the writing life

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

The Journal: A Very Short Post Today

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Question answered re FWIW * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers I received a question via email. What do I mean or what am I implying when I add FWIW (for what it’s worth) to the end of a link in “Of Interest”? First, I’m implying nothing. If I don’t think a link might be valuable to any of my subscribers, I simply don’t include it in “Of Interest” in the first place. I use FWIW when I don’t actually read the whole post before I add it to … Read more

The Journal: What the Journal Is All About

In today’s Journal * I lost a whole day * What the Journal is all about * A new comment policy * About Atlas Obscura * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers I lost a whole day yesterday, but I brought it on myself. I’m out here in public, an easy target for anyone who wants to snipe, but that doesn’t mean I have to belabor you with the specifics. You might take a lesson from all of this though: People who don’t know you will hear whatever they want to hear, whatever suits their purpose and gives them … Read more

The Journal: A Free Short Story

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A new free short story * Please continue to spread the word * Sigh… the lies continue * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day From The Passive Voice, “No publisher should ever express an opinion on the value of what he publishes*. That is a matter entirely for the literary critic to decide. I can quite understand how any ordinary critic would be strongly prejudiced against a work that was accompanied by a premature and unnecessary panegyric from the publisher. A publisher is simply a useful … Read more

The Journal: More Boredom with Time Management

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: More Boredom with Time Management * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “I write high-standard, quality fiction, not slop. Why the hell would I spend even one hour writing slop? I wouldn’t do that even to ‘just get it on the page’ so I could rewrite it later.” Harvey Stanbrough Topic: More Boredom with Time Management Yep, I screwed up big time so here I am again to try to fix it. A 30-day month has 720 hours (not 1800). Duh. I had a senior … Read more

The Journal: What Is a Story Idea?

In today’s Journal * Correction * Quotes of the Day * Over the next few months * Topic: What Is a Story Idea? * I talk too much * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Correction Yesterday, I really screwed up the math in my post on time, as pointed out by Céline in a comment. I’ll re-address the time thing in a future post. And I’ll double-check my math. Quotes of the Day “Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try.” Brad Cook, professional fiction writer, St. Louis Writers Guild (Wow. Is this appropriate for writing into the … Read more

The Journal: Whom Should I Trust?

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * My conscious, critical, teacher mind * Topic: Whom Should I Trust? (and on “getting” concepts) * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day Via The Passive Guy, “Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.” Robert A. Heinlein “In the creative mind, the story and the characters are controlling the writer. In the critical mind, the writer is controlling the characters and the story.” Harvey Stanbrough My conscious, critical, teacher mind is almost swimming. I had … Read more

The Journal: You Want to Read This

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Yesterday * A great mentoring student * Topic: How Specifically to Write Into the Dark * My mentoring student also asked * Because I know * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “To move past obstacles you need to move. The hardest obstacles to do that with are the ones you create yourself.” Colin Mobey Yesterday, as promised, I read over the 3000 words I’d written on The Others. It was gibberish. I threw it out. I kept only the idea. Sometime today I’ll write a … Read more

The Journal: A Smattering of Thoughts and Self-Hypnosis

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Thus ends the current string * Correction * Topic: Self-Hypnosis * I love to write * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “If you make people think they’re thinking, they’ll love you; but if you really make them think, they’ll hate you.” Harlan Ellison “The only thing worth writing about is people.” Harlan Ellison “The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.” Harlan Ellison “I was the green monkey, the pariah. And I had no friends. Not just a few friends, … Read more

The Journal: More Quotes and On Teasing a Piranha Tank

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * If you read James Scott Bell’s * As seems to be becoming my habit * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes 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 “It is not my job … Read more