In today’s Journal
* Quotes of the Day
* Welcome
* Something Silly
* On Being Busy
* A Few Words on False Pride
* A Very Short Story
* The Writing
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quotes of the Day
“As I wrote in ‘A Note on Pacing’ (see Of Interest), what causes readers to turn pages has nothing to do with speed. The formula is Depth + Tension = Anticipation. Anticipation is what causes readers to turn pages, and you can create tension with a slower pace just as you can with a faster pace.” Harvey Stanbrough
“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” Steve Jobs
Welcome
Welcome to Nadia, JC, and any other new readers or subscribers of the Journal. I hope you will find it useful.
Get the Archives and other free downloads at the Journal website. Just click the links and a PDF will download in a new page.
If you download the Journal Archives, I suggest downloading and reading the most recent one first. Then, if you’re bored enough to want to see how I personally progressed as a fiction writer, you can go back and download the others. It has been an interesting journey.
I also recommend reading the posts “I Believe in You” and “Fear”. Can’t hurt, and it might help.
Finally, you might also be interested in the paid offerings on the Of Value to Writers page.
Something Silly
Dean’s Mug & TShirt thing (Of Interest) put me in this fram of mind:
When I was a Marine Corps recruiter but recently assigned to the local Armed Forces Entrance and Examining Station (AFEES) in Salt Lake City, I came into possession of a narrow poster. Yellow background, a USMC Drill Instructor peering at you with his right arm and index finger outstretched. The caption: “If you want to be one of the boys, you’re in the wrong place.”
One day when the ladies’ room facility was not being used, I snuck in and taped it to the inside of the door. (grin)
No, nobody was “offended” or upset, and most of the ladies came out chuckling.
Later, when I was a Gunny (gunnery sergeant) I had some cards printed up for members of my platoon, a special unit. On the reverse, they read, “I am a member of Gy. Stanbrough’s outfit. Please excuse my strange behavior.”
I can’t do anything like that now. My t-shirts would probably read something like “Yeah, I read The Journal. And?” or something equally annoying and stupid.
But I wouldn’t have the ‘nads to charge people six hundred bucks for it. Just sayin’.
On Being Busy
I realize most of you are busy or hyper-busy, as I usually am.
But whether you are subscribed or drop by the Journal on your own, I urge you to at least take a few seconds each day, if possible, to glance at the table of contents. (The title can’t always contain everything I put in the TOC.)
And if anything at all appeals to you, take a moment, if possible, to read it. Most often, it will take only several seconds to scan it and only a few minutes to read it.
If you don’t, there’s a good liklihood you will miss something you would have deemed important to your writing if you had read it. Or a special, time-sensitive announcement. Or a flash sale or giveaway.
A Few Words on False Pride
Pride is that feeling that results from having accomplished or experienced something we deem important. Especially if few ofthers have accomplished or experienced the same thing.
False pride is a different animal and it comes from a different source or foundation. Like false modesty, false pride is something we manufacture because we fear what others might think of us.
If I may, the only opinion that matters is what you think of yourself. Of course, your definitions might differ.
A Very Short Story
Once upon a time, when I emailed DWS to thank him for helping me get to where I am as a fiction writer, he replied, “Nonsense. That’s all on you. I only nudged you a little. You did the work.”
As he most often is, he was right. That’s exactly how I feel when I offer a topic or flash sale or giveaway for readers and subscribers of the Journal. I’m only trying to nudge you a little. Doing the actual work is all on you.
The Writing
This novel’s writing a little more slowly than my recent ones. That’s fine, though it’s a little frustrating. At least I did squeak past my daily goal yesterday. (grin)
I’ll talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
Some Next-Level Stuff on Pacing
A Note on Pacing (scroll down)
Pacing Again, and Setting The last time I paid $600 for a mug and a t-shirt was… well, never. (grin) Yeah, you get some prizes if you win, but c’mon man.
The Numbers
The Journal……………………………… 730
Writing of Blackwell Ops 17: Julia Saenz
Day 1…… 4204 words. To date…… 4204
Day 2…… 4284 words. To date…… 8488
Day 3…… 3355 words. To date…… 11843
Day 4…… 1623 words. To date…… 13466
Day 5…… 1284 words. To date…… 14750
Day 6…… 4065 words. To date…… 18815
Fiction for January……………………. 6972
Fiction for 2024…………………………. 6972
Fiction since October 1…………… 310029
Nonfiction for January……………… 4060
Nonfiction for 2024…………………… 4060
2024 consumable words…………… 11032
2024 Novels to Date……………………… 0
2024 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2024 Short Stories to Date……………… 0
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………… 82
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)…… 238
Short story collections…………………… 31
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Disclaimer: I am a prolific professional fiction writer. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Unreasoning fear and the myths of writing will slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.