Tag: literature

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Writing Modern People in Fiction

Hello, Jim– I was wondering if you had any insight to offer on a dilemma I’m facing in a current novella draft: The story is a blend of Alternate History and general scifi, set in a world where a much more aggressive Space Race and Cold War has led to the establishment of a joint USA-USSR colony on the Moon by the late 1990s, … Read More Writing Modern People in Fiction

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Destiny: Divinity’s Finale, Chapter 3

III   A creaking noise roused Melisande early the next morning. Hoping to avoid a lecture from Sister Mary, she got up and got dressed quickly. Once again, she threw open her windows and peered out. To her amazement, the sun had barely peaked over the horizon. It was earlier than she was used to […]

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Destiny: Divinity’s Finale, Chapter 2

II   Melisande spent the next few hours reading from the Bible at her bedside. She also had a small collection of parchment that she enjoyed going through. Her favorite was a small piece about ships at sea and the voyages that man had taken in the last 200 years. She knew all about the […]

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Destiny: Divinity’s Finale Chapter 1

Book 1 A Simple Dream I Normandy 1601 The sound of loud church bells drove Melisande from her bed in the residence cells of Mont Saint Michel. She stood up, slid her feet into her wooden sandals and opened her window to let the sun in. This day was special for her as it was […]

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Destiny: Divinity’s Finale

Hello all, Since starting work on Soul Siphon, I’ve been unable to decide whether I wanted to green light the third and final installment of the Divinity Saga. An adventure/romance fantasy story called ‘Destiny.’ This story takes place years after the events of the first two novels. In any case, instead of putting it to […]

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Private Life. Professional Appearance.

  Hi Jim, Since starting writing both my books and my blog, I’ve been getting a lot of friend requests to my primary social media accounts. Part of me doesn’t want these people to have access to my personal information and the things I talk about with my friends… I’ve heard of being doxxed for their opinions, stalked, etc. However I really don’t want … Read More Private Life. Professional Appearance.

Silencing Critics, Validates Them.

Anyone who has read my blog, knows that I have had to field many questions regarding how to handle criticism and reviews. My advice has always been a hands-off approach of engagement. Discussion and dialogue are always the best way to understand another person’s criticisms and concerns. In the end, you may find out that the other person has a valid point that you … Read More Silencing Critics, Validates Them.

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Delaying the Inevitable.

  Hi Jim, I’m just about to publish, but I don’t think the book is ready. I set a release date so that everyone would be ready and excited, but now I feel like I’ve really roped myself into a corner. I want to do more work on the book, but I don’t want to disappoint my fans. What should I do? -Miles Hi … Read More Delaying the Inevitable.

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Contempt for the Contemptful Reader

  Dear Jim, I’ve read some of your other posts and was wondering if you had any advice for me. A lot of your other posts have taken stabs at identity politics. I think you and I fall on opposite ends of the spectrum, but I figured I’d give this a shot. For a long time, I’ve wanted to write a strong lesbian character. … Read More Contempt for the Contemptful Reader

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Unfinished Works and What To Do With Them.

  Hi Jim, I have a number of stories that I’ve just completely run out of steam on. I don’t want to finish them, I’m not enthusiastic about writing them anymore. I was wondering, what do you think I should do with them? I spent a lot of time on them and it seems a shame to just up and delete them. What do … Read More Unfinished Works and What To Do With Them.

Writing Time Travel: What Works and What Makes No Sense.

It’s said that if you bend but one shade of grass, you run the risk of altering history… I see a lot of stories, shows, and movies dealing in time travel, how it ‘works’ and the consequences of using it. I usually try not to write about it in my stories for a few reasons… One, time travel is a headache to figure out. … Read More Writing Time Travel: What Works and What Makes No Sense.

Suspending Suspension of Disbelief!

Hi Jim, I have a little problem that I was hoping you could assist me with. I’ve had quite a few people read my story and the overall criticism is that one of the characters isn’t believable. They keep saying that the way the character behaves and the things she does, don’t fit in with the story. This really bothers me as this is … Read More Suspending Suspension of Disbelief!