Daily Journal

The Journal, Friday, August 24

Hey Folks, Well, if you publish your books to print, don’t miss “Of Interest” today. Extremely important news. It’s been awhile since I stopped taking my books to print, so I was behind the curve on this one. Please spread the news to any other writers or writers groups you know of. *** Out to the Hovel a little late. I got a two short, disjointed sessions done, then one good third session and wound up with just over 2000 words of fiction on the day. But I’m feeling a little under the weather so I’ll cut my losses and … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, August 23

Hey Folks, If you own your own hosted website, this will be of interest to you. It’s important enough that I’m putting off my own writing to report. Below in “Of Interest,” Kris Rusch talks about problems with a particular web host. Having had similar experiences with that web host, I concur. So I’m searching for a new web host. The first lesson is not to believe everything you read online, at least at first glance. For example, I clicked a link that offered the “Top 15 Web Hosts.” But when the page came up it listed only 7 hosts, … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, August 22

Hey Folks, In response to my post at harveystanbrough.com about “Reviews,” I received an email from a guy who agreed with me. Sort of. Then he launched into a heated rant about “rich people” and then politics. Specifically, American politics, specifically at the national level. I strive to keep politics out of my blogs. It isn’t always easy because on the one hand, they’re my personal blogs. But on the other, my stated purpose for them is to help other writers cut the learning curve in the craft of writing. That’s regardless of the writer’s race, skin tone, nationality or … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, August 21

Hey Folks, A lot in “Of Interest” today from the somewhat sublime to the outright silly. Enjoy. The plan for today was to get to the Hovel early to begin writing New Words on my WIP. Yesterday I got out there a little late and still had some cycling to do, so I ran out of time before I had to return to the copyedit. For various reasons, I didn’t get out there early. When I do get back (some time or other, and I hope it’s today) I’ll roll straight off the edge into the trenches of the story … Read more

The Journal, Monday, August 20

Hey Folks, No Journal for yesterday. We did a lot of yard work and other necessarys, and I did some editing but that’s it. There was nothing even for the “Of Interest” section. I did receive an email yesterday from Kris Rusch. Her website is being migrated from one ISP to another and the RSS subscriptions didn’t migrate with it, at least not yet. That just means for now it’s better to check the site manually. Which you can do at http://kriswrites.com. *** If you use dictation for your writing, PLEASE be sure to read it over afterward (preferably aloud) … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, August 18

Hey Folks, A few days ago, for some reason, the RSS feed for Kristine Kathryn Rusch failed, on my end or on hers. You’ll remember I referenced this in “Of Interest” when Dan Baldwin told me of a great new post. This morning I explored her site a little more. Finally, on the Contact Kris page (https://kriswrites.com/contact-kris/) I scrolled down and found two subscription forms. One is to “Subscribe to Blog via Email” and the other is to “Subscribe with RSS.” (Both of these are only for the overall blog. She also writes several smaller occasional newsletters to which you … Read more

The Journal, Friday, August 17

Hey Folks, A day or two ago in “Of Interest” I mentioned an essay by former US Poet Laureate Donald Hall. He also has two books of essays available. One is mentioned in the article I referenced. If you’d like to get the books, I recommend buying them from Amazon. The publisher sells them both, but the price is marked up. You can get A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety (hardcover) from Amazon for only $19, and Essays After Eighty (paperback) is available for only $10.84, both brand new. I’m not sure why traditional publishers are so upside down … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, August 16

Hey Folks, I’m writing this early (around 6), but probablly a non fiction-writing day today. It’s a half-day anyway, and a laundry day and I have a copyedito to work on. Some of you probably are rolling your eyes, but the plan “this time” is to write first in the morning on most days (beginning tomorrow, I hope) and to edit in the afternoons until the copyedit is finished. I know. Been there before, but my mindset is a little different this morning. As I was telling a friend earlier, I’m in a Hemingway-esque state of mind. I wrote the … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, August 15

Hey Folks, Well, first an update: A prolific young writer who was certain his blog post was the catalyst for my Journal post yesterday (maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t) emailed me to say he’s back on track and committed to writing again. Also he won’t be starting a Patreon account for a good while, if ever. His plan all along was to wait until he had plenty to offer subscribers. He also wrote that the “Time for excuses is over. Now is the time for me to put up or truly fade away and realize that [I] dont have … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, August 14

Hey Folks, The following is about professional (or aspiring professional) writers, which I’m beginning to believe are born, not made. They are driven. Their overall number-one priority, the one thing to which they always return, is writing. Now, some write part-time because that’s what they enjoy doing. Some write a memoir to leave for their family. Some simply enjoy attending writer conferences or writers group meetings and immersing themselves in the life for awhile. Maybe they enjoy talking about writing. Maybe they enjoy rubbing shoulders with writers and agents and publishers. And all of that’s fine. Nothing wrong with it. … Read more