In Today’s Journal * On Using Dialogue Tags and “Action Beats” * Contest Entries Are Now Closed * Of Interest * The Numbers On Using Dialogue Tags and “Action Beats” In yesterday’s TNDJ I mentioned Lori Freeland’s “The Power of Paragraphing” as a great article on paragraphing and pacing. I stand by that statement, but I was a little dismayed at the examples she used to illustrate a couple of points. I invited you to email me if you wanted to know why her examples are not good. A few folks emailed me about it, so I thought I’d address … Read more

In Today’s Journal * A New Short Story * New Mystery Posted… * I Finally Read * The Writing and Other Stuff * Taking a Moment * Of Interest * The Numbers A New Short Story “Racing to the Corner” went live yesterday at 10 a.m. on my Stanbrough Writes Substack. In this one I have a conversation with some of my characters. Go check it out. It’s fun and 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. New Mystery Posted to Your Morning … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Only Today and Tomorrow * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Write the slow parts fast and the fast parts slow.” Lee Child on pacing “Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity.” Ray Bradbury “… knowing when to hit Enter can take your writing from meh to manuscript-ready.” Lori Freeland in “The Power of Paragraphing” (see Of Interest) Given my post from yesterday, how’s that last quote for coincidence? Only Today and Tomorrow left to write and submit a story for the Echoes of Chandler contest. You … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Echoes of Chandler Contest * Pacing Again * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The subjective opinions of a certain group of people at a certain moment in time say nothing about the value of your work.” JA Konrath, talking about critique input Echoes of Chandler Contest More entries are coming in. Today’s the end of July, so only three days left. I won’t accept entries that arrive after I start work on August 3. I’ll be reading contest entries most of today, but I wanted to get … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Echoes of Chandler Contest * What Makes a Short Story * Of Interest * The Numbers Echoes of Chandler Contest This thing is still wide open. I’ve received only seven entries thus far, and those are from only three writers. Around 200 folks subscribe to TNDJ, and I assume most of you are fiction writers. Don’t prejudge your work and assume it isn’t “good enough.” The writer who won first prize in the Echoes of Hemingway contest was shocked that I selected her work above all others, but it was absolutely excellent. Just sayin’. Believe in … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Note on Contest Entries * Your Morning Serial * Of Interest * The Numbers Note on Contest Entries Folks, if you enter any contest I sponsor including the current Echoes of Chandler Contest, PLEASE follow the manuscript format. As a bare minimum, please put your (real) name and email address in the upper left corner of the first page of your manuscript. Always make it easy for the editor to contact you. NOTE: Thus far, I’ve received only four entries in this contest. Submissions close on August 2. Just sayin’. Your Morning Serial Over at Your … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Note on Contest Entries * The Bradbury Challenge * What Is a Pantser? * Of Interest * The Numbers Note on Contest Entries Folks, if you enter any contest I sponsor including the current Echoes of Chandler Contest, PLEASE follow the manuscript format. As a bare minimum, please put your (real) name and email address in the upper left corner of the first page of your manuscript. Always make it easy for the editor to contact you. The Bradbury Challenge The whole point of the Challenge is to have fun and grow as a writer. There … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Sometimes I Just Have To * Echoes of Chandler Contest * Of Interest * The Numbers Sometimes I Just Have To In a comment on DWS’ post titled “Some Basics About Writing That I Believe,” another commenter wrote “The hard part for many/most writers — commercial fiction or darned near anything else — is having a big/perceptive-enough writer brain to keep the necessary mileposts in sight while writing. Even “pure pantsers” have some, unless they’re one of those just-explore-a-character’s-feelings-while-nothing-really-happens MFA graduates (if so, I don’t want to know about it and won’t read the result without … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Got a Good Start * A New Short Story * Bradbury Reminder * Of Interest * The Numbers Got a Good Start Okay. Back in the day, driving a few t-posts, digging two 3-feet-deep postholes, building a new gate, stringing and tying up roughly 80 feet of fence, and taking out an old fence would have taken maybe all of a six- or eight-hour day. Yesterday morning, including measuring and remeasuring distances between t-posts, placing six of them, and driving three of them took close to three hours. Then I was back in the Hovel under … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Tracking Your Day * Echoes of Chandler Contest/Challenge * Of Interest * The Numbers I’m sending this issue out mostly for the items I linked to in Of Interest. Tracking Your Day Everyone starts with 24 hours in a day. If you want to write more or spend more time writing but day by day the days seem to slip away from you, try tracking your day in 15-minute increments. This will work better if you do it physically, actually listing the time increments down the left side of a sheet of paper, then carry the … Read more