In today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* Yesterday and what’s going on
* Today
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
“St. Augustine tells the story of a pirate captured by Alexander the Great. The Emperor angrily demanded of him, ‘How dare you molest the seas?’ To which the pirate replied, ‘How dare you molest the whole world? Because I do it with a small boat, I am called a pirate and a thief. You, with a great navy, molest the world and are called an emperor.’ St. Augustine thought the pirate’s answer was ‘elegant and excellent.'” Noam Chomsky via The Passive Voice
Yesterday, I almost missed posting the Journal. Oops. So the first time I had a break I started adding to this one. The Journal, after all, is supposed to benefit you in some way other than the little “Of Interest” links. So I thought I’d let you know what’s going on.
If you assumed I’m struggling recently, you’re right. I am. Mostly I’m still dealing with strong physiological issues having to do with my stopping smoking cigars. That was a major change, smack in the middle of what I hope will be at least a 100-novel career.
That’s a stupid time to make such a major change. It’s as if I stretched one morning, then thought, “Hmmm. What can I do today to completely screw up my life for a couple of weeks?”
Intellectually, I know it takes the body only 3 days to flush nicotine out of the system. So there’s that. But that three days passed a few days ago and I’m still experiencing some issues: most markedly, an overall brain fog, periods of dizziness, sudden-onset fatigue, and the overall sense that I’m locked in a struggle. And the grouchiness. But I know that’s coming so I can keep it under control most of the time.
I’m not complaining. Just reporting. And really, all of that comprises a good thing because it gives me something to fight against, an antagonist, which is fine. If I win, I win. If I don’t, I don’t. Either way, it’s all on me.
But in the meantime, yeah, I’m not writing fiction, and that’s a real kick in the guts. As you know, I write into the dark, meaning I trust my inner two year old to channel my characters and run wild, making stuff up as he goes.
But in my current mental state, it doesn’t stop there. Instead, my inner two year old lets HIS inner two year olds—a set of twin demons—run wild, making stuff up as THEY go. These guys scare even Charles Claymore “Charlie” Task. They are not to be trifled with.
Trust me, you don’t want to see what might slouch forth as a result of those guys running loose. So I probably won’t attempt any fiction until I feel halfway normal again. (Halfway’s about as close as I ever get.)
But no worries. I have plenty of other stuff to do. For example, after I posted the Journal yesterday, I invested in a Deposit Photos account and took advantage of their 100 pics for $80 offer.
Then with two of the first pics I downloaded, I upgraded the covers of For the Good of the Galaxy: The First Nine Days and FTGOTG: The Battle Begins.
Then I uploaded them to Amazon and D2D and then changed them on the StoneThread Publishing website.
During this “break” I’m also going to rebrand the Wes Crowley saga. I’ll change some of the covers and almost all of the sales blurbs.
That really is the best series of novels and the best overall story I’ve ever written. So it deserves a facelift.
And during this ridiculous, brain-addled time, if I get tired of doing any of the above, I just get up and go do something else for awhile.
So that’s what’s going on in southeast Arizona. I hope you’ll bear with me. Frankly, I can hardly wait to get back to my “normal” schedule. When I do, there will be more topics, updates on fiction, and (I think) an exciting announcement or two regarding classes and mentoring.
Today I’m feeling a little better mentally, as I do each day. Not sure how I’ll spend the day, but I’ll spend it. There’s no helping that.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “Card Sharp Silver… Day 20” at https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/card-sharp-silver-day-20/. Story of a human mud clod. I only hope a trim person doing the same things would have created as much ire.
See “The Ray Bradbury Formula” at https://prowriterswriting.com/the-ray-bradbury-formula.
See “Great Stories Don’t Write Themselves: How To Develop Strong Fiction Ideas With Larry Brooks” at https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2020/05/11/develop-strong-fiction-ideas/. I disagree (vehemently) with the initial premise in the title. Still, here it is, FWIW.
See “A Trillion Worlds” at https://getpocket.com/explore/item/a-trillion-worlds. Story ideas.
See “Spies Are More Common, and Boring, Than You Think” at https://getpocket.com/explore/item/spies-are-more-common-and-boring-than-you-think. Great stories happen when ordinary people are dropped into extraordinary circumstances.
The Numbers
Fiction words yesterday…………………… XXXX
Nonfiction words today…………… 830 (Journal)
Writing of (novel)
Day 1…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXXX
Total fiction words for the month……… 30061
Total fiction words for the year………… 309655
Total nonfiction words for the month… 9880
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 112990
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 422645
Calendar Year 2020 Novels to Date…………………… 5
Calendar Year 2020 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2020 Short Stories to Date… 12
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 50
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 208
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31