the writing life

The Daily Journal, Monday, August 12

In today’s Journal * Topic: Time and Priorities * Daily diary * Of Interest * The numbers Topic: Time and Priorities Karen Riggs posted in PWW on Sunday, August 11 (see “Of Interest”), about her process when her writing stalls. Especially if the stall is caused by interference from the conscious, critical voice. She mentions that some writers go do something else for awhile to rob the critical voice of its power. Then they come back to the writing. She also mentions that she might have “a set window of time to write” on a given day and “there’s a … Read more

The Daily Journal, Sunday, August 11

In today’s Journal * I’m on the road again today * Topic: A Few Guidelines for Fiction Writers * The daily diary and the rest I’m on the road again today. The Journal will return tomorrow, Monday, August 12, in the usual format. For now, I hope you’ll enjoy this blast from the past from my post archives at HarveyStanbrough.com. Topic: A Few Guidelines for Fiction Writers The guidelines below are truisms, facts, not opinions. They will work for hobby writers, part-time writers and professional writers. If you are not a writer or if you believe you have to “suffer” … Read more

The Daily Journal, Saturday, August 10

In today’s Journal * I’m on the road today * Topic: Just Write the Scene * Of Interest * The daily diary and the rest I’m on the road today, and actually tomorrow, though I’ve pre-posted a topic for tomorrow to give you something to look at. (grin) The “live” Journal will return on Monday, August 12, in the usual format. For now, I hope you’ll enjoy this blast from the past from my post archives at HarveyStanbrough.com. Topic: Just Write the Scene Some time back, I posted that if you’re writing and you get bogged down, you should just … Read more

The Daily Journal, Friday, August 9

In today’s Journal * I ran across an interview * Daily diary * Of Interest * The numbers I ran across an interview on Jane Friedman’s site. I won’t share the URL with you. I like you. I also will not share any of the participants’ names for the same reason. But the following excerpt is so unbelievably ludicrous, I wanted to share at least that much with you just to illustrate how much silliness is out there. The excerpt consists of one question from the interview between the author of the article, “a former acquiring editor of children’s books … Read more

The Daily Journal, Thursday, August 8

In today’s Journal * As some of you look to me * Daily diary * Of Interest * The numbers As some of you look to me for writing advice, I owe you an explanation regarding my recent lack of focus on fiction writing. I’m going through an unusual life roll at the moment. Or you could look at it as a series of small, overlapping life rolls. This one is unusual because it consists of various events, some good and some less-than-good, that are converging at the moment. Two are medical. Neither is life-threatening like the one last year … Read more

The Daily Journal, Wednesday, August 7

In today’s Journal * Last Saturday * Topic: I Rescind My Topic Statement * Daily diary * Of Interest * The numbers Last Saturday, August 3rd, I wrote about flash fiction. A respondent from Japan and I have been exchanging comments on that post. In one of them he metioned “100 Word Story” at http://www.100wordstory.org/. Interesting website. That put me in mind of 55 Story, a book I bought a long time ago that started me writing flash fiction. You can find the current edition here. If you’re interested in writing flash fiction, I recommend the following (though all of … Read more

The Daily Journal, Tuesday, August 6

In today’s Journal * Topic: I’ve Been Pushing an Idea Too Hard * Daily diary * Of Interest * The numbers Topic: I’ve Been Pushing an Idea Too Hard The idea is writing into the dark. As everyone who’s followed this Journal for longer than a few days knows, I write into the dark. All lengths. Believe it or not, long novels and series are the easiest, followed by novels, novellas, novelettes, and then short stories. Writing the shortest of all complete short story forms, flash fiction, is the most difficult (for me) to write into the dark. That’s because … Read more

The Daily Journal, Monday, August 5

In today’s Journal * Topic: Which Brass Ring to Grab? * Daily diary * Of Interest * The numbers Topic: Which Brass Ring to Grab? An Allegory When you decide to learn the craft of writing (or any other craft, really), it’s like being set at the edge of a wilderness that’s steeped in a forbidding haze. To either side are a million other aspirants, all wanting the same thing, all eager to become Real Writers. From either side, you hear a million advisers say to their charges, “The journey might take years. But if you want to excel at … Read more

The Daily Journal, Sunday, August 4

In today’s Journal * If you want to read in graphic detail * Show of hands * Topic: On Critique (and Other) Groups and the Stages of Writing * Daily diary * Of Interest * The numbers If you want to read in graphic detail why the myths of writing don’t work and why most writers who cling to those myths eventually fade away, see “When Writers Hit The Wall” at https://killzoneblog.com/2019/08/when-writers-hit-the-wall.html. For my take, see my comment on that post. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. (grin) *** Show of Hands How many of you are licensing photos … Read more

The Daily Journal, Saturday, August 3

In today’s Journal * Thought of the Day * Topic: The Art of Writing Flash Fiction * Daily diary * Of Interest * The numbers Thought of the Day “[S]cience fiction should be less about predicting the future than observing the present.” A purported belief of Ursula K. Le Guin in New Documentary Focuses on Ursula K. Le Guin. Topic: The Art of Writing Flash Fiction Although you can find The Art of Writing Flash Fiction at both Amazon, Smashwords, and other major ebook outlets, today I thought I’d present it for you here free. I’ve written flash fiction for … Read more