In Today’s Journal * Doing Nothing and Loving It * Of Interest * The Numbers Doing Nothing and Loving It I’ve never been good before at doing nothing. But recently, I’m getting in some practice. And I’m finding out it isn’t a horrible gig. I’m not stuck in a malaise of any kind, and when I do write fiction I write ‘into the dark’—which only means I run through the characters’ story with them as it unfolds and write down what happens—so for me the so-called ‘writer’s block’ can’t (and doesn’t) exist. I’m just not writing fiction at the moment. … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Revisiting Alibi Syndicate Press * Other Recommended TradPub Sites * Now I’m Done * A Note on Heinlein’s Rules * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The soil of a man’s heart is stonier, Louis. A man grows what he can, and he tends it.” Gravedigger to Louis Creed in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, one of my favorite Stephen King lines Revisiting Alibi Syndicate Press First, Troy Lambert commented with an exciting new link to Alibi Syndicate Press. Try it first. It opened fine for me. If you had trouble with … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Alibi Syndicate Press * On a purely personal note * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “I’m a full-time believer in writing habits, pedestrian as it all may sound. You may be able to do without them if you have genius but most of us only have talent and this is simply something that has to be assisted all the time by physical and mental habits or it dries up and blows away.” Flannery O’Connor Alibi Syndicate Press There’s a new traditional publisher on the horizon. I mean … Read more

In Today’s Journal * The TNDJ Challenges Report * An Apology * Of Interest * The Numbers The TNDJ Challenges Report Participating in any challenge is a great way to have fun and grow as a writer. There is no cost. Feel free to jump in at any time. To do so, email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com with your results anytime before TNDJ goes live on any Monday. Bradbury Challenge The requirement is to write at least one short story or short-short story per week. During the past week, the following writers wrote these new stories: Erin Donoho “A Conversation About … Read more

In Today’s Journal * A New Short Story * Pausing Your Morning Serial * A Few Blasts from the Past * Of Interest * The Numbers A New Short Story “Ink” went live yesterday at 10 a.m. on my Stanbrough Writes Substack. Go check it out. It’s free. If you enjoy the story, please click Like. Comments are welcome too. Both help with my Substack algorithms. Then tell Everyone else. Gracias. Pausing Your Morning Serial As I reported I might do earlier, I’ve decided to pause publication of Your Morning Serial, at least for now. The final installment of the … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Ghostwriting: Legal Ease (guest post) * The Numbers Note: Yesterday I sent out a subscriber-only post. If you didn’t receive it and believe you should have, please email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. And now…. Thinking about becoming a ghostwriter? Here are some practical tips from Dan Baldwin, a long-time ghostwriter as well as an award-winning novelist and short story writer in his own right. Ghostwriting: Legal Ease a guest post by Dan Baldwin Every situation and every relationship is unique, but an author/writer contract should at least cover the list below. Always listen to your lawyer, but … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * What’s Your Word (or Phrase) for 2026? * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” Robin Sharma What’s Your Word (or Phrase) for 2026? It’s a new year! I know. Doesn’t your gut just sink when the writer of an article wastes your time telling you what you already know? But here we are. And we’re all fiction writers or would-be fiction writers. (Oops, there I go again.) Anyway, for some of us, me included, it’s time … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * December 31, 2025: That’s a Wrap! * Guest Posts Welcome * My Own 2025 in Review * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go.” Jeannette Rankin “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” Albert Einstein December 31, 2025: That’s a Wrap! First and foremost, I wish you all a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and a successful 2026. As I announced here awhile … Read more

In Today’s Journal * The Hierarchy of Sales * Fiction Lengths * Just a Reminder * Of Interest * The Numbers The Hierarchy of Sales Just in case anyone out there didn’t know this, there’s a hierarchy of sales in fiction. I’m talking about what individual readers buy, not what’s easier to sell (license) to publishers. That depends on the publisher. First so we’re on the same page, a couple of definitions: The Saga is a single, ongoing story about an individual that continues through several time-sequential novels, novellas, or short stories. Each installment of a saga features the same … Read more