by Jim
So I wanted to take a moment and introduce some of the new characters that will be appearing in the next book. If you’d rather wait until it comes out to read about them, feel free to skip this post. Sergeant Radley Zall: Radley grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. After his parents died in the Red War, he was moved to an orphanage. He lived … Read More A Drakin Sequel. Character Introduction
by Jim
First of all, I want to thank everyone for the kind email of support! Your critiques and comments are what keep me writing! I may not be able to respond to every comment and critique I get, but rest assured I do love reading every single one of them and make every effort to get back to you! As stated before, yes there will … Read More A Drakin Sequel? Updated
by Jim
Hi Jim, I’m sure you’ve answered this before, but I can’t find it in any of your recent posts. I finished my book and just finished running spell check. Everything looks good and the only things it says I still have to fix are grammar errors that are part of the dialogue. Is that sufficient for submitting it to publishers? Thanks, Michel Hi Michel, … Read More Is Spellcheck Enough?
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.
James Harringtons Creative Work 