by Jim
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 […]
by Jim
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 […]
by Jim
Yeah, don’t look at me like that. No, I don’t speak Spanish, but I love the mix of U2, one of my guilty pleasures, and a Latino twist. When to Listen: … Standard playlist. It’s upbeat and fun. So whenever. . 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 … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
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 […]
+ advice, books, Fiction, non-fiction, Opinion, Uncategorized, Writing
by Jim
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 … Read More Levying Criticism
+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Inspiration, Metal, Uncategorized, Writing
by Jim
Avantasia Runaway Train: I’ve been dying to post another Avantasia song. I love this musical collaboration. Each CD is a story written by Edguy’s lead, Tobias Sammet… the Mozart of Modern Metal (Sorry, it’s true). The song is a rollercoaster ride. sad and reflective to upbeat and fast back to reflective. When to listen: This is a brainstorming song. Listen to it before writing when … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE OTHER BOOKS!!! “Sister, we can’t let this happen, you know what he’s planning!” “We don’t have a choice Roselyn. I feel the same way you do, but the council has ruled. We are not allowed to interfere, it’s not our world.” “But Ariel, if he does it wrong, he could destroy both worlds!” “That’s a risk we’re … Read More Magnifica: Gravestalker
by Jim
Cassidy and Lloyd differ from most of my other stories because they aren’t part of an ensemble cast. They’re a duet with neither character having a true claim to the main protagonist role. Some chapters have Cassidy doing more than Lloyd and others have her along for the ride. Typically, we have a main hero […] via Partners in Fiction: Writing Duos of the Dynamic … Read More A good view on characterization!
by Jim
Oh hell yeah! This song, especially the beginning, is a battle song. No doubt about it. When the choir starts their harmony right at the beginning, close your eyes and picture too massive medieval armies lining up on either sides of a war torn battlefield. They stair each other down as the rain falls around them and lighting breaks the skies above. Readers, Do … Read More From My Writing Playlist
by Jim
My Gateway to Edguy and thus Avantasia… I love this song. It’s up, it’s down, it’s got power, and it goes from positive to negative and back very quickly. When to listen: Boss battle. This may be because I played a flash game where this was the boss battle music, but it is damn appropriate. Yes, play this when your character is confronting the … Read More From My Playlist
by Jim
In English, this song is called ‘The Call of the Mountains’ however the English version, which has a music video I will post below is NOT the version on my playlist: Wise men have said that you haven’t heard a song until you’ve heard it in the band’s native tongue. Honestly… yeah… truer words have never been spoken. Even if you don’t speak the … Read More From My Writing Playlist…
+ advice, fantasy, Inspiration, literature, Music, Reading, Writing
by Jim
Yeah, no Heavy Metal playlist is complete without at least 5 songs by Dragonforce. This song is pure adrenaline. It makes you feel good, it’s upbeat, and I love it. When to Listen: Well, it’s on my general playlist and I like to listen to it whenever, but if you’re looking for a specific time to listen to it… burnout. I’m not kidding. Are … Read More From My Writing Playlist
James Harringtons Creative Work 