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Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing: You Must Be Talented to Be a Professional Writer
(This is a vastly updated chapter on this topic from six years ago if it sounds slightly familiar. But it needs to be a chapter in the new Sacred Cows book.) Chapter Four The word “talent” has been used for a very long time to destroy writers. I have always believed that the word is the worst myth of them all in publishing, so here goes a chapter that I’m sure will be annoying to some people. Especially to those of you who think you are talented. Okay, first to my trusty and well-worn Oxford American Dictionary for a standard definition. Talent: Special or very great ability, people who have…
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Topic of the Night: Play Ethic
Topic of the Night: Play Ethic This topic actually gets confusing, so let me see if I can make it clear. If confused on something, feel free to ask in the comments or write me. And caution: This topic might slam into a few belief systems. Just saying. (grin) “Work Ethic,” as described in dictionaries and online is basically a value based on hard work and diligence. There are all sorts of different meaning attached to the term depending on your political or economic system, but not going into that. And the term is tossed around in a thousand ways, so I want to try to narrow it down to…
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What Does It Take to Be a Full Time Writer?
What Does It Take To Be A Full Time Writer? I’ll talk about that question below. ——- The Day Meetings from 1:30 until around 5:30 at WMG offices. I also got my long-awaited three volumes of Smith’s Monthly paper editions into the office. (Delayed at the printer.) They will be going out to subscribers together in a day or so, as soon as we get them all packed up. Wonderful fun to see all three issues together like that, and looks like the next three will show up together as well in about a month, then we will be back on a regular monthly basis. Went home for a short nap, then…
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Clearing the Decks
Clearing the Decks When you have a big challenge starting, the last thing you want to do is have stuff hanging over you. That’s a self-inflicted wound. So see below how I am doing the clearing and what I can’t and don’t want to clear. ——- The Day Ended up behind because of having to run errands, so was late to the walking with the writers. Still got in some. Then back to WMG offices to work on workshop stuff until around 7 p.m. Home for a nap, then dinner, then I got in here and did workshop assignments. Got that all done and went to watch some television, then…
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Approach With Attitude
Approach With Attitude I got a hunch this topic is big enough for a book all its own, or maybe a workshop, but I’m going to talk about it just a touch tonight in regards to the challenge I’m starting on Friday. See below.. ——- The Day Meeting at WMG Publishing offices at 2 p.m., then at 3:30 p.m. I started my standard running all over hell-and-gone doing business errands. Made it back to the office to work on workshop and covers by 5:30 and then off to the grocery store and home to take a nap. Kris did dinner and I did dishes and I got in here around…
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Two New Online Workshops Announced
Two New Online Workshops Announced! Two of the workshops I asked about last week are going to start in August. We are taking sign-ups for both right now since the July workshops are starting in one week. Writing Mystery and Reader Expectations The two new workshops have also been added to the September and one of them to the October schedule which are listed under the Online Workshops tab above. I know it is hard to imagine, but July is almost here. All but one of the July workshops have only one or no one signed up, so if you want almost private lessons from me and Kris in July,…
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New Smith’s Monthly Issues
New Smith’s Monthly Issues Turned in Issues #31 and #32 and will turn in Issue #33, the June issue of Smith’s Monthly, when Kris finishes reading the novel I just wrote. So almost caught up to the dates on the magazine. ——- The Day Roamed out to our original store, now called the south store and helped out there for a time with a rush of customers. Kind of fun. Then headed to WMG offices to work on workshop stuff for a time. Then home to take a short nap and cook dinner. Then, after a little e-mail, I sat and read for a while. (Some of you wondered if…
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Novel Finished
Novel Finished Yup, finished the second novel of the month. Of course, the last one I started last month, but got this one done in ten days. ——- The Day I paid no attention to the day today, honestly. Got home from being out doing errands around 5:30 p.m. and I worked, off and on, until 4:30 a.m. on finishing the novel. Mostly on. I wrote about 7,100 total words and cut out about fifteen hundred total, which isn’t bad for me. Book came in just under 40,000 words. The Taft Ranch: A Thunder Mountain Novel will be in Smith’s Monthly #33. I will be turning in the issue to WMG,…
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Fun Workshop Poll Results
Fun Workshop Poll Results Thank you, everyone, for chiming in on what might interest you on the three workshops Kris and I were talking about. Very clear that the Expectations (writing on the rails) workshop and the Mystery workshop were the two big winners. More on that below.. ——- The Day Got out of bed late and missed one meeting and from that point on the afternoon seemed to be behind. So I did some work in our new bookstore and then headed home to take a nap. Kris cooked dinner, I did dishes and did e-mail and then went to reading a book I’ve been looking forward to reading.…
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Some New Workshop Ideas
New Workshop Ideas After meetings this afternoon, Kris and I headed over to the valley to do some shopping, have dinner and see a movie. On the way back we got talking about ideas for new workshops. See topic of the night below on a few of them. ——- The Day WMG Publishing meeting at 2 p.m. and then around 4 p.m. Kris and I headed for the valley. We live on the Oregon Coast, so at times we go into the Wallamette Valley to just get away. So we did some shopping, had diner and saw a movie. Got home around 12 p.m. and I did a little e-mail,…