the writing life

The Journal: Browsing for Information

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * I’m not back * Topic: Browsing for Information * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “As a child I’d run into Wilde’s witticism ‘The only true talent is precociousness.’ I took my writing seriously, and it seemed to pay off.” Samuel R. Delany In the early part of the movie Twister, Bill keeps saying, “I’m not back.” It provides a quiet comedic undertone. Which is a little how I feel this morning. I’m not back. But I found a few things I hoped you would see and I … Read more

The Journal: Update and Adding Italics

In today’s Journal * End of a personal era * Still looking * Topic: How to Create Font Attributes * Of Interest * The Numbers For me, an era has ended. No longer having the need for a place to enjoy my cigars and with my wife’s help, I spent most of the day yesterday moving my writing and business computers out of the Hovel and back into my office in the house. So dispatches from the Hovel have come to an end. For those of you who follow the saga of Little Bit, my youngest daughter, the move annoyed … Read more

The Journal: Taking a Step Back

In today’s Journal * Taking a Step Back * Of Interest * The Numbers Taking a Step Back Hey folks, I’ve been publishing this Journal off and on almost every day for about six years. Doing so was/is my attempt to pay forward what I’ve learned during my journey as a fiction writer. I hope to get back to publishing the Journal regularly, but for now it’s time to take a step back. For the foreseeable future I’ll publish much less frequently, more like JA Konrath or Neil Gaiman than Dean Wesley Smith. In the meantime, I strongly recommend you … Read more

The Journal: Some Things Can’t Be Taught…

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Some Things Can’t Be Taught… * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The great fun in my life has been getting up every morning and rushing to the typewriter because some new idea has hit me. The feeling I have every day is very much the same as it was when I was 12.” Ray Bradbury Topic: Some Things Can’t Be Taught… Ironically, I’ve come to realize the most important writing-related technique I’ve ever learned—Writing Into the Dark—can’t be taught. I really wish I could teach the … Read more

The Journal: Putting a Cap on It

In today’s Journal * Putting a Cap on It * Of Interest * The Numbers Putting a Cap on It By way of clarification, in this case “it” is the craziness. And by way of further clarification, “the craziness” is my own and society’s. And this essay, I guess. So my own craziness, society’s craziness, and what some of you probably will see as the craziness of this essay. Feel free to substitute the word “insanity” for “craziness” at any point. Pain is relative. Inconvenience, too, and distruption of the norm are relative. I think everyone knows that. What you … Read more

The Journal: Just FYI

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Nothing much * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.” Richard P. Feynman “It’s easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they have been fooled.” Mark Twain Nothing much to talk about today. I’m doing fine but still not doing much day by day other than reading and watching TV and urging all this mental fog to be over so I can get back to writing. I’m … Read more

The Journal: An Important Story Bundle

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * StoryBundle * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If you are constantly fighting and saying ‘I really want to be a writer,’ but you don’t ever sit down and write, maybe you don’t want it, because writers are people who write.” Dean Wesley Smith StoryBundle is offering four different bundles at the moment: African Spec Fic, Write Stuff 2020, Latinx Dark Fiction, and Young Adult Megabundle. I’ve recently purchased the first two on the list. I bought African Spec Fic because I’m getting more interested in speculative fiction … Read more

The Journal: What’s Going On

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * What’s Going On * L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “What a good thing Adam had. When he said a good thing he knew nobody had said it before.” Mark Twain “A metaphor, to be judicious, needs to support the tone of the scene or the tone of the action it is describing.” Jessi Rita Hoffman What’s Going On Reading Gaiman’s post from a day or two ago gave me the idea that I’m being a slacker. I set out … Read more

The Journal: Neil Gaiman

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * While I wasn’t paying attention * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “When you’re all alone out there, on the end of the typewriter, with each new story a new appraisal by the world of whether you can still get it up or not, arrogance and self-esteem and deep breathing are all you have. It often looks like egomania. I assure you it’s the bold coverup of the absolutely terrified.” Harlan Ellison When I wasn’t paying attention, Neil Gaiman decided to post a few blog posts. I encourage … Read more

The Journal: Thanks and More Of Interest

In today’s Journal * Yesterday * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers I’m still on hiatus. Just popping in mostly to share the items in “Of Interest.” Those of you who have commented or emailed, thanks for letting me know you’re still out there. I’ll be back before too much longer. At this point, I’m pretty sure my next novel will be Book 3 of the Othgygnrk Invastion series, mostly just to get the shared world going and illustrate to players some different ways they can play.  I hope to start that sometime in the next few days. I … Read more