Daily Journal

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Time Travel in Fiction, Part Two * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “I made a chicken salad last night. Apparently they prefer grain.” Vince the Sign Guy (grin) “Life is all about perspective. The sinking of the Titanic was a miracle to the lobsters in the ship’s kitchen.” a meme from Facebook “The world has to change to fit you. And if you stick to your principles, values, and morals long enough, it will.” Berry Gordy Nice thought, but not necessarily true. “I can honestly say this … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * In Memoriam * Time Travel in Fiction, Part One: Getting Into the Weeds * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Everything is theoretically impossible until it is done.” Robert A. Heinlein “Even if it turns out that time travel is impossible, it is important that we understand why it is impossible.” Professor Stephen Hawking In Memoriam This edition of the Journal is dedicated to my writer friend Sam Turner, whose loving, lifelong partner and wife Phyllis passed away on Thanksgiving day. Time Travel in Fiction, Part One: Getting … Read more

In today’s Journal * Bradbury Challenge Writers Reporting * The Writing * Of Interest * The Numbers Bradbury Challenge Writers Reporting For notes on the Bradbury Challenge, please see yesterday’s post. The challenge is a great way to jumpstart your writing and get more practice pushing down the critical voice. Writing fiction is all about conveying the story. It isn’t about words. There’s no cost. There’s also no pressure re submitting or publishing. That’s up to you. During the past week, in addition to whatever other fiction they’re writing, the following writers reported their progress: Short Fiction Balázs Jámbor “Manuscript” … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Reminder, and About the Bradbury Challenge * The Writing * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “The key word is ‘create.’ The conscious, critical mind can create nothing. It can only construct.” Me “Traditional publishers don’t help writers get an audience. Traditional publishers buy up copyright for the term of the copyright so that they can have assets on their accounting books.” Kristine Kathryn Rusch “Thirty dollars per hour writing a blog post that has little resale value or $1000 per hour writing stories … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Missing Links * An Addendum * A Timely Irony * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “[W]e need to be careful that we don’t send the message to beginning writers (who have families to care for, day jobs to keep bread on the table, and some days they just can’t squeeze in a couple hours to write) that they are not ‘real’ writers if they don’t write every day. I know of no other profession that works in their profession every single day.” Steve Hooley “Finally, maybe you’re … Read more

In today’s Journal * If You Missed It * A New Story * Turning Fear Upside Down * Of Interest * The Numbers If You Missed It Yesterday I published a Journal post titled “Finding Time to Write”. It contains an exercise that will help you carve out time for writing fiction. If you have difficulty with making time for your writing, I strongly recommend you read it. A New Story “Normal Louisiana Ladies Club” published yesterday on my Stanbrough Writes Substack. I must have scheduled it to come out a day early. Usually they come out on Friday each … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Happy Thanksgiving * Finding Time to Write * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.” Billie Jean King “[I]t is … important for me to write in tranquility, trying to write as well as I can, with no eye on any market, nor any thought of what the stuff will bring, or even if it can be published….”Ernest Hemingway Happy Thanksgiving My wife reminded me yesterday that today is Thanksgiving. (grin) I hope it will be a … Read more

In today’s Journal * Carving Out Time for Writing * Yesterday * Of Interest * The Numbers Carving Out Time for Writing Sometimes, some folks who are fiction writers or who aspire to be fiction writers complain that they just can’t find the time. I understand. Once upon a time, that was even a problem for me. Sort of. In my case, I learned to prioritize. You have seen the results. Years ago, somewhere in his blog, Dean Wesley Smith mentioned a great way for you to see where your time goes each day. Sometime in the past 9 or … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * In Case You’ve Wondered * Writing in Public: The Saga of Maldito * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “90 percent of design is typography. And the other 90 percent is whitespace.” Jeffrey Zeldman In Case You’ve Wondered I haven’t started a new novel yet because I’m up to here in another project. Once I get my teeth into something, it’s difficult to let go until I’m finished. (grin) Especially when I enjoy it. I’m having fun and I’m increasing my inventory. Those are the only two requirements … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Correction * Crossing Genres * Bradbury Challenge Writers Reporting * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day Thanks to Bob B for the first three quotes below: “The more [the writer] learns from experience the more truly he can imagine. If he gets so he can imagine truly enough people will think that the things he relates all really happened and that he is just reporting.” Ernest Hemingway in Monologue to the Maestro: A High Seas Letter (Esquire, 1935) “After you learn to write your whole object is to … Read more