The Journal: Probably a Full 99%

In today’s Journal

* Probably a full 99%
* Yesterday
* Today
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

Probably a full 99% of the writers on Planet Earth right now are considering writing a novel about a plague or a pandemic. Unless you have a truly unique twist on it, I advise you to forget it. With all that’s going on, it’s too easy to involve the critical mind right now.

If you’re determined to go ahead anyway, at least consider applying Kate Wilhelm’s Law. (See a great description of Wilhelm’s Law in the second paragraph at https://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=220083.msg3074229#msg3074229.)

Yesterday I rolled out a little late (my new norm recently) and got to the Hovel by around 3:30. I spent a couple of hours on the Journal and items for “Of Interest” and wandered back to the house for breakfast at around 5:30.

I came back and tackled the novel again at 6:30. By 7:30 I’d finished Chapter 4. From that point forward, I began integrating the chapters from the half-book I wrote last month.

To keep the word count pure, I’m keeping the original novel in its separate document and inserting only placeholders into the new document.

For example, after I reach the end of the story, Chapter 1 in the original novel will be inserted into the new novel as Chapter 5. But for now, in the new novel manuscript, I have only a note: Insert Chapter 5.  (And I go back to the original novel and change chapter numbers to match what they will be in the new book.)

I wrote quite a bit yesterday (see Day 3 below), made a note to insert more chapters from the original novel, wrote a little on the next new chapter and then stopped for the day.

Then I moved over to some admin stuff. I applied my first readers’ suggestions and published The Storm to D2D, Amazon and BundleRabbit.

Today I’ll use at least part of the day for some major admin tasks. I’m not in a good mood for whatever reason, and with a good writing day yesterday, today I’m struggling a little in the novel. I’m sure that’s partly because I’m juggling so much. But the story will break loose again soon.

So later today I might write more on the novel. If I gain any signnificant ground, I’ll post numbers tomorrow. If not, today will be a nonwriting day.

Talk with you again soon.

Of Interest

See “Imagination – Everyone Has It” at https://prowriterswriting.com/imagination-everyone-has-it.

See “Finding the Right Door to Enter Your Story” at https://killzoneblog.com/2015/07/finding-right-doorbrto-enter-your-story.html.

See “30 Themed Calls for Submissions” at https://www.authorspublish.com/30-themed-submissions-calls-for-april-2020/.

See “Living and Writing and Faith: Dispatch from Self-Isolation, Day 30” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/living-and-writing-and-faith-dispatch-from-self-isolation-day-30/.

See “A Look Back at Franklin, America’s Lost State” at https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/americas-lost-state-franklin.

See “Do This Not That: Book Promotion During a Pandemic” at https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2020/04/do-this-not-that-book-promotion-during-a-pandemic/. I had to note, not one place did the author say “Write the next book,” yet that’s the number one thing you can do to market yourself.

The Numbers

Fiction words yesterday…………………… 3604
Nonfiction words today…………… 480 (Journal)

Writing of For the Good of the Galaxy (novel)

Day 1…… 2645 words. Total words to date…… 2645
Day 2…… 2573 words. Total words to date…… 5218
Day 3…… 3604 words. Total words to date…… 8822
Day 4…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXXX

Total fiction words for the month……… 8822
Total fiction words for the year………… 216804
Total nonfiction words for the month… 5580
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 86730
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 303534

Calendar Year 2020 Novels to Date…………………… 3
Calendar Year 2020 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2020 Short Stories to Date… 12
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 48
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 208
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31