In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * A Book Recommendation * Musings About Writing * Of Interest Quote of the Day “We all have our time machines, don’t we. Those that take us back are memories … And those that carry us forward are dreams.” HG Wells A Book Recommendation I strongly recommend The Symbols We Carry: Finding Strength and Steadiness in the Lessons Life Leaves Behind. This book is “a deeply personal exploration of resilience, connection, and the unexpected reminders that help us keep moving forward when life becomes difficult.” See the cover and read the description. … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Oops! Correction! * The Bradbury Challenge Report * Q&A Re Chopped Livah * Of Interest Oops! Correction! In yesterday’s post, due to a stupid oversight on my part, the link for “the lengthy example I provided in TNDJ” under both The Major Transition Scene and The Rest Scene was broken. My apologies. Here’s the correct link for the example on the Journal website, and here’s the correct link for the example on the Substack version. The Bradbury Challenge Report Participating in any challenge is a great way to have fun and grow as a writer. The … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Chopped Livah 0: Format & Introduction A Note on Format & Introduction In each issue after this one, every topic I publish in Chopped Livah will pertain to and enhance your ability to write in one or more of the major scene types that are prevalent in every novel or short story I’ve read or written. A glance at the title will show you what the issue will be about. I’ll follow “Chopped Livah” with the issue number: then the topic I’ll discuss in the issue (as you see above). Because many topics pertain to more … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Chopped Livah * Of Interest Quote of the Day “What’m I, chopped livah?” Overheard from a disgruntled boss in Brooklyn Chopped Livah The new newsletter—Chopped Livah—has moved right along. In fact, I’ve finished writing the first issue. I only have to cycle back over it. Chopped Livah replaces the Craft of Writing mentorships I was going to offer so I can get the information out to more writers. Each week, subscribers to Chopped Livah will receive specific, in-depth, how-to fiction writing instruction for every type of scene in any short story … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * News Flash * Of Interest Quote of the Day “Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.” Kurt Vonnegut News Flash on the Craft of Writing Mentorships or “I’ve Had a ‘Well, Duh’ Moment” In an effort to pay forward what I’ve learned about fiction writing, over the past several days I’ve been busting my hump putting together a few really intense, down-in-the-weeds Craft of Writing mentorships complete with writing assignments. My goal was to pass along … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * An Exercise in Applying the Six-Senses * The Exercise Quote of the Day “Because electrons in the outer shells of atoms repel one another, you’ve never touched anything in your entire life.” 1440 Science & Technology (Now THAT’S focusing down!) An Exercise in Applying the Six-Senses The six senses are what the POV character Sees (Sight). Hears (Hearing), Smells (Smell), Tastes (Taste), Feels physically (Texture), or Feels emotionally (Feels) in a given situation at a particular point in time while approaching, entering, inside, or leaving a setting. It’s a good idea to … Read more

In Today’s Journal * I’m Developing Mentorships * Becoming a Fiction Writer Mentorship * Craft of Fiction Writing Mentorships * Of Interest I’m Developing Mentorships I’ve developed one overall low-cost mentorship—”Becoming a Fiction Writer”—and I’m in the process of developing several low-cost “Craft of Fiction Writing” mentorships The Becoming a Fiction Writer mentorship is already up on the website and ready to go. I recommend you go look even if you believe you don’t need that one. Maybe you’re still suffering from one or more of those topics. Hey, we’ve all been there, and I’m no exception. So maybe go … Read more

In Today’s Journal * The Bradbury Challenge Report * Wow * Wow #2 * “AI Execs Express Fears” * Of Interest The Bradbury Challenge Report Participating in any challenge is a great way to have fun and grow as a writer. The requirement is to write at least one short story per week, then let me know the title, word count, and genre per the format below. During the past week, the following writers wrote these new stories: Vanessa V. Kilmer “The Night Watch” 3076 Thriller Christopher Ridge “Attack of the Fifty Foot Roach Part 2” 2345 horror William Ridge … Read more

In Today’s Journal * My Quote of the Day * Update on the Author Website * Update on the Journal Website * Re Tips for Author Website Design * Of Interest My Quote of the Day “Don’t overreach. Good fiction is important, but in a lesser way than some writers imagine. It isn’t a cure for human ills or a call to be a better person or a soapbox from which to teach anyone anything. Good fiction serves a modest single purpose: entertainment.” Update on the Author Website Woohoo! I’m close to finished with updating the author site. Early yesterday … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Rethinking My Websites * Tips for Author Website Design * Of Interest Rethinking My Websites For probably ten or twelve years, I’ve had three primary websites: my author site, my publisher site, and the Journal website. But only very recently I decided I need to publish a newsletter for readers, build a list, and all that. (Don’t be me; do this from the beginning.) That decision slapped me around a little and woke me up. My focus has been all wrong on my author site (“author” site, duh) and on my Journal site, which for the … Read more