Month: March 2020

The Journal: Finished the Novel

In today’s Journal * Yesterday * Last Day of the Sale * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Yesterday in several small sessions I wrote a little over 3100 words (see Day 21 below). Some of that was cycling to carry through the early few-sentence addition I made to the alien’s speech. So it seemed like a slow day, but it worked out all right. Also I’m pretty sure I’ll finish the thing today, which is good since today is the deadline. (grin) But the ending is in sight now, so I only have to write to it. Probably … Read more

The Journal: Another Brief Lesson on Trust

In today’s Journal * Yesterday * Topic: Another Brief Lesson on Trust * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Yesterday I had a less-than-stellar day and finally stopped struggling and let myself drown at around 2700 words (see Day 20 below). As I wrote earlier, typical for me as I near the end-game of a novel. Topic: Another Brief Lesson on Trust Wow. A lot going on in the novel. Even as I approach the end, a little voice has been nagging me throughout about a “fatal flaw” way back in the basic premise of the story. I recognized … Read more

The Journal: One Way to Beat the Critical Mind

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Yesterday * Topic: One Way to beat the critical mind * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Most critical writing is drivel and half of it is dishonest. It is a short cut to oblivion, anyway. Thinking in terms of ideas destroys the power to think in terms of emotions and sensations.” Raymond Chandler “Preoccupation with style will not produce it. No amount of editing and polishing will have any appreciable effect on the flavor of how a man writes. It is a product of the … Read more

The Journal: The Allure of Writing Short Fiction

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday * Lately I’ve noticed a shift * Sales and stuff * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The Renaissance took place in chaos and plague.” Shiva Ayyadurai via The Passive Voice Oof. Yesterday I had a small day on the novel (see Day 18 below) and I only have four days left to finish on time. I think I’ll make it, but if I don’t I’ll just go over by a day or two. (shrug) Overall a good day of writing fiction yesterday with a … Read more

The Journal: A Very Short Post

In today’s Journal * First, here’s the pic * Quotes of the Day * Quotes of the Day * Yesterday * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers First, here’s the pic I meant to include yesterday. This is a photograph of the print of the painting by Vivian Flasch on which I based the short story “Silence Is Better.” Quotes of the Day “I don’t mind if you don’t like my manners. They’re pretty bad. I grieve over them during the long winter evenings. But don’t waste your time trying to cross-examine me.” Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep “Overhead … Read more

The Journal: Cave Creek and A Few Thoughts on Writing Into the Dark

In today’s Journal * I seldom write from a picture * Cave Creek Kickstarter update * Yesterday * Topic: A Few Thoughts on Writing Into the Dark * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers I seldom write from a picture, but in case anyone wondered, I wrote my recent short story, “Silence Is Better,” based on seeing a print I found at a garage sale. (Artist: Vivian Flasch) That’s a photo of it on the left. If you’d like to read the short story (some readers think it’s Hemingway-esque), email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com and I’ll send it to you … Read more

The Journal: On Having “Enough” Inventory, Supporting Readers, and Other Things

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Yesterday * Topic: On Having “Enough” Inventory, Supporting Readers, and Other Things * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “But the truth is, that pushing yourself often yields great results. If you push yourself and fail, at the very least you’ve exercised your writing muscles.” David Farland I expected yesterday to be a really big day, but it wasn’t. I diverted my efforts to helping my wife clear the yard of piles and piles of saltbush and mesquite tree trimmings. We transported four pickup-bed loads to … Read more

The Journal: Dave Farland and Poetics

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Dave Farland and Poetics * Everything I’ve ever written * Topic: Sometimes Comparisons Are Useful * Yesterday and Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “The most durable thing in writing is style, and style is the single most valuable investment a writer can make with his time.” Raymond Chandler “Scarcely anything in literature is worth a damn except what is written between the lines.” Raymond Chandler In his post today, Dave Farland talks about the importance of eloquence and originality in writing in “Poetics” at https://mystorydoctor.com/poetics-2/. … Read more

The Journal: Cave Creek and Update on Cycling

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Cave Creek Kickstarter * Street Team update * Kevin Tumlinson * Topic: Update on Cycling * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “‘No one will like this.’ ‘It’s not funny enough.’ ‘It’s too short.’ ‘It’s too long.’ [These] are projections into the future, which don’t actually exist because no one has read your book yet. Write your book, put it out there, and then don’t dwell in the past worrying about whether the book is good enough. Keep in the present and write that next sentence.” … Read more

The Journal: When a Novel Becomes Work

In today’s Journal * A Note to New Subscribers * Topic: When a Novel Becomes Work * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers A Note to New Subscribers First, welcome. I’m glad you’re here. Second, a bit about what you can expect from the Journal. I’m an open book, and a blunt, straightforward one. As most of my long-time subscribers know and have somehow survived, I don’t have (or employ) many filters when it comes to talking about writing. To me, storytelling is too important—THAT you write, not WHAT you write—to pull many punches. And I post here almost … Read more