Jamais Jochim
Bio
I'm the guy who knows every last fact about Spider-man and if I don't I'll track it down. I love bad movies, enjoy table-top gaming, and probably would drive you crazy if you weren't ready for it.
Stories (300)
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More Time Travel, Less Silliness Part 1
People have been writing about men traveling back in time for so long that even Mark Twain wrote a book using it as a plot device. However, while there are a lot of things that make it interesting to read, especially in the hands of someone who loves it, there are also lots of ways to mess it up. Generally, the person who messes it up usually doesn't bother with the "science" part of science fiction; they actually hate science and/or just want to deal with philosophical aspects using the tropes as metaphors. However, by looking at time travel more analytically, more ways of exploring things may be uncovered.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Action is More Than the Verbs
The demon appeared before them in a pillar of fire. Douglas unsheathed his sword and adopted a defensive stance. The pillar disappeared in a cloud of embers. The demon charged him. He swung his steel down. The demon dodged. Douglas adjusted for the demon's new position. The demon smiled. Douglas lunged. The demon parried the blade. Douglas pulled it back. The demon clawed at him. Douglas parried the talon, then stepped into the strike. He brought his sword across the demon. The demon split into two. Each half fell to the ground and melted into lava. Douglas allowed himself a moment to breathe.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
The Necessary Balance Between Light and Darkness
A Sailor and A Husband Consider if you will Odysseus and Darth Vader. Odysseus was a great person: He was loyal to his wife; he was able to maintain a love for his wife over 20 years. He was able to figure out clever solutions to hard problems, and there's no doubt that his crew was willing to follow him no matter where he would lead them. There's no question the guy was a hero.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Taking a Machine Gun to Your Darlings
Every so often, you're going to find yourself in a situation where you're going to write something you really, really love. And then realize that it really, really doesn't work for what you're writing. You're going to have to figure out what to do with it and no matter what you decide it's going to hurt: You're either going to have to put it away in a dungeon, possibly to never to see light again, or send it to oblivion. Neither choice is easy.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Eliminating Writer's Block the Easy Way
I don't care how good of a writer you think you are, but eventually, at some point in time you need to deal with a good old-fashioned writer's block. It's going to be a major frustration. and that frustration is actually going to cause you to be more blocked. That block is going to cause you to be more frustrated which will cause more blocking.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Classes Every Comic Book Writer Should Take
Few schools offer a comic book writing major. Sadly, this means that you're not really going to find an actual curriculum that's really going to help prepare you for the rigors of comic book writing. Instead, what you're going to have to do is take a basic English major writing major, and cobble together a lot of electives to get the education you need. So let's look at those electives.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
How to Find Inspiration
Here's the deal: I can tell you what inspires me or I can tell you a lot of inspirational sources. It's easy to tell you what has inspired me, but it's almost impossible to tell you what's going to inspire you; every writer is different and has their own different perspective and point of view on things. Because of that the stuff that you find really interesting won't be the same thing someone else finds interesting.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Recharging 101
One of the problems with being a writer is that we have a dysfunctional relationship with the Well of Ideas. Sometimes it will overflow and we'll get frustrated because we have no way of keeping up with the flow; we'll take as many notes as we can in hopes of having something in the dry times. And the well of ideas will run dry, driving us crazy because we can't figure out how to reconnect to the flow.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Before You Begin to Write
When it comes down to it, there are two different types of writers: plotters and pantsers. A pure plotter needs to have everything outlined, detailed, and otherwise ready to go. A pure pantser, on the other hand, goes by the seat of their pants: They want to totally improvise their book, with no real plot outlined, looking to find the plot as they go; they want to find things out as they go, hoping to be surprised as they go.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
Do You Have a Story to Write?
One of the worst parts about writing is putting a lot of time and effort into a story, and then finding out that you just don't want to write it about halfway through. One of the biggest reasons why is that, for any number of reasons, there are just too many issues with the story; some of us recognize exactly why while others of just realize that intuitively. The basic problem is that relying on crutches is usually the worst way to create a story; you just have so little actual input yourself that the story is going to be weak and therefore a pretty bad read.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
How To Find An Artist
Finding an artist for your comic can be all sorts of fun. The problem is that most writers just can't draw and so need to find someone who can. This means that they need to frequently find places where artists hang out, frequent, or generally visit in order to find an artist for their project. You need to find someone who is willing to do the art for you, and you need to try a number of different places in order to find the best possible for your needs and given your limitations. Make sure that you offer something worth his time, and you should find a decent artist.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
How to Set Up a Script
Every comic starts with a script. You need to start somewhere, and that's usually the best spot to begin. The script is where you stop worrying about the concept and start seeing what it can do; it gives you a chance to see if the settings and characters actually have legs, or if something needs to be changed, however subtly or radically. Ultimately, the script is where everything starts getting together and you get to see what the comic will actually look like.
By Jamais Jochimabout a year ago in Writers
