KillZone Blog

The Journal, Sunday, November 4

Hey Folks, What sites about writing do you follow regularly other than mine or the ones I regularly mention in “Of Interest”? If any of you know of any good websites from other writers who are serious about the craft or from writer-enablers that I don’t mention here at least occasionally, please share those URLs with me. I went through my list of “followed” sites this morning and found I had to delete roughly half of them. Most I deleted because the writers who were posting on them previously had faded into the “whatever happened to” domain. They hadn’t posted … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, November 3

Hey Folks, Not a lot to talk about today, but some good stuff in “Of Interest.” I got out to the Hovel a little early to get some writing done. The story’s rolling right along. We have a scheduled trip to Sierra Vista today, so an abbreviated writing day. Thanks for hanging in there. Never know what might happen so I wanted to post this before we leave. Talk with you again soon. Of Interest See “Requiescat in Pace” at https://killzoneblog.com/2018/11/requiescat-in-pace.html. See “Typing Fast vs Being Prolific” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/typing-fast-vs-being-prolific/. Also, Dean replied to explanatory comments on the other thing. See … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, November 1

Hey Folks, Happy November, everyone! After I published the Journal yesterday, I went ahead and published the novella. You can see all of my mystery/noir/PI things at http://harveystanbrough.com/mystery/. To see the most recent cover and description, visit http://harveystanbrough.com/stern-talbot-disappearing-worm/. (grin) I have a doc appointment I’d forgotten about early this afternoon. Just a followup with the cardio-plumber. I’ll see the electrician on the 13th. I’m happy to report that will not be a Friday. I almost wish I’d gone ahead and written more yesterday, when my fingers were jonesing for the keys. But it isn’t all bad today either. I just … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, October 28

Hey Folks, Not a lot going on today. I’ll write some fiction, and probably I’ll spend time watching a little NFL football (haven’t watched for about three years) and then of course Game 5 of the World Series. In baseball, I always watch as many division series as I can, and then both league championship series. I enjoy watching professionals in any discipline perform at such a high level. But this year, as I watched the NLCS, I told my wife I thought either team (whichever won) was going to be awed at the buzzsaw that is this year’s Boston … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, October 27

Hey Folks, Wow. Who knew last night’s ball game would become the longest game in the history of post-season baseball? It finally ended (for me) around 12:30 a.m. my time. (groan) I gave up and went to bed halfway through the 18th inning. And the Dodgers won it moments later, 3-2. It was Boston’s first road-trip loss in this post season. And I actually saw Mary Hart (of TV entertainment show fame) making fun of and trying to distract a Boston pitcher who has a unique “look-in” to his catcher. Sigh. Some peope are surprisingly crass. *** A minor publishing-process … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, October 25

Hey Folks, Writing fiction is my escape. It’s fun, and I love nothing more than being shoulder-deep in a story, racing along with my characters, almost breathlessly anticipating what will happen next. It’s so enjoyable for me that I occasionally use writing as a carrot. It dangles from a string, hanging from a stick that’s tied to my balding old head. It’s the only way I can think of to get my muley old butt to pay attention to Heinlein’s Rule 4 and move forward. That will be the case today. No more fiction writing for me until I create … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, October 24

Hey Folks, Over the past two days, I’ve written lengthy topics as part of my Journal posts. I’ve included another one today on The Reverse Outline. And I probably will include another one tomorrow on A Different Kind of Outline (for those who would like a safety net). These posts are mostly for new folks who have subscribed to the Journal or who follow along on Facebook. But I enourage those of you who’ve been with me awhile to read over them too. Even if it’s a topic you’ve seen before, you might pick up something you can use. It … Read more

The Journal, Monday, October 22

Hey Folks, Long post today, but a good one, I think. I’m in the Hovel as I write this. I got out here around 7 this morning, played a game or two of Spider Solitaire, then decided to write this stuff before moving back to the novel. I’ll probably finish the novel today, but as I’ve mentioned, I’m in no big rush. After I write the stuff below, I’ll probably delay writing on the novel for a little longer. I have to update my reverse outline. For those who don’t know yet what a “reverse outline” is, I’ll explain it … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, October 21

Hey Folks, Well, given the time and a little attention to the WIP, the story will end today. I’m not looking forward to it. In my endeavor to write fiction every day (and it always has to be “honest” fiction, meaning I intend to publish it), I already have a vague story idea for a short story or novella. A wise guy on a camping trip.Eh? Eh? Or something like that. How would a guy born and raised into a very different lifestyle in Brooklyn react to wide-open spaces, and overnight no less? If you’ve ever been way out in … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, October 20

Hey Folks, Well, I didn’t roll out as early as I wanted to today. I’ll get some fiction done, but I have no idea how much time I’ll have. Depends. I started the day with a couple of free critiques. I’m not complaining. Hey, I offered, am I right? (grin) I hope even more folks will take advantage of it. To see what I’m talking about, look at http://harveystanbrough.com/pro-writers/new-services-offered/. This is a great opportunity to cut your learning curve. If your openings don’t immmediately grab the reader and ground him in your story, I urge you to take advantage of … Read more