listen: If it wasn’t already plainly obvious, this is a post-final battle song. It fits in so many … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Hi Jim, I haven”t quite finished reading Drakin, but was really curious about something. First of all, congratulations on getting your book published, that’s quite an accomplishment! I really liked your character, Jagger. It really seems like you spent a lot more of time and focus on Raiya, but Jagger seems like the nice guy who would give you the shirt off his back. … Read More A Drakin Question!? (SPOILERS!)
by Jim
Ah an oldie, but one from I musician I loved back in college… and still do! I don’t think you can qualify him as metal, but who cares? Beyond his music, he’s also wonderful to his fans. I had the opportunity to see him live and then waited two hours in line to meet him after the show. It took two hours because he … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Hi Jim! I’m hoping you can help me here as a lot of your posts have been about political ideologies making bad stories. I want to write a fictional story with a moral and a political message, but upon rereading what I’ve already written, I’m worried about it being too preachy. Do you have any advice for me? Thanks! Leah Hi Leah, Good question. … Read More Being Preachy Doesn’t Sell.
by Jim
Okay, I love Hammerfall, but this version is too good to ignore. When to Listen: The primary struggle of the hero. Listen to this when your hero is coming face to face with their biggest issue. This does not necessarily mean the final fight. This could be an internal – emotional struggle that the hero most deal with. Readers, Do you have a question about … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
Hello all! So it’s been a couple of weeks now, it looks like sales are going well! Thanks BTW! So I know I haven’t been around in a while since I published Drakin and for that I do apologize. However I had some inspiration come my way… and actually managed to write out a full sequel in a matter of weeks. It’s really … Read More Drakin, where to buy, and what’s next?
by Jim
(Okay full disclosure before we get going, I know a lot of people don’t consider Avatar to be Anime, however in many aspects, I think it is close enough in many aspects. Stylistically, it is very similar to things like Studio Ghibli and other mediums.) If it wasn’t plainly obvious, I love anime! Cowboy Beebop, Battleship Yamato, Trigun, Naruto, Ruroni Kenshin, Fairy Tail, … Read More The Problem with Anime Live Action Portrayals
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