The Journal, Sunday, 1/8

Hey Folks, Today is going to be a great day. I hope it’s a great day for writing too. As I write this, I’m at my outside desk. My hands are stiff from the very light breeze, but I’m enjoying a good cigar and your company. As a bonus, I paused for a moment and looked up. The Big Dipper is almost directly overhead. As it turned out, it WAS a great day for writing, but … Read more

The Journal, Saturday, 1/7

Hey Folks, Not a lot to report today. Hope you won’t mind a minuscule post. Somehow, I think you’ll survive. (grin) Of Interest At Dean’s place, 1/6/17 Daily… Stay Safe (http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/1617-daily-stay-safe/). If you’re interested in Dey’s Nick Carter books, check out http://dimenovels.lib.niu.edu/islandora/search/mods_primaryName_author_ms%3A%22Carter,%20Nick%22. (I’ll let you copy/paste that one into your address bar. Today, and Writing Rolled out at 2:30 and around an hour later I started working on the novel. I felt (subconscious) something wasn’t right, … Read more

The Journal, Friday, 1/6

Hey Folks, Amazon’s despicability factor just grew again in my mind. For the past several days, I’ve received an email each day urging me to be sure my upload of The Professional Fiction Writer: A Year in the Life is the final version I want to sell. (It’s up for preorder and ships on January 15.) The thing is, if you remember, way back when I first tried to upload it, they wouldn’t allow it. They … Read more

The Journal, Thursday, 1/5

Hey Folks, Well, I have to go get labs done this morning (fasting) so that will interrupt the day some. That plus I got up late this morning after staying up too late last night. But it’s already been a good morning. Probably I should mention some of the entries in this Journal will get a little light as I spend more time on the novel. I’ll still try to give you something worth reading, and … Read more

The Journal, Wednesday, 1/4

Hey Folks, It’s going to be a great day. I scanned through an earlier novel and highlighted sections of it for information. I consider this research. I gleaned characters, situations and places that will appear in the next novel. Unless something untoward happens today, I should have a good writing day. Of Interest Yet more good comments at Dean’s 1/1/17 Daily… Some Learning… (http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/1117-daily-some-learning/#comments) Also check his 1/3/17 Daily (http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/1317-daily/) Today, and Writing Rolled out at … Read more

The Journal, Tuesday, 1/3

Hey Folks, Well, this is just insane. Whatever else happens today (unless it’s earth shakingly momentous) I hope to write SOMEthing. A character with a problem in a setting. That’s all I need. I hope it whatever I write will lead to a novel. I really enjoy writing novels. And when I’m involved with the characters in a novel, my daily word count soars. * * * And just like that (snaps fingers), things change. Epiphanies … Read more

Safeguard Your Credibility

Note: This post was originally scheduled for sometime in 2014. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. I’ve revised the original post so it’s up to date. For anyone who’s interested, The Professional Fiction Writer: A Year in the Life is available for preorder in all electronic venues. It will ship on January 15. Also, while I’m pushing help for writers here, I can’t do better than recommend you read Dean Wesley … Read more

The Journal, Monday, 1/2

Hey Folks, Ugh. Not doing too well on the retraining thing. But I have excuses. (grin) Excuse 1. Rolled out late at 3:45 because I stayed up and watched the Green Bay/Detroit football game. I planned on a quick, abbreviated wake-up period of no more than a half-hour, but… Excuse 2. I allowed an email from a writers’ group to sidetrack me. The email mentioned that a pulp writer, Van Allen Plexico (http://www.whiterocketbooks.com/plexico/), would be speaking … Read more

The Journal, Sunday, 1/1

Hey Folks, Long post today. First, happy new year. Again, I hope 2017 is the best year yet for all of us. And that is within our power. All we have to do is choose to make it the best year ever. Things will happen that are outside our control. But how we react is ALWAYS a matter of choice. From the For What It’s Worth department… There’s another 80/20 truism floating around among humanity. Most … Read more