Dean Wesley Smith

The Journal, Monday, June 11

Hey Folks, I hope you all read the Journal from yesterday. It might be the most informative one I’ve written. If you missed it, you can find it at http://hestanbrough.com/the-journal-sunday-june-10/. One thing I mentioned yesterday is “Style follows story, not the other way around.” If your stylistic choices call attention to themselves, change them back. For example, the poet E.E. Cummings is as well known for writing in all lower case as much or more so than he is known for his poetry itself. For another, many writers have asked me why they should have to set off dialogue with … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, June 6

Hey Folks, A very long post today. First a topic for folks who have joined the Journal recently and/or haven’t heard my speil on punctuation as a tool before. Then one of the personal tidbits some of you like. This one is a fairly brief bit on everyday life as a writer (or anyone else) in southeast Arizona. Topic: On Comma Use Recently, a major writer with whom I usually agree on most things handed out some bad information. And by bad I mean harmful. A writer commented that she doesn’t know where to place commas. The major writer advised … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, June 5

Hey Folks, Looking forward to another good day of writing. The novel is running, and it’s weird (for me). It seems to be psychological suspense with a lot of police procedural mixed in. Meaning the final main genre probably will be police procedural. Well, unless it develops into a thriller. I’ll have to see what happens with the scope. I like the effects/ramifications of both of the PS and PP genres. Both require minuscule, exacting and precise detail-detail-detail (but none of it boring, all of it tension-building) at the sub-molecular level. I love that stuff. Both require intensity. Both require … Read more

The Journal, Monday, June 4

Hey Folks, Wow. Nothing but whole lot of nothing going on yesterday in a writerly way. Did a little work around the yard, did some reading, but very little else. My business computer was all messed up (the last Lenovo I’ll ever buy) so I spent a few hours messing with it. Finally got it working again, or at least limping along. I did spend a little time online finding things for “Of Interest” and they’re below. Nothing time sensitive, so I figured it would keep until today. Hence no Journal yesterday. I stayed up too late on Sunday night, … Read more

The Journal, Friday, June 1

Hey Folks, Short post today, which I’m sure you’ll find a relief after some of my recent ones. (grin) I had a good walk this morning. Otherwise I’m just writing today. I haven’t set aside the work tentatively titled Seduction quite yet, but I moved on to another one today. Maybe I’ll finish Seduction, maybe not. Not worried about it. It feels sluggish right now, and at the moment I just want to produce, get myself back on track with a routine. The new one, Dread, is listed below. New month, too, so I had to set up all my … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, May 31

Hey Folks, I keep hammering away at this. But as an instructor, I know some folks “get it” when they hear information one way, and some get it when they hear it another way or from another source. With that in mind, see Kris Rusch’s “Business Musings: An Agent Nightmare Revealed” at https://kriswrites.com/2018/05/30/business-musings-an-agent-nightmare-revealed/. Yep. It’s so important I added it to the main body of the Journal. And shared it with several writer groups on FB. *** Today should be a writing day, and it probably will be. It might be a percolation day. A percolation day is a day … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, May 29

Hey Folks, Hmmm. I was confused for a few minutes this morning, but I finally figured it out. I erroneously titled yesterday’s post “Sunday, May 27” even though I wrote and posted it on Monday, May 28. Oh well. I had planned to get back to writing fiction today, but I have more admin stuff to take care of so probably not. And I’m in no rush. Anyway, here’s the second part of the topic I posted yesterday. If you didn’t see the first part. I strongly recommend you go back and read it. Then I’ll probably spend the balance … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, May 26

Hey Folks, Still thinking of how to handle the two main websites, HarveyStanbrough.com and HEStanbrough.com. For a moment, I even thought I might leave both sites as they are and add a twice-monthly post for readers to HarveyStanbrough.com. And keep up the weekly Pro Writers posts. But that’s a lot of work. And I already do a lot of work. (grin) I also thought, very briefly, of moving this Journal back over there. Been there, done that. And it didn’t work well, especially given that this is a semi-daily blog. Right now, I have weekly Pro Writers blog posts scheduled … Read more

The Journal, Monday, May 21

Hey Folks, Well, I almost posted this Journal yesterday, but only for the “Of Interest” section. And it isn’t time-sensitive, so I waited until today. Had a great visit on Saturday and part of Sunday with my son Roy, Dana, Brandon, Lucas, and Joey (aka Fred, a linoleum salesman from Cincinnatti). Thanks for dropping by, guys. Rolled out at 3 this morning. The little girl and I were outside by 3:30, but an old owl screeched from somewhere closeby at a little before 4, so I ushered her back inside. There are several good items in “Of Interest” today. Chief … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, May 19

Hey Folks, Well, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) takes effect on May 25, 2018. It affects me because I have a few subscribers who live in EU nations. There are half a boatload of requirements. I’m not going to worry about it too much, because everyone who reads this or my Pro Writers blog opted in to receive it. So if you reside in the European Union and you would prefer not to receive this Journal or my ProWriters Blog, please either let me know or click the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email. Thanks. … Read more