Challenge,  Fun Stuff

I Gave Kitten Pictures

June 20, 2018 /

And Nobody Said a Word…

That is stunning. Kittens and cats usually bring out the comments even more. (grin)

I might have to try that again. How about a picture of Ashley and Thorne, named after Clark Ashton Smith and Thorne Smith? They were with us for over a decade each. Wonderful cats. (And yes, that is just a few of the digest collection behind them, but no idea what the cats are on.)

Now, I have given you kittens and cats named after famous writers. What more can writers want? (grin)

Monthly Regular Workshops…

You can find them under Online Workshops to the right of this post. Sign up for July on Teachable.com. For credits or workshops beyond July, write me and pay through Paypal.

Each regular workshop is 6 weeks long.

Again, it will take you about three hours per week on your own pace to do each of these if you do the assignments. These are the starting dates of upcoming regular workshops.

All have openings at the moment.

Class #1… July 10th … Depth #3: Research
Class #2… July 10th … Author Voice
Class #3… July 10th … Dialog
Class #4… July 10th … Writing into the Dark
Class #5… July 10th … Writing Fiction Sales Copy
Class #6… July 10th … Writing and Selling Short Stories
Class #7… July 11th … Depth in Writing
Class #8… July 11th … Business
Class #9… July 11th … Writing Fantasy
Class #10… July 11th … Information Flow
Class #11… July 11th … Magic Bakery
Class #12… July 11th … Advanced Depth

 

15 Comments

  • Harvey

    June 20, 2018 at 5:01 am

    I started to comment yesterday on the really nice necklace, but somehow it didn’t seem appropriate. 🙂 As for the current photo, Ashley and Thorne are obviously just charging up.

  • Cynthia Lee

    June 20, 2018 at 7:53 am

    We need more cat pictures in the world.

    I know some people on the Internets think there are too many but they are stupid dummies!

    Thanks, Dean.

  • JM

    June 20, 2018 at 9:43 am

    Cats are cool. I’m preparing to get a cat, once I cat-proof my apartment (checking for anything which would fall on, choke or otherwise injure a cat). Have you ever owned a dog or other pet, or just cats?

  • D J Mills

    June 20, 2018 at 2:59 pm

    I was going to comment but had an argument with myself as to why I could not get another kitten or two, and then forgot to comment on your cute kittens. And I am not sure if these cats are just chilling or waiting for you to attend to their needs. Always cute.

  • George K

    June 22, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    Dean that great collection of vintage digests got me to thinking – do you feel writers have to keep reading fiction in their areas of interest everyday of their lives to keep up their writing prowess ( as Stephen King says ) or do you agree with Bradbury who said that after a certain amount of reading in your youth ‘it’s enough’ . I know it’s a silly question in a way because all the writers I’ve ever met read for fun regardless if it’s needed or not, so it’s a moot point for them. But I’m wondering if you believe constant fiction reading helps a writer keep his or her ‘ edge’ so to speak?

    • dwsmith

      June 23, 2018 at 12:04 am

      George, oh, heavens, yes. Reading is everything in this business. REading for pleasure, not critically. Reading critically does nothing for you if you first haven’t enjoyed a book. You sure Bradbury said something that silly? I agree with King completely.

      Besides, if you can’t read and enjoy a book yourself, how will you ever be able to write a book anyone else will enjoy?

      • George K

        June 24, 2018 at 11:12 am

        Wow that’s an excellent point!

        As for Bradbury I think it was near the end of his life but it was a sort of statement in passing in one of those interviews he gave in the last few years but I could be misrembering because I saw pictures of his home and study and it was packed with fiction.

        Update : I left this comment to check my collection of Bradbury interviews. I have a collection of interview books and news printouts from all over the net . Yep you are right. What he said was he didn’t read the new science fiction writers at all because he didn’t like many of them, some of the stories were written as if to convey a political or other message more than to entertain you etc. The sf he read in his youth was enough for him. He said he was rereading Sturgeon and liked him. He also continued to read other books (mostly classics though) My mistake!

  • George K

    June 22, 2018 at 8:10 pm

    Dean have you read all those fantastic classic digests in the background?

    PS I swear cats seem to have a higher intelligence . They always strike me as deep in thought when they lie down like they do in the photo. It reminds me of how the ancient Romans and Greeks would lounge on long couches after a feast and “discuss things” .

    • dwsmith

      June 23, 2018 at 12:01 am

      Some of them, stories in lots of them. Eventually all will either be for sale in our bookstore expansion or on our eBay stores. Selling the collection.