Writing Into the Dark

The Journal: Some Thoughts on Writing and Writers

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Topic: Some Thoughts on Writing and Writers * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “Writers, of course, make the worst enemies.” Emily Temple (Appropos of nothing—I just like the quote.) “Writing is a joy. … If it’s not, something is wrong with the process. … For those who are mired in the ‘sweat equity’ of writing, please, for now, consider your approach and your attitude—and try something completely different.” Dan Baldwin in “Sweating Blood And Now For Something Completely Different” Topic: Some Thoughts on Writing and Writers My apology in advance … Read more

The Journal: It’s Much Easier

In today’s Journal * It’s Much Easier * Of Interest It’s Much Easier Over at the Kill Zone Blog a day ago, James Scott Bell posted an interesting question: “Should Writing Be Easy?” Naturally, I commented. Of course writing is easy. You’re sitting alone in a room, making stuff up. What could be easier than that? But I wasn’t quite that flippant in my actual comment. I wrote that, “Writing is easy (and fun!) for those who are able to trust their creative subconscious and not allow the conscious, critical mind to second-guess them and shut them down.” Which of … Read more

The Journal: Believe in Yourself, Part 3

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * Read the Contract * Topic: Cycling (What It Is, How to Do It) * Maybe I Should Write a Book * Of Interest Quotes of the Day “READ THE DAMN CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT! READ THE DAMN CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT! READ THE DAMN CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT! READ THE DAMN CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT! READ THE DAMN CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT!” The Passive Guy (an attorney well-versed in copyright law) “An author who has spent hours and days and weeks and months writing a book … Read more

The Journal: Believe in Yourself, Part 2

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * I almost went back * Topic: Believe in Yourself, Part 2 * Of Interest Quote of the Day “The devaluation of music and what it’s now deemed to be worth is laughable to me. My single costs 99 cents. That’s what a [single] cost in 1960. On my phone, I can get an app for 99 cents that makes fart noises — the same price as the thing I create and speak to the world with. Some would say the fart app is more important. It’s an awkward time. Creative brains … Read more

The Journal: Characterization: Just Don’t

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Some Quick Math * Topic: Characterization: Just Don’t * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “It’s not a race. This writing business is one event where everybody who crosses the finish line wins. And then we get to start all over again. You just can’t beat that.” Dan Baldwin Wow. I did some quick math yesterday just out of curiosity. Remember I offered to send you the rough Journal archives in PDF documents from 2014 through 2021? I went back and added those up. Granted, they’re the rough … Read more

The Journal: To Achieve Success

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * To Achieve Success * A Minor Change to the Journal * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “If I were to tell you today that your project is a waste of time, would you abandon it? If so, perhaps it’s best that you did. … [T]o achieve results that spell success … requires enjoyment of the writing process in and of itself—to see that as the reward.” Jane Friedman To Achieve Success Jane’s take (see “Of Interest”) is spot on: To Achieve Success Requires Enjoyment of the Writing … Read more

The Journal: A Turning Point

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * A Lot in “Of Interest” Today * A Turning Point * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “For me, the witchcraft that is writing rarely rises to the front of my mind. When it does, I seem to screw up. I go to work, pound out words and pages, and somehow, when it’s all over, I’ve got a finished manuscript.” John Gilstrap “A good friend will help you move, but a true friend will help you move a body.” Steven J. Daniels, Weeds in The Garden of Love … Read more

The Journal: Fiction Writing and Pulp Speed

In today’s Journal * Quotes of the Day * First, welcome * Second, today’s post * Let’s Talk Fiction Writing and Pulp Speed, Part 1 * Let’s Talk Fiction Writing and Pulp Speed, Part 2 * Of Interest * The Numbers Quotes of the Day “A Pulp Speed writer loves to just tell stories, one right after another.” Dean Wesley Smith “The crap rules the traditional publishers forced on writers are gone for writers smart enough to escape them. [W]riters are free to write stories again at whatever pace they want to write. … The second pulp era is upon … Read more

The Journal: 10,000 Trillion Ants

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * Rewording Heinlein’s Rule 4 * An Analogy * Dean Wesley Smith’s post yesterday * An Anniversary of Note * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “There are, by some rough estimates, 10,000 trillion ants in the world at any given moment, and their combined weight would match the total weight of the planet’s human population.” Christoph Irmscher, paraphrasing Edward Osborne Wilson in “The Ant Man’s World.”https://www.thepassivevoice.com/the-ant-mans-world/ Idea for an SF novel or series of novels? Rewording Heinlein’s Rule 4 I was talking with screenwriter MGP again and he … Read more

The Journal: A Little More on Process

In today’s Journal * Quote of the Day * If you don’t currently practice * Questions from a screenwriter * Of Interest * The Numbers Quote of the Day “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” Elinor Smith If you don’t currently practice writing into the dark, and if you want to, read my previous two posts. I have a feeling some folks see “WITD” in the subject line or in the contents list and skip reading the post. … Read more