Daily Journal

The Journal: What’s Going On

In today’s Journal * What’s going on * Slow news day * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ What’s going on For better or worse, in this Journal I’ve always shared my successes and my failures in the hope that sharing those would help you navigate your own way. So the thought just dawned on me that I might at least let you know what’s going on at the moment. Not that I am currently unable to write fiction, but why I’m currently unable to write fiction. Going into this mess, I described my conundrum as a mental fog. But … Read more

The Journal: Dolly Parton, Russell Blake and James Patterson

In today’s Journal * Russell Blake * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ Russell Blake is an international bestselling novelist. He is also an American ex-pat, living in Mexico. There, he is not subject to the current or forthcoming “mandates” of the US federal government. If you’re young enough to entertain the thoughts, and if you’ve ever wondered what it would cost to live in Mexico, the prevalence of drug cartels, etc., I suggest you take a look at “Cheap and Easy” at https://russellblake.com/cheap-and-easy/. Also, of course, the post is full of story ideas. Now, rather than entering into the … Read more

The Journal: Nothing Really

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Dean’s Kickstarter * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ Quote of the Day “[T]he CEO of The American Booksellers Association described the shipment of a book to a large numbers of bookstores as a ‘serious, violent incident.’ Quite an accomplishment for a small stack of dried pulp from a dead tree.” The Passive Guy Nothing really to talk about today. Just some good items in “Of Interest.” If you didn’t get in on Dean’s Kickstarter yesterday, you might want to stop by today and donate $5. Though really it isn’t a … Read more

The Journal: An Opportunity for Writers

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * An Opportunity for Writers * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ Quote of the Day “Hemingway … developed a technique that let him transfer from one point of view to another. He would simply start outside a character, describing the world and the character, and then move into dialog, which colors the world with emotion. Eventually, in a third paragraph, he would then move fully into the character’s thought processes. … To move out, he’d simply reverse the strategy.” David Farland For the record, this works, although I would argue that … Read more

The Journal: Good “Of Interest”

In today’s Journal * Still not back * Stormy weather * Of Interest * The Numbers Yeah, I’m still not back. Not really. Not as a writer of fiction. Soon, I think, but who knows. I did write a little fiction yesterday, but nothing I’m including in my word count anywhere. I’ll probably write more today and tomorrow and so on until one day it “takes” and I’ll be off and running again. Really, I’m posting this today mostly to get the items in “Of Interest” out to you. If I drop away for another day or three, don’t worry … Read more

The Journal: Good to Be Back

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Sorry I’ve been away * Updates * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ Quotes of the Day “I don’t pay no attention to no kind of critics about nothing. If they knew as much as they claim to about what they’re criticizing, they ought to be doing that instead of just standing on the side lines using their mouth.” Cassius Clay in an interview with Alex Haley “Ninety percent of success can be boiled down to consistently doing the obvious thing for an uncommonly long period of time without … Read more

The Journal: Despite the Bluster

In today’s Journal * Despite the bluster * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ Well, despite all the bluster, I didn’t start the next Gap novel yesterday. Probably today, maybe tomorrow or the next day. No biggie. It’ll come when it comes, and I’ve been doing this long enough not to be worried about it. I’d rather not get too far behind the curve ball for the 80,000 words I need per month for the rest of the year to attain my ‘big’ goal, but if I do, I do. I’ve missed that particular goal before. The world didn’t end … Read more

The Journal: Anthony Trollope and Challenges

In today’s Journal * Anthony Trollope * Challenges * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ Anthony Trollope A couple of years ago I posted a link to a video about Anthony Trollope. The title of the video is “How to Be Prolific.” I posted the link in today’s “Of Interest” again. What brought this up is a cmment someone made in response to a comment I made about 2 years ago. His comment (today) was “Yeah, but Trollope was using pen & paper for all of it. That’d slow you down!” In the first place, he obviously missed what I … Read more

The Journal: The Novel Wrapped

In today’s Journal * The novel wrapped * Keeping Track * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ The novel wrapped yesterday. Weird. I put pressure on myself just before the end of this novel. I wanted to finish it yesterday, and I allowed that desire to translate into pressure to finish it. Pressure is never a good thing. As a result, I wrote three separate endings, only one of which I completed. (The right one, of course.) So when the smoke cleared (literally) I had written 1865 words that did not make it into the final novel. Oh well. It’s … Read more

The Journal: The novel will wrap today

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The novel will wrap today * Talking numbers * It doesn’t happen * Of Interest * The Numbers ​​​ Quotes of the Day “I view my life as a novel in progress. As I awoke this morning, I anxiously turned the 27,373rd page to see what happens next.” Lars Bagman I love this quote. In my mind, it’s absolutely true. That’s why I often refer to the difference between “my life/story” vs. “my characters’ life/story.” I assume the characters’ life (and story) is ongoing even when I’m not checking in on … Read more