Professional Writer Series

The Journal, Saturday, October 13

Hey Folks, I set out to do nothing yesterday, and I almost succeeded. I wrote a short blog post for the big blog, but otherwise played with old stories. One of my favorite short story collections (of my own) is Mobster Tales. I don’t know how many other readers enjoy those, but I do. (grin) And that’s important, for reasons that will become clear as you read on. Yesterday, while browsing files, I remembered a story I wrote titled “What Happened That Day.” It’s high up on my list of favorite stories, so I read over it. Then I realized … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, October 11

Hey Folks, Wow. I rolled out (actually, I “sat up” as I’ve been sleeping in a recliner) really late this morning to the sounds of my wife releasing the hound and the cat from their kennel-beds at 5 a.m. I’ve usually been up an hour or two before then. And Wow #2, I’m pretty obviously not ready to return to my usual schedule yet. I planned to alter my routine a bit this morning. I was going to move my writing ‘puter to the outside desk instead of all the way out to the Hovel. Moving it out there yesterday … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, October 10

Hey Folks, Back to writing today. When the sun is up and I know the babies are safe inside or in the yard, I’ll head out to the Hovel. I still run out of steam after only a few hours, so I want to spend those hours putting words on the page. I can rest after that. (grin) In the meantime, there are a lot of great posts in “Of Interest” today. *** To the Hovel a little after 8. It was enjoyable to see my old friends again. I spent some time going over the reverse outline and updating … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, October 9

Hey Folks, Well, again today we’re off to see the wizard (cardio-electrician). That will happen early this afternoon. Then on November 1, I’ll have a followup with the cardio-plumber who implanted a stent. After that, I suspect I’ll be allowed to relax back into the semi-annual checkup routine. As far as I know, today the tech will check the implanted device. Then someone will check the stitches on the incision and tell me what I can and can’t do for the next few weeks and on into the future. I’m actually looking forward to that part of the conversation. I … Read more

The Journal, Monday, October 8

Hey Folks, Well, I just start thinking I’m posting way too much stuff about my current situation when I get a kind email saying some of you appreciate it. Thanks, I needed that. (grin) Still, maybe it’s at least time to mix in some other things. It’s bitterly cold here this morning (at 43°) under a crystal clear sky full of stars. But no wind, so it isn’t all that bad. And I keep reminding myself, this year, for the first time ever (having been a desert rat most of my life), I actually looked forward to cooler weather. Still, … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, October 7

Hey Folks, Nothing to report. Absolutely nothing. The healing continues. Despite somewhat forced and mostly continual practice, I’m not getting any better at Doing Nothing. But I guess I’ll keep practicing for awhile yet. On the up side, my bath robe fits a little better every day. I’m also binge-watching episodes of The Sopranos and getting back in touch with some of my earlier characters. So sayeth the grouch. And if this brings a chuckle to your visage, Hey, good f’you. Talk with you again soon. Of Interest See James Scott Bell’s “Mastering the Four Modes of Fiction” at https://killzoneblog.com/2018/10/mastering-the-four-modes-of-fiction.html. … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, October 6

Hey Folks, A lot of items in “Of Interest” today, some older just in case you missed them. I have a new favorite quote, culled from Joe Hartlaub’s post at the Kill Zone blog: “Grandparents and grandchildren have a special relationship, given that they have a common enemy.” (grin) Isn’t that wonderful? The operation went well (Thursday), with a couple of post-op glitches, natch. But long story short, I’m on the mend. A few days of extreme caution so I don’t pull any wires loose and then a few weeks of sort-of caution as my body gets over the physical … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, October 3

Hey Folks, Some pretty good stuff in “Of Interest” today. There won’t be a Journal tomorrow or probably the next day, so I wanted to get this one out. In my absence, you might check on the websites from which I regularly post “Of Interest” topics: I typically visit Dean’s site every morning at https://deanwesleysmith.com. I often scroll down also to read the comments. I usually visit the Kill Zone blog at https://killzoneblog.com as well. Even some of their First Page Critiques are worth reading, but keep your salt shaker handy. (Tequila is optional.) I also recommend stopping by Kris … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, October 2

Hey Folks, Well, I was going to go back to writing sometime today, but I decided against it. I still have the upcoming procedure (Thursday) on my mind, so I’ve decided not to do much of anything between now and then but relax. It’s only a couple days until that happens, and then I’ll probably be down for a few days afterward. The Journal might be a little intermittent during the next several days too. Physically, I felt a lot better, more myself, both yesterday and the day before. As a result, naturally, yesterday I overdid things a bit. Duh. … Read more

The Journal, Monday, October 1

Hey Folks, Wow. For me, September both flew by and slowly slipped through my fingers. I allowed my WIP, the third novel in my Nick Spalding series, to languish on the back burner while I recuperated and worked on a copyedit for a gentleman. But as October dawns, everything’s wrapping up nicely. The symptoms of my cold are mostly gone and I’ve recovered fully from the initial medical stuff. Just in time for Part 2, really, but it shouldn’t be nearly as big a deal. For one thing, this time it’s an outpatient procedure in a surgery center (not a … Read more