DIY Comic Book Table

I was looking online for some cool ideas to put my old comic books to use and I thought I would share this with everyone. I came across an old, but definitely sweet video by cakeycharms on how to make a comic book covered desk. If you are squeamish around brutal paper violence, you may not want to watch the video...or do the project. Otherwise check it out:

The video goes step-by-step on how to make the table, but the main concept can be applied to any surface. Chairs, shoes, that bird feeder you had to build in shop class that looked more like sifter pan the 49ers used in the wild west. Just me?

Anyways, the most five important materials you need are: 

1. Comic Books, duh!
2. Mod Podge
3. Clear, non-yellowing sealer
4. Brushes
5. And Masking Tape

Make sure to clean the surface you wish work on and outline any edges or areas you don't with to be affected with the masking tape. Then, start placing the comic pieces on the surface and cover with a layer of Mod Podge. 

Quick tip: Make sure to move quick as Mod Podge dries fast. 

I plan on doing this in the coming weeks, but it will probably be something much smaller. I will update everyone on it via Twitter. 

If anyone has tried this and has any tips or better techniques, post a comment below. I would love to see other people try this as well so feel free to post photos in the comments as well. 

-J. J. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - What Does It Mean?

As many of you may know, the Star Wars movie had its title released this week, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," but many people are trying to figure out what it means. Conspiracy theories are everywhere, some realizing that the title (when combined with the seventh movie) spells out a sentence.

I don't personally like going too deep down the rabbit hole when it comes to speculation of new movies, but it did get me thinking: "Who is the Last Jedi?"

Who could it be?

The first answer that probably comes to mind is Luke. Its pretty obvious that he could possibly be the last remaining Jedi, but I think there is more to it. If we recall back to the last movie, it was said in passing that Luke trained others to become Jedi (Kylo Ren being one of them). This implies the idea that there are, in fact, other Jedi roaming the galaxy. Obviously it was short-lived due to his self-committed exile, but it still leaves a few. The movie is most likely going to focus on Rey's training to become a Jedi with the help of Luke and ultimately Luke's demise. It would make sense based on the title. Still, I think there may be other Jedi still waiting in the wind, afraid to stand against the enemy at large.

We may not know how many Jedi, if any, are left, but here is a few that I would like to see in the movie. Keep in mind, the ones on this list are have nothing to do with the Jedi's Luke may have trained.

Strikes fear in the eyes of his enemies...especially Boba.

Pulling a Bindo isn't what you think it is...Mace wouldn't have done that is all I am saying.

1. Mace Windu - I know what you're thinking, "He died when 'unlimited power' threw him half across the city of Coruscant." Probably, but I would like to believe that it didn't kill him. Instead, he survived. His force mastery - along with a little luck - helped Mace survive the fall and he put himself into exile like most Jedi. In his hiding and with the pain of being betrayed by Anakin, I think Mace would essentially become a Gray Jedi. For those who are unfamiliar with a Gray Jedi, a gray Jedi is a Jedi who has walked the line between the light and dark side of the force, but didn't fall to the dark side or follow the Jedi Code. To get a better understanding of it, I recommend playing the game, "Knights of the Old Republic KOTOR." In the game, you meet a gray Jedi by the name of Jolee Bindo, who is basically a crazy old man in the woods and he prefers to stay that way. He didn't believe the Order was doing the right thing and followed his own path, similar to Robin Hood. I feel like Mace would take a similar role with the betrayal of Anakin against the Order and the lack of Jedi remaining. A pessimism and anger would probably overwhelm him in his solitude, but he would stay steady when approached by simple people. It would be cool to see Mace show up while Rey, Finn, and Poe are on some sort of adventure. Once again, I know this is unlikely, but I think it would be pretty cool to see him as the last Jedi.
2. Ben Solo - So, this is where it gets complicated. Kylo Ren isn't considered a Jedi. A follower of Snoke, he is simply a Knight of Ren, which is a Sith alternative in this new universe. Now this is my brother's theory, but I think its pretty cool: Rey is trained by Luke, Kylo is trained by Snoke, both are dealing with opposite internal issues. Rey is dealing with anger and abandonment while Kylo is dealing with the guilt of killing his father and the inevitable pull of the light side on his mind and heart. Both are trained and again confront each other, but this time their respective masters each try to convince the other of their wrong doings. Snoke pulls at Rey's sense of anger and abandonment and Luke's pulls at Kylo's guilt. At this point, they switch. Rey betrays Luke, killing him, and joins Snoke. Kylo, on the other hand, goes to Luke's side and turns his back on the New Order and becomes Ben Solo. And Finn is heartbroken that his girl straight up left for the less attractive bad boy. Gosh, I feel really bad for Finn if that's true.

1. Rey - In the case that Luke trains Rey - with some resistance along the way - she will become the last Jedi and Luke is more than likely killed by either Snoke, Kylo, or a combination of them both. Or heart attack, but I think that would be a touchy subject (RIP Carrie Fisher). Regardless, she would be, in theory, the last Jedi. Hurrah!

*I know Rey defaulted to one again, I can't figure out how to fix it like a normal person. Maybe she is the last Jedi after all? #Squarespaceknows!

So, these are my ideas on what the last jedi title could have in store for us. Most of these scenarios seem unlikely as I feel Rian Johnson is going to blow us away with something nobody thought of and that makes me excited!

Anyways, those are my thoughts, but I would like to hear what you guys think. Who do you think is the last Jedi? Is Mace Windu alive? Does Ben Solo leave the New Order? Find out this December on DragonBallz!

I barely remember this show and feel bad about it...

In all seriousness, leave a comment on what you think. I would love to hear it!

Minnesota Writing Workshop

I am going on trip, far away from here...if far is about two hours away. On February 11th, I am attending my first writing workshop! I have never been to one before, so I am hoping this will be a great experience to meet fellow writers and learn more about the writing world.

The Minnesota state flag is pretty awesome!

The workshop is taking place in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront. I am just super excited so that's all I can think about right now. What I am most excited about is meeting the other writers, agents, and editors. Each of them are going to have a different experience in the writing world and there is going to be so much I can learn about.

Looks fancy...except for the construction equipment on the reflection.

If anyone is thinking about going to this workshop, you may want to signup soon as the workshop is filling up quick (about 140/150 as of today). For me, this is a great risk as well. I am not the most social of butterflies and anxiety really gets to me when I am put in an uncomfortable situation. Letting other people examine my work through offered critiques and pitches is tough. You put all this work in on a project and you have to build this tough skin to endure rejections of your work (even if it is only pieces of it). In the past, I have received great feedback from writing groups and teachers, but a part of me felt they weren't as critical as they needed to be. A great support group? For sure! But, I feel some could have really barreled into with some much needed real talk. I really want to take my writing to the next level and I feel this is an important way to do it. My goal is to keep an open mind and really take those critiques to my head, not my heart, and improve my writing for publication.

If all goes well, I will hopefully have a few new connections and some great critiques to improve my writing. At worst, I will have a great experience that will open the door to the writing world and what I will need to do to be successful.

The better stories I create, the more people I can hope to impact. Hopefully make them laugh, think, and have a genuinely good time!

Next week I will get back on the comic book blog path. So, I will leave you with this: (WARNING: There are cuss words...if you care)

My Favorite Superhero

Everyone was introduced to the comic book world in a different way. Some grew up going to comic book stores, browsing the history-filled collections and waiting patiently for the next edition to be dropped off. Some watched the amazing adventures on TV and sought them out during birthdays and holidays. Others read them quietly in the corner of the grocery store, waiting for their mother to retrieve them from the monotonous drag of shopping. I was in the last camp.

My brother and I would tuck ourselves in the corner, away from the busy shoppers, and seek out gaming magazines. On occasion, we would be lucky to find a Dark Horse comic book and read the latest Star Wars adventure. Now, that was my first actual comic book experience, but it got me wondering who I would consider to be my favorite superhero. I know, my mind works in weird ways.

I don't think I could say who my single favorite superhero is outright because I like so many of them. But, if I had to say just one, I would probably say Wolverine.

I feel like Wolverine was the model for every Gears of War character...#Probably

Beast and Dr. Harold Winston are practically the same...minus the blue.

I remember watching, not reading, Wolverine on Saturday morning cartoons. My brother and I would wake up early (like 6 or 7am), sneak down our creaky stairs, grab a box of dry cereal, and start watching our favorite shows. It was the usually suspects of the 90s/2000s: Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon, Digimon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sherlock Holmes, Gargoyles, and X-Men. Are any of these shows still on the air? I have no idea. Pokemon and TMNT have to be right?

Anyways, I always liked seeing X-Men because of Wolverine. Being a small kid, I liked having a superhero I could kind of relate with. Having never reached the average males height, Wolverine remained special because his size. He was small, but strong. He was hardworking and had the coolest costume. Plus, who else can shot claws out of their hands!

As I have gotten older, I started to enjoy all the superheroes more and more (especially Deadpool) and it made the idea of having one favorite superhero quite unrealistic. So, if anyone asks me who my favorite superhero is a month, year, or several years from now, I would probably say I don't have one. Yet, deep down, I think it will always be Wolverine.

Or Spiderman...he was cool too!

Here's looking at you kid!

What is your favorite superhero? Leave a comment below and tell me what your favorite superhero(es) is/are. - J.J.

Top 5 Upcoming Comic Book Movies for the New Year!

I was reading a bit of news this week and I stumbled upon an article on yahoo called, "Why 2017 may be the year of 'comic book nirvana' for superhero movies." I breezed through the article like a swift breeze in a sweatshop and it got me thinking about the new comic book movies for this year.

If you read the article, it will it mostly talks about the movies from a broad, money-centrist point of view. It makes sense. We would have never seen this many comic book films if they weren't financially successful. But for me, I would rather just be generally excited to see the likes of Cyborg, Wonder Woman, and Old Man Logan jump off the pages of the comics.

So, in that spirit, here are the 5 upcoming comic book movies I am most excited for:

#1: Spider-Man: Homecoming

I am probably most excited for this one of all them. Watching the trailer and seeing Tom Holland in Civil War made me feel like we are finally going to see a genuine, comic book accurate Spider-Man. Plus, I miss the old high school vibes in movies, reminds me of the 90s.

#2: Logan

The story sounded interesting based on my limited knowledge with the Old Man Logan comic books, but the trailer really blew me away. The pacing was solid and a unique music choice gave it an indie, western feel. If the trailer is like the movie, I think audiences (critics and non-critics alike) will be quite surprised. Award run?

#3: Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman had an awesome trailer (I mentioned it when I first started the blog), but my biggest worry is on the writing front. Gal Gadot proved she can play the character, but the more I played the trailer, I can't help but wonder if some of her lines are a bit weak. I think this movie is quite important for the future of DC movies, but it should live up.

#4: Thor: Ragnarok

I would have had Guardians at this position, but something seems oddly intriguing about this movie. I know absolutely nothing about it other than the director and the funny mockumentary. I can't even find a quality trailer. I think its an interesting move and it makes me want to see it even more.

#5: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

First time this movie came out I had no idea how people were going to respond. I could have seen it be a success or a flop. Thankfully the latter wasn't true and it was a nostalgic sci-fi ride. Now they Tango & Cash! It's going to be a wild ride.

So what are your favorite upcoming comic book films? Do you agree or disagree with this list? I would love to hear you, so leave a comment down below.

See ya next Friday...or on Twitter I guess - J.J.

New Year, New Goals, New Everything!

It's New Year's Eve and during this time of year everyone is putting out New Year resolutions. Instead of New Year resolutions, I would rather do goals. So, without further ado, here are my New Year goals.

Sad robot is waiting for the ball to drop...2016 was rough for him.

1. Blog every Friday: Yep, you heard it here first. As you may know, my blog posts have been weekly, but inconsistent. So, I will be moving them to Friday to accommodate my schedule and start the weekend off right...accompanied by movies, good books, and video games.
2. Get five short stories published: As you may have seen, I have only released one short story for viewing and I really want to do more. However, publishing them on my website is completely different than getting a story published in a magazine or anthology. I hope to get some of my short stories published in Asimov, Clarkesworld, Analog, or the ultimate long-shot for my romance stories...The New Yorker.
3. Read more novels...and finish them: I don't read nearly as much as I should. I haven't finished Dune...or Wool...or Game of Thrones...or Mr. Mercedes...or whatever book I plan on buying this weekend.
4. Attain agent representation for my novel: I have a novel written, edited, beta-read, and edited again. All I need to do is find the right agent. In order to accomplish this goal, I plan on submitting queries to 2-3 agents per week.
5. Lose Weight: I know I sound like every January member at Fitness Evolution, but I do need to work on it. The weight is packing on too easily and wanting to stick around like the cold death grip of Minnesota's winter. It's time for me to melt a modest 10 pounds of fat through consistent workout and smarter eating.

So, now you know my New Year goals. What are your goals? Leave a comment on what yours are or message me on Twitter. May you all have a great New Year and remember: Don't be like the sad robot above.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - "Review"

On Saturday, December 19th at 10am, my brother and I relaxed in reclining leather seats and watched a story from a galaxy far far away! Below, I will be giving a short review and general thoughts on this film (and I can already say its pretty positive). Keep in mind readers who haven't watched it yet that I will be having some major spoilers beyond this point, so if you want to keep it a surprise, avert you eyes away now.

When i sat down and watched the LucasFilm logo flash on the screen, I was excited and ready to be transported into another world. And transported at hyper-speed I was!

Immediately after, I was surprised by the lack of one classic Star Wars staple: the story crawl.

Every Star Wars film had the crawl; it was as iconic as the opening theme that blasted my eardrums with joy. Instead, Rogue One jumped right into the story. I already had an inkling that this was going to happen (stupid media rumors), so I wasn't to thrown off by the possibility. Also, it made sense. This is really just another story within Star Wars, not the main story line we all have fallen in love with. Still, lets talk about the story.

THE STORY

I actually enjoyed the story immensely and was refresehed by the new direction of the film. It had much more of a "war" focus and felt grittier than other Star Wars films. Below I will recap the story, but if you care not to read it, feel free to skip ahead:

The face of a James Bond villian...

The story jumps us to an imperial ship landing on the home planet of Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones), daughter of Galen Erso (played by Mads Mikkelsen). The imperials were sent to retrieve Galen, who was responsible for creating the super laser for the Death Star. Galen, realizing his inability to refuse, sent his wife and daughter to hide and wait for a rebellion friend, Saw Gerrera (played by lazy eye master, Forest Whitaker). However, the escape plan goes off course as the Jyn's mother doubles back to defend her husband. She confronts the imperial soldiers, lead by Orson Krennic (played by Ben Mendelsohn) and is killed in a gunfight. The group takes Galen and searches for Jyn. Unable to find her, they leave. After an unspecified amount of time, Saw Gerrera arrives and takes Jyn to safety. Then we fast forward.

One is not like the other...because one of them is evil.

Years later, see a rebel spy, Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) find information about a potential weapon called a planet killer (a.k.a. Death Star) and its creators. It leads to them finding and extracting Jyn from Imperial capture. While Jyn was being extracted, she reacted like any normal rebellious fighter, she rebelled.

Busting out and was able to smell fresh oxygen until a reprogrammed imperial droid by the name of K-2S0 (played by the lovable Alan Tudyk), "congratulated" her for being rescued. The rebels gave her an offer she couldn't refuse, help them find Galen and they would let her free. Cassian, K-2S0, and Jyn then headed off to the planet of Jedha to find a imperial deserter and friend of Galen Erso, Bodhi Rook (played by the multi-talented actor and rapper, Riz Ahmed). What made this really interesting is although Jyn was looking to get her father back, Cassian was under orders to kill Galen once he was found.

The group arrived on Jedha and were soon in the middle of a rebel attack on the Imperial controlled planet that was harvesting crystals to power the Death Star. After an insane battle, they are soon surrounded by Imperial forces. It wasn't until a blind warrior, Chirrut Imwe (played by Ip Man and martial art master, Donnie Yen), and his gun totting heavy sidekick, Baze Malbus (played by Jiang Wen) that they were able to escape the Imperial forces. That didn't stop them from being captured by a splinter rebel forces group. They were taken to their leader, who just so happened to be, Saw Gerrera.

Saw Gerrera gives Jyn a holo message from her father where he explains that he created a flaw in the Death Star (the one we are all familiar with) and that the plans needed to be given to the rebels right away if they were to have any chance to defeat it. It was at the end of message that the Empire planned to test the power of the Death Star on the Jedha. Not utilizing its full potential, they focused the attack solely on the city of Jedha. The rebel group, including their new friends and deserter pilot all left the planet just in time to escape the devastating effects of the Death Star's blast.

With the help of the former imperial pilot, they go to Galen's base of operations and hope to extract him (or in Cassian's case, kill him). As they try to fly under the radar on the stormy planet, they crash land outside of the landing area. Cassian and Bohdi leave the ship to find Galen, Cassian hoping to assassinate Galen without Jyn knowing. However, the wise words of blind Chirrut cause Jyn to go after her father. The

The attempt goes array after Rebel ship are dispatched to the base and attack. The attack leaves Galen dead and the extraction plan ruined. They regroup at Yavin 4 and talk with the rebellion council to encourage an attack at Scarif to retrieve the Death Star plans. Although his had split support, ultimately the council decided against it. Cassian, trusting Jyn, gathers a small group of rebel fighters and take a stolen Imperial ship named Rogue One to the Scarif.

If the most enjoyable character is the largest, this is completely accurate...but they need to make Donnie Yen bigger.

Cassian, K-2S0, and Jyn steal imperial uniforms and infiltrate the main archival tower while therest of the rebels caused a distraction. It was an epic 300 like battle where you knew that escape was impossible. Cassian and Jyn get inside and find the plans, labeled Stardust. Unable to go back to upload after K-2S0's sacrifice, they climbed the archive tower to the top relay dish. As they climbed , they were attacked by Orson and his Death troopers. Cassian is shot and Jyn climbs solo. Jyn gets to the top and puts the plans into the relay system. Unable to send, she re-positions the relay dish. Once she finished, she heads back to send the plans to the rebel forces. A TIE fighter comes out of nowhere and shoots the bridge and tosses Jyn back. She climbs back up and heads for the console when, you guessed it, Orson arrives holds her at blaster point. He gives his claim to victory when Cassian, you guessed it again, shots Orson. Jyn sends the plans to the rebel forces and the rebel forces that could retreat fled.

The Death Star arrives at the Scarif and destroys the base, killing all the remain rebels, including Cassian and Jyn.

Gosh, that was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be and I didn't mention the imperial side. Anyways, the story blends perfectly with Episode 4, leaving right were we start in Episode 4. The ending scene with Darth Vader laying waste to rebels was something straight out of a sci-fi horror story. It was awesome! What was also awesome were all the new characters.

CHARACTERS

Cassian Andor and K-2S0 looking at amazed at life...or the impending doom rolling toward them.

It was great to see some brand new faces and it really showed off the universe with the casting choices. In film, diversity has been made into a somewhat controversial topic of discussion, but necessary. Some argue diversity is needed (which I agree), but not at the cost of changing original stories with per-determined characters (sort of agree, sort of don't agree). What is great about Star Wars and most sci-fi stories is that having diverse cast is actually needed to create a better story. It doesn't feel forced or pandering to a certain crowd, it just feels normal. Each character had something interesting to bring to the story and each was truly unique. From Cassian's order focused spy life, to a Chirrut's force focused ability to overcome his blindness, it was great to see.

Blind Ip Man in a galaxy far, far, away...

Of all the characters, my two favorite would have to be K-2S0 and Chirrut. K-2S0 was once again another lovable droid, but with a fun sense of humor. He was one part C-3PO, one part Boba Fett, all hilarity. His humor is on full display on Jedha and again on Scarif when he dispatches Storm troopers.

Chirrut was nearly the opposite of K-2S0. Not to say he didn't have a great line on Jedha ("Why are you putting a bag on my head, I'm blind!"), but overall he was mostly a stoic, wise force believer. In Rogue One, they really put focus on the Force as a belief or spirituality instead of a actual power. His character was also one bad dude! Defeating a handful of storm troopers with only his staff is beyond awesome!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Don't Mess with the Moff!

My last thought that I want to mention is the use of CGI in the movie. I was quite surprised when I saw Peter Cushing return from the grave to reprise his role as Grand Moff Tarkin. We first saw the technology used first in Gladiator and later a more refined version in Fast & Furious and Marvel's Captain America: Civil War. Then later in the movie we see Princess Leia, who hadn't aged a day since Episode 4 in the 1970s. The technology was quite incredible and as much as they used Grand Moff Tarkin in the movie was quite a testament to the improvements made. I could definitely see this be used to continue aging actors careers in long running franchises in a few years. Rogue One was a great movie and although it had a few short comings with the writing (like sassy Vader), I felt it was still a great addition to the Star Wars universe.

Well, I was really long winded today...I am sorry about that. If you enjoyed it, let me know and I can do more movie "reviews" like this in the future. I am fully aware that this wasn't really a review and more of a synopsis with a few things I liked sprinkled in, but I enjoyed writing it to share with you the awesomeness of the movie.

I also want to thank everyone for signing up to the newsletter. I hope to have some awesome content come your way for the New Year. Also, finally shout out to Josh for winning the Lootcrate giveaway! I hope you enjoy the cool nerd merch!

May the Force be with You and enjoy the holiday season! -J.J.

Star Wars and Super Heroes

I know the holiday season isn't over, but the end of 2016 is coming and I realized I never really introduced myself. I mean sure, you read my bio, but lets be honest when we say it isn't the most interesting thing in the world. Silence has more interesting things to say.

Now, I don't want to go into my whole life story (maybe for a different day), but I wanted to get back to the roots of this blog that strictly focused on geek/nerd culture. As everyone surely knows, the new Star Wars film, ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story, is going to be out Friday and I wanted to share my own experience with Star Wars.

I'm drooling...its so pretty...

I have been a fan of Star Wars since I was a kid, watching the episodes four through six. Then I watched episode one at least 10 times, mostly to watch the Darth Maul fight scene. Regardless, in all of the films there was this sense of adventure and wonder that no other movie franchise has been able to capture. The spinoff games and TV shows only fueled my passions for Star Wars further, staying up late to play Jedi Outcast on the Gamecube until the game either frozen and lagged to the point unplayable.

Star Wars also got me into comic books, which opened up a fascinating new world of exploration filled with super heroes, mutants, and monsters. if you think about it, Star Wars was is kind of like a gateway drug of nerd culture, except without the dangerous side effects.

In short, I am super excited for another Star Wars movie and I look forward to many more!

Now to the second part of the title, Super Heroes. I recently re-discovered the ultimate recreations of impossible super hero battles through a group called, Bat in the Sun.

Super Power Beat Down is the name of the show that goes through a mismatch of super hero battles and recreates the potential outcomes based on people's votes (much like the battle above). I wanted to share that since I just got done re-watching a few of them.

Also, one last reminder that the Lootcrate giveaway ends Friday, December 16th. Make sure to signup for my newsletter for a chance to be the lucky winner.

NOTE: We have had some issues signing up. I believe I fixed all the issues, but If you have any, please tweet at me or send me an email through the contact page.

Updates for Everyone!

Hello patient people of the internet. Its Monday and I bring you news from the busy weekend. First, I want to give you an update on the ebook, then the giveaway.

After some research, I made the decision to go with Pronoun as the program to make the ebook. Pronoun is digital book publication platform that allows authors full control (and 100% of the profits) of their sold works.

I don't plan on using the platform to charge anyone as i want to put my short stories on here free of charge. I am still finalizing details, but I am confident that I will have this ebook done within two weeks. I hope to have it exclusive for my newsletter subscribers first, then for the general public.

**Update to post (12/7/2016): I am an idiot and realized that Pronoun was a platform, not an actual creator of ebooks. Sorry if I mislead anyone. I found a program to make the ebooks and should have it done hopefully this weekend.

Now on to the GIVEAWAY!

I have two words for it:

The geek gift wonder dream!

For the holiday season, I will be giving away a Loot Crate to one lucky subscriber. For those who are unfamiliar with Loot Crate, it is basically a grab box of random nerdy gifts corresponding with set themes. The theme for December is Revolution and will be packed with gear from a popular game franchise and two TV-shows:

• Assassin's Creed (I need to go see the movie)
• Mr. Robot (awesome show!)
• Firefly (another awesome show!)

I will be conducting this giveaway starting today and ending December 16th. On Saturday, December 17th, I will choose the lucky winner!

Remember, in order to be eligible for the giveaway, you must subscribe to the newsletter (otherwise I will have no way of letting you know that you won).

Also, I got some feedback last week about some people not receiving confirmation emails. The confirmation emails are going through, but they will sometimes show up in your junk or spam folder. Please check there if you don't receive an email within a few minutes.

In the meantime, keep an eye on your email as that ebook is coming and you might just be a winner too!

So, what are you waiting for? Subscribe below and get your chance at that awesome Loot Crate!

November has ended...on to DECEMBER!

Tim Allen as Santa Claus...I was expecting more power tools.

NarNoWriMo has ended and the holiday season is upon us. That can only mean one thing: Gifts! And Tim Allen, but not many people talk about him...

But, before I get into what to expect, I want to reflect quickly on the NarNoWriMo and hopefully encourage some of you to do it next year.

First, I am disappointed to say that I was unable to achieve the goal of 50,000 words in the month of November. I ended the month with 43,196 words. During the last couple of days, I saw the writing on the wall with holidays becoming a greater barrier than anticipated. Thankfully, my brother had a great perspective on it: "You may not have hit the word count, but did you finish the story? If you so, than you did it!"

Although I didn't hit the word count, I would say that I did finish the story from beginning to end. Was it my best writing? No. I can't believe anyone put out a bestseller with a first draft written in a month, but at least a story was completed. Editing is next! In fear of getting to wordy and not holding up to my word (I said I would reflect quickly), I have a bullet list below.

What I learned:

• Writing can't be done only when inspired, it must be consistent.
• It let me be okay with writing "bad" and put focus on finishing.
• Setting word goals can be a great motivator.
• I need to manage my time better to reach goals.
• I can write way more words in a day than I thought (Best day: 6,348 words).
• I can write a novella in a month, so I am pretty awesome!

Overall, I felt this was a great experience to help me reach my writing goals. My hope is anyone who is interested in writing would definitely take advantage of this opportunity next year. Plus, you don't have to pay to do. The only thing that is spent is your time. If you're not interested than lucky for you we are talking gifts next.

Not so fast...instant gratification is bad for you!

I enjoy the holiday season and I want to give back to great people who have been reading my blog, twitter, and/or subscribed to my newsletter. First, the ebook. It has been ALOT harder than I thought to make one. It shouldn't be, but it has been. I hope to have some progress this weekend and get it to subscribers soon. Once I get one done, another would hopefully be easier. I plan to have another free short story ebook in time for the holidays, unless you celebrate Hanukkah, I doubt I'll get it out by December 6th.

The last gift is a small giveaway. I am going to get those logistics figured out this weekend and have some information for you on Monday, December 5th. I haven't decided if I want to make it a secret, since it is a gift giving holiday season, but I am leaning toward letting everyone know what the giveaway is. Like I said, you will know (or won't know) more on Monday.

So, if you are interested in getting the free short story ebooks and potentially the giveaway prize, please remember to subscribe to my newsletter. If I get you email, it makes it easier for me to contact you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me through the contact page. If you can also follow me on twitter if you want to keep up with what I am working on or talking about (I say weird things from time to time, its just in my nature).

And now, I leave you with a GIF:

Update Post - NarNoWriMo

Hey everyone, I know I said I wouldn't be blog the rest of this month, but i wanted to give everyone an update. First, the NaNoWriMo.

As of this post, I am 23,144 words into the challenge and after today I hope to be at the halfway mark. That is perfect if you consider we are also halfway through the month! This writing challenge has been an incredible journey so far, but I still have a long ways to go. What I learned so far is it would be a much easier ride if I prepared beforehand. I have been consistently readjusting the novel on the fly, which has been a great challenge, but it might be an unnecessary one. The point of the challenge is to get the words out, but the craft is going to come in revising of novel.

Next, the Halloween story.

As you may have noticed the Halloween story was still up so consider the extra days a gift due to my forgetfulness. I will be working creating an ebook throughout the month and I hope to have something done by the end of the month. If not, I will update you on the blog. Remember, if you want a copy of the ebook, you need to subscribe to the newsletter.

I will post again before November 30th and I hope to have a lot of great surprises in store for everyone.

Until next time, keep writing everyone - J.J.

NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH!!!

Happy NaNoWriMo! Or for the less abbreviated person, Happy National Novel Writing Month!

As many of you may know, this month is dedicated to novel writing. The challenge for the whole month of November is to go from 0-50,000 words and write an entire novel. This is absolutely the most crazy challenge I may ever take part in for my entire life (well...hopeful not, but it sure will be tough).

This is going to be my first year participating in the challenge during NaNoWriMo, but I am excited to give it a try. The worst thing that could happen is I don't reach 50,000 words, but I would still have an amazing start on my novel! There is even a website to help track your progress and keep you motivated!

If you want to learn more about how it all works, you can find that information here.

So, because I am taking part in this challenge, I will not be blogging this whole month. That way, I will be able to focus on completing the challenge.

I hope to hear back from everyone on their progress on Twitter or in the comments section when I get back.

Until next week, keep writing everyone! And for those who are participating in the NaNoWriMo, and I mean this in the nicest possible way...

I need to read more and so do you...

Over the weekend, I was working on a bunch of short stories that I wanted to get published in some literary magazines or contests (there are tons by the way) and I came to a realization.

I need to read more. Not just my twitter feed or the occasional news article, but actual novels. I got at least four novels that I have only briefly read. I definitely need to just find a quiet place, sit down, and just read. I prefer to read the hard copy, but it also makes me prone to daydreaming. Then again, reading on my mobile phone makes me want to roam Twitter, so distractions on unavoidable.

I put so much focus on balancing work and writing that I forget about reading, which is important to improving anyone's writing. As some may have seen, I am trying to decide between two sci-fi novels: Dune and Wool. Both novels have received great reviews and I am excited to jump into both stories. I am leaning toward Wool, but Dune is a sci-fi masterpiece (at least that is what I have been told). It is a hard decision. So, I have a little Twitter poll online if you would like to give your input on which one I should read.

Therefore, I have a challenge for all of you: I challenge you to finish one short story and one novel by the end of December and tweet at me your thoughts on it. The tweeting is really optional, but I like to hear what everyone is reading. The challenge will hopefully help everyone take some time to relax and enjoy a good story outside of Battlefield 1 or Netflix (I think Battlefield 1 is amazing by the way!).

I can give everyone some help with the short story part as my short story, "Greedy Little Fingers," is on my website for free until November 4th. I know its a shameless plug, but you're on my website already and its literally a click away. I couldn't have made it easier.

Anyways, until next week, keeping writing (and reading) everyone! - J.J.

Halloween Story is ALIVE!

The Halloween Story is ALIVE and ready to read on the website. The story is titled, "Greedy Little Fingers."

This story is about three young boys in a suburban neighborhood, who's trick or treat adventure takes them on a scary journey off the common path of Jehovah Witness house hopping.

The story is definitely geared to younger readers, but regardless, I hope everyone who reads it enjoys a fun little story this Halloween season.

Reminder, the story will be live on the website until November 4th. All newsletter subscribers will be receive a free Ebook later in November of the story, so remember to subscribe!

Until next week, keep writing everyone - J.J.

Halloween Short Story

Halloween is fast approaching and after getting some feedback on where to put the short story, I believe the best place would be on the website itself. I am going to make a separate tab and place the story there. My hope is to have it up and ready by late tonight or early morning tomorrow. The story will be on the website for a limited time, running from either today/tomorrow until November 4th. After November 4th, I will be making a free eBook for all newsletter subscribers. It may take some time, but it should take less than a month. Fingers crossed!

I hope that this plan is best for everyone to view the short story before, during, and a bit after Halloween. If anyone has any questions or critiques, please feel free to tweet at me or post in the comments.

Until next week, keep writing everyone! - J.J.

Super Short Post - Story Update

Just a super fast update about the story. I am still in the process of determining where to put the story, but I have found a few options. Below is the list of publication platforms:

Research is harder than writing...sometimes.

• Booksie.com
• StoryWrite.com
• Wattpad.com
• Reddit
• or finally, the website

The last option is a free e-book for everyone, not just newsletter subscribers. That would take a bit longer to do as I would have to figure out how to make one. If people want me to do this option, it may take me a little longer to get it ready.

I would really like to publish it to a place where it is easy for everyone to view and still be able to post feedback on the story (what you liked, what you didn't like, how you would have done it better, etc.). I have never wrote a horror story before (unless you consider atrocious writing to be a horror story, then I have written many) and getting some feedback would also be great learning experience.

The decision comes down to you! Please let me know in the comments or on twitter about which option you would like me to do. I will be taking comments until Thursday, October 20th.

Until next week, keep writing everyone! - J.J.

Writing Update #4 - Short Story Update and SUPERFIGHT!

Another writing update coming at ya! There is not a whole lot to report. This week, I am about half way finished with the Halloween short story and should be done by Sunday. I have been writing a few other ideas this week on other short stories in a variety of genres, but I won't start those until I have a couple more done. I also read Roald Dahl's short horror story, "Royal Jelly," which I highly recommend if you want to get in to the Halloween mood.

What spurred on a lot of those recent ideas was the game, Superfight. Superfight is a card game where two players pit a random creature or person against each other in a battle to the death, determined by a jury of your peers. The game requires players to argue their case for why their character would win the fight. Each player gets three cards, one character card and two modifier cards.

The game gets hilarious when you are playing with good friends and you draw ridiculous characters with equally crazy modifiers. For example, our latest game involved one of the players to face off against Cthulhu (character card), wearing diamond armor (modifier card), carrying way too many grocery bags (another crazy modifier card).

It made for some great laughs, but it also got my mind moving about far reaching ideas and unique plots I know I wouldn't of thought of otherwise.

Later this week (hopefully Friday) will let everyone know where you can find this story.

Until next week, keep writing everyone! - J.J.

Writing Monsters (and other resources) Review

October has arrived and Halloween is only a few short weeks away, so I thought it would be appropriate to talk a little bit about monsters. Well, writing monsters to be exact. As mentioned in last week's writing update post, I told everyone that I would be talking about some writing resources I bought off Writer's Digest.

I bought a two e-book bundle and a webinar on world building. The two books were, "Writing Monsters: How to Craft Believably Terrifying Creatures to Enhance Your Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction," and, "Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction: How to Create Out of this World Novels and Short Stories."

Both books were authored or co-authored by Philip Athans, author of Baldur's Gate and former editor at Wizards of the Coast. When looking at his vast experience in the science fiction and fantasy world, from a novel and game perspective, I thought he would have some great advice on how to create stronger works in those genres. I was correct.

Each book tells you exactly what to expect from it right in their title, no detours. I haven't finished either book because its only been a week, but from the little I have read of each I learned quite a bit.  From, "Writing Monsters," I learned how to see monsters as metaphors. Ironically, that is what drew me to getting this bundle in the first place. It helped me think differently how I approach creating monsters that fill a world, regardless of genre.

Creatures often occupy the horror, fantasy, and science fiction worlds, but they can occupy every other genre if we let them. From a child's pet to a towering giant, creatures (and by extension, monsters) should be in stories to create depth. Using metaphors is a unique way of doing that.

The other book, "Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction," was a great resource on how to develop a world and story construction, allowing to go back to basics on how to craft a living breathing world and the story inside it. It was also a spectacular reference for key elements in fantasy and science fiction stories that often go overlooked like: Economy, Religion, Government, etc.

Even as I worked on short stories, I often found myself having questions about these elements and it slowed down my writing process. The book helped me, especially for science fiction and fantasy stories, think about the story takes place in first in order to better craft a complete story. 

It doesn't need to be done by everyone because each person has their own process, but for me it was a great help.

In regards to the webinar about world building, I decided to hold off on viewing it until I finishing reading both books as I feel the webinar may be a greatly complimentary piece to the reading.

Overall, my early impressions of these books are extremely positive and I will be sure to continue to use them in the future as I try to create more engaging stories. The books also gave me a great idea for a short story (that and the beautiful fall weather). My goal this month is to have this short story completed before Halloween and released for everyone to view.

I will keep people posted on the progress and where it can be read on the next few blog posts this month.

Until next week, keep writing everyone! -J.J.

Writing Update #3 - I Won Something!

Another update post about my writing work. I have recently submitted a short story for a superhero anthology through Meerkat Press. Meerkat Press is an independent publisher put of Atlanta that works on a variety of fictional work. They are also running a IndieGoGo campaign to help with some of their costs associated with publishing a short story anthology.

Whether or not my story is selected for the anthology, I am excited to see what stories will be in it.

Honorable Mention - Love Came Down

A few months back, I mentioned in passing that I won an honorable mention award through Writer's Digest for their annual writing competition. Yesterday, I received my first award for the short story, Love Came Down!

This is my first award I have ever received for my writing (unless you consider writing to be its own reward, then I have several). It is great to receive this recognition and I hope to continue to create more stories that are even better. I am still sending this short story out to a few other short story magazines and publishers, so it will be a while until it goes on the website. If it does get accepted by another publisher, I would need to let them retain a majority of the rights to the work until the end of the contract.

As far as my novel, I am still going to agents and publishing houses, but I want to focus on an agent first before I jump into a publishing house that may not be my first or best choice. I am also still considering self-publication through an e-book, but the costs involved are more than I initially anticipated.

I also purchased a writing bundle and webinar from Writer's Digest website about world building and creating monsters. I will speak at bit more about these resources in a review next week.

Until next week, keep writing everyone! -J.J.

Renaissance Festival 2016

Good day my fellow lords and ladies! This weekend, I will be attending the Renaissance Festival to enjoy the sights and sounds of an amazing magical world. Well...I might not go straight to magical, but I really enjoyed absorbing all it had to offer.

What I am really excited for is seeing the Keg Toss and a game of Giant Jenga! I can only imagine the epic size of the Jenga set (which will probably pale in comparison to my own imagined monstrosity). 

This is his third book in the series that will be released at the Renaissance Fair.

Its always fun to see something different and take in some new ideas for fantasy stories. Also, a fantasy author will be at the festival with his newest book. The author is Troy A. Skog, writer of the Kings of Pendar series. I haven't heard anything about this author prior to the festival, but I look forward to learning more about his books. I may have to bring some extra money to buy a copy or two.

I will keep you posted on all my adventures on twitter (@Jjlahr).

Also, make sure to comment and/or subscribe to the newsletter for a chance to win the comic book giveaway.

Until next week, I bid ye farewell!