In Today’s Journal
* A New Short Story
* Yesterday
* Today
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
A New Short Story
“How Hard the Ground” will go live today at 10 a.m. on my Stanbrough Writes Substack. Go check it out. It’s free.
As far as I can remember this is the only short story for which I got the title from a friend.
Dan Baldwin said something profound (see the epigram for the story) that contained the phrase ‘how hard the ground.’ It stuck with me and eventually became the title of this story.
If you enjoy the story, please click Like. Comments are welcome too. Both help with my Substack algorithms. Then tell Everyone else. Gracias.
Yesterday
I was so intrigued with the story starter ‘how hard the ground’ that yesterday I sat down and started recasting generally the same story. No, I’m not counting the words. Not yet anyway.
For about two hours, I didn’t even look up from the keyboard. Since it’s the same story, of course I know the approximate ending, but I’m having great fun taking a new path to get there.
I’m also mulling over the idea of using the same line as the basis for a wholly different story. It’s a very catchy phrase.
But that will be for a different time, maybe tomorrow or the next day or the next.
Today
I’ll be away from my desk and my computer (and the Hovel) for much of the day today. I’ll check email when I get back from a few-hour trip (gonna check out a regional antique mall).
After that, I’ll watch football and probably eat too much to round out the day.
Sorry I don’t have more for you today, but those of you who have the archives could always browse those for topics.
And of course if you don’t have them, you can still email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com to request the past four years (’21–’24).
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
The Numbers
The Journal………………….. 330
Mentorship Words…………….. 0
Total Nonfiction…………………. 330
Writing of
Day 1…… XXXX words. To date………… XXXXX
Fiction for January………………………… XXXX
Fiction for 2026…………………………… XXXX
Nonfiction for January.…………………… 10050
Nonfiction for 2026………………..……… 10050
2026 consumable words………………… 10050
2026 Novels to Date……………………… 0
2026 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2026 Short Stories to Date……………… 0
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………….. 123
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 310
Short story collections……………………. 29