Right now, I’m laying in a hotel bed typing this column on my iPhone. That’s one of the magical things about writing. Writers are sort of like time travelers. I’m communicating with the future. Originally, I had a column about… Read More ›
self-analysis
2018 Review of James Master
“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” – John 8:7 (NKJV). I like to judge and criticize books, movies, people, and even the State of Michigan. Upon reflection, I really shouldn’t though… Read More ›
Being Thankful (revised)
You might be wondering what I meant in the title when I said revised in parenthesis. I started writing this rant with the purpose of discussing what I’m thankful for due to it being so close to Thanksgiving. By the… Read More ›
Looking for lost magic
Pumpkin Spice Lattes, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, the onset of chillier weather, and scary movies. Those are just a few reasons why October is my favorite month. When I was growing up, before my parents divorced, we would all help decorate… Read More ›
The waiting game…
I hate waiting. I know, I know. You’re probably saying, “but Jim, you should never hate something because hate’s a strong word.” And you’re completely correct. Hate is a strong, harsh, and deplorable word that should only be used in… Read More ›
My top influences
I’m not sure if I’ve covered this topic and if I have then I apologize. I was filling out questions for an interview for another website and one of the questions asked about what book and/or author had influenced me… Read More ›
Healthy Writing 101
When I was a kid, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Of course, it would change constantly. First I wanted to be an archeologist because I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Then… Read More ›
Can your bad guys be… “good?”
Good and evil, night and day, black and white, chess and checkers, Stephen King and James Patterson, and chutes and ladders. Everything in life has an opposite. Since authors write stories that model real life, even stories have that opposition… Read More ›
Step Three: Add just a pinch of detail and description
Now that I’ve covered the meat and potatoes of a “good story” let’s talk about what kind of seasoning you should add to your meal. When you eat your dinner, have you ever tried it and thought that it lacked… Read More ›
Step Two: Bring your conflict to a rolling boil
For some unknown reason, this series about how to write a “good story” has sort of developed into a writing as a recipe type of thing. That wasn’t really how I was intending to do, but sometimes as a writer… Read More ›
The Writer's Apocalypse 