Attributes of Stage 4 Fiction Writers

In Today’s Journal

* Quote of the Day
* Attributes of Stage 4 Fiction Writers
* On Stage 5 Writers
* Alibi Syndicate Press
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

Quote of the Day

“Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.” Charles Schulz

Stage 4 Writers

are free of the myths. They are fully aware and largely free of the unreasoning fears that give the myths power.
They are also fully aware of Story and the nuances of the language as it applies to storytelling. Individual words, sentences, and punctuation are only tools to direct the reading of their work.
They are fully aware of the autonomy of their characters and see them as partners and friends.
Some believe their characters exist in their creative subconscious, or in another dimension of reality, or wherever. But Stage 4 writers don’t care either way. What matters to them is that the characters chose them to convey and distribute their stories.
None compare writing to an elevated “calling” or complain about writing being a solitary endeavor. They just get up and go to work.
They relish solitude specifically so they can fully devote themselves to experiencing the story with the characters as the story unfolds.
They are peripherally aware of the reader as they’re writing.
They have a solid grasp of POV and know inherently when to “zoom in (or out),” when to switch POV, and how to do so seamlessly so the reader doesn’t consciously notice.
They actively control the reading experience through hooks, openings, description, cliffhangers, dialogue and dialect, narrative, POV, pacing (to include the intentional use of punctuation), and information flow without thinking about it.
They rarely get stuck because they trust the characters and automatically write the next sentence.
If the writing slows or bogs down they wrap the scene or chapter and begin the next one (or wrap the story or novel).
They convey a story so skillfully that readers find themselves wondering whether the work is fiction at all or merely reportage of an actual sequence of events.
They trust their characters completely and never allow their own (or anyone else’s) conscious, critical mind to revise or rewrite their characters’ stories.
They defend their work from all criticism, often by calmly saying something disarming while smiling: “Hey, that’s an excellent take! You should go write that.”
Finally, they are settled in their process, but they are hungry for knowledge of the craft. They are fully aware there’s always more to learn.
To satisfy that desire to learn, by and large, they read-for-pleasure-and-then-study the works of fiction writers whom they deem more skilled than they are, but
They seldom or never buy “how-to” nonfiction books on writing, although
Some Stage 4 writers write “how-to” nonfiction books. But those books are always on craft and almost never on process.
While others encourage you to hover in place, Stage 4 writers encourage you to put new words on the page (practice) and “own” (defend) your work.

On Stage 5 Writers

This is the loftiest of goals, one that most fiction writers, myself included, probably will never achieve. Therefore I can’t speak with any authority about this.

Suffice it to say

Stage 5 writers have mastered the nuances of the language and of storytelling techniques.
They know when, how, and to what degree to break the ‘rules’ of grammar, punctuation, and syntax to achieve a particular effect in the reader.
They have left behind any remaining negative traits still present in Stage 4 writers and yet continue to hunger for knowledge and improvement.
Their readers can no longer discern the line between fact and fiction, and they don’t care because it all sounds true.

Advancement through the stages hinges solely on practice putting new words on the page. The less time you spend earnestly practicing, the less likely you are to advance, or to advance as quickly as you’d like.

In any stage if you decide you “know enough” and don’t need to keep learning, you’ll stop advancing and remain in that stage. As a famous advertisement says, “Stay hungry, my friends.”

Alibi Syndicate Press

If you write non-woke “noir, mystery, [or] thrillers with sharp edges and moral gray areas” and you’re seeking a traditional publisher, I recommend you check out Alibi Syndicate Press and sign up for their email newsletter.

Through their infrequent newsletter they announce invitation-only invitations to submit manuscripts. If you want to be invited, you have to be signed up.

Alibi is also seeking ARC readers (avid readers who will review their publications). You can also find the newsletter sign up for that at the above link.

Of Interest

Best Practices for Indie Writers At the early bird price, this is a great value. If you want the whole enchilada of being an indie writer and publisher, be sure to at least check this out.

The Numbers

The Journal………………….. 800
Mentorship Words…………….. 0
Total Nonfiction…………………. 800

Writing of

Day 1…… XXXX words. To date………… XXXXX

Fiction for February………………………. XXXX
Fiction for 2026…………………………… XXXX
Nonfiction for February.…………………. 19700
Nonfiction for 2026………………..……… 30290
2026 consumable words………………… 30290

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

In Today’s Journal

Quote of the Day