The Journal, Monday, October 29

Hey Folks,

I had a thought yesterday…

I never celebrate when I finish writing a novel. Never. It’s a vast sadness that leaves me feeling empty, and I mourn the sudden separation from my fictional friends.

After all, do we celebrate the end of a friendship? The end of a marriage? The end of the life of a loved one? Of course not.

But as with any other birth, I always celebrate starting a new novel.

It’s the beginning of an exciting new journey — in my case, with old or new friends — and I love the wonderful anticipation of what will happen along the way.

Just food for thought.
***

Yesterday, after yard work and while waiting for the ball game to begin, I updated my website with new book pages.

If you’d like to see the new covers for the novels, take a look at http://harveystanbrough.com/action-adventure/. Clicking any cover will take you to a larger photo and the page and description for that novel.

I don’t currently create new individual book pages for collections, but you can see the cover for Mobster Tales 2 at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JRBCBXF.

You can also see it at other venues, but at Amazon you get to look inside. That means you get one free short story. And I think it’s one of my better ones of that style. (grin)
***

Wow. I didn’t roll out this morning until almost 5:30. I don’t remember the last time that happened. Guess I needed the sleep, but it threw off my entire morning schedule. I’ll have to remember to check for “Of Interest” items later today, maybe just before I post this.

I hope to make significant headway on the new novel today despite my late start on the day.

To the Hovel at 6:30, but I did little other than write the stuff above and play Spider to warm up my brain. The temp outside is a chilly 48°, but I enjoyed my coffee and my first cigar in the 66° Hovel. (grin)

Finally to the novel for a short session a little before 8. I added only around 500 words, then up to the house for a bit.

Back to the Hovel at 8:30. By 10 I’d added another 1600 words or so, then took another short break.

Back to the Hovel at 10:15. The story’s really running. By 1 p.m., with a couple more very short breaks, I added another 3,000 words. Super-great day so far.

I’m taking a longer break. Then I hope to get at least one afternoon session in.

Well, I ate a quick lunch, then back to the Hovel. The writing’s going too well, and I’m too excited. (grin)

Okay, I wrote a little over another thousand words and I’m calling it a day around 2:15.

This might be the best day of fiction writing I’ve ever had. It’s like the characters are as happy to see me as I am to see them.

Talk with you again soon.

Of Interest

See “Recipe for a Macabre Soup: Grave Wax, Autolysis, and Putrefaction” at https://www.leelofland.com/recipe-for-a-macabre-soup-grave-wax-autolysis-and-putrefaction/.

See “Street Teams” at http://www.thepassivevoice.com/street-teams/.

See “Free Fiction Monday: Children” at https://kriswrites.com/2018/10/29/free-fiction-monday-children-2/.

Fiction Words: 6283 (!)
Nonfiction Words: 490 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 6773

Writing of Stern Talbot 9 (novel, tentative title)

Day 1…… 3703 words. Total words to date…… 3703
Day 2…… 2317 words. Total words to date…… 6020
Day 3…… 6283 words. Total words to date…… 12303

Total fiction words for the month……… 34427
Total fiction words for the year………… 371153
Total nonfiction words for the month… 16950
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 150046
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 520949

Calendar Year 2018 Novels to Date………………………… 8
Calenday Year 2018 Novellas to Date…………………… 2
Calendar Year 2018 Short Stories to Date……… 11
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)………………………………………… 34
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)……………………………………… 6
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……………………… 193
Short story collections…………………………………………………… 31

2 thoughts on “The Journal, Monday, October 29”

  1. I’m not ashamed to admit that I celebrated publishing my first book earlier this month. But I’m a few books down the path from when I finished writing that novel, and I do a pretty good job of not making them special. It’s funny with NaNoWriMo coming up, I’ve been asked frequently, “What do you reward yourself for completing your novel?” I don’t think my answer is exactly what they expect. “I start the next story.”

    • I celebrated finishing my first one too. And the second one. And I thought I’d celebrate finishing the third one, but I didn’t. Those were the first two books of a western trilogy that eventually turned into a 10-novel series. When I finished the third book, I had mixed emotions. Believing it was the end of the story, I mourned the loss of my friends. Ever since then, I feel bad as one door closes and can only barely wait to hit on the idea for the next one.

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