Professional Writer Series

The Journal: The Novel Wrapped, But

In today’s Journal * The Novel Wrapped, But * Of Interest * The Numbers Well, the first Wes Crowley gap novel, Assignment: Brownsville, wrapped as a short novel at 36,000 words. Per usual, I ran a spell check and sent it off to my first readers. The thing is (as I keep saying), every novel writes differently. No more than maybe five minutes after I sent this one out to my first readers I experienced the overpowering urge to pull it back and add a chapter (late in the story) in which the POV switches to the bad guy down … Read more

The Journal: Quotes and Of Interest

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Not much * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Pace is the speed at which your narrative unfolds. There is a kind of unspoken (hence undefended and unexamined) belief in publishing circles that the most commercially successful stories and novels are fast-paced. Like so many unexamined beliefs in the publishing business, this idea is largely bullshit. … I believe each story should be allowed to unfold at its own pace, and that pace is not always double time.” Stephen King (and bravo!) “Life minus x equals death. Solve … Read more

The Journal: Mentorships, and Just for Fun

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The first quote of the day * I used to teach * Just for Fun * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Two to three years writing one novel. What the hell? What is she doing the rest of the time? Actually playing the harp? Because real writers write.” Kristine Kathryn Rusch “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” Stephen King The first quote of the day is from the first post listed in “Of Interest.” I also … Read more

The Journal: You Can’t Sell an Idea

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Be sure to read * Topic: You Can’t Sell an Idea * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Waiting rarely makes things easier. Most of the time, waiting makes things harder. The right time is now.” Farnam Street Brain Food “The kiss originated when the first male reptile licked the first female reptile, implying in a subtle, complimentary way that she was as succulent as the small reptile he had for dinner the night before.” F. Scott Fitzgerald “I’ve had a sign over my typewriter for over 25 … Read more

The Journal: Focusing Down

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Focusing Down * The current novel * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn’t to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.” Stephen King on where to get ideas “[Q]uite quickly this technique of the … Read more

The Journal: A Cat Picture

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Little More on Censorship * A Breath of Fresh Air (and Cat Shoulders) * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel sh*t from a sitting position.” Stephen King “I wish that future novelists would reject the pressure to write for the betterment of society. Art is not media. … We need characters in novels to be bree to range into … Read more

The Journal: A Non-Productive Personal Day

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * A Non-Productive Personal Day * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “It’s dialogue that gives your cast their voices, and is crucial in defining their characters.” Stephen King A Non-Productive Personal Day Hey there. I did a lot yesterday, but almost no writing. Just over 1000 words. I’m mentioning all of the following because my schedule might be up in the air for a few days while I figure out my new routine and get started with it. This is more important than writing on my current story, … Read more

The Journal: A Short Post Today

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Short Post Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible.” Stephen King “I started trying to write a short story for Amanda [Palmer] … about what it was like to be me when I was 7, and it just kept going. And it turned into a book called … Read more

The Journal: There Are Five Physical Senses

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: There Are Five Physical Senses * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “When you find a writer who really is saying something to you, read everything that writer has written and you will get more education and depth of understanding out of that than reading a scrap here and a scrap there and elsewhere.” Joseph Campbell Topic: There Are Five Physical Senses Not one. Five. One of the most obvious signs of a beginning writer is that in description, the writer focuses on Sight as the dominant, … Read more

The Journal: A Short Post Today

In today’s Journal * A Short Post Today * Of Interest * The Numbers A Short Post Today and I guess it’s a little negative. Well, not negative so much as indifferent. First, if you’re interested at all, see “Where Gender-Neutral Pronouns Come From” at https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/06/gender-neutral-pronouns-arent-new/619092/. I was going to write a bit about this, but then I realized I don’t really care. People have a right to call themselves whatever they want. How someone else “identifies” doesn’t affect my bottom line or my time off, so what do I care? By and large, aside from a few family members … Read more