In Today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* Touching Base
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
“You’ve got to learn your instrument. Then you practice, practice, practice. And then when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.” Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker
Touching Base
I have to admit, not publishing TNDJ every day seems weird. On the other hand, I’m getting a lot of other things done.
I’ve often said I sometimes wish I could go back to the beginning, when I was just learning (finally, in my early 60s) to trust my characters and write into the dark.
Of course, ‘going back’ is impossible.
Even if time travel was possible, I’m convinced we couldn’t ‘go back’ in the same timeline. The presence of our current self at any point in the past would necessarily change any futures unfolding from that point in time: hence, we’d be in a new timeline from that point forward.
But then, that’s one of the reasons we write fiction, right? In writing fiction we experience lives we have not been able to experience as our own life has unfolded. So in that way, all fiction writers are time travelers.
I’ve written a little new fiction, but I’m not bothering to keep track of words. That’s why I got rid of the Numbers segment at the bottom of the posts.
I’m also working on a ‘big’ project, and when it’s finished I’ll offer the world “Nick’s Cut” of The Nick Spalding Saga. The way it’s going so far, it will be a single volume containing upward of 120,000 words. (The original four novels consisted of around 190,000 words.)
This is an interesting experiment. I’m cycling over the whole story (so in the creative subconscious mindset) and allowing the POV character to touch the story as I go. Great fun. I hope to have it finished and out to my excellent first reader, Russ Jones, that dauntless F-4 jet pilot from Texas.
Who knows? I might even decide to do a Kickstarter for Nick’s Cut and offer the saga in special-edition paper copies. If I do, it will be my first Kickstarter. I’ll definitely let you know.
When I finish and publish that stand-alone novel, I might restart an SF saga I started a long time ago. I’ve been wanting to start that one over for a few years now.
When the idea for that one first occurred to me, I expected it to unfold as the several-volume Good of the Galaxy series/saga. Unfortunately, the story flickered out with the second book, primarily owing to my dissatisfaction with what I saw (and couldn’t shake) of several major flaws in the first book.
Anyway, I was so busy teaching and writing new stuff that I just never went back to it. But now I have all the time I need, so I’ll more than likely give that story another shot. If I’m successful, that one will open up into who knows how many other new stories in the saga.
There are only two kinds of space-travel SF stories: We went there or They came here. Unlike The Journey Home (aka The Ark) Saga, Good of the Galaxy will be a ‘they came here’ story.
As a long-time instructor, I also find myself wondering about you and your writing. I hope you’re all having loads of fun with your own fiction.
Oh, just a reminder especially for those who are new to TNDJ: You can always email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com to request the full archives of TNDJ from 2021 through 2024.
On request, I’ll send you those archives completely FREE in fully searchable PDF files. I don’t think I’m being immodest when I say the archives are pretty much priceless for anyone who really wants to learn the craft of fiction writing.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
Last Day on Science Fiction Kickstarter
Amazon Book Categories: My Secret Method to Choose Clear Winners