The Passive Voice

The Journal, Tuesday, 7/18

Hey Folks, If you aren’t distributing through Draft2Digital.com (D2D) yet, here’s another reason to do so. I received an email this morning saying D2D has partnered with Findaway Voices to provide audio books starting, actually, today. To read about this innovation, visit https://draft2digital.com/blog/d2d-partners-with-findaway-voices-to-provide-an-alternative-to-acx-starting-7182017/. Of special note, if you use Findaway Voices via D2D, the former even waives their normal $49 admin fee. Worth checking out. Best of all, it gives readers one more way to find your work, and it gives you one more trickling stream of income. Today, and Writing I did little or nothing but reading and researching … Read more

The Journal, Monday, 7/17

Hey Folks, For those of you following the saga of Bryan, I finally heard from him. He posted on Facebook yesterday. That worried me initially because I know he isn’t allowed a computer at Job Corps. So I immediately wondered whether he was still there, etc. I commented on his post “Bryan! You’re online? How’re you doing?” And this morning he responded with “Yeah, I’m online. My roommate gave me one of his old phones so that’s how I’ve been online. As far as job corps it’s been going great. I love it here.” Whew! (grin) So there you have … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, 7/16

Hey Folks, Wow. Absolutely nothing today. Tell you what. If I don’t break out of this whatever-I’m-in fairly soon — if I feel I don’t have much to offer you here — this Daily Journal might well begin appearing in your inbox with less frequency. No reason to keep sending it every day just to keep a streak alive when I have nothing to say. Today, and Writing Nada. Primarily a day off and watching a little baseball. I should be back tomorrow. Of Interest Just as a heads-up, see “Scammers Break The Kindle Store” at https://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2017/07/15/scammers-break-the-kindle-store/ (From Let’s Get … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, 7/15

Hey Folks, A realization dawned on me this morning. I’m the kind who always needs an adversary. More often than not, the adversary is a time-siphoning situation, not a person. One of my goals is to write at least one novel or novella per month this calendar year, and 15 on the year. I’ve whiled away half of July already. I still have to write a novel for this month to meet the “one per month” part of the goal. Beginning tommorrow, there are only 15 days left in this month. On several of those days I’ll be on vacation … Read more

The Journal, Friday, 7/14

Hey Folks, Probably another full day of editing in my camp today. Then that will be behind me and I’ll turn my hand back to fiction. Topic: POV—It Belongs to the Character, Not the Writer This is massively important. Summed into one sentence, Everything in every setting in your story or novel must be described through the POV character’s senses and flavored with the POV character’s opinions of the various aspects of that setting. The POV character’s description of a setting enables the reader to see (hear, smell, taste, feel) it. The POV character’s OPINION of that setting brings it … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, 7/9

Hey Folks, Doing very little thus far this morning but relaxing my way into the day. And did very little the rest of the day so far too. Puttered around outside, a little yard work, a little more on the Hovel, some automotive stuff. The highlight was a trip to the store for tea and locking gas caps. (Hey. There’s a title for you. “Tea and Locking Gas Caps.) Today, and Writing Nothing today. Unless a plane lands on my house tonight and I’m in it (plane or house) I’ll be writing fiction tomorrow. Probably all day. See you then. … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, 7/6

Hey Folks, Topic: On Original Thought Know what? Anyone who wants to be a writer should strive, every day, to have at least one original thought. On politics, religion, social hot buttons, or whatever. To become a successful writer — by which I mean a writer who turns out work regularly and that work is regularly sold and read — the writer should strive ALL day every day to have original thoughts. If you’re mimicking the sound bites that pass for news and social repartéé — well, good for you. But chances are, you won’t be successful, or not as … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, 7/2

Hey Folks, I always hate registering a zero for fiction writing for the first day of the month. But it is what it is. I didn’t clear the decks quite well enough to approach my much-touted WIP challenge in July. My wife’s birthday and vacation are both this month, and my son recently moved to Arizona, so visits will ensue. I’ll get back to the challenge sometime in the future. No rush. For now I’m going to not think about challenges other than the ongoing novel-a-month thing and just get back to writing. Yesterday, ideas were lining up outside my … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, 7/1

Hey Folks, Okay. The roller coaster continues. Maybe I’ll start the challenge today, and maybe I won’t. I’ll know by the end of the day. Or maybe I need to adjust the challenge. I don’t know. Again, I hope I’ll know by the end of the day Enjoying a visit with my youngest son, his wife, and three grandsons this morning. Today, and Writing No writing today. See you tomorrow. Of Interest Via the Passive Guy, see “The Opening as Part of the Closing … of the Deal” at https://killzoneblog.com/2017/03/the-opening-as-part-of-the-closing-of-the-deal.html. This is a really great article. You might also bookmark … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, 6/27

Hey Folks, Wow, there sure are a lot of blank spaces on my spreadsheet where there should be fiction numbers. I don’t imagine that bothers you a lot since they’re my goose eggs and not yours. But just in case, I can promise you they’re going to change pretty soon. (grin) Probably in a big way. What follows is a bit of personal rambling, which is why it isn’t preceded by the word “topic.” I might have mentioned here before an old Marine Corps acquaintance of mine. I won’t mention his name here. It wouldn’t mean anything to you, and … Read more