In today’s Journal
* An astute reader
* On the cigar front
* Tidbits
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
An astute reader caught an egregious typo in yesterday’s Journal (Thanks, Russ). In the Numbers section, I reported 60031 total words of fiction for the year. Let’s play with that for a moment.
That would mean on average in the first 208 days of 2021 I’ve written a rip-roaring 289 words per day.
Yeah, somehow I managed to omit a numeral. That number should have read 600381, which it now does. Which means on average, I’ve written 2889 words per day. That’s a little better but still not great. (grin)
As a matter of interest, if I’d hit my daily goal of 4000 words per day every day thus far, I’d have 832000 words right now. (grin) See why I often complain about being a slacker?
On the cigar front (for those few who might want an update) my supply is dwindling, and that is a good thing. As is always the case, I decided to make this major change when the discomfort of continuing finally outweighed the discomfort of not continuing.
I will miss the actual cigars, the act of buying and receiving them, and the limited social aspect of them. I will miss enjoying a good cigar as a like-minded friend enjoys his and we slather philosophy across a broad range of topics. But I will not miss the taste of them or the habit of them or the way I feel physically after I smoke one. I won’t miss the swollen ankles and the elevated blood pressure and the limits all of that places on me.
Fortunately, leaving them behind will not require luck. It will require only stubbornness, and I have an ample supply of that.
Tidbits
I’ve heard many beginning writers complain that they might harm their “career” if they
* write in different genres
* write both short stories and novels
* write too short or too long
* write about certain themes or subjects
* write (or don’t write) certain character types
* et cetera et cetera ad nauseam.
And I realized all of these writers have two things in common.
One, apparently they believe they will harm their career if they write. At all.
Two, what career?
My advice to those folks? Get over yourself. Just write something already.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “True Crime Thursday – Easter Bunny Didn’t Bring THESE Eggs” at https://killzoneblog.com/2021/07/true-crime-thursday-easter-bunny-didnt-bring-these-eggs.html. I just had a feeling someone out there needed to see this. Maybe for your criminal mastermind?
See “Most people prefer reading paper books over digital books on tablets, phones” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/most-people-prefer-reading-paper-books-over-digital-books-on-tablets-phones/. Or, as one commenter wrote, “A survey by paper book publishers says paper books best, and much better than market 70% dominated by bloke with private space programme.”
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 450 words
Writing of WCGN 4: William J. Pinchot (tentative title, novel)
Day 1…… 1965 words. Total words to date…… 1965
Day 2…… 2624 words. Total words to date…… 4589
Day 3…… 1824 words. Total words to date…… 6413
Day 4…… 3160 words. Total words to date…… 9573
Day 5…… 3504 words. Total words to date…… 13077
Day 6…… 4704 words. Total words to date…… 17781
Day 7…… 2552 words. Total words to date…… 20333
Day 8…… 2234 words. Total words to date…… 22567
Day 9…… 2227 words. Total words to date…… 24794
Day 10… 3968 words. Total words to date…… 28762
Total fiction words for July……… 75670
Total fiction words for the year………… 604349
Total nonfiction words for July… 18830
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 144620
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 748969
Calendar Year 2021 Novels to Date…………………… 12
Calendar Year 2021 Novellas to Date……………… 1
Calendar Year 2021 Short Stories to Date… 3
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 65
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.