The Journal, Thursday, October 24

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Welp, I won’t * Still a spot open * Microsoft Word for writers * Yesterday I was reminded * There’s an article * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” Ray Bradbury And what quality must you possess in order to … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, October 23

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Show of hands * Topic: Warning—Safeguard Your IP * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Jesus, where the hell is everybody when they first deliver the typing paper? Where are all the ‘helpers’ when those boxes full of silence come in? Blank. Both sides. No clue, no instructions enclosed on how to take just twenty-six letters and endlessly rearrange them so that they can turn them into a mirror of a part of our lives. Try it sometime.” Larry Gelbart First, a ahow of hands—How many … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, October 22

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Horrible Quote of the Day * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” Robert A. Heinlein Horrible Quote of the … Read more

The Journal, Monday, October 21

In today’s Journal * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Today I’m posting here mostly to pass along the stuff in “Of Interest.” After working on my email a little last night and a lot this morning, I finally got through what had accumulated while I was gone. Dan and I had a great time escaping life in general, social media, Home Shopping Network and all the other mind-numbing stuff that washes over us all in everyday life. I posted a few pics on Facebook. If I can figure out how to download it from my camera, I might … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, October 17

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: On “IP Accelerators” and Other Ridiculous Notions * Chances are * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day First, some preparatory remarks. Back on October 8, I came across an article titled “Amazon Intellectual Property Accelerator.”  I listed it in the “Of Interest” section that day. When I mentioned the article to a knowledgeable friend, he shook his head. “Yup. Lawyers now making money off of baby writers. Go figure.” His comment stuck with me, so I figured it was time to write a topic on the subject. … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, October 16

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday (for those interested) * For anyone enrolled * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Psychological and emotional challenges are always interesting.” Laura Benedict in “Afflicted” at the Kill Zone blog. For those interested in my writing process, I thought I’d share something brand new, at least to me. This has never happened to me before. I knew something didn’t feel right about my WIP, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Frankly, it was driving me crazy. I thought it might just be … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, October 15

In today’s Journal * I caught my breath * Yesterday * Of Interest * The Numbers I caught my breath when “Intellectual Property: The Big Picture for Authors” popped into my inbox this morning. (First item in “Of Interest” below.) Could this be a post about (gasp) licensing? And one that’s not from Kris Rusch or Dean Smith? It is. Not only that, it’s posted on Jane Friedman’s site and was written by literary agent Ethan Ellenberg. What? Yeah, I could hardly believe it either. But it’s a great overview, entry-level article. If you read nothing else today, read this … Read more

The Journal, Monday, October 14

In today’s Journal * Well, my mind * Topic: In Defense of Being a Prolific Writer * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Well, my mind is apparently going. (grin) Spurred-on by a series of comments I read elsewhere, I wrote a really long essay a week or so ago. It was too long for a single topic, so I decided to break it into a few separate topics. You saw the first one on October 7 (“POV: Point of View”) and the second on October 8 (“Stick to Your Guns”). The third came on October 9 (“Pro, Hobbyist, … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, October 12

In today’s Journal * Today is mostly * In other ridiculously stupid news * Topic: I Am Constantly Amazed (Amused?) * To give you at least something worthwhile * Of Interest * The Numbers Today is mostly an unbelievably ridicule-ous day. I hope you find the following as jaw dropping and have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying funny as I did. First, my apology for recommending the Glimmer Train link in “Of Interest” yesterday. Had I read it first (I didn’t) instead of simply trusting my source, I wouldn’t have posted it. There is more to the world than doom and gloom, and even if … Read more

The Journal, Friday, October 11

In today’s Journal * Hard to believe * Since I’ve gone on * Of Interest * The Numbers Hard to believe a third of October is already in the books. Now that my latest procedure is done (successfully) I plan to finish my WIP this month. Should be a piece of cake. For any long-time followers out there who might be wondering, this is the longest calendar time it’s ever taken me to write a novel (or novella). (I started my WIP on June 2.) It’s also the longest string of non–fiction-writing days I’ve had for the past six years. … Read more