In today’s Journal
* Quotes of the Day
* Yesterday
* On Critique Groups
* Of Interest
Quotes of the Day
“The most fact-oriented people are those willing to check self-proclaimed ‘fact-checkers’, the most scientifically-minded people are those willing to question every so-called ‘scientific consensus’, and the most virtue-driven people are those willing to expose ‘virtue signallers’. Jakub Bożydar Wiśniewsk
“PG … has seen enough virtue-signaling over the years of his adulthood to recognize the difference between saying the right things and doing the right things.” The Passive Guy on an article on his site
Yesterday
Yesterday, I felt sluggish all morning. Couldn’t get going. Didn’t feel like doing much of anything, including writing. I was also irritable, etc. Finally I sat down in the living room with a novel. I read about ten pages and promptly fell asleep.
That was about noon. I woke to some little repetitive noise at around 7 p.m. I got up, looked at my wife, and said, “I’m going to bed.” That was pretty much the last thing I knew until this morning a 3:45.
Yep, I slept for 16 hours, interrupted only by a 2-minute shuffle to bed after the first 7 hours. I don’t remember the last time I crashed and burned like that, and I don’t know that I’ve ever slept that long at one stretch before. I guess I was tired. (grin)
Working in the Hovel this morning for the first time in a couple of months to see how that will work.
On Critique Groups
Oh, in a Kill Zone article John Gilstrap asked our thoughts about critique groups. You can read the article in “Of Interest,” but in my response I pointed to my own article.
Yep, back in the day I actually used to facilitate a critique group. I do not recommend critique groups now, but if you feel you need one I do recommend this article: https://harveystanbrough.com/pro-writers/12-ways-critique-group/.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
See “Sale Now Ends Friday Night” at https://deanwesleysmith.com/sale-now-ends-friday-night/.
See “Into The Breech” at https://killzoneblog.com/2023/04/into-the-breech.html.
See “London Book Fair’s Sustainability Lounge” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/london-book-fairs-sustainability-lounge/. The article is boring and smells of fertilizer, but see PG’s wonderful take.
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 350
Writing of Wes Crowley: Deputy US Marshal 2 (WCG9SF4)
Day 1…… 3231 words. Total words to date…… 3231
Day 2…… 2990 words. Total words to date…… 6221
Day 3…… 1805 words. Total words to date…… 8026
Day 4…… 2025 words. Total words to date…… 10051
Day 5…… 1451 words. Total words to date…… 11502
Day 6…… 1886 words. Total words to date…… 13388
Day 7…… 2002 words. Total words to date…… 15390
Day 8…… 1060 words. Total words to date…… 16450
Total fiction words for April……… 1457
Total fiction words for 2023………… 67645
Total nonfiction words for April… 3460
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 65720
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 133365
Calendar Year 2023 Novels to Date…………………… 1
Calendar Year 2023 Novellas to Date……………… 0
Calendar Year 2023 Short Stories to Date… 3
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 72
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 220
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31
Disclaimer: I don’t care how you write, only that you do. However, I am a prolific professional writer. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark, adherence to Heinlein’s Rules, and that following the myths of fiction writing will slow your progresss as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.