The Journal: On Learning the Craft

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: On Learning the Craft * A Study in Suffering? * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.” Doug Larson “Making English grammar conform to Latin rules is like asking people to play baseball using the rules of football.” Bill Bryson Topic: On Learning the Craft My friend Matt emailed me this morning and asked this question: “[D]o you think it’s possible one could learn about Craft solely by reading novels, short stories, screenplays … Read more

The Journal: Only a Few Things

In today’s Journal * Great Writing ‘Puter for Sale * Flash Sale on Teachable * Big Book Giveaway * Of Interest Great Writing ‘Puter for Sale I’ve long advocated the use of a writing computer, meaning a separate machine dedicated to nothing but writing fiction — so no internet, no games, no business stuff — just Word or Word Pad or some other word-processor. The theory is (and I’ve proved it for myself) that sitting down at that dedicated writing computer triggers your creative subconscious that it’s time to play and have fun telling stories. I have a flawless, extremely … Read more

The Journal: WITD Is Not the Only Way

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Thank You * Topic: WITD Is Not the Only Way * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “The really great writers are people like Emily Brontë who sit in a room and write out of their limited experience and unlimited imagination.” James A. Michener “For more than a decade, writers have asked me what they can do to sell their existing books. I always tell them to write the next book. Some writers don’t have time for promotion. Others don’t have the constitution for it. … The one thing that will … Read more

The Journal: Big Book Giveaway

In today’s Journal * Big Book Giveaway * Of Interest Big Book Giveaway Note: Hey folks, if you’re subscribed to my Substack reader blog as well, you’ll see this post again later today in a slightly different format.Basically the same post, though, same offer. I realize about the dumbest thing an author can do is try to get other writers to read his fiction. (grin) That even holds true when the writers in question consider the author an instructor and something of an authority. Go figure. But that’s fine. Despite all that, now and then I like to give away … Read more

The Journal: An Interesting Conversation

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Some Good Comments * Another Comment, Another Place * Okay, No More WITD for Awhile * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “You just can’t do anything about the past. But if you turn around and face forward, it is amazing what you can accomplish in the future.” Dean Wesley Smith “Any man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind. Any therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” John Donne (Not about writing but I just really like this quote.) Some Good … Read more

The Journal: Bundles!

In today’s Journal * Bundles! * I Get Emails… * Of Interest Bundles! While I was in the middle of breaking in a new computer yesterday, I lost half the bundles I was in through PubShare (formerly BundleRabbit). No need to go into detail. But that cut the number of bundles that contain my work in half. So if any of you would like to get multiple books from several authors (including yours truly) for one low price, here’s a deal for you. You can read the descriptions below, and I even added a buy-link, albeit ony for Amazon. If … Read more

The Journal: Welcome, About The Journal, and Archives

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Welcome and About The Journal * Of Interest Quote of the Day “[R]rewriting a story because you want to make it ‘perfect’ before you sell it? That’s a fool’s errand. You’ll end up hating the thing most likely and you’ll waste all the time you could’ve been writing new material.” Screenwriter Matt Pettipas Topic: Welcome, About The Journal, and Archives Welcome to Diana and any other new subscribers I might have missed. I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been posting articles to the Journal since 2014. As a fiction writer, I … Read more

The Journal: AI Audiobooks?

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * AI Audiobooks? * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “Try to catch up if doing so is possible and will be challenging. If impossible to catch up, then simply reset the challenge and start fresh.” Dean Wesley Smith on whether to try catching up when you fall behind on a challenge “Ahh, the problems of being prolific.” Dean Wesley Smith AI Audiobooks? I currently have in my inbox (as probably do many of you) an email from Google Play Books. The subject reads “Create an auto-narrated audiobook.” As of this writing … Read more

The Journal: Use Your Author Name

In today’s Journal * Thank You * Topic: Use Your Author Name * Of Interest Thank you to the generous person who searched the Monroe Country Public Library in the Florida Keys for books from StoneThread Publishing. And thank you again for apparently uploading so many STP books to the search results and recommending some of them to the library. What a wonderful thing to do! If you have identified one of my books that you would like to read, I’d be happy to send you a free book. Just email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com and let me know the title … Read more

The Journal: How to Write Into the Dark

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: How to Write Into the Dark * A Recommendation * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “My students and I are currently working on finding a concrete theory of time travel with multiple histories that is fully compatible with general relativity.” Barak Shoshany, Assistant Professor, Physics, Brock University “Courses in prosody, rhetoric and comparative philology would be required of all students, and every student would have to select three courses out of courses in mathematics, natural history, geology, meteorology, archaeology, mythology, liturgics, cooking.” W. H. Auden via The Passive Voice … Read more