Pro Writers Writing

The Journal: Taking a Step Back

In today’s Journal * Taking a Step Back * Of Interest * The Numbers Taking a Step Back Hey folks, I’ve been publishing this Journal off and on almost every day for about six years. Doing so was/is my attempt to pay forward what I’ve learned during my journey as a fiction writer. I hope to get back to publishing the Journal regularly, but for now it’s time to take a step back. For the foreseeable future I’ll publish much less frequently, more like JA Konrath or Neil Gaiman than Dean Wesley Smith. In the meantime, I strongly recommend you … Read more

The Journal: Some Things Can’t Be Taught…

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Some Things Can’t Be Taught… * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The great fun in my life has been getting up every morning and rushing to the typewriter because some new idea has hit me. The feeling I have every day is very much the same as it was when I was 12.” Ray Bradbury Topic: Some Things Can’t Be Taught… Ironically, I’ve come to realize the most important writing-related technique I’ve ever learned—Writing Into the Dark—can’t be taught. I really wish I could teach the … Read more

The Journal: Putting a Cap on It

In today’s Journal * Putting a Cap on It * Of Interest * The Numbers Putting a Cap on It By way of clarification, in this case “it” is the craziness. And by way of further clarification, “the craziness” is my own and society’s. And this essay, I guess. So my own craziness, society’s craziness, and what some of you probably will see as the craziness of this essay. Feel free to substitute the word “insanity” for “craziness” at any point. Pain is relative. Inconvenience, too, and distruption of the norm are relative. I think everyone knows that. What you … Read more

The Journal: Just FYI

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Nothing much * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.” Richard P. Feynman “It’s easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they have been fooled.” Mark Twain Nothing much to talk about today. I’m doing fine but still not doing much day by day other than reading and watching TV and urging all this mental fog to be over so I can get back to writing. I’m … Read more

The Journal: An Important Story Bundle

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * StoryBundle * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If you are constantly fighting and saying ‘I really want to be a writer,’ but you don’t ever sit down and write, maybe you don’t want it, because writers are people who write.” Dean Wesley Smith StoryBundle is offering four different bundles at the moment: African Spec Fic, Write Stuff 2020, Latinx Dark Fiction, and Young Adult Megabundle. I’ve recently purchased the first two on the list. I bought African Spec Fic because I’m getting more interested in speculative fiction … Read more

The Journal: What’s Going On

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * What’s Going On * L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “What a good thing Adam had. When he said a good thing he knew nobody had said it before.” Mark Twain “A metaphor, to be judicious, needs to support the tone of the scene or the tone of the action it is describing.” Jessi Rita Hoffman What’s Going On Reading Gaiman’s post from a day or two ago gave me the idea that I’m being a slacker. I set out … Read more

The Journal: Thanks and More Of Interest

In today’s Journal * Yesterday * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers I’m still on hiatus. Just popping in mostly to share the items in “Of Interest.” Those of you who have commented or emailed, thanks for letting me know you’re still out there. I’ll be back before too much longer. At this point, I’m pretty sure my next novel will be Book 3 of the Othgygnrk Invastion series, mostly just to get the shared world going and illustrate to players some different ways they can play.  I hope to start that sometime in the next few days. I … Read more

The Journal: Of Interest

In today’s Journal * Today * Off for a Few Days * Of Interest * The Numbers Some good stuff in “Of Interest” today. This morning I received the final bit of feedback from my first readers on Book 2 of the Othgygnrk Invasion series, which will release on July 1. I’ll make those changes today, then finish the copyedit I’m working on. Listen, I’ll probably be off here for a few days. I have a feeling nobody’s reading this recently anyway, and I don’t blame you. I need to regroup a little, focus on some things I’m putting together … Read more

The Journal: Nothing Much

In today’s Journal * Yesterday * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Yesterday I tried to write a little and quickly realized my mind is not yet allowing that. Which is frustrating, but fine. “What cannot be remedied must be endured” (Willie Nelson as the title character in the film, Barbarosa). Or in my case, What one flatly refuses to remedy, one must endure. Whatever. Nothing much to say today. I’m publishing this edition because of the items in “Of Interest” below. Enjoy. Even in this time of dense brain fog, I’m learning and improving my craft and reaching … Read more

The Journal: Satellites and a Poem

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Satellites * Stone Libraries and the stories they tell * Yesterday and Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Mrs. PG gave up bookstore signings a long time before she went indie. Too much time and effort for too little return.” The Passive Guy Each time I go camping, I try to spot satellites in the night sky. Sometimes I see one or two, sometimes none. This morning, at 4 a.m. on my way to the Hovel, I glanced up and spotted one traveling from southwest to … Read more