The Journal: Finished an Edit and the Critical Voice

In today’s Journal * Finished an edit * Topic: WITD, Cycling and the Critical Voice * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Well, I finished the copyedit I was working on, and Oh Wow was it ever a great read. The thing was so fast-paced I kept wishing it had already been copyedited so I could ‘just read’ it. I don’t usually announce new releases of any work but my own here, but I think I’ll announce this one when it’s published. It’s just that good. Topic: WITD, Cycling and the Critical Voice A writer wrote to ask me … Read more

The Journal: From our friend

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * From our friend * In the second item * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Oh that tricksy critical mind. My biggest challenge. The only cure is writing anyway.” Karen Riggs, novelist From our friend Bob B re the 20BooksTo50K writers’ conference in Vegas this week, They’re already starting to post videos from this year’s conference at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTrqmZBt-FWUWnxWD2x5Ucg/videos. Their Facebook Group is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/20Booksto50k/. Take advantage of this, folks. Tidbits like this don’t come along every day. *** In the second item in “Of Interest,” the … Read more

The Journal: Sorry to have been away

In today’s Journal * Sorry to have been away * Update on the Master Business Class * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Sorry to have been away for a couple of days. Honestly, there just wasn’t much to report, even in “Of Interest.” I’ve been working mostly on a lengthy copyedit and doing some things for my mentoring student, as well as working on the bible for the shared world I’ll reveal around the first of the year. Update on the Master Business Class Kris Rusch let slip in her most recent Patreon post (I’ll link to the … Read more

The Journal: A Reminiscence

In today’s Journal * Happy Veterans’ Day * If you’ll allow me a reminiscence… * Of Interest * The Numbers Happy Veterans’ Day, or as Marines call it, Recovery Day. (grin) We often joked that if an enemy of the United States ever wanted to attack this nation, they should do so on November 11 while the Marine Corps was nursing a collective hangover. Yesterday I spent the day with my wife, my youngest son and eldest grandson and with my friends (many in memoriam) from the Corps. For the first time since I joined, I didn’t toast my fellow … Read more

The Journal: Yesterday and Ghosting and Veterans’ Day

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday * Ghosting * My son and grandson * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Exactly like riding a rollercoaster… That’s writing a novel into the dark. Buckle in and believe you will end back up in the station, breathing hard and laughing.” Dean Wesley Smith Exactly. And this is why I cringe when I hear a writer talk about how “hard” it is to write a short story or novel. *** Yesterday I spent a few hours rearranging my author website at HarveyStanbrough.com to make … Read more

The Journal: Catching Up, Pricing Your Book, and More

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday * Pricing your book * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Just let the writing be a fun place to go, to escape to. Don’t make it special. If you do, it gets wrapped into all the life drama. Just leave the writing as an escape to go play.” Dean Wesley Smith Yesterday I got the three covers done and the three short stories published, so I’m caught up for now in that regard. But there was zero extra time for writing or for working … Read more

The Journal: Good Fortune Strikes

In today’s Journal * Good Fortune Strikes * Yesterday * A Very Special Project * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Good Fortune Strikes (for you) Yesterday, Kris Rusch added a new post to her Patreon page. And this morning, I found she’d also shared it on her Busines Musings blog, which means I’m free to share it with you. I’m not exaggerating when I say this is one of the most eye-opening posts she’s shared. If you read nothing else today, please read Paradigm Shift (Rethinking The Writing Business Part 16). You might want to read it two … Read more

The Journal: Update: Game On

In today’s Journal * Update: Game On * Topic: Inventory * More and more patrons * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Update: Game On I reached out to a writer who has attended the Master Business Class and asked him whether anyone there talked politics during the sessions. His answer was a resounding No. He wrote “at the beginning of both Vegas workshops I attended, they announced that there was to be absolutely NO discussion of politics or religion inside or outside of the classroom. They said they have sent people home for doing so.” Good enough. I … Read more

The Journal: Rethinking, Rethinking

In today’s Journal * Rethinking ways to rethink the future * I’m also rethinking * Some days are downers * Of Interest * The Numbers Part of the creative person’s ongoing task is to experiment, plan, rethink, and adjust. Regrettably, I’m rethinking a couple of things today. The first is rethinking ways to rethink the future of our business. Only yesterday, I was certain I wanted to attend the Master Business Class in Vegas next October. Today, not so much. It would be an invaluable investment in our business. What we could learn there — if the instructors and students … Read more

The Journal: On Efficiency and Establishing Habits

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: On Efficiency and Establishing Habits (and a Bit on Today) * Yesterday I picked up * Toward the end of the day * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “I’m not a young man. I’m old, tired and full of no coffee.” Raymond Chandler, in Playback I can totally relate. (grin) Topic: On Efficiency and Establishing Habits (and a Bit on Today) Yesterday, Mona noted that the recurrent theme in my personal notes over the years has been scheduling. She’s right, and that was an epiphany for … Read more