In Today’s Journal * Questions on WITD * Writing Fiction Sales Copy * Of Interest Questions on WITD While cleaning up my email inbox, I found an email in which a writer asked “Would it be alright if I asked a question, or two?” Then the writer posed a few questions in order to receive “a straight answer” after having read Quiet the Critical Voice and Write Fiction. Here are the questions, followed by my verbatim response just in case anyone else is confused about the non-process of writing into the dark: A. When you write, do you simply not … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * The Bradbury Challenge Report * Update on the Recast * High School * Of Interest Quote of the Day “My life has been a quest for knowledge and understanding, and I am nowhere near having achieved that. And it doesn’t bother me in the least.” Alex Trebek 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 … Read more

In Today’s Journal * My Quotes of the Day * Sticking to Writing (and Teaching Writing) * On Character Types and WITD * Of Interest My Quotes of the Day “The Autobiography: Birth was not only my entry into life but a foreshadowing of how it would all unfold. I was surrounded by pressure, pain, hesitance tinged with fear, and screaming, and I was saturated with the certainty that I had both caused it all and would always have to defend myself against it. None of that has changed in 74 years.” from the fictional Thoughts on Myself: An Autobiography … Read more

In Today’s Journal * My Much-Expanded Quote of the Day * Back to Writing * Of Interest My Much-Expanded Quote of the Day Welp, what almost always happens has happened again. The incumbent president’s political party has lost control of the Congress. (Yawn, stretch.) I suspect we can all agree that there’s at least one bright spot across party lines: Finally the oversized postcards and spam-folder-bound emails have waned (and will soon stop) for two whole years. The citizens (probably et al) have spoken by either voting or not voting. Now we enter two years of revenge instead of governance. … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Election Day 2026 * Space or SciFi Buff? * Of Interest Quote of the Day “Democracy is not sustained by elections, slogans, and winning the next round. It depends on our own individual insight, research, and serious participation. More importantly, it depends on moral habits such as self-restraint, association, faith, and, most importantly, a sense that we owe something to people other than ourselves.” from the Abstract Truth Substack (see the last item in Of Interest) Election Day 2026 If you haven’t already, please vote today. As the author of “Democracy … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * The Bradbury Challenge Report * The TNDJ Website * Of Interest Quote of the Day “You don’t pick an apple off a tree before you plant the seed. Then you take care of it, water it, curse the weather, chase off the caterpillars. And only months or years later do you get to pick the first few apples. But damn, do they taste good. Because they’re yours. Nobody took a ninety percent bite out of them.” Tomas Blazo (see Of Interest) The Bradbury Challenge Report Participating in any challenge is a … Read more

In Today’s Journal * My Quote of the Day * A Note on the Bradbury Challenge * A New Offer * Update on Recasting the Saga * Of Interest My Quote of the Day “democratic republic, n. that form of government in which every four years the citizens are kept busy canceling each other’s votes while the electoral college selects a president.” from Harvey’s Dictionary The above is a tongue-in-cheek comment. Please vote if you haven’t already. A Note on the Bradbury Challenge Beginning next week on November 8, I’ll report the weekly results from the Bradbury Challenge one day … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Update 1 * And re the Willful Use of AI * Update 2 Quote of the Day “I voted by not voting.” (a popular saying) Um, yeah. By not voting you voted for the people who didn’t want you to vote. Update 1 Okay, I received an email. Sigh. Re my note on politics, I guess I should’ve also said ‘aloud’ that if you choose NOT to vote for whatever reason, that’s fine with me too. I have a strong personal reason for urging citizens to vote, but it isn’t my … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * On Politics * Of Interest Quote of the Day “Someone else decides whether a door opens. A mirror, I can hang myself, anywhere, today.” RJ Redden (see Of Interest) On Politics First, don’t worry. This post won’t have even a passing acquaintance with advocating for any candidate or political party. Please read on.  Gag me with a spoon. The damn midterm elections are coming. I hope you’ll vote—PLEASE VOTE—but vote however you like and don’t tell me. I couldn’t begin to care less about that part. The one thing I can’t … Read more

In Today’s Journal * My Quote of the Day * Quote of the Day * Observation: Thinking/Acting Like a Writer * Of Interest My Quote of the Day “There’s no feeling on Earth quite as good as the nervous laughter that erupts when you realize you’ve survived.” Quote of the Day “[Character] voice is what a character notices and how they feel about what they notice.” Janice Hardy (see Of Interest) Observation: Thinking/Acting Like a Writer Several years ago I taught a couple of writers’ retreats on Observation for Writers. I might look up the handouts I used for those … Read more