In Today’s Journal * Tertiary Characters * Secondary Characters * The POV Character(s) * Of Interest * The Numbers Please read Part 1 of this series first either at the Journal website or at the Substack. Tertiary Characters Tertiary characters are typically well-rounded and play a significantly greater role than cardboard characters play, largely to advance the storyline. But in almost every case they advance the storyline by helping reveal the personality and character of the secondary or POV character(s). Tertiary characters are usually on the verge of becoming secondary characters but they don’t quite make the transition. Examples of … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * On Characters: A Series * Important Notes * Background * Introduction * The Kinds of Characters * Cardboard Characters * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Character is king. There are probably fewer than six books every century remembered specifically for their plots. People remember characters.” Lee Childs On Characters: A Series Important Notes 1. My booklet Creating Realistic Characters (2011) is an abomination. I’m no longer even giving it away. To those of you who already asked for and received that booklet, my apologies. I recommend you … Read more

In Today’s Journal * My Quote of the Day * TNDJ Thus Far * Low Participation in the Challenges * Regarding Characters * Mentorships Are Open * A Final Note * Of Interest * The Numbers My Quote of the Day “Don’t worry about ‘interrupting’ me. You can’t interrupt someone who writes into the dark. There is no train of thought to derail.” TNDJ Thus Far even though I announced a short while back that I will publish TNDJ less frequently, I’ve posted every day since then. Please don’t trust that. I’ve been posting every day because thus far I’ve … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * The Bradbury Challenge Writers Reporting * Blackwell Ops 36: Temple’s Dream * Writers Write (On Comfort Zones) * A Fun Day * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” Vince Lombardi The Bradbury Challenge Writers Reporting The whole point of the Challenge is to have fun and grow as a writer. There is no cost. The only requirement is to write at least one short story per week. During the past week, in addition to … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Writers Write * The Novel Will Wrap Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Writers Write Diane Darcy Diane Darcy, a prolific, best-selling Romance writer recently wrote, “I’m using pre-orders to put out a book every month. I just started. It works for me too. But I would like to write one every two weeks as well.” It pleases me to report that apparently Diane is shadowing me (maybe, and if so I’m flattered) in the same way I shadowed Dean Wesley Smith for so long. If so, I’m glad for her. More power to her. … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A New Short Story * Bradbury Reminder * The Writing * A Marketing Idea * The Numbers Quotes of the Day On IP Valuation: “If you built say a theater complex … and you opened it for business and the first night it made $500, if you were a writer you would think that theater complex was only worth $500. “But in the real world, you would know that is not how property is valued. The theater complex would be worth far, far more than one night’s income. Your story, your … Read more

In Today’s Journal * The Stephen King February Challenge * Fiction? Nonfiction? * Of Interest * The Numbers The Stephen King February Challenge begins tomorrow. The challenge is to write 1,000 wpd (average) every day during the month of February. If you want a shot at the prizes, email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com to let me know you’re in. Fiction? Nonfiction? A writer recently wrote to say, “In fiction there is minimal editing. We check for grammatical, spelling and other things to change. … So non-fiction is a different animal. Where does the critical mind come into it that is different … Read more

In Today’s Journal * My Quote of the Day * You Have to Write What Is * Don’t Just Come In, Guns Blazing * Of Interest * The Numbers My Quote of the Day “When I’m writing an intense scene and I have to get up to do something else, I often release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. When I sit down again and return to the story I’m back inside it, and I don’t know whether I’m breathing or not.” HS You Have to Write What Is If you’re going to write an authentic story, you … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * One More Use for Cycling * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “It’s such a relief to just let the characters take me where they want to go and trust the process as I write. And get to the end and be done! Also, it’s a whole heck of a lot more fun.” USA Today Bestselling Author Diane Darcy in a comment on “Emma Kok, and Writing Fiction and Learning” One More Use for Cycling This is more next-level stuff. I actually wrote this post a few days … Read more

In Today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * “An Example for All of Us” * Thoughts on Writing Fiction and Learning * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “I used to buy into the myths wholeheartedly. … That was literally all I saw as a high schooler and college student who wanted to be writer. … I’m slowly but surely starting to break free of them. My current novel is coming along at a rapid clip!” Natalie K. in an email “An Example for All of Us” For anyone who missed my earlier mention of this … Read more