DyingWords.net

This Will Sound Silly

In today’s Journal * This Will Sound Silly * Of Interest This Will Sound Silly but I have to interrupt the writing of The Stirchians (tentative title) to read the novel for which it’s supposed to be the sequel: The 13-Month Turn. By the way, if anyone else would like to read The 13-Month Turn in advance of the second novel in the series being finished, I’m giving it away right now. Just email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com and let me know which e-version you would like: .mobi, .epub, or .pdf. Late yesterday morning as I started to write, I had … Read more

Grasping the Most Difficult Basic Technique

In today’s Journal * Slow Start * A New Routine * Topic: Grasping the Most Difficult Basic Technique * Of Interest Slow Start With the daily news updates and the succession of events that will take place between now and Monday, September 19, I’ll make a slower start than I anticipated in getting back to writing fiction. No matter. It will come. I’d rather my progress is slow than not at all. A New Routine As part of my attempt to reboot myself as a fiction writer, I’m also starting something new with my own daily routine. Instead of researching, … Read more

The Journal: Enough with “Pantser” — A Rant

In today’s Journal * Enough with “Pantser” — A Rant * Of Interest Enough with “Pantser” — A Rant Over at the Kill Zone blog today, James Scott Bell wrote that he’s often asked, “What do I do if I’m in the middle of my novel and there are so many things happening, so many characters running around, that I’m losing my way? [What do I do to get back on track?]” Well, if you’re asking me (and many have), shrug, I suggest you trust the characters enough to just write the next sentence. Then write the next sentence and … Read more

The Journal: The Series Bible

In today’s Journal * A great deal of good information * Topic: The Series Bible (and the Reverse Outline) * Of Interest There is a great deal of good information in today’s “Of Interest.” I strongly recommend you get your beverage of choice and settle in to read. You might even want to try a few of the things they recommend in the different articles as you go. Topic: The Series Bible (and the Reverse Outline) One of my favorites in “Of Interest” today is James Scott Bell’s post on the creation and use of a series bible. As some … Read more

The Journal: Rushing This Out

In today’s Journal * The Indie Author Mindset * Something to Bear in Mind * Of Interest Rushing This Out I came to the Journal late this morning. I have a lot about writing to talk about, but that will be for later. For now, for those of you who are interested in marketing, I suggest Adam L Croft’s The Indie Author Mindset and maybe more specifically to marketing, David Gaughran’s book, Amazon Decoded: A Marketing Guide to the Kindle Store. In full disclosure, I have not read either of these books, but both come highly recommended from a trusted … Read more

The Journal: Believe in Yourself

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Believe in Yourself * Of Interest Quotes of the Day [I]f you are really writing from your creative voice, it just ain’t possible to control it or steer it.” Dean Wesley Smith “[S]ince I never go into the writing with any idea what I am doing, I have been surprised every day what has appeared. And not questioning anything, just going for the ride and having fun.” Dean Wesley Smith “A year from now you will wish you had started today.” Karen Lamb Topic: Believe in Yourself In “Of Interest” … Read more

The Journal: And So It Begins

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Einstein’s quote * And So It Begins * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Albert Einstein “[A]t 2,500 words I knew it would be a novel, but managed to go back and wrap it up into a short story. But no doubt this will be a start of my next Mary Jo Assassin novel. I will just remove the … Read more

The Journal: Reflections

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Reflections 1-5 * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “To move past obstacles, you need to move.” Lost Attribution “The author is having such a good time in telling his tale that he gives us necessarily a good time in reading it.” Clayton Meeker Hamilton in A Manual of the Art of Fiction (1919) about Treasure Island “The willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life is the source from which self-respect springs.” Joan Didion Reflection 1—On My Silly Goal Reflecting on my own goal of writing at … Read more

The Journal: All About Items of Interest

In today’s Journal * All About Items of Interest * Of Interest * The Numbers Today’s Journal is all about items I thought you might find of interest. As a result, a bit ironically, there’s nothing in the actual “Of Interest” section again today. Anyway, I hope you find one or more of these items useful. From Jane Friedman’s weekly blog digest, I culled “NFTs: What Are They and How Much Should Writers and Publishers Care?” just in case any of you are interested. You can find the full article at https://www.janefriedman.com/nfts-what-are-they-and-how-much-should-writers-and-publishers-care/. In the interest of full disclosure, I personally … Read more

The Journal: Analogies and a Clarification

In today’s Journal * Yesterday’s post * Some writers and some drivers: analogies * My experience, a clarification, and more of my experience * The essential key * Of Interest * The Numbers This is long. My apologies in advance. Yesterday’s post struck a chord with a few folks. There were emails and there were comments. In one comment, Matt P called the post a “low-KT tactical nuke.” (grin) In another, Anitha K wrote “on days when WITD seems to lead me down an underground mine with no exit in sight, it’s that much harder to trust it.” I encourage … Read more