the writing life

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: Complying with Consumer Laws and Stuff

In today’s Journal * Topic: Complying with Consumer Laws and Stuff * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: Complying with Consumer Laws and Stuff California, I suppose in an attempt to keep up with Europe, has recently enacted the “California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)…, a new data privacy law that applies to certain businesses which collect personal information from California residents. The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2020.” Now no less an authority figure than Google itself tells me I have to “prepare for CCPA,” ostensibly by enabling some form of restricted data processing. Which, … 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: Getting Organized, Rights Grabs, and Learning

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Preparation Saves Time and Prevents Typos * Topic: Another Rights Grab * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Thomas’s poetry is so narrow — just a straight conduit between birth & death, I suppose—with not much space for living along the way.” Poet Elizabeth Bishop in a letter to a friend after hearing of Dylan Thomas’s death Can you get a story or title idea from this quote? As a side note, my own favorite Dylan Thomas poem is “The Force That Through the Green … 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: Finished an Edit and the Critical Voice

In today’s Journal * Finished an edit * Topic: WITD, Cycling and the Critical Voice * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Well, I finished the copyedit I was working on, and Oh Wow was it ever a great read. The thing was so fast-paced I kept wishing it had already been copyedited so I could ‘just read’ it. I don’t usually announce new releases of any work but my own here, but I think I’ll announce this one when it’s published. It’s just that good. Topic: WITD, Cycling and the Critical Voice A writer wrote to ask me … Read more

The Journal: From our friend

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * From our friend * In the second item * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Oh that tricksy critical mind. My biggest challenge. The only cure is writing anyway.” Karen Riggs, novelist From our friend Bob B re the 20BooksTo50K writers’ conference in Vegas this week, They’re already starting to post videos from this year’s conference at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTrqmZBt-FWUWnxWD2x5Ucg/videos. Their Facebook Group is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/20Booksto50k/. Take advantage of this, folks. Tidbits like this don’t come along every day. *** In the second item in “Of Interest,” the … Read more

The Journal: Sorry to have been away

In today’s Journal * Sorry to have been away * Update on the Master Business Class * Today * Of Interest * The Numbers Sorry to have been away for a couple of days. Honestly, there just wasn’t much to report, even in “Of Interest.” I’ve been working mostly on a lengthy copyedit and doing some things for my mentoring student, as well as working on the bible for the shared world I’ll reveal around the first of the year. Update on the Master Business Class Kris Rusch let slip in her most recent Patreon post (I’ll link to the … Read more