Daily Journal

In Today’s Journal * Your Morning Serial: Description * Contest Update * Manuscript Format Redux * Love Live-Action Bits? * Of Interest * The Numbers Your Morning Serial: Description For a great example of down-in-the-weeds, next-level setting description, read The Journey Home: The Ark (Chapter 4). The chapter also actually stands alone as a short-short story, and in my opinion the description alone is worth studying. Contest Update Just so you know, I’ve narrowed the field of those vying for first place in the contest to five excellent stories. Please don’t ask about the titles or authors. I won’t tell … Read more

In Today’s Journal * The True Pulp Kickstarter Is Live! * Your Morning Serial * A Great Question and Some Clarity * The Numbers The True Pulp Kickstarter Is LIVE! The True Pulp Kickstarter went live yesterday. Everyone please stop by and check it out. Backers get early access plus exclusive covers and content. Authors, Merchandise, and Bonus Books. Oh My! An exclusive, collectible cover you can get only through the Kickstarter. And really great stretch goals. Be sure to read down for info on the authors, rewards for backing at the various levels, add-ons, stretch goals, and more. And … Read more

In Today’s Journal * The True Pulp Kickstarter Goes Live! * Notes on Manuscript Format * Of Interest * The Numbers The True Pulp Kickstarter Goes Live! The True Pulp Kickstarter will go live this morning at around 9 a.m. EST. Everyone please stop by and check it out. Backers get early access plus exclusive covers and content. Notes on Manuscript Format I didn’t provide a recommended format for manuscript submissions before the Echoes of Hemingway short story contest. Here are a few guidelines. Note: If you’re submitting to a specific venue, always check for that venue’s specific formatting guidelines. … Read more

In Today’s Journal * The Bradbury Challenge * A Few Tips for Entering Contests * Reading for the Contest * Of Interest * The Numbers The Bradbury Challenge The whole point of the Challenge is to have fun and grow as a writer. There is no cost. The only requirement is to write at least one short story per week. Feel free to jump in at any time. During the past week, in addition to whatever other fiction they’re writing, the following writers reported these new stories: Loyd Jenkins “A Day in Dead Man’s Drift” 1300 Space Western Vanessa V. … Read more

In Today’s Journal * We Might Have an Anthology * A Personal Recap of May * Of Interest * The Numbers We Might Have an Anthology As of 10 a.m. yesterday I’d received 18 entries from 13 writers for the Echoes of Hemingway short story contest. And as I write this (with submissions officially closed) I’ve received 22 entries from 15 writers. Woohoo! Congratulations to all of those writers for believing in themselves enough to write and submit a story to the contest. Now, for some of you, you still need to believe in yourself enough to Defend Your Work. … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Last Day of the Contest! * A New Short Story * Bradbury Reminder * Of Interest * The Numbers Last Day of the Contest! Today is the last day to enter the Echoes of Hemingway short story contest. Here’s the whole thing: Everyone is eligible. No entry fee. Cash prizes. No rights grab (see The Fine Print below). Deadline May 31, 2025. 2000 to 7999 words. Stories must be new and unpublished. If I receive enough quality entries, an anthology will result, so please provide a bio of up to 200 words or so. All stories … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Writing Out of Sequence * Inkers Con * Of Interest * The Numbers Writing Out of Sequence This is an awareness post. You might have noticed I’ve experienced a little trouble writing my current novel. Everything flowed great on Days 1 & 2 of writing this story. Then I reported a non-writing day. I did okay on Day 3, then had another non-writing day. Both of those non-writing days, I was right here at my desk, cycling over a specific couple of chapters of the story and wondering what the hell happened. The story felt stuck, … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * I Get Questions * Of Interest * The Numbers I Get Questions A young writer friend email me with a pair of questions yesterday, two of the biggies: ​”Is making art (in this case, stories) pointless? I mean does it help people at all?” Those questions are straight out of the critical mind, and every writer (artist, etc.) who ever lived has experienced them. Is it pointless​ to write stories, novels, etc.? No, of course it isn’t. Do our stories help people at all? Yes, of course they do.​ At a … Read more

In Today’s Journal * A New Short Story * How Important is an Opening? * Only Four Days Left * Not to Complain Here But… * Pulp with a Legacy! * Of Interest * The Numbers A New Short Story I just posted a really good, intense, mind-bending short story story that’s bonus content for The Darling Members Club, the novel I just serialized at Your Morning Serial. The short story contains spoilers, so I suggest reading the novel first. You can find the first episode here. After you’ve read that, check out “Old Times.” Starting on June 1, I’ll … Read more

In Today’s Journal * DWS Attitude of a Fiction Writer * The Modes of Language * Of Interest * The Numbers DWS’ Attitude of a Fiction Writer I read the following some years ago on Dean Wesley Smith’s website and saved it. I thought I’d pass it along today. 1. Sustainability. Can you keep doing what you’re doing now for 5, 10, 15 years? 2. Have Fun. The Secret to doing whatever: have fun. If what you’re doing isn’t fun, it isn’t sustainable. 3. Never write to market. 4. Defend Your Work (even from yourself). Don’t write by committee, don’t … Read more