Month: May 2020

The Journal: Almost Missed Today

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Talkwalker vs. Google Alerts * The Blood on the Cobbles Bundle * Yesterday and Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “What destroys your voice is rewriting. If you want to completely destroy your own creative voice, just keep doing three or four drafts.” Dean Wesley Smith Yesterday, I mentioned that I use Talkwalker Alerts. A few folks emailed to ask whether I use Google Alerts too. Yes, I do. And a similar alert (about the Blood on the Cobbles bundle) popped up on Google Alerts two … Read more

The Journal: A New Bundle

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Talkwalker Alerts * Yesterday and Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Never try to outstubborn a cat.” Robert A. Heinlein (via his character, Lazarus Long) Wow. Yet again, I’m very glad I use Talkwalker Alerts. Otherwise I might never have known my work is now included in another bundle. BLOOD ON THE COBBLES includes work from several really good writers, including Rob Jeschonik, Russ Crossley and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. My novel Body Language is included. Fifteen tales of mystery and mayhem for $7.99. To check it … Read more

The Journal: What Readers Want

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday * Topic: A Few Extra Thoughts on What Readers Want * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson (via The Passive Voice) Yesterday I attended class. I was one of the smart ones who backed one of Deans’s Kickstarters for $5. And the Kickstarter funded and then reached two or three stretch goals. I feel a little bit like a pirate. For a lousy $5 … Read more

The Journal: Dylan Thomas and Dorothy Parker

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * From David Farland * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson (via The Passive Voice) From David Farland, “I have a free writing workshop that I teach with award-winning authors Orson Scott Card and Tim Power, based upon our popular Writers of the Future Workshops. Find it online at https://www.writersofthefuture.com/register/online-workshop/.” I signed up for this workshop to see what it’s about. It feels to me like … Read more

The Journal: On Goals, and a Challenge

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday and Today * Topic: On Goals, and a Challenge * More Shared World Stuff * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” Unknown (via The Passive Voice Yesterday I submitted the clean final copy of For the Good of the Galaxy: The First Nine Days to Amazon and D2D. It’s still available for preorder until June 1 when it goes live. To take a look, visit https://stonethreadpublishing.com/ftgotg-the-first-nine-days/. Today I’ll begin reading over FTGOTG: … Read more

The Journal: A Lot of Stuff

In today’s Journal * Kris Rusch’s Birthday Party * Also in “Of Interest” * The Next Few Days * More Shared World Stuff * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Dean Wesley Smith is doing something really great for his wife, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, for her upcoming 60th birthday. He’s throwing her a card party, and all of you can be part of it. For details, see “Of Interest” below. Also in “Of Interest” is an article on how to “survive the chaos point” in a novel. A bit melodramatic, isn’t it? You aren’t charging across open ground under … Read more

The Journal: Finished My 50th Novel

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Little Richard * Yesterday, and Done * Topic: On Cliffhangers… * Shared World Stuff * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “If only we could remember that fame and money are gifts given us only after we have gifted the world with our best, our lonely, our individual truths.” Ray Bradbury “What The Subconscious is to every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse.” Ray Bradbury God bless the family and loved ones of Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman), who passed away … Read more

The Journal: Nothing to See Here

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Nothing to see here * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Insanity is relative. It depends on who has who locked in what cage.” Ray Bradbury Nothing really to see here today. Yeah, there really isn’t, but ignore the earlier version of this post you might have received via RSS. Turns out I’m feeling pretty good so far this morning and hoping to finish the novel today. If I’m able to work on it, or work on it enough. We’ll see. I actually thought it would end yesterday … Read more

The Journal: Licensing Expo Moved to May 2021

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The Licensing Expo * Yesterday * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Anything you dream is fiction, and anything you accomplish is science, the whole history of mankind is nothing but science fiction. ” Ray Bradbury “It is true that liberty is precious; so precious that it must be carefully rationed.” Just a reminder. Vladimir Lenin via The Passive Voice The Licensing Expo was moved again, this time to its original time slot in May of 2021. So Dean Wesley Smith expanded the Licensing Transition class. … Read more

The Journal: Yesterday and Today

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday and Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “By living well, by observing as you live, by reading and observing as you read, you have fed your most original self. By training in writing, by repetitious exercise, imitation, good example, you have made a clean, well-lighted place to keep the Muse.” Ray Bradbury Yesterday was a very good day (see Day 15) even though I didn’t make my new word count goal. The end of the novel is in sight. In fact, I expect to finish … Read more