The Journal: Good Days

In today’s Journal

* I like days like this
* Dean mentioned
* Watch for my posts
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

I like days like this when I have little to say on the Journal and few items in “Of Interest.” Those days enable me to post this Journal early and get back to the novel sooner.

Just a hint: if you get anything out of these posts, I would appreciate a comment on that. Your comments keep this Journal going.

Dean mentioned he got around 5000 words on the first day of the new novel in his writing challenge but “only” 1900 words on the second.

That happens to me often. He says for him it’s a shrug. I find that’s true for me as well. For me it’s an “oh well.” Same thing. Some days I’m just tired (generally, not of the story).

But I’m confident the story will continue, and that when I come back the next day it will be waiting. That confidence—knowing the words and the story will be waiting when I come back—and understanding that my word count goal resets to 0 every day are the secrets to being a long-term fiction writer.

Watch for my posts on substack, coming soon. I’ll link to them here. At least one will be free, and at least one will be paid. Current patrons will be grandfathered-in to the paid ones, of course.

Talk with you again soon.

Of Interest

See “Day Two” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/day-two/.

See “Masking Kids: The Science Says It Poisons Them With Carbon Dioxide” at https://russellblakeuncensored.substack.com/p/masking-kids-the-science-says-it. Story ideas.

The Numbers

The Journal…………………………………… 260 words

Writing of WCGN2: The Comancheros (novel)

Day 1…… 1216 words. Total words to date…… 1216
Day 2…… 1913 words. Total words to date…… 3129
Day 3…… 3103 words. Total words to date…… 6232
Day 4…… 2490 words. Total words to date…… 8722
Day 5…… 4179 words. Total words to date…… 12901
Day 6…… 3492 words. Total words to date…… 16393
Day 7…… 4419 words. Total words to date…… 20812
Day 8…… 2245 words. Total words to date…… 23057
Day 9…… 2639 words. Total words to date…… 25696
Day 10… 3220 words. Total words to date…… 28916
Day 11… 4036 words. Total words to date…… 32952

Total fiction words for July……… 7256
Total fiction words for the year………… 535935
Total nonfiction words for July… 1240
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 127030
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 662965

Calendar Year 2021 Novels to Date…………………… 10
Calendar Year 2021 Novellas to Date……………… 1
Calendar Year 2021 Short Stories to Date… 3
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 63
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 217
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31

Disclaimer: In this blog, I provide advice on writing fiction. I advocate a technique called Writing Into the Dark. To be crystal clear, WITD is not “the only way” to write, nor will I ever say it is. However, as I am the only writer who advocates WITD both publicly and regularly, I will continue to do so, among myriad other topics.

8 thoughts on “The Journal: Good Days”

  1. I’m almost always reading even if I don’t speak up much. I miss the journal on the days you don’t post it.

  2. Harvey, your posts are always an inspiration. I check almost every day and when I miss, I never fail to catch up. Thank you for these insights. I hope you’ll keep them coming!

  3. I’m a regular journal post reader, Harvey, but I don’t mind if you post less as long as you keep writing fiction. I also am grateful you always respond to email.

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