Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The Journal, Thursday, November 15

Hey Folks, My new all-time favorite quote: “The faster I write, the better my output. If I’m going slow, I’m in trouble. It means I’m pushing the words instead of being pulled by them.” ~ Raymond Chandler Hey, even if you don’t believe me or Dean, you have to believe Raymond Chandler, don’t you? The above is not because Raymond Chandler was an experienced fictionist who knew all the “tricks.” (There are none.) It’s because he learned to trust his subconscious and allow the characters to tell the story. After all, they’re the ones who are living it. (grin) To … Read more

The Journal, Monday, November 12

Hey Folks, Not a great deal to talk about today. I’m annoyed because my Internet was out for about 4 hours. That happens a lot. Funny, they still charge us for that time. Makes me glad I’m a writer. I can escape to a world where you actually get the service you pay for, people take responsibility for their own actions, and politicians who lose concede gracefully instead of stamping their feet, holding their breath ’til they turn blue, and bring in dozens of lawyers to find “misplaced” ballots. Sigh. Topic: To Create A New Text-Only Hyperlink Recently a friend … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, November 8

Hey Folks, There’s a lot to explore in “Of Interest” today. I’ll begin with a new favorite quote: “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” ~ Ray Bradbury *** I have a slightly altered routine that I have to get used to. I’m leaving the writing computer in the Hovel now, hooked up to the big monitor, instead of carrying it back and forth to my office in the house. So I have to remember to carry a flash drive back and forth with me. Each day I’ll transfer the … Read more

The Journal, Monday, November 5

Hey Folks, Yesterday evening, I saw a great little post in one of the blogs I subscribe to, and it led me to write the topic below. You can read the original post. It’s in “Of Interest” today. *** Food for thought: “The first page sells this book. The last page sells your next book.” ~ Mickey Spillane Topic: NaNoWriMo: Just Stop Already. Or Go Do It. I Don’t Care. Sounds callous, doesn’t it? Sorry. I only say I don’t care because I’ll be too busy writing instead of and seeking or checking with online partners and concentrating on doing … 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, Monday, October 29

Hey Folks, I had a thought yesterday… I never celebrate when I finish writing a novel. Never. It’s a vast sadness that leaves me feeling empty, and I mourn the sudden separation from my fictional friends. After all, do we celebrate the end of a friendship? The end of a marriage? The end of the life of a loved one? Of course not. But as with any other birth, I always celebrate starting a new novel. It’s the beginning of an exciting new journey — in my case, with old or new friends — and I love the wonderful anticipation … 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, 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, Tuesday, October 23

Hey Folks, On this day in 1983, two suicide bombers in truck bombs attacked the Marine barracks near the airport in Beirut, Lebanon. The attack killed 220 Marines and 21 other service personnel. This was the deadliest attack against US Marines since the battle of Iwo Jima in February 1945. At the same time, another truck bomb attacked a building housing French paratroopers, killing 58. We will not forget. *** Now to writing…. First, a thought to ponder: When we look back at something we’ve written and think it’s good, our first thought is usually “But writers are the worst … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, October 18

Hey Folks, Watched an excellent baseball game last night and stayed up late (for me) to do so. I seldom watch baseball on TV through the season, but I almost always watch the division and league series and then the world series. I’m of the generation that remembers games being played only in the daytime, teachers allowing us to listen to the radio broadcast during class, etc. (grin) I’m old enough to remember men asking other men (as a test of their manhood) whether they knew who won the previous world series. I’m glad the custom didn’t persist; my memory … Read more