James lives in Keene, New Hampshire with his lovely wife Caitlyn, their two dogs, and one cat demon. He makes full use of his psychology and sociology degrees in his day-job as a planning analyst for a local manufacturing company where he mostly solves complex logic puzzles, dreaming of the day when he can write full time and teach others to do the same. When he isn't working, daydreaming, or writing science fiction or fantasy, he enjoys games of all types, reading, and TV. And spending time with his wife. In no particular order, he swears.
What I Write
Currently dark fantasy, such as The Song of Brone: A Novel of the Breaking. I enjoy magical-medieval novels and intend to write those primarily. However, I also plan to write a young-adult science-fiction novel as well as a fantasy-humor novel in the vein of the late, great, Terry Pratchett. It’s not that I like to live in other worlds, I just have a god-complex and writing fantasy gives me ample opportunity to create as many gods as I want to lord over. And a whole lot of other stuff too. Thankfully, I don’t suffer from world-builder’s disease, though I certainly used to. The fast-paced high flexibility required by D&D broke me out of that habit. Thanks WotC!
Who I Write (For)
Myself. Pithy and self-absorbed, I know, but I’m the market I understand most. But I write for nerds, geeks, fans of well-thought-out world settings, grognards, fat beards (aging or otherwise), and those that like representative sci-fi and fantasy written by a cis-gendered white guy with limited world experience. There’s something for everybody in the larger body of my (planned) work, between humor, dark fantasy, young adult sci-fi, and more. But if you like worlds where the social effects of technology/magic and societal structure affect the plot in consequential ways, you’ll love my stuff.
Where I Write
The basement. It’s not exactly a man-cave, but you could be forgiven for making that mistake. I have a cheap desk I bought from Wal-Mart a decade ago that’s still intact enough to use. There’s a couch nearby where the pups join me for my writing adventures, mostly sleeping, groaning, or begging for attention. The interruptions are brief enough they don’t cause problems and who doesn’t enjoy some puppy-love every now and then? My PC is a dual-monitor setup built for gaming and co-opted for my hobby of choice. There are other distractions around, like a TV and an XBoxOne, but I don’t fall victim to their 8-bit wiles. Much.
When I Write
I do most of my writing after I get home from my day-job. On the weekends I’ll write first thing in the morning, right after I take the dog out; he’s my alarm clock. I usually write in two to three hour stints of furious typing, with an average output of 1,000 words an hour. I don’t time myself, set word count goals, or use snazzy motivational tools, though 4thewords intrigues me as it appeals to the D&D player within. During editing I’ll inevitably cut 20-40% of what I wrote and replace half that. Steven King’s equation is my guidepost: 2nd draft = 1st draft - 10%. I try to beat him as often as I can.
How I Write
Craft and process questions in a couple hundred words or less? I’m an author, not a miracle worker. Seriously though, my process is a beautiful mess of structure and chaos. I reserve time every day to write something for my latest work. Not blog, or social network posts, actual project-related writing. Every day, no exceptions. I also spend a half-hour to an hour daily reading about the craft from experts, which includes blogs, books about writing, and such. I’m fortunate enough to have a day-job where I can use headphones, so I listen to four to six hours of craft and history related podcasts five days a week. And I try to read at least one book in the genre I’m writing in every week or two. If you want more detail than this, check out my blog posts under the category: Process. I’ll post regularly on that sort of thing, because lets face it: I’m still discovering my process.
Why I Write
I enjoy it. Well, that’s not accurate. According to my wife, I get cranky if I don’t write often enough. Two to three times weekly seems sufficient to manage my addiction, but I prefer to get my fix daily. Beyond that, I love telling stories, or talking in general. A book is kind of like getting to talk at someone for six to ten hours (or way more if you’re Brandon Sanderson) and they can’t interrupt. And they pay you for it. But most importantly, I write to elicit a strong emotional response in the reader. To explore ideas, feelings, and circumstances outside my normal day-to-day life. To learn from it, to improve as a writer and a human being. I need to blend in after all.