In Today’s Journal * My Quote of the Day * Ambition, Talent, Skill, and Outcome * Update on My Own Writing * So TNDJ * Of Interest My Quote of the Day “‘Luck’ only means when the knock came at the door you were prepared.” Ambition, Talent, Skill, and Outcome Don’t confuse ambition, talent, skill, or even outcome with excellence. They’re different animals inhabiting the same world. Ambition is only desire and the willingness to work toward a goal or dream. Talent is only a degree of natural ability, and skill is only a marker of your level of proficiency … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * An Email on Focusing Down * On Learning * Focusing on Learning * Of Interest Quote of the Day “The second you think you know all you need to know about writing fiction, you’re done as a writer.” Dean Wesley Smith An Email on Focusing Down This from a long-time, dear writing friend: Remember when I asked why you thought [A Most Unusual Day] might be [your] best, and you did not, of course, give me an answer. I went back and read it and the next chapter with an editor’s … Read more

In Today’s Journal * …and Point of View (POV) * If You Found This Helpful * A Brief Promo * Of Interest …and Point of View (POV) In yesterday’s post at the Journal website and on Substack (pick your poison) I offered up Chapter 23: The Hit on Eldridge Reeves. This is an excellent story to study if you want to learn how to focus down. I could teach a five-day seminar with a 4- to 6-hour session each day on this chapter alone. And the topic of the entire seminar would be “Focusing Down”… well, and “on POV.” Yesterday, … Read more

In Today’s Journal * My Quote of the Day * The Bradbury Challenge Report * On Focusing Down * A Special Bonus * Of Interest My Quote of the Day “Could’a would’a should’a didn’t never made a damn.” My version of an unattributed, informal, colloquial folk saying expressing regret over missed opportunities The Bradbury Challenge Report, in memoriam Saturday, August 22, would have been Ray Bradbury’s 106th birthday if he was still around. I wish he was, but then everybody deserves a rest after awhile. Participating in any challenge is a great way to have fun and grow as a … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * As You Have Time * On Tightening Your Writing * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “‘Moderately prolific’ is about a thousand words per day, average. That’s about four books a year.” Dean Wesley Smith “Creative voice—the more you use it, the more it wants to be used.” Dean Wesley Smith As You Have Time I suggest you stop by James Ron’s Before I Forget… and check out some of his fiction. James was kind enough to donate to the Go Fund Me effort for my young friend’s wife. That makes … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Wow * A Horror Show of Myths * Audiobook Narration, and a Brief Memoir * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Anton Chekov (Widely attributed advice emphasizing active, sensory imagery over passive statements.) “Caress the details, the divine details.” (Highlighting how intimate, precise descriptions bring a fictional world to life.) “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.” Elmore Leonard (A famous rule of thumb reminding writers to keep descriptions invisible and natural.) Wow Welp, … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The Bradbury Challenge Report * From 1440 Society & Culture * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “Only in the novel are all things given full play.” DH Lawrence “I haven’t found a drug yet that can get you anywhere near as high as sitting at a desk writing, trying to imagine a story no matter how bizarre it is.” Hunter S. Thompson (Thanks to A. Schrater for this quote) The Bradbury Challenge Report Participating in any challenge is a great way to have fun and grow as a writer. We … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Stupid, Annoying Pop-Ups on Websites * Of Interest Quote of the Day “It’s important to remember that copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. To qualify for protection, the expression must be captured in a tangible form.” Dave Chesson (see yesterday’s Of Interest) Stupid, Annoying Pop-Ups on Websites All the pundits say putting a pop-up on your website is a good idea ’cause you can offer a free book or whatever and capture an email for your mailing list. I don’t use pop-ups anywhere, and I’ll tell … Read more

In Today’s Journal * BO-54 Is Offically Published * All Quiet on the Western Front * Of Interest BO-54 Is Officially Published Blackwell Ops 54: A Most Unusual Day is officially out there. A few days ago, I noticed a glitch in one of the episodes that went live on Stanbrough Writes. And I’d noticed a few other glitches in other installments earlier. Of course, still about half the novel was left to post in installments. So yesterday morning I opened the Word doc and cycled over each remaining chapter, allowing myself and the characters to touch it as I … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Quick Note to Say Thank You * Stage 4 Breast Cancer * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “When you can make your reader forget they’re reading a made-up story, you’ve struck gold. … Believability is all in the details.” Janice Hardy (First item, Of Interest) “I found myself deleting paragraphs I had spent a long time writing, not because I had written them poorly, but because they had become unnecessary. Once I started paying attention to what my characters noticed, those details began carrying the emotional weight on their … Read more