Hey Folks,
First, for any veterans out there, beginning on November 11, 2017, the online Exchange System (PX) is open to all veterans who served honorably regardless of length of service.
Note that this is only the ONLINE exchange. Still, they lists tons of stuff, and it isn’t all high-ticket merchandise. Great discounts.
To qualify, visit https://www.shopmyexchange.com/veterans. Again, you don’t have to have a current ID card, and you don’t have to have retired.
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Also too important to be shuffled down to the “Of Interest” section…
Much as I (and other amateur photogs) like to think we can always take pics that are good enough for our book covers, that just isn’t always the case. (grin) At least in my case.
Before this, I’ve bought cover photos from sites like Bigstock.com and Canstockphoto.com. I paid only a pittance since I had a subscription each time(around 56 cents per pic), but Free beats a pittance every time.
Now, via The Digital Reader, comes “Fifteen Free stock photo sites that will keep your website sizzling” at http://valiantchickendigital.com/blog/15-free-stock-photo-sites-will-website-sizzling/.
Don’t let the “keep your website sizzling” admonition fool you. Many of these are cover-quality photos. Some are operated by pay sites, but the pics are still free on the specific free sites.
Some also are public domain picture sites. Be sure to read the terms of use/service on each site before you join.
Hey, if you find even one good cover pic, the time you spend searching will have paid for itself. And even if you don’t do your own covers, you can get TONS of story ideas from checking out stock photos.
In the first half-hour after I started searching through just one site, I had added around a dozen prospective cover pics to “lightboxes” to download later. Just sayin’.
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Rolled out late this morning, intentionally. I had a Negra Modelo (with lime!) with my enchiladas yesterday, and I’m not used to alcohol anymore. So I let it steep appropriately. (grin)
I won’t get to the novel until around 9 this morning. There’s a good chance I’ll finish it today, though I kind of hope the characters come up with a twist that keeps the story running a little longer. We’ll see.
Finally to the novel a little after 9:30.
Writing, a few chores and moving the water around on the yard. At 2000 words so far today I’m rapidly approaching the ending. Taking a lunch break at 12:15.
At 12:45, I think I know the ending now. If so, it shocked the tar out of me. (grin)
I’m always trying to learn more. Because I like the way he teaches and because much of what he says/writes makes sense to me, I ordered three of James Scott Bell’s Kindle ebooks today: Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing, Marketing for Writers Who Hate Marketing, and How to write Dazzling Dialogue.
Yeah, I think I’m pretty good at dialogue. But I want to see whether maybe there’s something I’m missing.
I was headed back to the novel at 2 p.m., but I think I’ll wait and finish it tomorrow. I have a few more chores to do, and frankly I’m a little out of sorts today.
Either way, I’m kind of excited.
This will be my 27th novel, and it will have been written all in this month. So in the 9th month, I will have written 9 novels on the year. Woohoo!
Maybe I ought to read Bell’s marketing book first, eh?
Back tomorrow.
Of Interest
For what it’s worth, see “The Weapon of Surprise” by James Scott Bell at https://killzoneblog.com/2017/09/the-weapon-of-surprise.html.
Fiction Words: 2108
Nonfiction Words: 580 (Journal)
So total words for the day: 2688
Writing of Loose Ends (novel, working title)
Day 1 – 15……………………… Total words to date…… 34735
Day 16… 1146 words. Total words to date…… 35881
Day 17… 1102 words. Total words to date…… 36983
Day 18… 3723 words. Total words to date…… 40706
Day 19… 1650 words. Total words to date…… 42356
Day 20… 1422 words. Total words to date…… 43778
Day 21… 2108 words. Total words to date…… 45886
Total fiction words for the month……… 52967
Total fiction words for the year………… 432587
Total nonfiction words for the month… 14943
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 151343
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 583932
The Daily Journal blog streak……………………………………… 668 days
Calendar Year 2017 Novels to Date………………………… 8
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)………………………………………… 26
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)……………………………………… 4
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……………………………… 182