Tag: writing mornings

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Bringing my Characters to Life

The Dream Cast: Who would I love to see cast in the character roles for my Longevity series?

by John Irvin

I don’t plan to make a YouTube vlog for this article today. Nope, just going to relax and write a fun little fantasy-filled blog as I enjoy this crisp autumn weather—actually abnormal for this early in the season here in Florida.

Anyways, a dream cast. Yes, I usually dream up a cast for each one of my books, but with my Longevity series, there are so many characters, I could possibly turn this into a two-part series. I think I can shrink it down though.

This is going to be fun.

Okay, first off, Longevity is an eight-volume series, but only the first two books, Revelation and Independence, have been published in hardcover, paperback, and ebook. The third book, Wandering, is published in ebook only. The print versions were messed up in format, so please don’t order any “hardcover” or “paperback” versions you might see on the web.

So, we’ll start with Sir Ihon Iraes (pronounced Ian Eraze). He’s the main character and, yes, he’s actually based on me. But, I’d be fine with picking a far superior actor to play the role. Born in Scotland, Ihon is a knight and already a veteran of the Second Crusade by the time the story begins. So, he’s in his fifties, if I remember correctly. But, he’s aged well, being a Wolf-Born—though unbeknownst to him or his wife in the beginning.

I’m torn between two different fabulous Scottish actors. I fell into great admiration of Iain Glen’s role as Ser Jorah Mormont in the HBO series Game of Thrones. To see him dressed in a kilt and wielding the Iraes family claymore blade would be a sight to see. He wouldn’t make half a bad Wolf-Born either. And the tragic backstory fits perfectly with the Mormont-type character Sir Ihon Iraes relates to.

But, I’m going to have to admit, Mr. Glen turned sixty this past June 2021. So, he’s a few years older than Sir Ihon’s character at this time. Then again, with cameras and the magic of cinema these days, it could still work.

There is the second choice: Ewan McGregor. He turned fifty in March 2021. So, his age is perfect for the role. I could definitely see him dressed as a Crusader knight, waving around that Scottish claymore, and riding the black war steed Cassieus.

Now, for the first wife of my main character. You ask, how many wives does Sir Ihon have and why does he have more than one?

Well, remember I said “tragic backstory”? Yeah. Read the books.

Also, Wolf-Born live an average lifespan of 1,100 years. The reason this series is titled Longevity is it covers Sir Ihon Iraes’s life from when he’s fifty in the early twelfth century and runs through time with each book up to the present in Book 5 (still in the works) and beyond in the final three.

Now, here is a dilemma. Do I want to share any more about how many wives Ihon ends up having, if they’re human or not, and who would be cast in their roles?

I tell you what, I’m going to leave this blog open for comments as well as ask this question when I share the links on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Would you like to know the number of wives my character marries? Would you like to know if they’re human and where they’re from and who would be the dream actresses to star in their roles?

But, you already know he has “a first wife”, so I can at least give you that one.

Joanna Wallace Iraes, Lady of Iraes House. When I first imagined Joanna many years ago in the conception of this series, I pictured Keira Knightley as the star actress for this role. With her high-class charms, the woman is a lady in and of herself and I think Joanna couldn’t be more honoured to have such an actress cast in her role.

Even though Keira is English, I’m sure she would do a remarkable job as the Scottish wife of our Crusade veteran.

But, the scary thought, I do hope Knightley wouldn’t take offense at what happens to her character so early on in the story. *nervous chuckle*

I’ll end this blog today with one more character. This character plays a sort of brief mentor for Sir Ihon when he first comes aware of his “other side”.

Ranvir Caiton, his father fought alongside Ihon’s father in the Second Great War between the Wolf-Born and the Spawn—you’ll learn more about these later on, or if you buy the books. At the beginning of the series, Ranvir is a Lesser Officer of the Creed Army. You’ll learn more about them also if you buy the books.

Being Wolf-Born raised, Ranvir has known about his “other form” since he could read a sentence. He’s shocked someone could actually live fifty years without discovering their true origins. But, he takes Ihon under his wing and invites him to Sanguiatro, the capital of the Wolf-Born Race, hidden deep in the Highlands of Scotland somewhere.

I think Justin Theroux could be a good Ranvir Caiton. He has that dark look about him and could possibly be a bit prejudiced against the human race, even though he’s sworn to protect them from the Spawn.

So, this will turn into a two-part, maybe even three-part, blog series! Awesome. I’m excited.

We haven’t even covered half the characters who have roles in even the first two books! I might mention a couple from book three, even though I shy away from promoting that book because of the whole formatting issue that is still yet to be resolved.

But, here’s a list of character names I’ll be talking about in the next blog!

Zandra the Immortal

Noran Mars – Chief Councilman of the Supreme Council of the Wolf-Born Race

Merryn McKlean – Councilwoman of the Supreme Council

Angus McKlean – Brother of Merryn, Councilman of the Supreme Council

And maybe a few surprise characters, depending on your answers.

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist—the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

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A Question-and-Answer Session for today’s Blog

What am I? I’m an Author.

By John Irvin

First, before we start, I want to bring up the fact that I did publish the series finale for my Patreon-exclusive Ikkilion Chronicles last weekend. It felt so good and a bit bittersweet to say farewell to Pwyll and Fea Libane. But I’m happy I accomplished something else.

What am I going to do next for Patreon? The only way that can be answered is if you become a sponsor here on my page:

Patreon Irvinnovelist

While I’ve been steadily writing steadily every day in my Strangers to the Realm novel, I’m also looking at getting to know more people on mostly Instagram and LinkedIn. It really is all about engagement and content creation and making connections.

So, here’s a little Q&A for today’s blog. I’ll also work on this for my YouTube vlog for today as well. Here is the link for your viewing pleasure.

            First question: Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

            Answer: Yes, I’ll admit, there have been days where I simply don’t feel like reading. That’s mostly from exhaustion, I think. So, I understand—to a point—when my friends say they just don’t feel like reading. But there does come a point where I make myself get back into reading and I find I wonder why I’d been blocked in the first place.

            Second question: If you could tell your younger writer self anything, what would it be?

            Answer: Have patience. Don’t be so quick to self-publish a book. Make sure to hire a better editor and be willing to wait and save up for a good artist. Quality takes time.

            Third question: As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

            Answer: That’s easy, I’ve already chosen. A wolf. Many of my books have variations of werewolves. They are such magnificent creatures and can teach us humans a thing or two, such as loyalty, faithfulness to one’s spouse, community, etc.

            Fourth question: What does literary success look like to you?

            Answer: I think I’ve finally decided what this looks like to me. Literary success, to me, would look like me being able to buy a house with the book royalties alone and paying off the mortgage in less than ten years.

            Fifth and last question: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

            Answer: Yes, I definitely read all my books’ reviews. So far, I’ve had one bad one and it was ridiculous. I don’t respond to negative reviews, I’ll laugh and move on. Good reviews are highly encouraging and I appreciate them so much. If there is good constructive criticism in a review, I’ll take it to heart.

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist—the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

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A New Schedule and More Promo!

Testing, 1, 2, 3…

By John Irvin

            If you’ve checked the post I made on my Patreon page, you’ll know that I’ve done a little rearranging. Yes, instead of Thursdays for my blog and vlog, I’m moving to Saturdays. And the same goes for my Friday Broadcasts, they’ll be moved to Saturdays as well.

            I may be shooting myself in the feet here, but we’ll see how this goes.

            Speaking of which…

            And back to my present WIP for my Patreon subscribers, The Ikkilion Chronicles. I have only the Finale left to publish. It was due this week, but I don’t want it to feel rushed. People have told me in the past, they can tell when my writing is rushed. So, I’m postponing to next Saturday (18 September).

            Just a reminder about the premise for the techno-fantasy serial my sponsors get to enjoy:

            The story begins with a man and wife who are both amateur mages. They’re summoned by a usurper, the Witch Queen, who demands the location of what she calls the All-Stone. They have no idea what she’s talking about. So, like all good tyrants, she throws them in her dungeon. They escape and a long chase comes about that takes these two across several kingdoms.

            The Ikkilion Chronicles is Patreon-exclusive, which means, it will not be published anywhere else. The only way you can read it is to subscribe as a one-dollar-a-month patron. There will also be extra goodies in the near future too. So, don’t miss out.

            Before I continue, here’s the link to my Patreon, so you can join in the world:

www.patreon.com/irvinnovelist

            Now, on to this week’s spotlight of my own published books.

            The complete collection of my Shattered series is in PRINT! It has been for over a year now. The end of the old North American nations is turning out a little differently than I imagined, but still.

            New nations form after the global blackout caused by a natural EMP in the atmosphere. But can these new nations survive? Can they even thrive possibly? With some people still wanting to resurrect the old regimes, will these new nations be launched into a North American War and can they win?

            Here’s the page link: https://johnirvinauthor.com/book/shattered-the-complete-collection/

If you’ve been keeping up with my author journey, you’ll know that I’m also running a YouTube channel. I may not post EVERY week, but I do try to post often. They usually run about two to three minutes long just giving updates or promoting one of my books or a book I’ve been reading.

          And for your viewing pleasure, here’s the video for today’s episode:

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist—the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

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News, Updates, and Goals

The Twentieth Episode is out on Patreon, and My Brain is Out Planning the Rest of the Summer

By John Irvin

            So, you know about my Patreon. I’m a creator over on that artist-focused website. I’ve got my own profile and my own single tier level. I call it my tip jar. But, it only works if people actually tip.

            Do I sound like I’m desperate? Because I’m actually not, I’ve been doing all right running and working my independent proofreading business. But when it comes to my writing life, it is definitely a reward to see my work is appreciated.

            The Ikkilion Chronicles is Patreon-exclusive, which means, it will not be published anywhere else. The only way you can read it is to subscribe as a one-dollar-a-month patron. There will also be extra goodies in the near future too. So, don’t miss out.

            Before I continue, here’s the link to my Patreon, so you can join in the world:

https://www.patreon.com/irvinnovelist

            If you’ve been keeping up with my author journey, you’ll know that I’m also running a YouTube channel. I may not post EVERY week, but I do try to post often. They usually run about two to three minutes long just giving updates or promoting one of my books or a book I’ve been reading.

            Make sure you subscribe by clicking through the link below.

            In other news, I’ve started the first draft for The First of All, a legend novella in the Longevity series world. If you know about Longevity, you know there have been three books published. Revelation and Independence (Books 1 and 2) are in hardcover, paperback, and ebook format. Book 3, Wandering, is in ebook only for now. If I remember correctly, it is the latest book I’ve published and that was last year.

            I’ve taken a break from publishing anymore as I want to see more love. But, people can refuse to buy my books and, though that breaks my heart, it will not deter me from writing. I will keep writing until I die, if the good Lord sees fit.

            On that note, I have three books that I’ve pulled off the back shelf. I started work on them predominately back in 2017 and then shelved them for a bit. I’ve got an itch to get back into those worlds and finish the work. And here lately, on top of continuing the Ikkilion Chronicles and starting The First of All, I’ve been doing a bit of work here and there with those three. I’ll share the titles at a later time.      

          And for your viewing pleasure, here’s the video for today’s episode:

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist—the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

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Guraidor and Eraterra, Kingdoms of Ikkilion

What secrets will Pwyll and Fea Libane discover in the homeland of his heritage?

By John Irvin

            First off, I want to apologise. Last blog, I promoted the episode of the Ikkilion Chronicles and misnamed it. That was Episode 17: When I Call. But I called it My Lost Home. Episode 19, the one I’ve published today, is actually named My Lost Home.

            You see, the way this is going is, I’ve been writing the episodes weeks ahead of publishing them. That way I’m always ahead enough to proofread them before publishing and I never have to feel rushed by turning them in last minute. It’s college and high school all over again.

            But, that being said, sometimes I get the titles mixed up because my brain.

            So, sorry about that, but today’s episode is My Lost Home. It is still a Patreon exclusive, so the only way you’ll be able to read it is by subscribing to my $1 tier level. If you ask me, $1 a month for an episode a week is a steal! So, why not help an author out and make him feel like all his writing isn’t going to waste?

            It’s real hard work getting these out there every single week.

            Not only do I have to write a five to seven-page short story for each episode, but I also have to proofread and revise, then there’s the publishing it and then there’s the writing the blog for my website and producing the vlog for my YouTube channel. All this work gets disheartening when there’s no one to appreciate it. You know? Just being real, I’m not complaining! I enjoy what I do, but I would enjoy it more if I could see others are enjoying it as well.

            Before I continue, here’s the link to my Patreon, so you can join in the world:

            PATREON!

            Anyways, besides that, I’ve been coming up with ideas for when this series is finished—all series and stories have to come to an end eventually. There are so many ways this could go. I’m considering, if I can raise the support via patrons, I could bring all these episodes together into a printed book.

            And I could also keep the series going as an actual chronicle. Pwyll and Fea Libane still age, I don’t care how magically powerful they become. No one lives forever. So, maybe I could continue the series with their children if they have any.

            We shall see how things go. I can’t say much or I might give plot hints away.

            On that note, I’ll end this article here and hope to see you on Patreon! I’d love to get feedback and hear your thoughts once you’ve caught up with the series.      

          And for your viewing pleasure, here’s the video for today’s episode:

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist—the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

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My Patreon Supporters now have a New Episode!

After almost four months of absence, I’m finally back again with more fun short stories and other writing articles.

By John Irvin

          Wow, is it just me, or did the time vanish? I don’t know what happened honestly. I got caught up with my proofreading work and, I think, the blogging and YouTube vlogging kind of took a back burner.

          But hey, what matters is I’m back! I’ve returned with more news and announcements.

          No, I haven’t published a book in a spell, but maybe later this year? I do have two or three ebooks ready—they’re only waiting on their cover art.

          As for today’s blog—number 270—we’ll be talking more about my Patreon creator site.

          Patreon is something I’ve talked about before. I was away from it for the time I was focusing on trying the whole GoFundMe fundraising thing. That didn’t work out. My team and I were planning a book tour that would take me from Pensacola, Florida, to Los Angeles, California.

          But a certain pandemic happened that forced it to a later date. Then no one was giving except a couple of our own teammates. It was a disappointment, but we don’t blame anyone. The whole world has been through a lot and is still going through crap right now thanks to humans in charge.

          Anyways, on a brighter note. Patreon. Yes, that’s where I was. Patreon is a site for creatives like me to garner patrons. Some do it on a weekly basis, a pay-per-view, or a monthly basis, with rewards. That’s my ordeal. I’ve had it set up for an episode a week for anyone willing to send me a dollar a month. I call it my tip-jar.

          What’s a dollar a month? That’s not even a cup of coffee! So, you could send me a dollar and still get that latté.

          And the really cool thing about this, it works almost like a fundraiser. The more people who give a little, the higher support I have for chasing my dreams. Imagine if five hundred people gave a dollar each a month. That pays for cover art and publishing fees for one book.

          I could literally get back to publishing a book a month like I was doing a couple of years ago! Lord knows I have enough books written, I could do that after a little revision.

          So, maybe you’ll help me out? Will you? And share with your friends who might like a bit of techno-fantasy in their lives.

          Techno-fantasy? What’s that? Well, I’m glad you asked.

          The Ikkilion Chronicles was originally going to be a steampunk saga—it was my first attempt at the genre. But, after only a couple of episodes writing into the story, I knew that wasn’t going to work out. I need to do more reading in the genre before I try again. But, there’s still technology in this world called Ikkilion, even with the magic.

          So, I decided I’d just start calling it techno-fantasy.

          And now, I’ve published sixteen episodes on the backlog for my Patreon sponsors. No one else gets this series, except you if you sign up!

          A little about the story:

          Pwyll and Fea Libane are having a happy life together—despite the fact Pwyll’s parents vanished a few years earlier. The story begins when they’re summoned by the Witch Queen—a usurper of the throne of Eraterra.

          She demands something they have no idea about.

          There’s possibly an escape from the dungeons and a massive trek across the kingdom. Will these two make it through the traps and threats among the lawless and higher echelons of society?

          Only one way to find out.

          Today, I am posting the seventeenth episode! My Lost Home, Episode 17 of the Ikkilion Chronicles.

          Episode 17: My Lost Home.

          And for your viewing pleasure, here’s the video for today’s episode:

If you enjoyed this post, you should sign up for my newsletter! I don’t spam and you can unsuscribe at any time. I only send out emails on Fridays. Sign up here: SIGN UP!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

I’ve now been hosting a YouTube channel called John Irvin, Author Journey Series. Check it out at YOUTUBE.COM/AUTHORJOURNEY

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com