Hi Folks, There is a pervasive myth that writing “fast” is writing bad. The myth is based on the notion that if you write a novel in a period of days instead of at least several months, it must be badly written. That’s just not true. Productivity in writing boils down to two things: discipline (which is to say, a work ethic) and Heinlein’s Rules, especially Rule 3 in this case. Not too long ago one … Read more
Hey Folks, Well, this probably is going to be a nonwriting day. I’m going to treat it that way, just in case. Ever notice how much that guy Justin Case has to do with life in general? (grin) I have a doc appointment (routine) on the far side of Tucson at 8:45 this morning. Justin Case of traffice, etc. we’ll leave here around 7. I would think we should be back by 1 or so, but … Read more
Hey Folks, Good ol’ Verizon woke me up at 1:03 a.m. with a text message. When the tone went off, naturally I thought there was some sort of family emergency. Uh, no. Verizon wanted to inform me that I had “only” 25% of my data left with 2 days remaining in a 30-day cycle. Seriously. How do they not know 25% data should last 7.5 days in a 30 day cycle? Yeah, I know it was … Read more
Hey Folks, Not a lot in this post today, so you get a brief reprieve. (grin) Today, and Writing Rolled out at 3:30 after waking at 1, 2, 2:30 and 3. I mostly did nothing for the first hour, then kind of put myself on hold, hovering, waiting for DWS’ new post. Finally to the Hovel around 6:40. Around 7:15 I started reading over the story again. It’s only around 8000 words, and I like it. … Read more
Hey Folks, Dean’s post today is excellent and again timely for me since I’m currently endeavoring to write a novel in 9 days (8 left, counting today). Actually it’ll be 10 days if it goes to the 31st. I did write the opening several days ago. Anyway, a great post about the old pulp writers. In today’s post, Dean even talks about one guy who wrote 7,000 words per day, every day, for ten years. Do … Read more
Hey Folks, Gonna take a day off as far as writing a topic today. You deserve a rest from these huge posts. (grin) But down in the “Of Interest” section is a link to an article about the American public and reading. Good article. Of course, I’d be happy to answer any questions or entertain any comments you might have regarding any of the recent topics or the article. Put them in a comment on the … Read more
Hey Folks, First, thanks to all my long-time subscribers for hanging in there through the sparse posts as well as the longer ones. I appreciate you and your interest in these silly goings-on. Very much. Most often, when a post is longer (like today) it contains a topic that I hope you will find useful at least a friendly reminder. That’s kind’a my way of giving back. So thank you. Also, I’ve recently added a new … Read more
Hey Folks, Long post today. Get a beverage and gird your loins and stuff. Several major gems in Dean’s post today (see “Of Interest” below). For me, chief among them was the reminder that you can’t change the past and you can’t foresee what might happen in the future. So right there: don’t worry about it, and don’t worry about it. Don’t look back, move forward. Also some excellent advice on structuring a goal and on … Read more
Hey Folks, In keeping with my usual bent toward recommending excellent resources, I’ve found a new interior layout and cover design print source. Both the price and quality are excellent. That’s a hard combo to beat. A couple days ago, someone on DWS’s site recommended Cover to Upload as a good place to have covers designed. Dean agreed. This morning I checked out the site personally and have already emailed them with a few questions about … Read more
Hey Folks, Probably this will be another non-writing day. We’ll see. Yep, nonwriting day. Topic: Dean’s Lectures Okay, first, you can see all of Dean’s lectures (with complete descriptions) at http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/lecture-series/. On the surface, lectures are more attractive because they cost less. Of course, you get a great deal more bang for your buck (in most cases) from the online workshops. So bearing that in mind, here are the lectures I recommend. If I don’t list … Read more