The Journal: Not Much Today

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Not Much Today * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “This is a hard technique to teach writers: how do you write setting from the point of view of someone who sees the same thing every day? You write about what’s different, as well as describe what they’re actually doing. If you’re not careful, you’ll overdescribe—or underdescribe. And if you’re wondering, overdescribing is better.” Kristine Kathryn Rusch Not Much Today and a Minor Change If you missed yesterday’s post, I encourage you to read it. It’s … Read more

The Journal: Feeling Overwhelmed

In today’s Journal * Topic: Feeling Overwhelmed: A Process Post * In light of Dean’s post today * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: Feeling Overwhelmed: A Process Post I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. Well, actually, not a little. Actually a lot. I have a pretty big goal, writing a short story every week and a novel every month. And I’m aiming at a streak, but I don’t really care about that. Even if I miss, I intend to pick back up and keep the same goals just as if I hadn’t missed. So my weekly and monthly … Read more

The Journal: Just a Reminder

In today’s Journal * Just a reminder to my patrons * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Just a reminder to my patrons, please don’t forget to let me know what you’d like from your reward tier. You can see the tiers by clicking https://harveystanbrough.com/be-a-patron/. To read descriptions of novels, novellas, nonfiction books and short story collections (and make your selections), visit StoneThread Publishing at https://stonethreadpublishing.com/. Today is a day of book shifting, business planning, reading, studying and a trip to Sierra Vista. No fiction writing. (But I have a sneaking suspicion Algae Prime might be coming back.) Talk … Read more

The Journal: On Process

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the day * On Process * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day Via the Passive Voice, “A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” Italo Calvino “Wayne Gretzky said, ‘You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.’ The core of any unusual profession … is embodied in that quote: You can’t succeed if you don’t try.” Kristine Kathyrn Rusch On Process Yesterday I mentioned I thought the WIP was stalled. I opened it this morning, looked it over, and realized it … Read more

The Journal: Free Stuff

In today’s Journal * Topic: Free Stuff * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: Free Stuff Because I expect my production to really soar this year, from time to time I’ll be giving away a free novel or novella. I know not everyone reads this drivel every day, so I’ll try to remember to keep the giveaway in place for a week. When I give away anything, I’ll also try to remember to offer an advance glimpse at it with a description so you can gauge your interest. You can still get my latest, The Cazadores Lounge and … Read more

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: On Routines

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: On Routines * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “I do the best I can with every thing I write. … I just don’t care what others think about the final product and I have fun, and those two things keep critical voice at bay for me.” Dean Wesley Smith “If you set a goal of 500 or 1,000 words and you keep it every day, you feel as if you have accomplished something.” Amanda Patterson in a post for Writers Write Topic: On Routines … Read more

The Journal: Humans Are Weird

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * In the Great News Department * Got Writing Chops? * Topic: Humans Are Weird * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Habits can get me to the keyboard, but they can also keep me away from it. When the habit becomes an ‘I can’t,’ then it’s time to re-evaluate the habit.” Kristine Kathryn Rusch “It is only when the latecomers [would-be writers] make the decision to be punctual [write] that they change. It must be a conscious decision; if they merely make a woolly attempt to … Read more

The Journal: On My Goals and Ugh

In today’s Journal * On My Goals * Ugh. It’s going to be a full day * Of Interest * The Numbers On My Goals Another update. I never want my goals to limit me. That would just be stupid. Goals are there to make us reach, not to hold us back. Duh. So for the duration (now through June 2020) I don’t necessarily have to START a short story on or after a Sunday, but I have to have a new one finished every Saturday by midnight. Likewise, I don’t have to START a novel on or after the … Read more

The Journal: Fun with Numbers and a Blast from the Past

In today’s Journal * Topic: Fun With Numbers and a Blast from the Past * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: Fun With Numbers and a Blast from the Past Recently on a blog I follow now and then (the writer doesn’t post often), a writer listed her fiction numbers for the past several years. I like that, so I stole the idea. (Thanks, L.) Now, I’m not comparing myself with L or with anyone else. We all have different lives with different priorities and with different time requirements levied on us. So I’m just jooking back to … Read more