-
I Opened My Mouth… So Here Is How It Could Work
A CHALLENGE… A few nights ago I mentioned that if anyone wanted to take up a story-a-day for thirty days, I could be their first reader for a price. Yup, said that. Now I understand how really difficult on so many levels this challenge is. This is the second time I have done it and over the years hope to do one in every month of the year. Over different years, of course. Like the first one was in July and got the book Stories from July. This one will be a book called Stories from April. The stories will also be in Smith’s Monthly, in collections, and published stand-alone.…
-
Story Eighteen and Half-Title Pages Explained
DAY EIGHTEEN… I somehow managed to get everything done today and actually get to my writing computer by 2 a.m. I would love to be earlier, but I’ll take 2 a.m. Today I got two more collections turned in. I did the covers for all three, including paperback covers. I will give you the covers and links when the first three collections are up. I hope to do a few more fairly soon. And I also got done the story cover for last night’s story. And I figured out how to do my goofy comment about being a first reader. See the post above if you missed it. So at…
-
Story Seventeen
DAY SEVENTEEN… By the time I got through everything today and the workshop assignments tonight, it was 3 a.m. I really got to start earlier. So off I went to my half-title sheets. I grabbed a half tile “A Thief…” and then almost instantly saw another half title. “of Regrets.” I put that in the title spot “A Thief of Regrets” and instantly put “A Bryant Street Story” under it because it sounded like a Bryant Street kind of title. But after the first line I changed the subtitle to “A Marble Grant Story” and got going. 3:35 a.m. I took a break at 900 words. 4:10 I took another…
-
Story Sixteen and Still Going
DAY SIXTEEN… Tonight I was again very late getting to the writing because of finishing up the Strengths Workshops. So I again looked at some old story starts and such and found a really interesting story start. I worked on it about an hour, adding about 1,000 words total to get it to a 2,000 word story. It is called “Habit.” And considering I spent all day, night, and into the late night in front of a computer finishing up the last of the Strengths workshop, I’ll take the win and another finished story. And I did not have time to do the cover for the story last night, so…
-
Story Fifteen… Halfway Through the Challenge
DAY FIFTEEN… Halfway and having fun. Yes, writing a short story per day is fun. And Kris says she is enjoying reading my stories every morning. I imagine I would enjoy reading a new story (and making light notes) on a story a day from someone as well. (Yes, I would charge for that (grin).) Only problem is that no one I know could tackle that kind of challenge. But if you are crazy enough to think you could do it, write me and I will tell you how much I would charge to be your first reader for a month of short stories. (What a nuts idea. I might change…
-
Story Fourteen and Other Stuff
DAY FOURTEEN… And story fourteen on the April challenge. I missed doing a cover today for the story from yesterday, so will try to do two today. Tonight I was tired, so took a long nap and watched a bunch of television. By the time I got to the writing computer, it was 3 a.m. Saw a half-title on my title sheets and just went with the half title. “Always a Way” and then put A Marble Grant Story under it. So third Marble Grant story. She was a superhero in the Poker Boy universe, a friend of Poker Boy’s girlfriend, Patty. She got killed and became a ghost agent…
-
Story Number Thirteen and an Answer
DAY THIRTEEN… First off, got the fifth Strengths workshop now available. It is the Strengths Business Two workshop. The last of the six workshops will be done and available by Monday. Everyone who has signed up for all of the workshops should have gotten the code from me tonight. If you did not, write me. Remember, if you want to take all six (over as long a period as you want) you can sign up for all of them and get one free, plus one online workshop for free as well. So for $1,500, you get all six strengths workshops to go through at your own speed and one online workshop…
-
Story Twelve and a Wonderful Dinner
DAY TWELVE… Got a twelfth story for the challenge and also tonight had a wonderful dinner with friends to celebrate. First to the dinner. My friend writer J. Steven York has been in the hospital for most of the last month and had major open heart surgery one week ago today. It was a very stressful day but he made it through wonderfully. Tonight, one week after major open heart surgery, he walked through the door of a restaurant to have dinner with us and other friends from around town. It was a moment I will never forget. He really is superman, how he came though this and is now…
-
Story Eleven and Workshop Stuff Again
DAY ELEVEN… Pretty much did workshops all day including a couple of covers. I had to redo one cover, the “Blind Date” cover because the title vanished. Below is the new cover. I worked on the Strengths workshop and also Kris and I finalized a workshop we have talked about for a while but didn’t want to do. However, we get so many questions about the topic, we figured it was time. The full description of the new online workshop is above. It will be a good one. A ton of tricks, things long-term professionals do, and helpful hints. I got the writing around 2 a.m. and with two short…
-
Story Ten and a Bunch of Workshop Stuff
DAY TEN… Pretty much did workshops all day except I also had the wonderful pleasure of helping a friend get back into his house after being in the hospital for a month. Sort of made my day, actually, that he is home. But otherwise, it was workshops, most assignments since March is finishing up and April is getting started. Plus answered more questions about The Great Bundle workshop which has people intrigued, to say the least. (grin) Also, for those thinking of either trying to come to the Master Business Class or the Anthology Workshop, both Coast workshops, both are almost full. I did manage a few minutes to get…