Jane Friedman

The Journal: No Seriously, Nobody Cares

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: No Seriously, Nobody Cares * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Nobody cares.” Dean Wesley Smith Topic: No, Seriously, Nobody Cares This morning, Kris Rusch wrote a kind of rambling Business Musings post titled, “Nobody Cares.” When it goes public in a few days, I’ll link to it in “Of Interest” so you can see it for yourself. I suspect it was rambling because she was tired from just having finished teaching a live workshop in Vegas. (I wanted badly to tell her she could … Read more

The Journal: Quotes, Finished, and I Don’t Share

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * I don’t share * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “I specialize in murders of quiet, domestic interest.” Agatha Christie “[I like] a story without ritual murder etc. or pulp. Straightforward murders and mob executions are OK.” Reader, in an email to me a few years ago I don’t share personal opinions that are not about writing very often. I almost did today, but decided (probably wisely) against it. I was going to comment on a truly stupid post I found on The Passive Guy’s website … Read more

The Journal: My Interview and Other Things

In today’s Journal * My interview on The Prolific Writer podcast * Well, for some reason * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers My interview on The Prolific Writer podcast is up. If you’re interested, or if you just want to hear my weird, western-twangy voice, check it out at http://theprolificwriter.libsyn.com/tpw-113-harvey-stanbrough-on-50-novels-in-5-years. Note: For some reason the interview cut short right at 54:11 as I was talking about writing influences. Makes me wish I’d kept a transcript of what I said. (grin) Well, for some reason, although I reset the MailChimp mailing time to 5 p.m. yesterday (after the other … Read more

The Journal: Sigh… Old Stuff Revisited

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday * Topic: Sigh… Old Stuff Revisited * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, via David Farland Yesterday I had a good writing day (4253 words). I wrote a little over 3100 words on the novel plus a little over 1300 words on the short story. If I’m able to write on both again today, I should finish the short story. I might go back to posting the Journal later in … Read more

The Journal: If It’s That Easy…

In today’s Journal * A quick roundup * The Coming Year * Topic: If It’s That Easy… * How I Came to Writing Into the Dark * Yesterday and Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Well, first a quick roundup since I was reporting fiction numbers a day late: Total fiction words for December……… 55128 Total fiction words for 2019………………… 452693 Total nonfiction words for December… 21570 Total nonfiction words for 2019………… 324830 Total words for 2019 (fiction and this blog)…… 777523 Calendar Year 2019 Novels…………………… 10 Calendar Year 2019 Novellas……………… 1 Calendar Year 2019 Short Stories… 4 Novels … Read more

The Journal: More on Word-Count Goals (a process post)

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: More on Word-Count Goals (a process post) * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If you’re not productive in this new world, you’re done. You’re just done.” Dean Wesley Smith Topic: More on Word-Count Goals (a process post) I had a few questions about this, so I thought I’d revisit it. My daily word count goal is 3000 words per day beginning on January 1. Yesterday, I practiced. I started a short story that didn’t pan out, and I missed my goal. In fact, I … Read more

The Journal: On Daily Word-Count Goals

In today’s Journal * Topic: On Daily Word-Count Goals * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: On Daily Word-Count Goals In case you don’t read the “My Own Getting Ready” in today’s “Of Interest,” I found it very interesting (and pleasantly surprising) that both Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch still use word-count goals. As I learned from Dean back in early 2014, a daily word-count goal is indispensible for several reasons: Whether you fall short or go way over on a particular day, the next morning the goal resets to zero and it’s a new day. … Read more

The Journal: An Excellent Opportunity

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: An Excellent Opportunity * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “I have always followed one bit of advice that echoes in my head, and it’s that as a writer … your number one job description is to communicate properly your idea. Being self-indulgent is for fine artists.” world-famous writer and cartoonist Bob Eckstein Topic: An Excellent Opportunity For anyone out there who wants to make money with your stories or the story bits that I call “internal IP” (settings, characters, items, gadgets, etc.), Dean Wesley … Read more

The Journal: Yesterday and Thoughts on Burnout

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Yesterday and Thoughts on Burnout * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “I may never become a millionaire through my writing, but it makes me richer every time I put fingers to keyboard.” Adela Crandell Durkee Topic: Yesterday and Thoughts on Burnout No writing yesterday as it turned out. I did a few chores, went to the grocery and the post office, and on my return my little girl cat wanted me to spend some time with her. So I did. Writing fiction is important, … Read more

The Journal: Kris Rusch, A New WIP, and Today

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Kris Rusch’s Patreon Page * Smashwords is patening new technology * Today * I’ve also had a few questions * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day Via my friend Bob Calverley, “Bad books on writing tell you to ‘WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW’, a solemn and totally false adage that is the reason there exist so many mediocre novels about English professors contemplating adultery.” Joe Haldeman, author of The Forever War and Vietnam vet Topic: Kris Rusch’s Patreon Page Because of the way the world is today, I’ll … Read more