Lee Lofland

The Journal: Talking Kickstarter Again

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Talking Kickstarter Again * * * * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “There is money in publishing. A lot of it. It just doesn’t flow to the writers. Because, frankly, writers are stupid.” Kristine Kathryn Rusch “Dean and Loren offer a free class on crowdfunding on Teachable.” Kristine Kathryn Rusch “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” Andy Warhol Topic: Talking Kickstarter Again This will be brief. See “Brandon’s Kickstarter” at https://kriswrites.com/2022/03/09/business-musings-brandons-kickstarter/. Amusing excerpts “[From] the company town newspaper (The New York … Read more

The Journal: The Inappropriate Use of “Gave”

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: The Inappropriate Use of “Gave” * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “[T]he old Hollywood wisdom still applies: Just tell the story. If you want to send a message, go to Western Union.” James Scott Bell on writers who inject their political opinion into their fiction “‘Said’ is not a dirty word: But ‘argued,’ ‘whined,’ and other dialogue descriptives usually are. A typical rookie mistake.” Marilynn Byerly Topic: The Inappropriate Use of “Gave” A few days ago, the topic here was “Glitches in Writing.” That was based on James Scott … Read more

The Journal: Challenges on the MidWinter Sale

In today’s Journal * Challenges on the MidWinter Sale * Speaking of good deals * Of Interest Challenges on the MidWinter Sale I wasn’t going to post today, but I was interested in getting Dean’s post out to you. It’s about the MidWinter sale again, but this time he talks about the challenges he’s offering on Teachable. His challenges usually cost $600, but during the sale they’re only $300. Best of all, they’re completely win-win. They cost you $300 right now, but if you complete any entire challenge, you get your choice of a lifetime subscription. If you FAIL to … Read more

The Journal: The Series Bible

In today’s Journal * A great deal of good information * Topic: The Series Bible (and the Reverse Outline) * Of Interest There is a great deal of good information in today’s “Of Interest.” I strongly recommend you get your beverage of choice and settle in to read. You might even want to try a few of the things they recommend in the different articles as you go. Topic: The Series Bible (and the Reverse Outline) One of my favorites in “Of Interest” today is James Scott Bell’s post on the creation and use of a series bible. As some … Read more

The Journal: Spreading Yourself Thin?

In today’s Journal * Not Much * Spreading Yourself Thin? * Of Interest Not much of anything today. Mostly I just wanted to touch base and recommend the items listed in “Of Interest.” Dean’s post is time-sensitive if you want to back his current Kickstarter campaign. Spreading Yourself Thin? I also thought I’d share a bit of advice I sent another writer via email this morning. He emailed me to ask whether I thought it was possible for writers to “stretch themselves too thin,” for example writing plays and novels and short stories (not his specific example). No, I don’t. … Read more

The Journal: A Little Fun Today

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Little Fun Today * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “The advocacy of the three-million-member organization for censorship is a chilling position for any group representing educators.” Jonathan Turley “I’ve put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that’s the only way of insuring one’s immortality.” James Joyce A Little Fun Today Again, the Kill Zone rises up to hand me a topic, but this time it isn’t something to argue against. This time, Garry Rodgers’ … Read more

The Journal: Dave Farland (David Wolverton)

In today’s Journal * David Wolverton * Of Interest David Wolverton I’m still here, and there are some good things in “Of Interest.” But my main reason for posting today is to pass along some sad news. John David Wolverton, better known as Dave Farland or David Wolverton, suffered a massive heart attack yesterday and passed away last night. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and fans the world over. Dave’s departure is a huge loss to fiction and to the world in general. He, Dean Wesley Smith and Kris Rusch were longtime friends. Dean posted a great pic … Read more

The Journal: General Tidbits

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * The quote of the day… * This is the year you’ll finish your book * I was glancing over * If I May * Of Interest Quote of the Day “Publishers can’t publish without writers.” Dan Baldwin in “Son of Why Is This A Good Idea?” (see “Of Interest”) The quote of the day is a massive UmYup, a solid statement of fact, and one that is empowering for writers. From early school, we are taught that our creative subconscious (and ourselves and whatever we’ve learned) are inadequate to tell a … Read more

The Journal: Truly Stupid Advice and “Deep POV”

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Altered Brain Chemistry * Truly Stupid Advice * Topic: Deep POV * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “[J]ournalists need to be overt and candid advocates for social justice, and it’s hard to do that under the constraints of objectivity.” Stanford journalism professor Ted Glasser (As a writer, I personally see censorship as a bad thing. Your opinion might vary.) Altered Brain Chemistry From a dear friend whom I believe would not mind me sharing: “By now, you’re probably aware that the one change in your life—giving up nicotine in all … Read more

The Journal: To Achieve Success

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * To Achieve Success * A Minor Change to the Journal * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If I were to tell you today that your project is a waste of time, would you abandon it? If so, perhaps it’s best that you did. … [T]o achieve results that spell success … requires enjoyment of the writing process in and of itself—to see that as the reward.” Jane Friedman To Achieve Success Jane’s take (see “Of Interest”) is spot on: To Achieve Success Requires Enjoyment of the Writing … Read more