Stephen King

Why Do You Want to Write?

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Why Do You Want to Write? * Stephen King (Again) * Of Interest Quote of the Day “If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” John D. Rockefeller Why Do You Want to Write? Today over at the KillZone Blog, Garry Rodgers asks, “Why do you want to write?” My response: Sheer, unabashed, unapologetic escapism. My characters live in a world in which I wish I lived too. And I can, but only as I’m running through the … Read more

Two Fiction Writers

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * JA Konrath * Stephen King * Google Translate * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “Three months until the end of the year. You can get a lot of writing done in three months.” Dean Wesley Smith “[I]f you had a bad summer, fell off your goal for the year, whatever, reset your goal and when you get to January 1st, you will be feeling positive.” Dean Wesley Smith “The past is always tense, the future perfect.” Zadie Smith Fiction Writer JA Konrath This guy is special. He’s a very prolific … Read more

The Journal: The Snowflake Guy and Stephen King

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The Snowflake Guy * Topic: Stephen King * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “If you like to know approximately where you’re going before you start writing, then the Snowflake Method is designed for you. If you don’t, then it’s not for you.” Randy Ingermanson, AKA The Snowflake Guy “The Three Rings of Power [for marketing] are useless unless you also master the One Ring that Rule Them All. That One Ring is copywriting. The ability to write good headlines, strong sales copy, and a compelling call-to-action, all without smelling like … Read more

The Journal: NOW the novel is wrapped

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Happy Father’s Day * I added two chapters * Recently some overzealous writer * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Those are great days, when you’re writing, when something happens that you know works and you don’t have any self-doubt about, and you never saw it coming.” Dean Koontz “One of the biggest keys to success at anything hard is believing that you can figure it out as you go along. A lot of people won’t start until they figure it out. And because most hard things can’t … Read more

The Journal: A Short Post Today

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Short Post Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible.” Stephen King “I started trying to write a short story for Amanda [Palmer] … about what it was like to be me when I was 7, and it just kept going. And it turned into a book called … Read more

The Journal: Started a New Novel

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Started a new novel * From David Farland (Dave Wolverton) * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. Mark Twain (via The Passive Voice) “This is what Stephen King would write like if Stephen King could really write.” One reviewer of a Richard Bachman novel “‘Master your instrument,’ Charlie Parker once advised. ‘Master the music and then forget all that and just play.’” Michael Hall in Texas Monthly … Read more

The Journal: I Have a Question

In today’s Journal * Topic: I Have a Question * Non-writing day yesterday * No “Of Interest” section today * The Numbers Topic: I have a question. Why are writers so insanely frightened of writing into the dark? I don’t mean individual writers being frightened to test the waters. I used to be one of those. I’d almost break out in hives at even the idea of sitting down and just writing without a clue as to which characters would appear or what they would do or say or which twists and turns might appear in the story, unbidden, unforetold … Read more

The Journal: Critical Voice vs. Creative Voice

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Critical Voice vs. Creative Voice * Dean’s put out a call * In today’s post at the Kill Zone blog * * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “[N]othing important, or meaningful, or beautiful, or interesting, or great ever came out of imitations. The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” Anna Quindlen “I plucked hissing, thrashing, horned tomato worms off the plants and tossed them in a bucket, secretly terrified of their alien aggression. Every … Read more

The Journal: A Mishmash of Info

In today’s Journal * Final day to get * As I browse the internet * Yesterday * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Final day to get ANYTHING on WMG Publishing’s (Dean Wesley Smith’s) Teachable account at 50% off. The sale closes at 5 p.m. today. For my money, there is no better, more knowledgeable, or more honest writing instructor than Dean Wesley Smith. Some have said I clarify things that Dean muddles. That’s simply because different instructors can get through in different ways to different students. But if it weren’t for Dean, I literally wouldn’t be where I … Read more

The Journal: A Medium-Length Post and Mentoring

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * I’m time-limited today, but in a good way * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “This is what Stephen King would write like if Stephen King could really write.” A review from an anonymous (and clueless) reviewer of a Richard Bachman novel Not a lot to write about today, or much time. I started the day with a session with a new mentoring student, one I think I’m going to enjoy a great deal. The guy seems honest to a fault and forthright and one who … Read more