• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel Two: Day Eight

    Still Not Done Yet… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… I made it to the WMG offices just at 2:30 and worked there on workshop and stuff out in the store. We got stunningly busy right around 5 in the store so I stayed and helped out for 45 minutes, being late for a friend’s birthday party. Then back to WMG to work after a short stay at the party to do workshop stuff. Then home to cook…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel Two: Day Seven

    Not Done Yet… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… I made it to the WMG offices just at 3 p.m. after doing an hour of e-mail. I worked there, very quiet for a Friday, until 5 p.m. on workshops. Then headed out with Matt to walk to a restaurant about a mile away to meet some other professional writers coming into town for dinner. Fun dinner and then walked back to WMG. I did not get my 12,000…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel Two: Day Six

    Back Writing at Full Steam… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… I made it to the WMG offices just at 4 p.m. after doing an hour of e-mail. I slept in way too late, but seems I needed it. Went out walking and ended up with right at 10,000 steps for the day. Didn’t hit the 12,000 today because I just didn’t give it the last half hour of work. I worked on workshop stuff up at WMG…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel Two: Day Five

    Still Another Rest Day… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… I made it to a WMG meeting a little late after two in the afternoon. Three hours later at 5 p.m. I was headed out of town to Salem. I had to shut the old brain down and just do something different, so I went picking. Found some fun stuff. About 50 salt and pepper shakers of different sorts for the grand total of $5.67. That was for…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel Two: Day Four

    Another Rest Day… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… I made it up to WMG Publishing around two and talked with some writers there for a couple of hours. Then headed out for a walk to get my milage. And yes, again I got my 12,000 steps. (Exactly 12,058 by midnight, but I got them. (grin)) Then back to the WMG office to work on workshop stuff. Then the store, then home to nap and cook dinner. I…

  • On Writing,  publishing

    Writing A Novel From a Cover

    Yes, An Old Pulp Trick… But I did it a number of times in the hundred-plus books I wrote in my days of traditional publishing. And I am writing a book now from a cover. And having a blast with it. What do I mean by writing a novel from a cover? Well, exactly that. The cover exists and I look at the cover and write the novel to fit the cover. The history of this tends to flow through many writers and far over a hundred years. In fact, at one point or another, most pulp writers were assigned to do this for a short story or a novel…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel Two: Day Three

    Pacing and Resting… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… Got my 12,000 steps a day back on track today. And did a ton of email and workshop stuff, including getting half of the July workshops started. So eyes were tired, so I decided to go easy on the word count today. It’s called pacing. These two days with all the workshop assignments make it tough for me to not only read challenge stories but to write my own…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel Two: Day Two

    Very Tired… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… First off, I decided to give my legs a rest as somewhere around 7,000 steps I was really dragging. I have done a week at 5 miles (10,000 steps) and another week at 5.5 miles a day (11,000 steps for  me). Yesterday I did 12,000 steps, but today I needed to rest a little. Tomorrow back to 12,000 steps. NOTICE!! Everyone who is signed up for a July workshop should…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel Two: Day One

    Novel Two Fired Up… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… It was a crazy one, because I also had to ramp up my steps to 12,000 steps per day, almost exactly 6 miles. This would be a ton easier and a ton faster if I was running, but alas, I am still about 20 pounds too heavy to run too much on these old knees. But I do get some running in every day. I got a full…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Novel One: Day Seven…Finished

    All Done with Novel One… (As a reminder, the overall monthly challenge is to write four novels and gain distance every week on my step count, starting the first week at an average of 11,000 steps per day.) The Day Went Like This… Did about an hour of e-mail and then got out the door a little after 3 p.m. I did some business errands and then got to the WMG offices around 3:30. All the same as yesterday. Then I packed up some stuff for the south store and took it out there. Then worked with Allyson on some covers. I found a piece of art that made me…