Professional Writer Series

The Journal: Keep Coming Back

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Chatting on the phone * Keep Coming Back * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Is PG the only person who is tired of the phrase, raise awareness? At the moment, PG’s awareness seems to be sheltering in place.” The Passive Guy Yup. Mine too. I’ve never been a big phone person. I’ve always considered the telephone a necessary evil. It’s something I carry around (usually) “just in case”) but it’s also an intrusive nuisance. However, there are a few people whose phone calls I happily anticipate and welcome when they … Read more

The Journal: On Blatant Censorship

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * I’m posting today mostly * That there was a glitch * The Numbers Quote of the Day “PG suggests that a more widely recognized term for deplatforming is political censorship. What punched PG’s deplatforming button was not the criticism of Mr. Peterson’s ideas and writings, but rather the verbal lobbying directed to [Penguin Random House] to pressure the company to cease publication of Mr. Jordan’s writings.” The Passive Guy I’m posting today mostly to get “Of Interest” out to you, and mostly the first item in that section. I hope you … Read more

The Journal: Finding a Writing Guru/Mentor

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A comment I added * An addendum * Not as good a day * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “We create fear or make fear go away depending on what story we tell ourselves…” Roger Martin Here’s a comment I added to Dean Wesley Smith’s post in “Of Interest” today. It just felt like something I should share with you: “At some point, a would-be writer who’s looking to actually learn anything has to stop, consider the experience of the source, and assume the source probably knows what he’s talking … Read more

The Journal: The Writing, and Me Griping About the Language

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The Writing * Here I continue to gripe about the decline * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “There are plagues, and there are victims, and it’s the duty of good men not to join forces with the plagues.” Albert Camus “Some people contend that the English language is a living, breathing organism wherein the definitions of words and rules should change to reflect their mass misuse. … English should not stoop to embrace the lowest common denominator. Rather, society should step up and grant the language the respect it deserves.” … Read more

The Journal: A Dreary Cautionary Tale

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * A Dreary Cautionary Tale: Save Your Work * I also looked on the bright side * The Numbers Quote of the Day “We have described our use of artificial intelligence (AI) to provide you with valuable personalized advice.” from the Terms of Service of a corporation with which I’m acquainted A Dreary Cautionary Tale: Save Your Work As you know, I always try to share the bad as well as the good, the setbacks as well as the accomplishments. Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you’re … Read more

The Journal: BookExpo Is No More

In today’s Journal * BookExpo is no more (!) * Mentorships and first readers * Call for topics * Another really good day * Of Interest * The Numbers Back in the late 1990s or early 2000s, my Writing Realistic Dialogue & Flash Fiction won fifth place (1st Honorable Mention) for the Book of the Year Award in the Education Category at BookExpo New York. Not too shabby, given that there were well over 25,000 entries in that category, including dozens from the “Big Five” publishers. Today, BookExpo is no more. See the first item in “Of Interest.” I haven’t … Read more

The Journal: A Really Good Day

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A really good day yesterday * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “We know the human brain is a device to keep the ears from grating on one another.” Peter De Vries “I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.” Peter De Vries “We all learn by experience, but some of us have to go to summer school.” Peter De Vries Oof. December 1 already. I had a really good day yesterday to close out November with over … Read more

The Journal: Critical Mind vs. Creative Mind

In today’s Journal * Nobody noticed * Deposit Photo * Started The Journey Home: Part 2 * Topic: On Specificity and the Critical Mind vs. the Creative Mind * Of Interest * The Numbers I forgot to add the cover for The Ark to yesterday’s post. Oops. On the other hand, apparently nobody noticed so no big deal. Anyway, you can see the cover and read a description at https://stonethreadpublishing.com/the-ark/. I think it’s a great cover, one of my better ones. (Later I’ll be revising the description sales copy, but for now it will do.) Deposit Photo is currently running … Read more

The Journal: Don’t Be Dismayed. Have Fun.

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Don’t Be Dismayed, Be Determined. And Have Fun. * Yesterday by 9 a.m. * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Every day is another chance to make it happen. That’s why I don’t wait until Monday.” a United Parcel Service (UPS) ad “Execution beats luck.” from the FS.blog newsletter “Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. All people live in their own dream, in their own mind; they are in a completely different world from the one we live … Read more

The Journal: Bradbury, and the Novel Is Finished

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * About Bradbury’s Quote * The novel is finished * I’m a lucky guy * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “When I started writing seriously, I made the major discovery of my life—that I am right and everybody else is wrong if they disagree with me. What a great thing to learn: Don’t listen to anyone else, and always go your own way.” Ray Bradbury (thanks to Phillip M.) About Bradbury’s Quote — I believe the only way to “not listen to anyone else” when writing is to … Read more