In today’s Journal
* Quotes of the Day
* Chatting on the phone
* Keep Coming Back
* The Numbers
Quotes of the Day
“Is PG the only person who is tired of the phrase, raise awareness? At the moment, PG’s awareness seems to be sheltering in place.” The Passive Guy
Yup. Mine too.
I’ve never been a big phone person. I’ve always considered the telephone a necessary evil. It’s something I carry around (usually) “just in case”) but it’s also an intrusive nuisance.
However, there are a few people whose phone calls I happily anticipate and welcome when they happen.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of talking via telephone with one of those folks, good friend and fellow prolific writer Robert S. I always enjoy those talks because in addition to both of us sharing (giddily, I’m afraid, at least on my part) our excitement about our current projects, we also theorize some what-ifs for both our current projects (but carefully) and for possible future projects.
And this morning I realized those occasional phone calls with my friend have replaced what I used to get from hobnobbing with other presenters at writers’ conferences and/or with other professional writers at true writers’ groups (vs. “critique” groups).
Something similar happens when I get input back from my first readers. Little realizations pop up all over the place. It truly is a wonderful life.
Yesterday too I experienced a great “keep coming back” moment. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, “keep coming back” refers to your work ethic, or less nicely put, your obsession.
It means don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked during breaks from your story. Keep coming back. Even when you think you’re finished for the day.
That was the case for me yesterday when I’d written a little over 6000 words, then took a trip to the store with my wife. When we got back, I told her I was going to shut down my office (the Hovel). I was going to do all those little end-of-the-day things: save the novel, record my numbers, etc. And that really was my intention.
But when I got back to the Hovel, I thought I’d sit down and glance at the story. And I put my fingers on the keyboard and wrote another 1600 words. And set a new personal best (see The Numbers below) for a single day of writing without meaning to.
All because of my little mantra: Keep Coming Back.
Of course, it helps a lot that I’m super excited about the novel and the series. Folks, I’m having a ball. I hope you are too.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “10 Design Tips for a “Buy Now” Book Cover” at https://writersinthestormblog.com/2020/12/buy-now-book-covers-for-independent-authors/.
See “Writing the “Big” Book” at https://mystorydoctor.com/david-farlands-writing-tips-writing-the-big-book/. Usually “big book” means concept, not size. Here Dave talks about doorstoppers.
See “Portugal’s Chapel of Bones” at https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/portugals-chapel-bones.
See “28 Themed Calls for Submissions” at https://www.authorspublish.com/28-themed-submissions-calls-for-december-2020/.
See “Sleuthing the Clues in Staged Homicides” at https://leelofland.com/sleuthing-the-clues-in-staged-homicides-top-tips-from-dr-katherine-ramsland/.
See “Five Story Collections” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/five-story-collections/. Not for me, but interesting.
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 510 words
Writing of The Journey Home: Part 2 (novel)
Day 1…… 4955 words. Total words to date…… 4955
Day 2…… 5068 words. Total words to date…… 10023
Day 3…… 6513 words. Total words to date…… 16536
Day 4…… 7467 words. Total words to date…… 24003
Sigh. Closed without saving after Day 4…… 19000
Day 5…… 0792 words. Total words to date…… 19792 (cycling)
Day 6…… 6788 words. Total words to date…… 26580
Day 7…… 3242 words. Total words to date…… 29822 Day 8…… 3342 words. Total words to date…… 33164
Day 9…… 7614 words. Total words to date…… 40778
Total fiction words for December……… 35758
Total fiction words for the year………… 488289
Total nonfiction words for December… 5280
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 190490
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 678779
Calendar Year 2020 Novels to Date…………………… 7
Calendar Year 2020 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2020 Short Stories to Date… 13
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 52
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 214
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31