Daily Journal

The Journal, Saturday, March 17

Hey Folks, Just a touch-up on yesterday’s topic re Lee Child and his buddy, Jack Reacher…. It occurred to me last night that some of the (what I saw as) excess description and unnecessary repetition might well be the result of his publisher’s prodding. After all, the novel length guidelines we’ve heard about all our lives are the direct result of traditional publishers needing to make a price point. To hit a particular price point, they need a certain number of folios. They tell the agents, and the agents push the writers to fill a certain number of pages. Many, … Read more

The Journal, Friday, March 16

Hey Folks, Sometimes I’m in such a foul mood, my only escape is into my fiction. There I can pal around with the people I like. And I can kill the ones I don’t like. *** Topic: Ongoing Learning A couple of days ago, I started reading the second Jack Reacher book Lee Child ever wrote. And his first Jack Reacher book was also very his first novel and a New York Times bestseller. That “bestseller” label doesn’t always do it for me, but this is very good stuff. The guy’s an excellent writer. As opposed, say, to someone else … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, March 15 (The Ides of March)

Hey Folks, Well, another slow start to the day. And chances are I’ll have only a half-day today. I meant to rise early (2-3) and get straight out to the Hovel and the novel. Uh, but that ain’t what happened. I decided to skip my waking-up ritual, so as it turned out I just sat and stared at my writing ‘puter for awhile. Didn’t even read over what I’d written yesterday, which is my usually start on the writing day. So back up to the house for a bit to write this, check things around the web, etc. When I … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, March 14

Hey Folks, Well, I got a late start this morning. Just kind of a blah day. I almost called this a day off, after which I would have spent the day doing nothing. I finally made it to the novel at around 9:30. In the first session, I got right at 1000 words. About a third of that was to finish correcting the problem held over from yesterday. So the novel’s tracking right along again now. Then up to the house for a break and to write this stuff. *** One of my short story collections is part of a … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, March 13

Hey Folks, For the past three years, I’ve considered taking Dean’s Anthology Workshop. It’s live, on the Oregon Coast. It’s $650 plus hotel expenses, plus travel. So not cheap (at least for me). But I’m still considering it. Now, though, a recent attendee — and one who has attended the thing SIX times — has decided to blog about the experience. In a series of blog posts, best-selling dark fantasy author (and now editor) Ron Collins is going to dissect Dean’s Anthology Workshop. If you’ve ever even thought about taking that workshop (on the coast) this will be an important … Read more

The Journal, Monday, March 12

Hey Folks, Headed out to the Hovel again. Started by cycling back through the stuff I wrote yesterday, then moved into new stuff. All in all, around 800 new words in the first session. Up to the house to eat breakfast and get some laundry started. I put an announcement on Facebook, too, that StoneThread Publishing’s been busy of late. In addition to the latest Stern Talbot P.I. book, we also just published A WonderFull Life, a memoir. It’s by my wife. The Amazon link is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BDFXJ4Q. The universal link is https://www.books2read.com/u/3nOarR. Just in case. Of course, your best bet … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, March 11

Hey Folks, Out to the Hovel a little early today, this being Sunday. I spent some waking-up time just playing Spider, then started on the novel at around 3:15. An hour later, I had my first 1000 words of the day. Took a very brief break, basically standing up and stretching a bit, then back at it. I’ll do one more session, then up to the house for a few minutes. Had a couple more good sessions and got a little over 3000 words by 10. Up to the house for a break. My wife’s working on the annual plague … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, March 10

Hey Folks, Well, I wasn’t really expecting to write today. But as it happens, I started my next novel. Makes me feel kind’a good. Now that I established who Stern Talbot is in the one I just published, I was thinking of writing a series of those. Not right now, of course. You know. Stern Talbot, P.I.: The Case of the …. This morning I went out to the Hovel, ostensibly to write, but I fully expected to spend an hour or so doing little or nothing. Maybe looking over some old story starts and seeing whether anything grabbed my … Read more

The Journal, Friday, March 9

Hey Folks, Well, one more day on Pulp 6, which is now called Stern Talbot, PI: The Case of the Troubled Actress. That’s the cover over on the left. I read it aloud over the past two days to my wife, and during that process I heard some fat that needed to be trimmed. So I’m going to make another pass at it, strictly to trim anything that’s unnecessary. I don’t usually do this, but it’s all part of the learning process. I’ll still be reading over it in creative mind, but anytime my subconscious tugs on me with that … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, March 8

Hey Folks, No writing today. In fact, over yesterday and today, when my wife is home after work, I’m reading my latest novel to her aloud. Amazing some of the little things I’m finding and correcting as I go. For goodness’ sake, READ YOUR WORK ALOUD. I’m also formatting and proofing my wife’s recently finsihed memoir of her childhood, titled A WonderFull Life. Great fun, and well into our 33rd year of wedded bliss, I’m learning things I didn’t know. (grin) *** I chatted via email with my friend Robert Sadler earlier today, and the matter of Heinlein’s Rules came … Read more