In Today’s Journal
* Quotes of the Day
* I write a lot because I’m a writer
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quotes of the Day
“Information flow is the advanced skill of getting a reader the information they need a fraction of a second before they need it in a story. … Only creative voice can pull this off.” Dean Wesley Smith
Yes. In cycling, take your time. Put everything in the right order, in the sequence it happens.
“People might try to dissuade you from your passion, but no one can live your life but you.” Olympia Dukakis
Your characters know this too. When you write fiction, you’re reporting on their life, not yours.
“ideas can be written more than once. After all, they are just ideas. The important part is how the writing unfolds the story.” Balázs Jámbor
Perfection itself.
“What matters is a reader, a writer, and interest shared between them. Nothing else.” Johnny B. Truant, in an excerpt from his upcoming nonfiction book (see Of Interest)
I couldn’t agree more.
I write a lot because I’m a writer
Note: In Of Interest, Johnny B. Truant (God I hope that’s not his real name, poor guy) talks about “rapid release” authors (so me) vs. “the artisan author” and, in pondering who a writer ‘wants to reach’ with his or her work, mentions “those kinds of readers.”
That feels a little put-downish or degrading to me. I don’t think he meant it that way, but for me, that’s how it sounds.
Just so you know, since you’re ostensibly learning how to write fiction from me, here’s my whole thing:
- I write a lot because I’m a writer and I love to tell stories.
- Both storytelling and writing (the physical act of the fingers on the keyboard) are of maximum importance to me. There’s no physical or mental exercise that I’d rather do.
- I publish a lot (so ‘rapid release’ I guess) because I don’t want anything to fall through the cracks, and if I don’t publish as I finish a novel I might forget to publish tomorrow. God knows time marches on, peeling away bits and pieces as it goes.
- I want readers (ANY readers) to have a chance to read what I’ve written, and I want them to enjoy it and want more.
- I envy those who have just found Heinlein’s Rules and Writing Into the Dark and sometimes wish I was at the beginning of that journey again with them.
- I don’t actively market, although I believe actively marketing is a good idea. In every case I’d rather be writing. If I were younger, maybe I would devote more time to marketing.
- I love to learn and experience new realizations and epiphanies about storytelling. I believe the best way to do that is put as many new words on the page as possible whenever I am able.
- In every case, right and Passion should win.
- In every case, wrong and doing things for the sake of appearances should lose.
- I love to teach and share what I know.
Your self-assessment results will almost certainly, and correctly, vary. You do you. Those above are only mine.
Of Interest
Everything Works and Nothing Works in Self-Publishing
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………… 540
Writing of “Garage Sale Find”
Day 1…… 1254 words. To date…… 1254 done
Writing of Blackwell Ops 43: Sam Granger | The Quiz Master
Day 1…… 2242 words. To date…… 2242
Day 2…… 3315 words. To date…… 5557
Day 3…… 3192 words. To date…… 8749
Day 4…… 3439 words. To date…… 12188
Day 5…… 3017 words. To date…… 15205
Day 6…… 4041 words. To date…… 19246
Day 7…… 2706 words. To date…… 21952
Fiction for May………………………… 3960
Fiction for 2025………………………. 382373
Nonfiction for May…………………….. 130
Nonfiction for 2025…………………… 102390
2025 consumable words…………….. 478235
Average Fiction WPD (May)………… 3960
2025 Novels to Date…………………….. 9
2025 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2025 Short Stories to Date……………… 26
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………….. 113
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 296
Short story collections……………………. 29
Whatever you believe, unreasoning fear and the myths that outlining, revising, and rewriting will make your work better are lies. They will always slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.
Writing fiction should never be something that stresses you out. It should be fun. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Because of WITD and because I endeavor to follow those Rules I am a prolific professional fiction writer. You can be too.
If you are able, please support TNDJ with a paid subscription. Thank you!
If you’re new to TNDJ, you might want to check out these links:
- On Writing Fiction
- Gifts
- Writing Resources
- Oh, and here’s My Bio. It’s always a good idea to vet the expertise of people who are giving you advice.
Questions are always welcome at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. But please limit yourself to the topics of writing and publishing.