The Passive Voice

The Journal: Take Two on Writing Sloppy

In today’s Journal * OMG Alert * Topic: Take Two on Writing Sloppy * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Every now and then Dean mentions The Copyright Handbook by Stephen Fishman from NOLO. It’s an essential investment for a writer. At the moment, NOLO is having a 50% off sale on everything they offer, including The Copyright Handbook. Visit https://store.nolo.com/products/the-copyright-handbook-coha.html. Use the promo code BF50 when you order. Plus, at the moment the handbook is on sale for only $39.99. Which means if you use the code, you can get the book for only twenty bucks. Topic: Take … Read more

The Journal: Some Thoughts on Structure

In today’s Journal * Getting back in the habit * Topic: Some Thoughts on Structure * A side note * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers I’m trying to get back in the habit of building this Journal through the day, writing fiction, and then posting everything at once in the afternoon. To that end, I’ve added the daily update for my WIP back into the numbers below. Hard as it may be to believe, I started Blackwell Ops 7 way back on August 7. Yet in all that time, yesterday was only the 17th writing day for that … Read more

The Journal: Story Gestation

In today’s Journal * Dean Wesley Smith * I actually wrote * Topic: Story Gestation * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Dean Wesley Smith has announced he’s going to shut down sign-ups for both the Licensing Transition learn-along and the Shared Worlds class on December 8. Just sayin’. I actually wrote 1700 words on the Blackwell Ops 7 novel yesterday. I keep thinking I could just set it aside and forget it, but the story’s too good to ignore. So I’m back at it again. I was going to share a comment I left on a post (see … Read more

The Journal: The Internet

In today’s Journal * This is me, griping. * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers This is me, griping. You might want to skip it and goe straight to “Of Interest.” Apparently, an al-Quaeda operative (or other bad guy) deep in a cave in Afganistan can talk clearly on demand by cell phone to a contact on the planet Jupiter. Yet if a gnat passes gas in Mississippi, my internet doesn’t work in Arizona. For the past two days, the internet’s been down in the Hovel. It’s hard-wired with a cable that isn’t supposed to be affected by moisture … Read more

The Journal: Writing Boards and Other Silliness

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Writing Boards and Other Silliness * From the Wow, That Didn’t Take Long Department * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Does anyone else feel imposter syndrome because they’ve had happy and stable childhoods and relationships?” Anonymous writer on a reddit writing board. For the record, I’ve never met any professional fiction writer, many more advanced than I, who does not succumb regularly to a sense of “impostor syndrome.” That’s just one more silliness the critical mind throws at us to keep us from writing. … Read more

The Journal: A Great Quote and a Lot in “Of Interest”

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “I’m not much of a fan of starting a novel off with unanchored dialogue. It’s hard to start investing before we know where we are, who the characters are, and how we should be contextualizing the conversation.” Nathan Branford, former literary agent Yes. In the opening of every chapter and every major scene, remember to ground your reader (pull him into the setting) Today will be similar to Saturday for me, with a necessary trip to Sierra Vista and much … Read more

The Journal: Very Short Post Today

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Welcome and Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If you get discouraged, think of Emily Dickinson, her life, and her words. There is no frigate like a book. You can build it at and on a desk and it can take you and your audience to places that they never would have imagined but for you.” (emphasis added) Joe Hartlaub Welcome to new subscriber Nancy. I hope you get something out of these posts. Thanks to Bob B for stopping by and leaving his own favorite … Read more

The Journal: Yesterday and Ghosting and Veterans’ Day

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday * Ghosting * My son and grandson * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Exactly like riding a rollercoaster… That’s writing a novel into the dark. Buckle in and believe you will end back up in the station, breathing hard and laughing.” Dean Wesley Smith Exactly. And this is why I cringe when I hear a writer talk about how “hard” it is to write a short story or novel. *** Yesterday I spent a few hours rearranging my author website at HarveyStanbrough.com to make … Read more

The Journal: Catching Up, Pricing Your Book, and More

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday * Pricing your book * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Just let the writing be a fun place to go, to escape to. Don’t make it special. If you do, it gets wrapped into all the life drama. Just leave the writing as an escape to go play.” Dean Wesley Smith Yesterday I got the three covers done and the three short stories published, so I’m caught up for now in that regard. But there was zero extra time for writing or for working … Read more

The Journal: Good Fortune Strikes

In today’s Journal * Good Fortune Strikes * Yesterday * A Very Special Project * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Good Fortune Strikes (for you) Yesterday, Kris Rusch added a new post to her Patreon page. And this morning, I found she’d also shared it on her Busines Musings blog, which means I’m free to share it with you. I’m not exaggerating when I say this is one of the most eye-opening posts she’s shared. If you read nothing else today, please read Paradigm Shift (Rethinking The Writing Business Part 16). You might want to read it two … Read more