Yesterday I Scrolled

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In today’s Journal

* Yesterday I Scrolled (Sort of a Rant)
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

NOTE: This is a special free edition of TNDJ. Frankly, I feel like the topic is too important to not share this post with everybody. Here we go…

Yesterday I Scrolled

through the KillZone blog looking to see whether anything has changed over there. It hasn’t.

Almost every post is still riddled with the widely held (and parroted) myths of fiction writing. And really, why shouldn’t they be?

I believe at least one writer there doesn’t give a whit about you or your writing or your self-confidence. He only cares about selling you another of his nonfiction books.

ALL of which are mere regurgitations of most (like 99.9%) of the other nonfiction books on writing fiction. (Hmm… in that way the guy’s like a human iteration of AI.)

All of his books propagate the myths of fiction writing. Again, like 99.9% of all nonfiction books on how to write fiction.

But then, that’s why he’s probably getting rich off his nonfiction books and I’m selling only a few copies of mine. He tells writers what they want to hear—what they expect to hear, what makes them comfortable because they’ve read the same advice dozens of times before—and I tell writers the truth about fiction writing.

He’s like the caveman who insisted the only way to get fire was to wait for lightning to strike a tree. Then the other cavemen could gather around and carry away bits of it to their own camp. But the only way was to follow the myth and wait for the lightning to strike.

So a lot of cavemen—probably most—followed the rules and sat around waiting for lightning to strike. Most of them probably succumbed to the last ice age. Just as many writers who follow the myths fall away and find something else to do.

If you couldn’t tell, that sort of deception is like a 2-foot fire: It burns my little short butt. In my very personal opinion, people like that should have a difficult time facing themselves in a mirror.

Thank goodness a few cavemen wandered away from the herd mentality and eventually learned to rub two sticks together. Otherwise we might not be here.

Anyway, all that myth-pushing is exactly why I stopped visiting TKZ a couple of years ago.

Of course, the myths literally permeate the contributors’ writing, (or so they say). The myths “work for them,” (or so they say).

And of course, that’s all perfectly fine. To each his or her own.

If they want to waste time outlining, revising, seeking critical input, rewriting, etc. etc. ad nauseam and call themselves “prolific” when they “churn out” (Oh, the agony!) two 60,000 word novels in a year, hey, more power to them. Whaddo I care?

But don’t bring that crock of crap around here. I won’t abide it.

What gets to me is that they’ll also tell you, loudly, that whatever “works for you” is fine too. (Um, but only as long as you follow the myths.)

I guess their definition of “what works” is vastly different from mine.

My definition of “what works” for a Fiction Writer is what enables that writer to spend as much time and have as much fun as possible writing 4 or 6 or 12 or 20 or more novels in a year—and NOT consider having done so a superhuman feat. I mean, you’re only telling stories. It isn’t like you’re curing cancer or solving world hunger. Or even digging ditches, for that matter.

Granted, the myths work to keep you from believing you are actually Capable, that you can write a whole short story or novel all by your widdle self. They are a thumb pressed against your forehead, keeping you down, subservient, and buying nonfiction books.

But that’s ALL they do. They reinforce the notion that you “can’t.” That you need help. That it takes a village. Fortunately, my mama taught me that “Can’t never did anything.”

It doesn’t take a village or a critique group or a nesting pod of critical beta readers sharpening their claws and waiting to pounce on your story.

If you want to be a fiction writer, what it takes is putting your butt in a chair and writing fiction, by which I mean putting new words on the page.

But I digress.

As a truly prolific fiction writer (maybe), what I have against TKZ and that particular group of folks is that they Actively Advise Other Writers to follow those same myths. That it’s The Only Way.

It’s all a load of fresh, steamy bovine excrement. I advise you not to step in it.

Some of them even actively teach that “writing-related activities” (research, outlining, revising, rewriting, sitting-in on critique groups, attending conferences, etc.) are the same as Writing.

That’s another steaming pile. And it’s not okay. Not in the slightest.

On the Pecos River in New Mexico there are a lot of pits of quicksand. I’ve helped pull calves and even full-grown cows and one bull out of them before.

Visiting TKZ is like happening across a group of writers who are stuck and rapidly sinking in that quicksand. But if you toss them one end of a strong rope in an effort to pull them out, instead they try to pull you into the quicksand with them.

Don’t do it, folks. You can be a great fiction writer without going through all that outlining and revising and rewriting nonsense.

In fact, if you trust and listen to your characters, observe and accurately convey their story, you will convey stories that are actually authenic. You’ll be a better storyteller and a better fiction writer than ANYone who bows to the myths. I promise.

And yes, I’m proud to say I also write and sell nonfiction books on the craft of fiction writing and on its various components. But they’re different than anything else you’ve ever seen.

As I alluded to above, I only sell a few copies. And that’s fine. I assume those who get them actually want to grow. They aren’t simply following a stampeding herd.

You can see all of them (and get many free of charge) at

None of my nonfiction books on writing are regurgitations of others’ works. And in them, when I do mention the myths, I do so only to denigrate them and negate their impact. To help you get them out of your writing. To tell you, loudly, that It’s All Right To Believe In Yourself.

But yesterday as I scrolled at TKZ, I actually came across a valid post.

By “valid” I mean one in which the writer merely passes along interesting information without telling you how you “have to” use it. At least until she gets to the very end.

You’ll find that post (on Clues) in today’s Of Interest section.

Talk with you again soon.

Of Interest

Clues A rare, non-myth laden post from the KillZone blog. Still, I advise you read and absorb the information here (conscious mind), then don’t worry about it.

What you need from the post will seep through into your creative subconscious. I recommend you DO NOT, as the author suggests at the end of the post, “decide” (conscious mind) which clues to have in your mystery novels.

Not in an outline or plotting or planning. And definitely not as you’re writing the story. As always, the characters and the story itself will dictate that—If You Believe in Yourself and Trust Them.

The Numbers

The Journal……………………………… 1230

Writing of Blackwell Ops 26: Tailor Moses

Day 1…… 2069 words. To date…… 2069
Day 2…… 3438 words. To date…… 5507
Day 3…… 1464 words. To date…… 6971
Day 4…… 2089 words. To date…… 9060
Day 5…… 1037 words. To date…… 10097
Day 6…… 1092 words. To date…… 11189
Day 7…… 1286 words. To date…… 12475
Day 8…… 3631 words. To date…… 16106
Day 9…… 2011 words. To date…… 18117
Day 10…. 2493 words. To date…… 20610

Fiction for July…………………….….… 25325
Fiction for 2024…………………………. 440236
Fiction since October 1………………… 720461
Nonfiction for July……………………… 20190
Nonfiction for 2024……………………… 231070
2024 consumable words………………… 645981

2024 Novels to Date……………………… 10
2024 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2024 Short Stories to Date……………… 4
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)……………… 92
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 241
Short story collections…………………… 29

Disclaimer: I am a prolific professional fiction writer. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Unreasoning fear and the myths of writing are lies, and they will slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.

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