The Daily Journal, Sunday, June 9

In today’s Journal

* Welcome
* I’m working on
* Quotes of the day
* Daily diary
* Of Interest
* The numbers

Welcome to Bob B, a brother-at-arms. Glad to virtually meet you, Bob.
***

I’m working on boiling down to its essence the technique of writing into the dark. It’s such a simple process that it has to have a tiny black hole (or a prime number or a seed) at the center of it somewhere.

It’s never been a secret that the entirety of the universe comes down to a simple equation: x/x = 1 (though scientists haven’t found it yet). Surely WITD has an explanation that is just as simple.

Maybe “The characters are living the story. Let them tell it.” But that doesn’t quite cover it, does it?

Or maybe “Let go. Have fun. Write what the characters give you.” Nah. Too choppy.

Or maybe “Let the readers decide.” Nope. Not enough.

Hmm. I’ll work on it.

In the meantime, say your friend John is telling you and a nine other friends a story he thought was humorous. Say he says something you find a little unbelieveable. Would you interrupt him and say “It couldn’t have happened that way”?

Probably not. Probably you would let him finish.

So show your characters the same courtesy. Of the ten neighbors listening to John’s story, chances are 5 or 6 will love it and laugh out loud, a few more will smile and think it’s all right, and a couple will think it’s disgusting.
***

Quotes of the Day on Writing

“If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. … Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” Ray Bradbury

“[On the writing of Farewell Summer] It was when I was 22 and, you might say, put on my first pair of tennis shoes, and ran like crazy.” Ray Bradbury

“Dare to be bad.” Dean Wesley Smith
***

Rolled out just before midnight (!). But I felt rested, so… and I have a lot to do today, so… and I’m dumber than a bag of hammers, so… (grin). Maybe I’ll grab a nap later today. (Yeah, right.)

Did the usual internet thing and found a lot. To the novel at 2:40. Slow going this morning. Proof positive I’m in the end run.

Took a break around 3:20, another around 5. Fiddled around waiting for Dean to post to his blog, wrote a few quick topics to pre-post while I’m on the road for the next few days. To feed the horses at 5:40.

Around 1500 words by 6:45. Now up to the house to do the chore I put off yesterday (mowing the yard, which is predominantly dust and weeds).

Back to the hovel at 9. Spent some time with email and tidying up my Novels folder, mostly grouping series novels in Series Name folders.

Back to the novel at 9:45. GACK! The characters threw me a curve. I’m glad in a way (the novel won’t end quite as soon). Probably it will still end today.

Wow. It’s 1:20 now. I’ve written a new unexpected chapter and filled in some new information in other chapters. But the book should be finished in one or two more sessions.

One of my best days ever. The novel is finished.

Talk with you again on Thursday.

Of Interest

Nothing from Dean yet as of this posting.

See Christopher Ridge’s “Perfection” at http://prowriterswriting.com/the-perfection-syndrome/.

See “Should You Write Dreck?” at https://killzoneblog.com/2019/06/should-you-write-dreck.html.

See “On Writing Sh*t” at http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2019/05/on-writing-shit.html.

Also see “Your Book Marketing Plan Won’t Work” at https://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2019/06/your-marketing-plan-wont-work.html.

And “Trying Something New and Different” at https://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2019/06/trying-something-new-and-different.html.

If you can’t tell, I like Joe Konrath. I disagree with him at times, but I like him. He’s a straight shooter, and it doesn’t get better than that.

Fiction Words: 5555
Nonfiction Words: 660 (Journal)
Total words for the day: 6215

Writing of In the Cantina at Noon (novel)

Day 29… 3397 words. Total words to date…… 58242
Day 30… 4301 words. Total words to date…… 62543
Day 31… 3881 words. Total words to date…… 66424
Day 32… 5555 words. Total words to date…… 71979 (done)

Total fiction words for the month……… 27344
Total fiction words for the year………… 333449
Total nonfiction words for the month… 12070
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 167630
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 501079

Calendar Year 2019 Novels to Date…………………… 7
Calendar Year 2019 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2019 Short Stories to Date… 1
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 44
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 7
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 194
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31