Dean Wesley Smith

The Journal, Thursday, July 19

Hey Folks, Another long post, but I think a good one. I’m going to try an experiment. I started this Journal almost 4 years ago to keep track of my own writing, both fiction and nonfiction. I also did that in part to let others see what is possible if they can only get themselves to the keyboard. But sometimes (even often, at times) it backfired. Instead of motivating others, sometimes seeing my numbers actually depressed them. They looked at my numbers as if I was daring them to do the same, or to surpass me. That was never the … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, July 18

Hey Folks, Today’s post is long. It’s all about professional resources… I went through my links yesterday, deleted any authors’ websites that are about nothing but the author, new releases, etc. I’m keeping only those that offer some insight for other writers. And I’ll be rearranging those today to make them easier to find. One person responded to my call for resources yesterday. (Thanks, Gnondpom.) The ones that were already listed in my Writers Resources or that I’ve added are preceded below by an asterisk (to let you know you can find them on my site later). The others are … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, July 17

Hey Folks, Oops. Well, I didn’t get this out yesterday. Not used to the new time yet, I guess. So I wrote most of what’s below yesterday, but I’ll count it today. A request — if anyone knows of any writer’s blogs (or group blogs, like Kill Zone, or organizational blogs) where professionals hand out anything of value to other writers (regardless of genre), please let me know. You can comment below or email me privately at harveystanbrough.com. Kill Zone still has a few authors who post valid posts now and then, but it seems to be devolving. Of course, … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, July 15

Hey Folks, From a DWS response to a comment on his “Pulp Speed Time Again” post (https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/pulp-speed-time-again/#comments), “[Writing] gets so much easier as you keep going. We call it ‘ground [e]ffect’ after that affect that planes have as they near the ground. The air between the plane and the ground makes it easier to stay aloft. When you get writing, it is easier to just keep writing. Starting is always the hard part.” He also offers a lecture titled “Starting and Restarting Your Writing” that’s well worth the $50. Finally, Dean also wrote two posts for today, both about a … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, July 14

Hey Folks, No writing yesterday, of course, and I started a new copyedit. This one will take only a few days at the most. Today I have more for you in the “Of Interest” section, so I’ll post this. Dean has a great post today on Pulp Speed. He talks at length about pulp writers. I recommend you read the post through at least twice. Chances are you’ll find new valuable nuggets on each read-through. The post is so valuable, I’ve linked to it on HarveyStanbrough.com in the Writers Resources tab. Some folks look at pulp as if it’s a … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, July 12

Hey Folks, Just a reminder that I’m still handing out free books to anyone who would like to read and write a review. To see what’s available, visit http://harveystanbrough.com/ and select from among the novel tabs. Then email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. If you prefer short fiction, you may also choose from among the 5- or 10-story collections under the Short Fiction tab. Another day of editing today, and then probably on through the weekend. Then I should have two more edits coming in before too long. It’s that time of year. But I hope to get back to my own … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, July 11

Hey Folks, Just in case it wasn’t obvious to anyone out there, my previous Journal entry was a sarcasm-laden spoof. Upright is not a matter of degree. Neither, at least for me, is it a perpetual state. But like a goal, it’s something I strive for. There’s a fine line between encouraging false hope and preying on those who fall for it, and encouraging writers to believe in themselves and their own abilities. Anyone who promises to solve all your problems and make you a success (for a fee in real life or free in politics) is probably a scammer. … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, July 10

Hey Folks, Seems to be The Week of Scams, all vehemently defended by the very writers who are the scammers’ targets. But that’s all right. At long last, I’ve seen the light. As a result, I’ve decided to completely revamp my main website. I’ll begin by getting rid of all those silly book covers and book descriptions and individual book pages. In all, I’ll be able to delete around 100 pages (of 104). It will be SUCH a relief, not having to keep up with all of that. I mean, think about it: ● I won’t have to design any … Read more

The Journal, Monday, July 9

Hey Folks, Well, another topic cued up by a comment on a post over at Dean’s place. The original post was about Dean’s streak of posting to his blog for over 2100 days straight. Somehow it turned to reading for pleasure vs. “looking” for errors as you read. Of course, I agree with Dean that a reader should read fiction in the chosen genre strictly for pleasure. I also agree that sometimes a bestseller is a wonderful writer whose “style” is simply not the reader’s cup of tea. But I also believe culpability for bad storytelling and bad writing should … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, July 7

Hey Folks, Nothing much going on yesterday, so no Journal entry for July 6. This will continue the previous Journal post and topic (see http://hestanbrough.com/the-journal-thursday-july-5/). In that post, I wrote that “…professionals (including Dean) seldom say ‘Don’t worry about the money. Write for joy.’ Dean does say writing should be fun, but he also talks a lot about making money from it.” Dean’s post yesterday was about copyright. (It’s in “Of Interest” today.) In one comment, a writer said (jokingly) she would buy the Copyright Handbook “someday.” Dean roughed her up a little bit. Now in my previous Journal entry, … Read more