The Journal, Wednesday, 7/1

The Day

NOTE: I’m trying something today with this blog post. I’m sending it from my main website at HarveyStanbrough.com. If it goes only to those who are signed up specifically for this journal, then it’s all good. If you are reading this and you are NOT signed up for this journal (formerly FrostProof808.com), please accept my apologies. Thanks.

Rolled out a little after 2. Wow. July just kind’a snuck up on me. Even as I was posting this note yesterday, I didn’t equate 6/30 with the end of the month.

My goal for the month of June was to mimic the month of May in word count and get 80,000 words. I didn’t. I fell short by about 14,000 words, but I’ll take 66,000 and call it good. (grin)

I have to get labs done at 7:30 this morning for a doc appointment next week so I didn’t want to start anything with the novel yet. So I continued working on websites a bit this morning, tweaking here and there. By the way, if any of you would like to talk about websites, themes, plugins etc. just email me. I’ll help in any way I can.

So web stuff for the first two and a half hours of the day, and then I came here to do this. I’ll finish what I’m gonna do here, and then go over to the main blog and write at least one post (maybe two or three) and schedule it for publication. I like to stay a little ahead over there so I don’t have to worry about it.

Then I’ll go do the labs and then back here to write.

Wound up working with the website again. Sigh. The day’s nearly over for me so I’m gonna prep this for the test I mentioned in the opening sentence.

Topic of the Night: Writers’ Conferences

I was invited to speak at the Missouri Writers’ Guild conference in Kansas City next April. They want me to present in two breakout sessions (45 minutes each) and then teach a master’s class on the final day. They’re paying me pretty well plus airfare, hotel and food, so yeah, I’m going. (grin) It’ll be kind of fun after not having presented at a big deal conference for so long.

At one time, I presented at 18 in a year. That was rough. Anyway, I say that so you understand where I’m coming from here. I’ve presented at a lot of conferences and I’ve always given attendees something of value. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case at all conferences or with all speakers.

Many speakers have no problem taking the fee and then dropping names for half their presentation time, telling attendees all about the famous people they’ve met.

Other speakers will do the same thing and then spend half the presentation time hyping their own books or other products.

Yet others simply don’t know what they’re talking about. Some people take a great deal of pleasure in teaching things they don’t know. Perhaps it makes them feel better about themselves or something. I don’t know. There are FAR more of this kind of presenter at conferences now than there used to be, probably because of the money crunch.

But my point here is just this: Before you attend a conference, do your research. Unless it’s Breadloaf or the Iowa Writers’ Conference or something like that. Do your homework. Look up the presenters. What have they accomplished, especially in the topic they’re presenting?

Actually, the same goes for speakers at any gathering of writers. If you go and listen and buy into bad information, it’s really difficult to dislodge that and replace it with valid information.

I think it was Mark Twain who once said it’s much easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they’ve been fooled.

So hey, be careful out there.

The Writing
Weak start to the month. I’m not stuck or anything. Allowed my attention to be diverted by this new bright, shiny obejct. (grin) Back on the writing tomorrow.

Today’s Writing
Fiction words: 1052

Writing of Book 8 in the Wes Crowley saga
Day 1…… 4125 words. Total words to date…… 4125
Day 2…… 2624 words. Total words to date…… 6749
Day 3…… 2766 words. Total words to date…… 9515
Day 4…… 1412 words. Total words to date…… 10927
Day 5…… 3441 words. Total words to date…… 14368
Day 6…… 1052 words. Total words to date…… 15420

Total fiction words for the month…………… 1052
Total fiction words for the year……………… 406398

10 thoughts on “The Journal, Wednesday, 7/1”

  1. Nice, Harvey! You’ll be your usual dazzling self. Also, anyone would appreciate your advice about investigating the quality of presenters at conferences.
    Thanks, as always, for your common sense and sound advice.
    By the way, I’ve been unable to post on the journal for about a week- it seems that I cannot put in my signin info.
    Anyway, thanks and wish I could attend your session next April.
    Duke

    • Thanks Duke. It will feel odd to be back in that particular saddle again. I sent you a separate email for your login stuff. As for next April, you already know all the stuff I’ll be presenting.

  2. I did the same over this past week. New shiny object is DISH. I’m changing to century link for Internet, contract through DISH. Also will be leaving Albertsons on the 21 for a new job. Pays better and 6 consistant hours a day. Can plan specific time for writing and every weekend off. Yeah.

    • Congrats, Mary Ann, especially on the job change. I have DirecTV out here, but can’t get our Internet service through them because we’re trapped in the St. David/Benson time warp. A pterodactyl flew over the other day with a sheep in its maw. A dragon was chasing it. I think they were gonna fight.

  3. Yea, you’re back in the saddle again! If you live in Kansas City, Missouri, go learn something from Harvey. Best writing teacher ever! But who gets up at 2:00 am? Harvey S. This is fun.

    • Hey, thanks Gloria. That’s what writing’s supposed to be all about, right? Having fun. 🙂

  4. Aren’t you about due for another…not such a big deal conference in Benson, Arizona for those of us who like to hear you talk about writing into the dark always in more detail and with new info or maybe just new inspiration. Got on http://HStanbrough yesterday to post totals but today it won’t open for me. I be doing something wrong? It goes to http://HStanbrough.com./wp-comments-post.php and then won’t open…ah well. Sounds like a great time for you and anyone who hears you can consider themselves lucky duckies.

    • Hi Bonnie, not sure when I’ll host another seminar or workshop. But I’ll let you know if and when I do.
      You have to go to this specific link: http://HStanbrough.com/wp-admin.
      Then log in with your username and password. I’m sending them to you again in an email.
      Harvey

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