In today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* A Reminder
* Back in the Hovel
* Writing Software
* Another Reminder
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
“Without goals, training has no direction.” Natalie Coughlin
Training is practice. In writing fiction, practice is putting new words on the page.
A Reminder
Only a week or so left until the two challenges begin: Those who join either challenge will write at least 1000 or at least 2250 words of new publishable fiction per day and win prizes along the way.
There is no cost.
Just think: On September 30, you could have at least 30,000 or 67,500 words of new fiction finished in short stories, novellas, or a novel.
For details and the rules and prizes, see “Three Writing Challenges: Your Choice”. (The third challenge is one offered by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.)
Note that you must be a paid subscriber on or before September 1 to take advantage of the two challenges.
Back in the Hovel
Feels great. I hate my entire (working) life to be disrupted for even a full day. But that’s in the past now, and I took precautions to safeguard against it happening again.
Took the rest of the day off after about 1:30 p.m. so I can have a fresh restart today. I’ll work on some mentorship stuff today, publish Blackwell Ops 27: Sam Gentry, then attend a much delayed appointment with my eye doctor.
And of course I’ll start a new short story or novel soon. It’s only been one day and I’m already getting antsy.
Writing Software
Personally, I use Microsoft Word, and I never get “lost” for details of the novel because I use a reverse outline. (Email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com if you’d like a template for compiling the reverse outline or for writing a short story or novel. They’re both free.)
But one writer emailed me with a link to the “Best Book Writing Software of 2024.” I think I posted it recently, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to post it again. That writer prefers Scrivener, which is fine. Whatever works for you.
The article discusses and compares Atticus and Scrivener with eight other platforms, and then lists four others the author does not recommend.
You can find all of that here.
Another Reminder
If you’re new to the Journal, be sure to visit the Journal website and click the Gifts & Archives tab to download some of the free gifts there, including the Journal Archives going back ten years.
You can also key a topic (setting, scene, characters, etc.) into the Search box in the sidebar there to find numerous posts on practically any fiction writing topic.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
Best Email Services for Authors
Advice … About … Existential “Artist Angst” Oh whatever.
The Numbers
The Journal……………………………… 450
Writing of
Day 1…… XXXX words. To date…… XXXXX
Fiction for August…………………….….… 38647
Fiction for 2024………………………….… 545694
Fiction since October 1………………… 770697
Nonfiction for August……………………… 19100
Nonfiction for 2024……………………… 266110
2024 consumable words………………… 733750
2024 Novels to Date……………………… 12
2024 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2024 Short Stories to Date……………… 4
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)……………… 94
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 241
Short story collections…………………… 29
Disclaimer: I am a prolific professional fiction writer. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Unreasoning fear and the myths of writing are lies, and they will slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.
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