Writing Fiction: Work or Play?

by

In Today’s Journal

* Writing Fiction: Work or Play?
* An Update on My Own Writing
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

Writing Fiction: Work or Play?

Recently a writer friend sent me a link to an article that he thought might raise my blood pressure. It didn’t. To each his own, am I right?

The article (see the link in Of Interest) had to do with prolific writers and how they view the writing of fiction.

As I told my friend after I skimmed over the article,

I didn’t see anything that annoyed me, but I was surprised at how many [of the authors mentioned in the article] looked at writing fiction as labor or work. I never have looked at it as anything but a fun escape. A chance to live other lives I’m unable to live in this physical body.

I think somewhere the bible says we’re “given three-score and ten years” of life. Fortunately I’ve surpassed that (so far) by almost three years, but it hasn’t been nearly enough to experience all I’ve wanted to experience.

Hence I experience some of those things through the characters in my novels and short stories. And to be sure the experiences are authentic (so I can experience them honestly and truthfully) I write them into the dark, more or less “channeling” the characters themselves.

In other words, I allow the characters to tell the story that they, not I, are living.

That’s why writing fiction doesn’t seem like work to me. It’s sheer play, sheer escape from my own relatively humdrum life and the memories of the experiences of that life.

That’s also why I so strongly (and so often) recommend trusting yourself an your characters and writing into the dark.

Why make something so insignificant as writing someone else’s story—a “fictional” story—a labor of work instead of an enjoyable flight of fancy?

I mean, You’re the presenter. You’re the one with your fingers on the keys. So why not enjoy it rather than turning it into some epic, sweat-soaked struggle?

It’s your choice.

An Update on My Own Writing

Re all the stuff in “Writing Fiction: Work or Play?” above, my own current writing is a case in point:

Some of you will have noticed I stopped writing my current novel (see Numbers below) after putting 3250 words on the page.

Stopping wasn’t a conscious decision. The novel isn’t stalled or stuck. I just didn’t feel like writing (creative subconscious), so I haven’t written any more. In fact, I actually wrote those 3250 words over a period of four or five days, then finally reported them back on July 16 or 17.

I haven’t written any short stories in that time either, though I have enjoyed a few glimpses of my characters going about their lives here and there in my mind.

I suppose for a time, my priorities have shifted. Or maybe I’m resting. Or maybe I’m trying to make my annual goal a little tougher challenge. Shrug. I dunno.

I expect I’ll be back to writing fiction soon. Either that or I won’t and I’ll realize it’s time to close my laptop and go fishing or something.

Another friend reported to me that his writing has been a struggle for awhile too. In the same email, he mentioned that he finally realized why: He had set a goal about a year ago, attained it, and hadn’t set a new goal.

So he set a new goal and now he’s off and writing again.

I don’t have that particular problem. My goal for 2025 was to write at least 22 novels on the year. I’m still easily on track for that.

I also set a goal to write a million words of fiction on the year. I could still do that, but it’s doubtful that I’ll achieve that goal. No biggie.

However, another goal was to continue my streak of writing and publishing a novel every two weeks. That streak began on October 19 2024 with the release of The Case of the Wayward Accountant, a Stern Talbot PI mystery.

With the release a few days ago of Blackwell Ops 46: Sam Granger | Hell Comes Home, that streak currently stands at 21 novels in 42 weeks.

I’d hoped to keep the streak going through at least 26 novels in 52 weeks, but unless I finish writing BO-47 and release it on August 2nd (nine days from now), that streak will end. Still, 21 novels in 42 weeks is a total win.

Notably, during that same timeframe I also compiled and published the Echoes of Ellison collection and the Echoes of Hemingway Anthology, neither of which counted as novels or as part of the streak. And then of course all the issues of TNDJ.

Of course if the streak ends, that’s fine. Like the million-word thing, it’s not a big deal. If I made it a big deal to keep it going, it would be too much like work, and I won’t do that to my favorite fun pastime.

How about you? Are you kickin’ it, or are you allowing your conscious, critical mind to beat you up?

If so, there’s a better, more relaxing, more fun way to write. Just sayin’.

Talk with you again soon.

Of Interest

Hypergraphia: On Prolific Writers and the Persistent Need to Produce My friend thought I’d be annoyed at the psychological term. I’m not. What others think of me is none of my business.

The Daily Routine of 20 Famous Writers

7 Writing Habits of Amazing Writers

ADVANCED MAGIC BAKERY… Chapter Fourteen

The Numbers

The Journal…………………………… 910

Writing of Blackwell Ops 47: Sam Granger | Special Duty

Day 1…… 3250 words. To date…… 3250

Fiction for July..………………………. 5840
Fiction for 2025………………………. 526647
Nonfiction for July…………………….. 13540
Nonfiction for 2025…………………… 165170
2025 consumable words…………….. 684203

2025 Novels to Date…………………….. 13
2025 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2025 Short Stories to Date……………… 31
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………….. 117
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 301
Short story collections……………………. 29

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Questions are always welcome at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. But please limit yourself to the topics of writing and publishing.