the writing life

The Journal, Thursday, September 27

Hey Folks, Well, mostly editing today. In fact, all editing other than the brief time I spent online for items “Of Interest.” Some good ones today. I’ve also decided to re-enter the workforce by way of expanding my services to other writers. To that end, soon I’ll offer the following: ▪ First Chapter or Short Story Critique (fiction, up to 3000 words) — This consists of personalized instruction and recommendations on your specific scene and chapter openings, how to pull the reader into the story and keep him there, use of character names, and a great deal more. The cost … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, September 26

Hey Folks, Well, the doc appointment yesterday went well. I found out I get my new internal pacemaker/defibrillator on the morning of October 4. I also learned we won’t find out whether my heart function will improve or how much for a month or longer. (They recommend three months, but expect to see a trend in one month.) So we’ll see how that goes. Either way, it just is what it is, and I’m entering a new stage of life. In the Corps we had a saying we used to toss back and forth when we were confronted by a … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, September 25

Hey Folks, Well, I’m headed back to see the cardio-electrician today. We’ll head that way around 11 or so. Before that, I’ll work on the edit some more, but there are a few good things in “Of Interest” so I wanted to be sure to get this out there. Hence the early post. Talk with you again soon. Of Interest See “Sleeping Secrets” at http://www.thepassivevoice.com/sleeping-secrets/. With a promo like that, I bought the book. (grin) See “Planning Ahead in Writing Time” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/planning-ahead-in-writing-time/. See “How to Write a Great Story…in 18 Holes” at https://killzoneblog.com/2018/09/how-to-write-a-great-story-in-18-holes.html. Not what I expected, but still … Read more

The Journal, Monday, September 24

Hey Folks, A LOT in “Of Interest” today. I even added a couple of them to my website Writer Resources page. Absolutely nothing to report from yesterday. But this morning, after spending a couple of days getting over this cold or whatever it is, I feel better enough that I can at least think. I mentioned a few days ago that I received a copyedit. It’s a re-edit, so it shouldn’t be all that difficult. Since it’s also prepaid, I’m going to set everything else aside and work on that until it’s finished. Some reshuffled priorities, in light of my … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, September 22

Hey Folks, You can’t tell, but I’m laughing out loud as I write this. Yesterday I discovered (on top of everything else) I had a bad case of sniffles. As in grabbing a tissue and blowing my nose every other minute or so. By the time my wife got home, I realized I had a head cold. (grin) It’s not funny, not really, but in the overall context it’s hilarious. Awhile back, a person who should feel close to me asked why I was giving away some of my stuff to my children. “You aren’t dying,” the person wrote. “After … Read more

The Journal, Friday, September 21

Hey Folks, Well, it’s taking a little time to get used to everything. The long and short of my personal stuff is that my heart function is down to 10-15% (from 45% for the past 18 years) and I’m wearing an external defibrillator for awhile. It’s an awkward device that makes every action a little different and a little more complicated. We’re hopeful everything will be resolved in the next few weeks. Very late getting to the Hovel and the novel this morning. An old Marine Corps friend called and we talked for about an hour. He’s from the early … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, September 20

Hey Folks, A great “Of Interest” section today (playing catch up), but first some personal stuff, though it is related to writing, or in this case, not writing. So sorry about missing yesterday. I missed writing not only this Journal but fiction for a day too. My “streak” ended at 4 days. Today it’s back to 1. (grin) Here’s the rundown on the past couple of days: As you know, we went to Tucson on Tuesday for what we believed was an out-patient procedure. We expected to depart Tucson around 5 p.m. Then the following morning, I would resume my … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, September 18

Hey Folks, Welcome to new subscriber Dianne. Glad you’re aboard. I hope you get something of value out of the journal. The Journal apparently is a well-kept secret. That makes the subscribers a kind of elite group. Each of you is one of only 56 folks who currently enjoy these private glimpses and “Of Interest” tidbits. (grin) I’m very glad you’re out there. And it isn’t all one-sided. Thanks to subscriber Céline who this very morning gave me some invaluable advice re naming conventions in France, where my WIP is set. *** I received an email from another friend noting … Read more

The Journal, Monday, September 17

Hey Folks, A lot in “Of Interest” today. Be sure to check it out. Not a lot going on at the Stanbrough camp today. Mostly I’m just writing, cycling, and writing some more. The babies are all behaving themselves, so today is mostly about the writing process. I rolled out a little early this morning, mostly so I’ll be tired early this evening so I’ll get up early (to write) tomorrow. I have a medical test in Tucson tomorrow, a prelude to getting my pacemaker swapped out, so tomorrow afternoon will be gone. Hence I have to get any writing … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, September 16

Hey Folks, Not a lot to talk about today unless something occurs to me later. For now, I’ve browsed the Internet, didn’t find much, and am going to write for awhile. Which spurred this thought: Once again, I’m setting a goal to write fiction every day. This self-discipline is nothing more than a trick to get me to the keyboard once a day, every day, and I’m stubborn enough to make it work. My life is not one in which I have tons of responsiblity. Been there, done that. But now, I don’t have a day job, I don’t report … Read more