Daily Journal

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Another Sort-of Challenge * The Uses of Challenges * Fiction Doesn’t Matter * The Fun-to-Work Ratio * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “The great fun in my life has been getting up every morning and rushing to the typewriter because some new idea has hit me. The feeling I have every day is very much the same as it was when I was 12.” Ray Bradbury “When an idea hits me, I do it, doesn’t matter what field it’s in [whether science fiction, fantasy, murder mystery, play, poem]. Instantly, I … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Yesterday * On Critique Groups * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “The most fact-oriented people are those willing to check self-proclaimed ‘fact-checkers’, the most scientifically-minded people are those willing to question every so-called ‘scientific consensus’, and the most virtue-driven people are those willing to expose ‘virtue signallers’. Jakub Bożydar Wiśniewsk “PG … has seen enough virtue-signaling over the years of his adulthood to recognize the difference between saying the right things and doing the right things.” The Passive Guy on an article on his site Yesterday Yesterday, I felt sluggish … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Correction * Dean Wesley Smith * The Writing * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “There is no exception to the rule that every rule has an exception.” James Thurber “I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible.” Stephen King “Creative life is absurdly short. I want to cram in as much as I can.” Stephen King Correction Or rather … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Challenge Writers Reporting * The Writing * Recommendation * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “The really frightening thing about middle age is the knowledge that you’ll grow out of it.” Doris Day “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters.” Ernest Hemingway Challenge Writers Reporting For this week, the following writers wrote the indicate short stories. You can still join in the challenge at any time. There’s no cost. It’s a great way to jumpstart your writing. Chynna Pace, “Mirrors,” Middle Grade suspense, 7600 words … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * How Can You—Oh. Never Mind. You Can’t. * The Writing * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “Everything is theoretically impossible until it is done.” Robert A. Heinlein “Today I want to focus on the micro level—the scene—and make a pitch for the mini-outline.” James Scott Bell Does this guy ever allow the characters to breathe and just be who they are? Anyway, I assure one and all, I wrote the topic for this post before I checked Kill Zone blog this morning, which is where Mr. Bell holds court. Enjoy. … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * A Final Word * Of Interest Quote of the Day “All human-generated fiction begins in one of only two places: Block-by-careful-block, step-by-polished-step Construction comes from and through the conscious, critical mind. Unique, original Creation comes straight from the creative subconscious.” from “A Final Word” by Harvey Stanbrough A Final Word Earlier today I wrote in a last-ditch comment on another website, “All human-generated fiction begins in one of only two places: Block-by-careful-block, step-by-polished-step Construction comes from and through the conscious, critical mind. Unique, original Creation comes straight from the creative subconscious.” … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Yet More Comments * Why I Talk About This Stuff * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “Self-esteem is the prison of the pampered. Self-confidence is the realm of the practiced.” Harvey Stanbrough Yet More Comments There are yet more comments in an exchange between me and another commenter (Felix Torres) on “How to Make Backstory Work for You” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/how-to-make-backstory-work-for-you/. A lot of food for thought. I recommend reading it. Understand, I don’t bring this up for purposes of argument, but only as a springboard to pass along something that … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * MLB Opening Day 2023 * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “These would-be censors are monsters. And they will always be with us because the two most common things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.” a misquote attributed to Harlan Ellison “I don’t so much mind that they pirated it, but what does honk me off is that they never get it right. They render it dull and imbecile by phrasing it thus: ‘The two most common things in the universe are…’ / Not things, you insensate gobbets of ambulatory … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Bowing to (and Actually Defending!) Unreasonable Fear * Writing * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “”If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell it about other people.”Virginia Woolf’” “Our business is infested with idiots who try to impress by using pretentious jargon.” David Ogilvy “Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” William Pollard “Swim upstream.” Sam Walton “A satellite has no conscience.” Edward R. Murrow Bowing to (and Actually … Read more

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * So Much Easier * Bradbury’s “Full” Challenge * Some Publishing Nostalgia * Writing * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “A writer should have this little voice inside of you saying, ‘Tell the truth. Reveal a few secrets here.’” Quentin Tarantino “Writing is my job. Selecting what to read and judging it is the reader’s job. I like my job better.” Me, in a comment on yet another article on AI at The Passive Voice So Much Easier Although I read only the first five (very short) paragraphs of the article … Read more