Stanbrough Writing in Public

In today’s Journal * Welcome * A New Stanbrough Writing in Public Substack * Reminder * Of Interest * The Numbers Welcome Welcome to Drew E and any other new subscribers or readers of the Journal. I hope you will find it useful. Be sure to check out the Archives and other free downloads at the Journal website. And I don’t do the ambush thing requiring an email address. Just click the links and a PDF will download in a new page. And here’s a video where Vin Zandri and I are chatting about writing and a bunch of other … Read more

Reverse Outlines, and Quiet the Critical Voice

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Welcome * A Tip for Reverse Outlines * Writing Like a Maniac * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Do something you really like, and hopefully it pays the rent. As far as I’m concerned, that’s success.” Tom Petty “That question of identity always confused me. Who are you? Why, that’s simple. I’m Matt. But that’s just a name. There are millions of people with that name and they aren’t me.” Matt Perryman (see Of Interest) Think of your characters. They’re more than just a name, and they … Read more

It’s Never Too Late

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Johnny B. Truant * It’s Never Too Late (guest post) * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “I am dismayed each morning to realize that another day has ticked off the calendar. But that inexorable passing also makes me more determined than ever to do what I can as well as I can before I must sleep again.” Anonymous “If the reader can tell there’s a message, you have failed your job as writer.” Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt Welcome Welcome to Johnny T. and any other new subscribers or … Read more

Quiet the Critical Voice

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Welcome * The Writing * Quiet the Critical Voice * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but … Read more

Tension, Suspense, and Craft-of-Writing Books

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Bit More on Tension and Suspense * On Craft-of-Writing Books * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “creativity is always a surprise. Nobody can just learn it and stop like nobody can learn fun and stop having fun.” Rikki Mongoose (pseudonym) “Spielberg had trouble with the mechanical shark, and it forced him to limit its time onscreen. Rather than being a detriment to the film, the absence of the shark made everything more ominous and terrifying. What you don’t see can sometimes influence the story more than … Read more

Crashing Bores

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Welcome * Server Downtime * Some Neighbors Are Crashing Bores * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The drama of [a] scene is enhanced by allowing the thoughts and dialogue to stand out — all by simple paragraphing.” PJ Parrish (see Of Interest) Welcome Welcome to Juan-Pierre and to any other new subscribers or readers of the Journal. I hope you will find it useful. Be sure to check out the Archives and other free downloads at the Journal website. And I don’t do the ambush thing requiring … Read more

A Tip, and the Bradbury Challenge

In today’s Journal * Welcome * A Tip on Challenges * Bradbury Challenge Writers Reporting * Topics and Guest Posts * Of Interest * The Numbers Welcome Welcome to Gerald D and to any other new subscribers or readers of the Journal. I hope you will find it useful. Be sure to check out the Archives and other free downloads at the Journal website. And here’s a video where Vin Zandri and I are chatting about writing and a bunch of other stuff. A Tip on Challenges If you’re challenging yourself to write a short story every week, and if … Read more

Memory from a Writer’s Conference

In today’s Journal * Memory from a Writer’s Conference * Of Interest * The Numbers Memory from a Writer’s Conference Thanks to James Bell of The Kill Zone blog (see “Of Interest”) for serving as the catalyst for this memory There was a time when I was asked to speak at several writer’s conferences all over the nation and in Canada. At one of the larger conferences — I want to say it was in Tucson, Houston, or Oklahoma City but it might have been anywhere — I was hanging out in the lobby after a preentation. Everywhere around me, … Read more

A Quick Survey, a New Story, and a Visit

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Quick Survey * A New Story * The Writing and a Visit * Reminder * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “In my writing, I can go where I can’t go in real life. … When I sit down to write, the characters take the reins. It’s the healthiest form of possession I can think of….” Anonymous Note: The above quote is from an email I received a few days ago. I wanted to share with you part of the wisdom the writer passed along. “Studying the … Read more

As a Publisher, Stick With What You Know

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Tip From Yer Uncle Harv * A Final Word (and Offer) on Blackwell Ops 11 * As a Publisher, Stick With What You Know * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “An audiobook requires a narrator. Absent a contract stating differently, the narrator has exclusive rights to the audio narration he/she has performed.” PG in a comment on a post linked in “Of Interest” “I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.” Peter DeVries DeVries apparently stole … Read more