The Daily Journal, Wednesday, May 8

In today’s Journal

▪ Kristine Kathryn Rusch
▪ I wrote a whole long
▪ Daily diary
▪ Of Interest
▪ The numbers

Kristine Kathryn Rusch is conducting a Kickstarter with a goal of putting her (huge) Diving Universe novels in hardback.

I mention this here because of the rewards offered at the $15 (ebook) and $50 (trade paperback) level. At those levels, in addition to The Renegat (latest DU novel) Kris offers “two large books of all the extra scenes and materials not used in the Diving novels, including a number of essays…[for] writers who want to see how writing a major novel often has a lot of unused parts when completed.”

Because Kris is maybe one of the best writers who has ever lived, this intrigues me, so I thought it might intrigue some of you. I mean, how much could we learn from reading just those excerpted parts and the accompanying essays?

To read about the Kickstarter and see the rewards, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/403649867/the-diving-universe.
***

I wrote a whole long topic here about being careful how much you share of-and-about your work in progress, but I decided I was doing it again myself and decided not to post it. Not yet, anyway.

In this Journal, I want to share my writing experiences: what I’ve learned, what I learn as I go, etc. Mostly that’s in the hope that what I share will help some of you in your own writing.

But in that endeavor, sometimes I share too much.

Sharing the numbers is wonderful. It helps keep me accountable, and maybe (I hope) it helps invigorate some of you by showing you what is possible when you 1) spend time in the chair and 2) keep coming back.

But as it turns out, sometimes sharing the process itself is harmful, not to mention a little embarrassing.

For now, suffice it to say I’m having considerable trouble with my WIP. I’ll come back to it when I have something to come back to. I do believe I know what the problem is, but I’ll share that after the fact, if I was right.
***

Rolled out at 3:30 this morning. Took care of business in the Hovel, then moved to the writing a little before 6. A little more cycling this morning, then onward into the WIP.

Cycled some, did some other things, wrote some, wrote the topic above. Around 10:30, I stopped to head to the grocery and take care of a few other chores.

Back at 12:30. I looked over the WIP, still have zero idea which way it will go (or whether it will go at all).

I’ll call it a day and talk with you again tomorrow.

Of Interest

Read the first two comments on “Week Three Great Challenge” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/week-three-great-challenge/#comments.

See “Character ARCs – Creating Characters Your Readers Won’t Forget 2” at https://terryodell.com/character-arcs-creating-characters-your-readers-wont-forget-2/.

See “ACDF: My New, Most Important Alphabet” at https://killzoneblog.com/2019/05/acdf-my-new-most-important-alphabet.html.

See “Loose Lips Sink Careers” at https://killzoneblog.com/2019/03/loose-lips-sink-careers.html.

See “Get The New Diving Novel Early!” at https://kriswrites.com/2019/05/07/get-the-new-diving-novel-early/.

Fiction Words: 1038
Nonfiction Words: 490 (Journal)
Total words for the day: 1528

Writing of In the Cantina at Noon (novel)

Day 1…… 1538 words. Total words to date…… 1538
Day 2…… 2456 words. Total words to date…… 3994
Day 3…… 1876 words. Total words to date…… 5870
Day 4…… 1038 words. Total words to date…… 6908

Total fiction words for the month……… 6908
Total fiction words for the year………… 268378
Total nonfiction words for the month… 8790
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 120650
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 389028

Calendar Year 2019 Novels to Date…………………… 6
Calendar Year 2019 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2019 Short Stories to Date… X
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 43
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 7
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 193
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31

6 thoughts on “The Daily Journal, Wednesday, May 8”

  1. About Kris’ Kickstarter, the rewards you mention (The Renegat ebook and the two ebooks full of extra scenes and essays) are available to all reward levels, as long as you pledge $15 or more.

    So writers might also be interested in getting one of the excellent lectures by Kris or Dean (normally $50 but here you only pay $40 for the lecture as well as the three ebooks, a pretty good deal if you want to take one of those lecture anyway!). Or you may pay $120 for three lectures and the three ebooks (instead of $150).

    Or for anyone who would rather go for their workshops, they’re at $250 instead of the regular price of $300. Or $750 for three workshops.

    And Harvey, good luck with your WIP. I hope you quickly find how to write the next sentence, and then the next, etc., and forget we have been looking over your shoulder.

    • Thanks, Céline. Of course, you’re right about the rewards on the Kickstarter. I guess I was so closely focused on the cuts and essays (in which Kris will bare much of her process) that I forgot the rewards ar cumulative.

  2. And your troubles with your WIP just prove that you’re human (although a super charged writer!). That helps we of the also human and not yet super charged writer class see our struggles as part of the game. It shouldn’t be embarrassing. This is not a science it’s an art. It is courageous to share your process and I for one learn so much from it. I wish for your sake that things were swimming right along but I appreciate your honesty that they’re not. Take your time and own advice. It will work out. Trust me. 😊

    • Thanks, Karen. Frankly, I think I just made it too important. Something I’ve been advising you against. (grin) I also allowed my critical mind to come screaming into the mental room: “Wouldn’t first person be better? Or how about third-person limited? Wouldn’t that be better?” The one good thing about how long I’ve been doing this is that I’m confident I’ll shut him up soon.

  3. No wonder you were focused on having a peak into Kris’ process, that’s an amazing reward for writers. I can’t wait to read those! I just figured one might as well want to kill two birds with one stone and also get a lecture/workshop or three.

    • True words, Céline. (grin) See more notes on the Kickstarter in today’s edition of the Journal.

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