Professional Writer Series

The Journal, Monday, January 1

Hey Folks, Streaks really do have immense power. When one’s been going for awhile, it’s actually a struggle to break it. I broke this one after 714 days. It took on a life of its own, and there were many days when the only thing I wrote was this Journal. That seems a good thing on the surface — as in, at least I was writing — but there were times when posting the Journal to avoid breaking the streak took precedence over writing fiction. And that is not a good thing. For that reason, I plan not to post … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, December 31

Hey Folks, Well, here it is. The last day of the year. New Year’s Eve. But tonight, I’ll be sacking out at about my usual time. Anyway, a new year (or a new any-time-period) begins again with pretty much every moment, doesn’t it? Still, as they are with most of us, the first day of the year, the first day of each month, and the first day of the week are all well-ingrained demarcations for me. So tomorrow, we’ll all begin again, just as if the first official moment of the new calendar year is somehow magically more special than … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, December 30

Hey Folks, As part of my prep for 2018, over the past month or so I’ve been developing a new way to brand my covers. Specifically, the author name part. Here’s the way my author name will appear on covers into the future: The background will blend with the cover. Of course, the font colors and the background behind my first name also are adaptable. You’ll see this in a cover below. Branding is all about making your work easier for readers to find. That’s why one precept of cover design requires that, even in the thumbnail version, both the … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, December 28

Hey Folks, Well, those of you who’ve hung on through my madness will receive a double reward today, or at least that’s how this edition of the Journal is intended. In preparation for my own return to writing fiction, I decided to take today (and maybe the next couple of days) to do two things: First, I’m revisiting some of the lectures and workshops I’ve taken from Dean. After that, I’ll be prepping by setting goals and a schedule. More on that in coming days. My intention is to begin fresh on January 1. Because I have a couple of … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, December 27

Hey Folks, On Christmas Eve I created a test site I can use to try out new things before making them live here or on HarveyStanbrough.com. I was able to use a cloning engine, so I basically just moved HarveyStanbrough.com over there. Took about an hour to create a whole website. The technology amazes me. Anyway, while I was messing around on that test site, I noticed a few “drafts” of posts. I don’t use the Draft feature on WordPress, at least not intentionally, so I clicked one to have a look. Turns out it was an early draft of … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, December 23

Hey Folks, I’m psyched. Even yesterday, in 20° weather, I was thinking what a wonderful day it is to be alive. The same holds true today. I have some great things coming up in the new year. They have nothing to do with traditional new year’s resolutions — those always are losing propositions for me, invitations to fail — but the things I’m looking forward to do have a lot to do with writing (of course). And they’re made bigger and better and more fun by the fact that, other than a few vague ideas floating around in my brain … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, December 21

Hey Folks, From The Passive Guy: Barbara Walters: “But what would you do if the doctor gave you only six months to live?” Isaac Asimov: “Type faster.” *** I started the day with a good walk, which was more wandering aimlessly about in the desert out back. Then back home for breakfast and to work on the copyedit. Those of you who wrote regarding the villanelle that Stanley Grill will include in his composition, thank you. I appreciate the kind thoughts. Here’s the poem, in case you want to see it: Roses? When pink and red entwine, their dreams to … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, December 20

Hey Folks, Probably thirty years ago, right out of the blue, I received an email from a young filmmaker at UCLA. He requested permission to make a short film based on my flash fiction story “At Confession.” Then several years later, so maybe fifteen or twenty years ago, a different filmmaker wrote me with the same request. And it was about the same story. How cool is that? So imagine my thrill when lightning struck for the third time early this morning. Oh, and if you’re a lover of classical music, you’re going to like this. Have you ever heard … Read more

The Journal, Monday, December 18

Hey Folks, Mostly I’m posting today to pass along some stuff in “Of Interest” below. But as long as I’m here, I’ll give you an update on my personal writing stuff as well. My December’s slipping by with not a word of fiction so far. How weird is that? In a way, knowing I could start writing today and have a new novel finished by the end of the year is a liability. In a way. But that probably won’t happen, and it’s all right. I’m allowing everything else in my life to take precedence right now. But that’s by … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, December 16

Hey Folks, Okay, I’ve figuratively traveled some twisted, warped subterranean depths over the past month or so. In that time, I’ve tended to (or dealt with) a lot of tasks that have little if anything to do with writing in any specific way. In fact, they touch writing only in that they added to my general overall experience. I won’t bore you with details. Suffice it to say some of them are tasks that are common in the human experience. There also were a few that I’m glad are not common in the human experience, at least where my friends … Read more