In today’s Journal
* Quotes of the Day
* It’s December 1—2019!
* Today
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quotes of the Day
“Mail your first draft. Publish your first draft. That book you’ve rewritten 15 times? Go back to the first draft. Publish that one. Because that’s your authentic voice. That’s the one you haven’t interfered with at all.” Kristine Kathryn Rusch at the 20BooksTo50K conference
“Behavior presents as it does for a reason. It’s more than complex. It’s the way a life goes.” Mauro Altamura, an extra on the set of the Netflix original, The Irishman, a film based on the biography of Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran’s I Heard You Paint Houses, written by Charles Brandt. If you’ve wondered what really happened to Jimmy Hoffa in 1975 or if you’re a crime writer whose characters are or deal with mobsters, I recommend the book.
It’s December 1—2019 of all things! Where did November go? For that matter, where did the year go? But never mind that. How in the world is it already the 21st century, much less twenty years in?
I’m pretty sure I lost track of time somewhere around 1978. Everything since then is a blur, with occasional highlights poking through the fog. Sigh.
But one thing I wouldn’t change even if I could go back is the advent of ebooks and our ability to go directly to readers with our work. And yes, that’s only one thing.
Privately, I’ve been commiserating with myself that I haven’t put out any major publications for four months in a row. I finally published four short stories in November, but nothing major (novel/novella/short story collection) since July.
Then I took a breath, opened my New Fiction file, and looked it over. Since April 2014, I’ve written and published 197 short stories, around 30 short story collections, 8 novellas, and 43 novels. I’ve also re-released 2 nonfiction books on writing, and I’ve written and published 14 other nonfiction books.
That’s a sobering thought.
Consider, if I were still with a traditional publisher, in the past almost six years, I would have released 5 new novels and have one about ready to be released. On their schedule.
The last three words of the previous paragraph encapsulate the true benefit of this wonderful new world of publishing: we’re no longer “on their schedule.”
* What we write is up to us.
* Whether we rewrite or have the confidence to send our original authentic authorial voice to readers is up to us.
* How much and how often we write is up to us.
* And maybe most importantly from a publishing standpoint, what and when and how often we publish is completely up to us.
In other words, we are able to Practice our craft and get better instead of hovering over one work. And we are able to send that work out directly to readers, gatekeepers be damned.
Speaking of which, some of you know I’ve written a book of snarky definitions. The most recent addition is a new definition of “gatekeeper”:
gatekeeper, n. 1. One who defines terms of admittance. 2. In publishing, that person or entity who asks for an “authentic voice,” then submits the manuscript to a rigorous four-part process (critique, revision, rewrite, and editing) that is dedicated to erasing that voice. The gatekeeper then occupies itself with wondering why sales are tanking.
I’ll spend what’s left of today enjoying the remainder of Thanksgiving weekend with my wife and babies.
This morning I cycled back through the final scene of Blackwell Ops 7, let my creative mind tie up a few loose ends, and finished the novel. It’s off my desk now, winging its way to my first readers. It’s good to have that one behind me.
By the way, I’m looking for a female first reader. I find having input from a woman’s point of view is invaluable. If you’re interested, please email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. Of course, there are more benefits than just geetting to read my stories first. (grin)
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “My Talk On Perfection At 20Books” at https://kriswrites.com/2019/11/30/my-talk-on-perfection-at-20books/. Be sure to listen to her bit on punctuation at about 12:20. Her example of Emily Dickinson is one of the best I’ve ever heard. And her response to the question about “authentic voice” at about 38:50 is outstanding.
See “Classic Workshops” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/classic-workshops/. An absolutely excellent offer. Tell people who love you. After all, Christmas is coming!
See “Learning From the Movies: The King’s Speech” at https://killzoneblog.com/2019/12/learning-from-the-movies-the-kings-speech.html. This is a post about structure. Remember to learn with your conscious, critical mind, but apply what you absorb with your creative mind.
See “Lucky Thomas: Probable Cause…” at https://www.leelofland.com/lucky-thomas-probable-cause-and-collard-greens-a-recipe-for-arrest/.
See “Top Tips for Writing the Copy for Your Author Website” at https://fundsforwriters.com/top-tips-for-writing-the-copy-for-your-author-website/.
See “Ages of Authors When They First Publish a Bestseller” at https://www.inthebook.com/en-us/bestsellers/. Sadly, I’ve surpassed all of those ages. Sigh. (grin)
See “The Write Motivation” at https://prowriterswriting.com/the-write-motivation.
See “Giving and Receiving” at https://killzoneblog.com/2019/11/giving-and-receiving.html.
See “The Old Stone Butter Church” (a free short story) at http://dyingwords.net/the-old-stone-butter-church/.
If you’re a crime writer, see “Our Boys From Jefferson Street…” at https://crimereads.com/jimmy-hoffa-irishman/.
The Numbers
Fiction words yesterday…………………… 1852
Nonfiction words today…………… 840 (Journal)
Writing of Blackwell Ops 7: Philip Dunstan
(Brought forward…… 25849)
Day 16…… 1700 words. Total words to date…… 27549
Day 17…… 1018 words. Total words to date…… 28567
Day 18…… 1687 words. Total words to date…… 30254
Day 19…… 1586 words. Total words to date…… 31840
Day 20…… 1852 words. Total words to date…… 33692 (done)
Total fiction words for the month……… 1852
Total fiction words for the year………… 399417
Total nonfiction words for the month… 840
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 304100
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 703517
Calendar Year 2019 Novels to Date…………………… 8
Calendar Year 2019 Novellas to Date……………… 1
Calendar Year 2019 Short Stories to Date… 4
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 43
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 197
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31