Cycling

The Journal, Monday, August 20

Hey Folks, No Journal for yesterday. We did a lot of yard work and other necessarys, and I did some editing but that’s it. There was nothing even for the “Of Interest” section. I did receive an email yesterday from Kris Rusch. Her website is being migrated from one ISP to another and the RSS subscriptions didn’t migrate with it, at least not yet. That just means for now it’s better to check the site manually. Which you can do at http://kriswrites.com. *** If you use dictation for your writing, PLEASE be sure to read it over afterward (preferably aloud) … Read more

The Journal, Friday, August 17

Hey Folks, A day or two ago in “Of Interest” I mentioned an essay by former US Poet Laureate Donald Hall. He also has two books of essays available. One is mentioned in the article I referenced. If you’d like to get the books, I recommend buying them from Amazon. The publisher sells them both, but the price is marked up. You can get A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety (hardcover) from Amazon for only $19, and Essays After Eighty (paperback) is available for only $10.84, both brand new. I’m not sure why traditional publishers are so upside down … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, August 15

Hey Folks, Well, first an update: A prolific young writer who was certain his blog post was the catalyst for my Journal post yesterday (maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t) emailed me to say he’s back on track and committed to writing again. Also he won’t be starting a Patreon account for a good while, if ever. His plan all along was to wait until he had plenty to offer subscribers. He also wrote that the “Time for excuses is over. Now is the time for me to put up or truly fade away and realize that [I] dont have … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, August 12

Hey Folks, Well, I took pretty much a full day off yesterday. I did a lot of things and had a great visit with my buddy, but I did no fiction writing at all. And three or four times, when nothing else was going on, I yearned to get back to the story. One of those good/bad feelings. So today it’s back to writing for at least awhile. I’ll set up the writing ‘puter in the Hovel, and every time I have a half-hour or so of dead time, I’ll head out there. We’ve been spoiled during this monsoon season … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, August 11

Hey Folks, Topic: How to Write Like I Do Recently I received an email in which a writer wrote (toward the end of some lengthy praise of my “process”) “I only wish I could write like you.” During an exchange of emails, I eventually determined the writer was talking about my ability to turn out a lot of quality short stories and novels fairly quickly (though I’m pretty much a slug by old pulp standards). And what the writer really meant was that s/he wished s/he could write, period. I explained that a short four years ago (2014) I too … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, August 7

Hey Folks, According to an article I read this morning on Venezuela’s economy, you can now buy 3,500,000 liters (that’s 924,602 gallons) of 91-octane gasoline there for one US dollar (about 80,400 bolivars). Almost makes it worthwhile to consider buying a tanker truck and getting all the necessary permits, doesn’t it? But buy your eggs at home in the local grocery or from a farmer. In Venezuela today, a single egg costs 200,000 bolivars (about $2.49). This is not a rant on socialism. In my mind, the Prime Directive applies on Earth as it does in space fantasy. Citizens create … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, July 29

Hey Folks, A lot in “Of Interest” today. Some of it’s spot on, and some of it, not so much. With the abundance of writing advice out there, I’ve taken to carrying a shaker of salt with me as I read, so I can take a grain as necessary. I receive James Scott Bell’s infrequent newsletter. In today’s edition, he notes that his stand-alone thriller, Don’t Leave Me, is on sale for 99 cents. But the tagline is what prompted me to add this entry: “When they came for him it was time to run. When they came for his … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, June 30

Hey Folks, Adios, Junio! Dean’s post on what he learned from other writers (see “Of Interest”) started me thinking about influences on my own writing and my life as a writer. I’ll post more about those influences here in other posts, but for today, the six most important life-changing lessons I’ve learned from Dean and Kris over the years (counted down): 6. Heinlein’s Rules, 5. The importance of grounding the reader, 4. Use all five of the POV character’s physical senses and his/her opinion of the setting, 3. Put time in the chair, 2. Keep Coming Back, and (drum roll, … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, May 31

Hey Folks, I keep hammering away at this. But as an instructor, I know some folks “get it” when they hear information one way, and some get it when they hear it another way or from another source. With that in mind, see Kris Rusch’s “Business Musings: An Agent Nightmare Revealed” at https://kriswrites.com/2018/05/30/business-musings-an-agent-nightmare-revealed/. Yep. It’s so important I added it to the main body of the Journal. And shared it with several writer groups on FB. *** Today should be a writing day, and it probably will be. It might be a percolation day. A percolation day is a day … Read more

The Journal, Monday, May 21

Hey Folks, Well, I almost posted this Journal yesterday, but only for the “Of Interest” section. And it isn’t time-sensitive, so I waited until today. Had a great visit on Saturday and part of Sunday with my son Roy, Dana, Brandon, Lucas, and Joey (aka Fred, a linoleum salesman from Cincinnatti). Thanks for dropping by, guys. Rolled out at 3 this morning. The little girl and I were outside by 3:30, but an old owl screeched from somewhere closeby at a little before 4, so I ushered her back inside. There are several good items in “Of Interest” today. Chief … Read more