AuthorsPublish.com

The Journal: On “Making” Good or Great Writers

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * On “Making” Good or Great Writers * An Observation on “Pressure” * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “All things are difficult before they are easy.” Thomas Fuller On “Making” Good or Great Writers In today’s “Of Interest” I’ve included a “Reader Friday” from the KillZone, primarily because it’s based on a Stephen King quote. Here’s my response (expanded): I think the key word in this passage is “make” and King’s repetition of that. This quote runs alongside his thought that writing can’t be taught, but it can … Read more

The Journal: Another Brief Note on Focusing Down

In today’s Journal * Another Brief Note on Focusing Down * The Novel * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: Another Brief Note on Focusing Down Okay, and some story ideas, and a bit on dialogue. Focusing down means making readers lean into the story, or lean into it more closely. It means focusing their attention “down” or more tightly on a detail. You can’t do that with a chase scene. But you can do that with the tires squealing and a wheel cover spinning off and clanging down the side of the road. If it sends people scattering when … Read more

The Journal: Tough Love

In today’s Journal * The last item (tough love) * There’s a good chance * Of Interest * The Numbers The last item in “Of Interest” today is titled “An Editor’s Guide to Why You Don’t Suck.” I almost didn’t list it, for a few reasons. 1. The article was written by a “developmental editor.” In other words, someone who believes he understands the content of your book (your story) better than you do. Of course, that’s a scientific impossibility. How can ANYone know “your” story, something that resides in your creative subconscious, better than you do? Well, except your … Read more

The Journal: Mentorships Updated

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Mentorships Updated * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.” Octavia Butler on inspiration “I tell the students that there comes a time when you want to either burn it or flush it. But if you keep going, you know, that’s what makes you a writer instead of an ‘I wish I was a writer.” Octavia Butler … Read more

The Journal: The Becoming A Writer Mentorships

In today’s Journal * Topic: The Becoming A Writer Mentorships * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: The Becoming A Writer Mentorships First, an update: The mentorships came together more quickly than I expected. They went live this morning. But I decided to post some of my working notes on the Becoming A Writer mentorships because they make for a good topic. There are many more topics in the actual mentorships than are shown here. You can view the complete mentorships by clicking https://harveystanbrough.com/mentorships/ (it costs nothing to look) and then choosing one link or the other. I’m glad it’s … Read more

The Journal: Mentorships, and Just for Fun

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The first quote of the day * I used to teach * Just for Fun * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Two to three years writing one novel. What the hell? What is she doing the rest of the time? Actually playing the harp? Because real writers write.” Kristine Kathryn Rusch “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” Stephen King The first quote of the day is from the first post listed in “Of Interest.” I also … Read more

The Journal: On Censorship and Cancel Culture

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: On Censorship and Cancel Culture * Patreon * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “The job boils down to two things: paying attention to how the real people around you behave and then telling the truth about what you see.” Stephen King “Authors are now being successfully pressured to remove lines from published books that are deemed objectionable by some readers. … The point of cancel campaigns is to create a chilling effect for academics, writers, editors, and others.” Jonathan Turley, author of the first item listed … Read more

The Journal: There Are Five Physical Senses

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: There Are Five Physical Senses * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “When you find a writer who really is saying something to you, read everything that writer has written and you will get more education and depth of understanding out of that than reading a scrap here and a scrap there and elsewhere.” Joseph Campbell Topic: There Are Five Physical Senses Not one. Five. One of the most obvious signs of a beginning writer is that in description, the writer focuses on Sight as the dominant, … Read more

The Journal: The Saguaro Cactus

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Actually, no * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day A little misinformation from an article a friend sent me, featured on Yahoo News: “Saguaro are considered to be a ‘symbol of the American west,’ yet they are rare, NPS officials say. ‘These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park’ near Tuscon.” Actually, no, saguaros aren’t ‘rare’. 1. Saguaros are protected in Arizona, but so are almost every desert plant. If you don’t believe me, be observed trying … Read more

The Journal: An Epiphany

In today’s Journal * An Epiphany * Of Interest * The Numbers An Ephiphany In an effort to help with your writing career, I’ve always tried to be up front and honest with you guys with both my blunders as well as my achievements. Boy do I have a doozie for you today. You know how I’m always saying Take Your Time with your writing? Bear with me here. Sixty-some novels into my fiction writing career as I wrote the final chapter of the Wes Crowley saga, I decided to see whether there was room for more Wes Crowley novels … Read more