In Today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* The TNDJ Challenges
* The Writing
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
“You really have a way with words, but being a prolific fiction writer, you would have to be good with words. Anyone can put words on paper, but it takes a true writer to make another person feel what the author is feeling.”
Anonymous reader in a review
I appreciated this sentiment, but the facts are backward. Anyone with a passion for writing fiction can become a ‘true writer.’ Being good with words doesn’t make a prolific fiction writer. Being a prolific fiction writer (practice) is what makes the writer ‘good with words’ (a good storyteller).
The TNDJ Challenges Report
The whole point of these challenges is to have fun and grow as a writer.
There is no cost. Feel free to jump in at any time.
Participating in any challenge is a way to drive yourself to the computer or legal pad and write fiction. It’s also a great way to build and maintain a streak.
As if writing more and better fiction isn’t enough, I even offer prizes. To see those, please visit The NEW TNDJ Challenges.
Bradbury Challenge
The only requirement is to write at least one short story, short-short story, or essay per week.
During the past week, the following writers wrote these new stories:
- Erin Donoho “A Good Substitute” 6800 Contemporary.
- Loyd Jenkins “Where Shadows Walk” 3380 Fantasy
- Vanessa V. Kilmer “Cassat and Edgewood” 3026 Romance
- Christopher Ridge “Parking Lot Wars” 3122 Horror/Thriller
- KC Riggs “Wild Pumpkins” 5166 General Fiction
- Dave Taylor “Number Eight” 4101 Magic Realism
- Mattie Fern Worrix “I Love Moosie” 3813 Romantic Comedy
The Stephen King Challenge
The requirement is to maintain an average of at least 1000 words per day as you proceed through writing a novel or novella.
- Jacob Hawes “Crystal God 2” 7189 Fantasy To date 35531
The Run With Harvey Challenge
The requirement is to maintain an average of at least 2000 words per day. The words can go into any short or long fiction or both.
- Christopher Ridge 8000 words this week
The Writing
Still working out my revamped schedule, but yesterday worked out well. So all things considered I’m closer to being back to where I want to be with the writing.
All of that boils down to priorities. Everything is about priorities. To revamp your own schedule, check in with yourself.
Beyond the priorities that are always there (family, etc.) what’s most important to you? Decide that, then give your main priority your primary focus during your peak time.
My priorities are
- writing fiction,
- TNDJ, and then
- admin stuff (see below).
Over the past few months my priorities have been skewed.
First thing in the morning, I was reading newsletters, checking websites, then writing and posting TNDJ. But then I’d go straight into admin stuff until my first major break at around 6:30 when I’d head up to the house for a little while.
But often when I came back to the Hovel, the admin stuff would continue to eat into the solitude of the morning (my peak writing time).
That would cause me to put off writing fiction until ‘sometime later.’ Then, as often as not, I wouldn’t write at all or I’d run out of time in the afternoon and have to cut off writing the current novel earlier than I wanted to. Often that happened in the middle of a scene.
My priorities/time mixture was all wrong. Now it’s better, and I’m getting more done.
I still read newsletters, check websites, and post TNDJ during the first couple of hours of my day. That’s my waking-up and easing-into-the-day time. So not my peak time for writing fiction.
Once TNDJ is posted, my peak time begins. But instead of squandering that on admin stuff, I go straight into my first priority, writing fiction. My head is clear but the world is still asleep. The writing flows.
I usually continue on the novel, but if a short story intervenes, I write that. Then I go back to the novel. It isn’t ‘what’ fiction I write that’s important. It’s ‘that’ I write fiction during that peak time.
I still take my first major break at around 6:30, but since I write into the dark, when I get back I cycle through what I’ve written, then flow right back into writing the story.
After each break through the rest of the morning I keep coming back to cycle and continue writing. I don’t allow other things to interfere.
In other words, I’m back to focusing on my priority during my peak time.
If chores, trips, or other outside tasks pop up later, at least the fiction writing (or much of it) is already accomplished.
When I don’t have outside tasks, I do the bulk of the admin stuff later in the day, after I’ve hit my daily word-count goal or otherwise stopped writing fiction for the day.
And if outside tasks do pop up, I do those and then do the admin stuff with whatever time’s remaining.
What’s admin stuff?
For me, it’s
- reading and answering emails,
- reading other newsletters,
- posting stories to Stanbrough Writes and/or posting installments to Your Morning Serial,
- setting up special deals and-or coupons over on my online store,
- (sometimes) writing TNDJ for the next day
- writing promo docs,
- finding and downloading cover art,
- creating covers, and
- publishing.
- Plus some things I’ve probably forgotten to include in the list. (grin)
Once you’ve set goals and-or personal writing challenges, those will go more smoothly if you set and closely monitor your priorities and manipulate your time.
Adapt and overcome, right?
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
When Your Imaginary World Becomes Real About adapting your fiction into other fields (plays, role-playing games, etc.)
Last Day for Early Bird Discount!
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………… 960
Writing of “Twenty Minutes”
Day 1…… 1328 words. To date…… 1328 (done)
Writing of Blackwell Ops 48: Razor Edge
Day 1…… 2213 words. To date…… 2213
Day 2…… 1210 words. To date…… 3423
Day 3…… 1318 words. To date…… 4741
Day 4…… 2481 words. To date…… 7222
Day 5…… 1588 words. To date…… 8810
Day 6…… 2215 words. To date…… 11025
Day 7…… 4168 words. To date…… 15193
Day 8…… 2645 words. To date…… 17838
Day 9…… 1682 words. To date…… 19520
Day 10…. 3234 words. To date…… 22754
Day 11…. 1982 words. To date…… 24736
Day 12…. 3079 words. To date…… 27815
Fiction for October………………… 13950
Fiction for 2025…………………… 592488
Nonfiction for October.…………… 3420
Nonfiction for 2025……………….. 213530
2025 consumable words………… 798449
2025 Novels to Date…………………….. 14
2025 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2025 Short Stories to Date……………… 32
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………….. 118
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 302
Short story collections……………………. 29