James Powell - Writer/Editor

As a professional fiction editor, I've edited hundreds of novels and thousands of pages of comic book scripts. I work with first-time writers and those who've been publishing for years.

During that time, I've noticed that the same mistakes ruin even the strongest story ideas.

Yes, comics are a visual medium, but they all start with the story. And there are many ways to lose yourself as you move from idea to printed comic.

Let me ask a few questions...

Is your hook flawless, but publishers aren't interested?

Have you self-published your comics, but they aren't generating buzz with readers?

Do you receive positive responses about your story ideas but, after finishing a script, you hear feedback like, "it's not working" or "there's something missing"?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I’d like to invite you to a live class I’m hosting on March 17.

(Despite the image I chose for the post, this class is for adults who are serious about improving their storytelling skills.)

Comics Storytelling Mastery March 13 James Powell presents, Comics Storytelling Mastery on March 13. Join us on this Live Webinar!

There's only one path to success.

But here's the twist: that path is different for everyone.

For some, this revelation is liberating—a thrilling call to adventure.

For others, it's scary as hell, so they spend years copying others.

When did you realize you forged your own path? What was your first step? Share your moments below! 👇

Signing day.

I'm less than $35 from exceeding the funding on my first novella, which was a secret goal of mine!

And we're only $130 from hitting the final stretch goal!

With only 40 hours left, can we do it?

Today, one of my coaching clients finished his first novel.

When we met, he was filled with enthusiasm, but it was clouded with self-doubt and uncertainty. He never thought he’d finish. He knew it was a dream he’d never fulfill.

But he persevered. He pushed through. It took him nine months of starts and stops, nine months of fear and insecurity and doubt. Nine months on an emotional rollercoaster he thought might break him.

And today, nearly in tears, we celebrated his big achievement. I’m so happy for him... so proud of his accomplishment.

And believe me, finishing a novel is a huge achievement.

Sure, some influencers like to suggest it’s easy for them. They can whip out a book in a month or less.

But for others, it’s a real challenge.

So if you’re struggling to stay motivated and confident enough to finish your novel or comic or other creative expression, if all you’re feeling are your missteps and hurdles, I see you.

You’re not alone. You're not the only one struggling, even if it feels that way sometimes.

Take a deep breath and take one more step. That’s all you need to do today.

Just one more step.

You got this!

One backer from 50, and about $25 from our first stretch goal. I'm thrilled with how this Santa's Dark Legacy limited-edition campaign is coming together.

Think you don’t have an impact on others? Read this…

I know a couple who I haven’t seen in nearly 20 years. My wife ran into one of them yesterday.

“Does James still sing little songs about what he’s doing?” he asked.

Confused, my wife chuckled and said, “What?”

“Yeah, he used to sing little ditties and dance when he was doing random things like putting jalapeños on his salad.”

My wife smiled and said, “Yeah, he still does that sometimes. Why?”

“We cracked up last night because Heather did it while putting away dishes. She was dancing and singing about forks. We both do it because we saw James do it and it stuck. We laugh about it all the time.”

Never in a million years would I imagine I’d have such a random impact on another human. Yet here I am learning that some weird quirk I have—something I’m almost embarrassed to discover anyone knows about—has led to others having a little humor in their lives.

This has nothing to do with writing, but it has everything to do with being human, which means it has everything to do with writing.

Just be you.

Your light will shine for others in ways you never imagined.

So just be you.

Woke up to a funded campaign. Woot! So grateful for my backers, friends, readers, and supporters. This book means a lot to me, and now I get to share it with others. Can't wait!

Sometimes, you pivot.

I hadn't originally planned to offer digital-only copies of Santa's Dark Legacy, but after several interested readers asked about them, I've added tiers to the campaign.

I enjoy watching the numbers fluctuate during a campaign, so I'm intrigued to see how this impacts current backers and the followers conversion rate.

I feel like I've elevated my game with my latest Kickstarter campaign. Maybe not with the campaign itself, but with the story I've written. This novella has more of me in it than anything I've created yet.

Sure, it has the kids vs. monsters vibe I'm known for, and I'm happy with the action, but there's more emotional resonance, too. More depth to the characters. It deals with absent fathers, rejection, and abandonment in a way I wasn't expecting when I set out to write the tale.

I've been proud of everything I've produced, but this one... this one feels more in line with the real me. The Wishing Stone was a big step, but this one inches ever closer.

I didn’t find a single typo in the proofread of my new book, but it still yielded several flags.

A proofread can find more than misspellings or missing punctuation. Sometimes you find you used the same word too close together, clunky structure, or other elements that just don’t feel right.