In today’s Journal
* New Story
* Bradbury Challenge Reminder
* Post 2 on Heinlein’s Rules
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
A New Short Story
“but babies are just so cute!” went live yesterday on my Stanbrough Writes Substack. Go check it out.
If you enjoy it, tell Everyone. If you don’t, shhh! (grin)
Bradbury Challenge Reminder
Today is Saturday. You who are in or want to join the challenge, please be sure to get your story info in to me before the Journal goes live on Monday.
Post 2 on Heinlein’s Rules
More introductory stuff today, with some specifics on Heinlein’s Rules mixed in.
Q: To provide context, how long have you been using this process, and how many books/stories have you been able to write?
HS: I first discovered Heinlein’s Rules and a technique called Writing Into the Dark in February 2014. I made the conscious decision to pull up my big boy pants and give it an honest try. Since then I’ve written over 230 [short stories, 9 novellas and 90 novels.
That’s the real secret to Heinlein’s Rules and Writing Into the Dark, if there is a secret: You have to dedicate yourself to pushing down your fears and really trying it for yourself.
It helps to realize you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. You can always go back to writing the “old” way: outlining, revising, critique grouping, rewriting however many times, etc.
I started with short stories (one a week) and ended that streak with 72 short stories in 72 weeks, all written in accordance with Heinlein’s Rules, all written into the dark.
If you take a mean average—and given that I didn’t write for two years of that time—that’s over 11 novels per year for 8 years and over 28 short stories per year in that same time period, plus 9 novellas scattered in.
All because I found Heinlein’s Rules and Writing Into the Dark, pushed my fears down and really tried them. Trusting the process came quickly after that.
I learn and I write. I don’t hover. I use a process called “cycling” as I write. Some call it revision, but revision is a conscious-mind process and cycling is a creative-mind process. That’s the big difference, and it’s all-important.
Q: And what is “cycling”?
HS: When I return for the next writing session, I read what I wrote during the previous session. But I read as a reader, just enjoying the story, not critically as a writer.
And I allow myself and my characters to touch the story as I go. When I get back to the blank space, I’m back into the flow of the story and I just keep writing.
Q: I’ve heard many (not all) writers who adhere religiously to Heinlein’s Rules poo-poo the things writers often do to improve their craft, such as attending conferences, reading books and blogs, taking courses, etc.
But there are some things that writing alone can’t fix; sometimes we need direct instruction from people who’ve been there to identify what’s wrong and learn how to address those issues.
What are your thoughts on continuing education as an author?
HS: Not to be contrary, but I’ve never heard a writer who adheres to Heinlein’s Rules dismiss doing anything to improve their craft.
I personally have always urged writers to attend conferences and even the much more affordable conventions that interested them, for networking opportunities if nothing else.
Of course I recommend reading books and blogs on writing too, and I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t. In fact, my author website at HarveyStanbrough.com is rich with writer resources.
My own personal caveat is that the writer should exercise due caution and check out the author of the book or blog.
For example, if that person doesn’t write novels, s/he has no business teaching others how to write novels. Would you go to a car mechanic to learn the finer points of carpentry or medicine? And regarding taking courses, I urge writers to do so, again after investing the time to do due diligence.
The process I recommend is this: The aspiring or beginning or experienced fiction writer should
1. Write every story to the best of your current ability—don’t revise and rewrite your original voice off it—and then publish it.
2. Take time to learn something new about the craft and then stick one technique you want to practice in the back of your mind when you start writing the next story. Practice it as you write that story.
3. Then write that story to the best of your current ability—again, don’t revise and rewrite your original voice off it—and then publish it.
Q: How easy is it for you to follow the rules?
HS: I find it extremely easy to follow HR 1, 2, and 3. I’m dedicated to a daily word count goal of 3,000 words of publishable fiction (no drivel). Re HR 1 and 2, I’m a fiction writer, so I write as part of my daily routine.
Re HR3, I don’t allow even my own critical, conscious mind into my work, so the thought of allowing someone else to tell me how to “fix” the story that came out of my mind is ludicrous to me.
Rule 4 is the most difficult for me to follow because I’d much rather be writing the next story.
Okay, folks, that’s around 900 words, so enough for today. More tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
Nada.
The Numbers
The Journal……………………………… 1140
Writing of When the Owl Calls (novel)
Day 1…… 1884 words. To date…… 1884
Day 2…… 3699 words. To date…… 5583
Day 3…… 2086 words. To date…… 7669
Fiction for May…………………….….… 24899
Fiction for 2024…………………………. 328684
Fiction since October 1………………… 631741
Nonfiction for May……………………… 22740
Nonfiction for 2024…………………… 177080
2024 consumable words……………… 505764
2024 Novels to Date……………………… 8
2024 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2024 Short Stories to Date……………… 1
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)……………… 90
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 239
Short story collections…………………… 29
Disclaimer: I am a prolific professional fiction writer. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Unreasoning fear and the myths of writing are lies, and they will slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.
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