Indies Unlimited

The Journal: A Matter of Authenticity

In today’s Journal * Topic: A Matter of Authenticity * Wow. I was looking over my files * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: A Matter of Authenticity Hey, folks, if you’re ever writing a Marine Corps character, officer or enlisted, use a 24-hour clock when you’re giving the time. For example, 3 a.m. is “0300” (not even oh-three-hundred) and 6 p.m. is 1800. Most people know that, right? It’s a matter of authenticity. And if you’re writing that Marine Corps character, NEVER add “hours” to the time. So 3 a.m. is zero-three-hundred (0300), not “0300 hours.” Adding … Read more

The Journal: Picking Up Again and Censorship

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Picking Up Again and Censorship * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Writing into the Dark isn’t just putting down random happenings and letting your characters wander about blindly.” Terry Odell She’s right, it isn’t. WITD is trusting your subconscious to use the knowledge it’s absorbed over the years. It’s the writer allowing the characters to tell the story that they, not the writer, are living. Topic: Picking Up Again and Censorship Usually when I return to a story, even after a few days away … Read more

The Journal, Monday, August 13

Hey Folks, I wish I’d found me before I started writing novels. I mean, if I were not me, I wish I’d found me. Something like that. I did rediscover Dean Wesley Smith after a long absence. And I learned a lot from him, often plucking free gems from his blog posts. But most of the in-depth stuff that I learned from him came at $300 a whack. Not that I regret any of it. Knowledge is priceless, and paying $300 for a huge shortcut in the learning curve is pretty inexpensive really. You know, depending on what’s important to … Read more