Topic

The Journal: A Light Discourse on Punctuation

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: A Light Discourse on Punctuation * A couple of fairly slow days * The Numbers Quotes of the Day This is one of the greatest quotes on creativity I’ve ever encountered. It goes to the very heart of writing: “Recognizing that people’s reactions don’t belong to you is the only sane way to create. If people enjoy what you’ve created, terrific. If people ignore what you’ve created, too bad. If people misunderstand what you’ve created, don’t sweat it. And what if people absolutely hate what you’ve created? What if people … Read more

The Journal: Setting Goals for 2021

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Setting Goals for 2021 * The Journey Home: Part 2 is finished * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Aim to write the best that you can every day, and write above that.” Joe Hartlaub “Thinking is the great enemy of perfection.” Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor Topic: Setting Goals for 2021 First (again) to get us all on the same page, there is difference between Goals and Dreams. Both are achievable, but Goals are within your direct control. Dreams are not. In many of the “setting goals” posts I’ve … Read more

The Journal: Coming Soon: The Long-Awaited (Yeah, Right) Goals Post

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Coming Soon: The Long-Awaited (Yeah, Right) Goals Post * An Open Note to Loyd J. * A Strange Phenomenon * Note to my first readers * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The last nine months have felt like one long never-ending sentence without commas or periods.” Margo T Krasne Topic: Coming Soon: The Long-Awaited (Yeah, Right) Goals Post I’m not pulling any punches here. This time of year, posts on setting goals abound. But when I’ve read some of those recently, I felt as if I was transported back … Read more

The Journal: I Was Astonished: A Little More on Goals

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * I Was Astonished: A Little More on Goals * Another fairly good day * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “What’s the worst thing that could happen if it doesn’t work?” Elaine Viets I Was Astonished: A Little More on Goals As read the other comments on Terry Odell’s post from yesterday, I was astonished. I kind’a felt like I’d been dipped in a tank of piranhas in baloney underwear. Or I’d gone wading in a Louisiana bayou filled to the banks with swamp donkeys. I finally left this comment of … Read more

The Journal: Keep Coming Back

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Chatting on the phone * Keep Coming Back * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Is PG the only person who is tired of the phrase, raise awareness? At the moment, PG’s awareness seems to be sheltering in place.” The Passive Guy Yup. Mine too. I’ve never been a big phone person. I’ve always considered the telephone a necessary evil. It’s something I carry around (usually) “just in case”) but it’s also an intrusive nuisance. However, there are a few people whose phone calls I happily anticipate and welcome when they … Read more

The Journal: Finding a Writing Guru/Mentor

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A comment I added * An addendum * Not as good a day * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “We create fear or make fear go away depending on what story we tell ourselves…” Roger Martin Here’s a comment I added to Dean Wesley Smith’s post in “Of Interest” today. It just felt like something I should share with you: “At some point, a would-be writer who’s looking to actually learn anything has to stop, consider the experience of the source, and assume the source probably knows what he’s talking … Read more

The Journal: The Writing, and Me Griping About the Language

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The Writing * Here I continue to gripe about the decline * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “There are plagues, and there are victims, and it’s the duty of good men not to join forces with the plagues.” Albert Camus “Some people contend that the English language is a living, breathing organism wherein the definitions of words and rules should change to reflect their mass misuse. … English should not stoop to embrace the lowest common denominator. Rather, society should step up and grant the language the respect it deserves.” … Read more

The Journal: A Dreary Cautionary Tale

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * A Dreary Cautionary Tale: Save Your Work * I also looked on the bright side * The Numbers Quote of the Day “We have described our use of artificial intelligence (AI) to provide you with valuable personalized advice.” from the Terms of Service of a corporation with which I’m acquainted A Dreary Cautionary Tale: Save Your Work As you know, I always try to share the bad as well as the good, the setbacks as well as the accomplishments. Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you’re … Read more

The Journal: On the Split Infinitive…

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: On the Split Infinitive and Other Inane Rules * I’d spend more time * What It Takes to Have a Really Good Day * Another personal record-setting day * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “And all dared to brave unknown terrors, to do mighty deeds, to boldly split infinitives that no man had split before–and thus was the Empire forged.” Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “When I split an infinitive, God damn it, I split it so it stays split.” Raymond Chandler “Making … Read more

The Journal: Critical Mind vs. Creative Mind

In today’s Journal * Nobody noticed * Deposit Photo * Started The Journey Home: Part 2 * Topic: On Specificity and the Critical Mind vs. the Creative Mind * Of Interest * The Numbers I forgot to add the cover for The Ark to yesterday’s post. Oops. On the other hand, apparently nobody noticed so no big deal. Anyway, you can see the cover and read a description at https://stonethreadpublishing.com/the-ark/. I think it’s a great cover, one of my better ones. (Later I’ll be revising the description sales copy, but for now it will do.) Deposit Photo is currently running … Read more