Search Results for: opening

The Journal, Monday, 7/17

Hey Folks, For those of you following the saga of Bryan, I finally heard from him. He posted on Facebook yesterday. That worried me initially because I know he isn’t allowed a computer at Job Corps. So I immediately wondered whether he was still there, etc. I commented on his post “Bryan! You’re online? How’re you doing?” And this morning he responded with “Yeah, I’m online. My roommate gave me one of his old phones so that’s how I’ve been online. As far as job corps it’s been going great. I love it here.” Whew! (grin) So there you have … Read more

The Journal, Monday, 7/10

Hey Folks, This is important, so it goes up front. Just in case you happen across “How To Easily Proofread And Edit Your Own eBook” (by The Digital Reader), IMHO there’s only one piece of valid advice in the whole article: Read Your Work Aloud. Everything else there either lets someone else into your work or won’t work. Topic: What a Writer Needs, Post-Story You need a good first reader. By “good” I mean someone who enjoys your work, but someone who will also point out four things: misspellings, wrong words, inconsistencies, and any place where he or she feels … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, 7/9

Hey Folks, Doing very little thus far this morning but relaxing my way into the day. And did very little the rest of the day so far too. Puttered around outside, a little yard work, a little more on the Hovel, some automotive stuff. The highlight was a trip to the store for tea and locking gas caps. (Hey. There’s a title for you. “Tea and Locking Gas Caps.) Today, and Writing Nothing today. Unless a plane lands on my house tonight and I’m in it (plane or house) I’ll be writing fiction tomorrow. Probably all day. See you then. … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, 7/8

Hey Folks, Basically just a placeholder post today. The Hovel’s back in shape. I’ll be moving out there to write pretty soon, though probably not today. It’s Saturday, so…. Maybe I’ll do some cleaning out there, get it ready. Be glad when this dam breaks. In the meantime, I have a couple other personal adjustments to make too. I won’t bore you with details on those. Just habits to break and habits to assume. Oh, about yesterday’s topic. Hey, if you prefer reading books in the paper edition, good. Enjoy. I was only trying to dispel some longstanding misconceptions. Today, … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, 7/6

Hey Folks, Topic: On Original Thought Know what? Anyone who wants to be a writer should strive, every day, to have at least one original thought. On politics, religion, social hot buttons, or whatever. To become a successful writer — by which I mean a writer who turns out work regularly and that work is regularly sold and read — the writer should strive ALL day every day to have original thoughts. If you’re mimicking the sound bites that pass for news and social repartéé — well, good for you. But chances are, you won’t be successful, or not as … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, 7/5

Hey Folks, If you like good westerns, two of my books are currently in the Guns of the West Bundle. Dean Wesley Smith also has two books in this bundle, plus there are books by 5 other writers. This is an excellent opportunity to get 9 amazing tales of the wild west for one low price. Visit https://bundlerabbit.com/b/guns-west/. Okay, I’ve mentioned a time or two a couple of other writers who currently have ongoing “writing in public” challenges. To watch their challenges unfold and support their efforts, visit these websites: Linda Maye Adams at http://lindamayeadams.com/. Christopher Ridge at https://creaturecritter.blogspot.com/. Topic: … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, 7/4

Hey Folks, In addition to being Independence Day, today is the birth date of the most important person in the world to me. My wife, Mona Gay Griffith Stanbrough (who much prefers to remain anonymous), was born on this date roughly 39 years ago. (grin) Happy birthday, sweetheart. Wow. Yesterday, not five minutes after I posted this Journal, I ran across this quote from The Passive Voice: “Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists … Read more

The Journal, Monday, 7/3

Hey Folks, Happy July 4th tomorrow. More importantly, happy Independence Day. Well, I’m officially in a slump right now. (I know. Duh!) I wrote four openings today, and I wasn’t excited about any of them from the first word to the last. Every one of them dwindled and died, and what’s worse, I didn’t care. I’m not counting the words. I know better than to think I don’t want to write anymore or I don’t have anymore stories to tell or any silliness like that. But I am definitely in a slump. Maybe this is the “writer’s crash” Dean talks … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, 7/1

Hey Folks, Okay. The roller coaster continues. Maybe I’ll start the challenge today, and maybe I won’t. I’ll know by the end of the day. Or maybe I need to adjust the challenge. I don’t know. Again, I hope I’ll know by the end of the day Enjoying a visit with my youngest son, his wife, and three grandsons this morning. Today, and Writing No writing today. See you tomorrow. Of Interest Via the Passive Guy, see “The Opening as Part of the Closing … of the Deal” at https://killzoneblog.com/2017/03/the-opening-as-part-of-the-closing-of-the-deal.html. This is a really great article. You might also bookmark … Read more

The Journal, Friday, 6/30

Hey Folks, Yay! The last day of what turned out to be a major transition month for me. At least as far as life and websites go. This morning I realized there’s a glitch in my challenge plans. The challenge is to write a short story every day “in public,” meaning I’ll post it scene by scene over at hstanbrough.com. But sometimes a story grows into a novel. I usually recognize a budding novel at around the two-thirds point of a story. Last month, in only 8 stories, two also wanted to be novels. That made me wonder, for a … Read more