The Journal: A Very Brief Update

In today’s Journal

* Quotes of the Day
* In response to an image
* Two first readers
* Of Interest
* The walking
* The Numbers

Quotes of the Day

“Dystopia doesn’t arrive with a bang, but in a gradual slide. We read and watch those narratives with terror. But that’s only because we’re on the outside, and can see what’s happening. Living in a dystopia just feels like living: you get through one day, and then you get through the next, and then the next.” Anne Helen Petersen

“Masks are for those people who really believed their clapping saved Tinkerbell.” Mark Lang

In response to an image that popped into my head, I wrote an opening that turned out to be the first chapter of a new novel late yesterday.

I’ll write on it again today, see where it goes.

Two first readers seemed to really enjoy “The Worlds” (the third hasn’t reported yet, but that’s fine) so I’ll publish it as a short story when I make the time to do so. Really it was more an exercise in writing intensive, super-tight description than anything else, so it’s kind of a win-win.

The walking is going really well. I go almost every day, almost always in the pre-dawn cool, and always at least a mile. Sometimes two, but always briskly. Feels great, and the weight is dropping off. In a month I’ve gone from 199 (yeah, and I’m only 5’7″ these days) down to 188. My goal is 170-175.

Talk with you again when I can.

Of Interest

See “habituation to horror” at https://annehelen.substack.com/p/habituation-to-horror. The article is a downer teetering on the brink of melodrama, but it’s rife with story ideas and the core is intriguing. See the quote of the day above.

See “An inland hurricane…” at https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/08/14/iowa-derecho-attention-aid/.

See “How a Portuguese-to-English Phrasebook Became a Cult Comedy Sensation” at https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-a-portuguese-to-english-phrasebook-became-a-cult-comedy-sensation.

See “Kitchen Dogs” at https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-best-kitchen-gadget-of-the-1600s-was-a-small-shortlegged-dog.

See “Sweden shows lockdowns were unnecessary…” at https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/sweden-shows-lockdowns-were-unnecessary-no-wonder-public-health-officials-hate-it. Not kidding, folks. Please read this.

See “Trainwreck Fall Edition” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/trainwreck-fall-edition/.

The Numbers

The Journal…………………………………… 330 words

Writing of Body on the Beach (novel, working title)

Day 1…… 1135 words. Total words to date…… 1135

Total fiction words for the month……… 6408
Total fiction words for the year………… 321691
Total nonfiction words for the month… 5730
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 149330
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 464991

Calendar Year 2020 Novels to Date…………………… 5
Calendar Year 2020 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2020 Short Stories to Date… 12
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 50
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 208
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31