Topic

The Journal: Surface Advice

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Topic: Surface Advice * The New Mentorship Program * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society.” Mark Twain Topic: Surface Advice That’s what I call the popular but basically meaningless buzz-words that some instructors recommend and then can’t explain, or can’t explain adequately, or explain incorrectly. It’s what I call surface advice. It sounds good but it explains nothing. At best it’s a waste of time. At worst, especially if the explanation is incorrect or the … Read more

The Journal: Can You Make a Living Writing Short Fiction?

In today’s Journal * Topic: Can You Make a Living Writing Short Fiction? * Of Interest * The Numbers Topic: Can You Make a Living Writing Short Fiction? Not sure why I thought of this again today, but a while back, probably a year or so ago, a friend asked whether I thought a writer could make a living writing short fiction. I said no, I didn’t believe so. I was thinking of the heirarchy of sales in ebooks. Novels in series sell best, then individual novels, then novellas, then short story collections, then short stories. So looking at that, … Read more

The Journal: Minor Update and “Deep POV”

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * One astute reader * From David Farland’s newsletter * Topic: On “Deep POV” * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “Hachette Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, bought my book in October 2017. They paid me $50,000 in the first of three installments constituting an advance against royalties. That first payment netted to around $29,000 after agent commission and taxes. This money was supposed to cover the cost of the time it would take me to write the book, as well as all additional research and reporting—to … Read more

The Journal: Beware of Scammers

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Beware of Scammers * Dave Farland’s APEX writers group * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “The best research is often passive. Never be afraid to learn more about people and what they do–who they are.” John Gilstrap “Like GPS navigation, which started as just a tool but has reduced our engagement with the act of navigating, AI language generators may start by sparing us labor but soon spare us thought.” David A. Price in The Wall Street Journal, courtesy The Passive Guy Topic: Beware of Scammers … Read more

The Journal: Let’s Get It Right

In today’s Journal * IMPORTANT * Quote of the Day * Topic: Let’s Get It Right * In other news * Of Interest * The Numbers IMPORTANT: See “The Return of Boss Kickstarter” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/the-return-of-boss-kickstarter/. Dean and Kris are offering some astounding stretch goals, many of which you can receive for a paltry $5 donation. You can check it out and donate if you want to at http://kck.st/3jRjlBP. Quote of the Day “If you make [the details] right for the people who know, then the other people will get a lot more out of it.” Sam Eliot on the authenticity … Read more

The Journal: Why I Try to Teach Writing

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Why I Try to Teach Writing * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything.” Stephen King “The good parts of a book may be only something a writer is lucky enough to overhear or it may be the wreck of his whole damn life and one is as good as the other.” Ernest Hemingway Topic: Why I Try to Teach Writing Because doing things correctly matters. … Read more

The Journal: Quit but Keep Teaching?

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Quit but Keep Teaching? * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “You have heard the old chestnut that writers write, right? You wouldn’t say, ‘I’m a mountain climber’ without ever actually climbing a mountain, right?” Chuck Wendig “I am amazed, astounded, astonished at how often I see writers bitching about writing. I don’t mean bitching like, ‘Oh, shucks, I had a bad day,’ or, ‘Man, this story’s a lot harder to write than I anticipated.’ But… an endless stream of complaining about the very act of putting … Read more

The Journal: A Little More on Cycling

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * It Keeps on Tickin * Topic: A Little More on Cycling * About Dean Wesley Smith * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “The good parts of a book may be only something a writer is lucky enough to overhear or it may be the wreck of his whole damn life and one is as good as the other.” Ernest Hemingway (via The Passive Voice) It Keeps on Ticking I came across an old Timex watch in my desk drawer a few days ago. On a lark, I … Read more

The Journal: The Difference Between Rewriting and Cycling

In today’s Journal * How weird is that? * Topic: The Difference Between Rewriting and Cycling * Of Interest * The Numbers How weird is that? Two Journal entries in two days. I’m still not writing fiction, but I’m getting closer. I have a couple of major projects in mind. Once I settle on one, I should be off and running again. But for now, this Journal entry is necessary. Not for me or a handful of others I know, but for some of you maybe. Topic: The Difference Between Rewriting and Cycling This is a followup to the topic … Read more

The Journal: WITD Has Two Parts

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * The current crisis * Topic: WITD Has Two Parts * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “By really getting into your work, the nonessential stuff drops away.” Bill Murray “Bill’s whole life is in the moment,” says Ted Melfi, who directed Murray in the movie St. Vincent. “He doesn’t care about what just happened. He doesn’t think about what’s going to happen. He doesn’t even book round-trip tickets. Bill buys one-ways and then decides when he wants to go home.” Gavin Edwards in “Being Bill Murray” in Rolling … Read more