-
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,…
-
Wrote Too Much
Wrote Too Much Lost track of time while working on the novel and didn’t leave myself time to do a topic of the night. Ahh, well… maybe tomorrow. ——- The Day Tuesday, some errands, almost finished the template on my short story collections. Store at 6:30 and home by 7 to take a nap, then cook dinner. Then I worked until 11 p.m. doing online workshop assignments. Then I moved over to the writing compute and managed 1,300 words before heading to watch television around 12:30 a.m. I had a break in the middle of that somewhere to play with a cat. Then after watching too much television, I made…
-
Cost and Benefit of a Cash Stream
Cost and Benefit of a Cash Stream Around here and with other writers and at WMG Publishing, decisions are constantly being made about the costs and the benefits of chasing a new cash stream. Thought I would just do a bit on the basics and then maybe come back some night with a full topic. So see below. ——- The Day Standard Monday with errands to do, then got to WMG office and worked on a cover for a collection I am going to be doing. Actually lots of collections, but worked on the cover template. Almost done. Then home to take a nap and cook dinner. Then in here…
-
Bookstore and Writing
Bookstore and Writing Worked in the afternoon in our new bookstore and wrote a bunch as well. ——- The Day Saturday so no real errands. Ended up in the new store working in the bookstore part of the new store for a few hours. Fantastic fun. Yeah, I know, paper books don’t sell anymore, but you need to tell that to all the people in the store today. (grin) Then I worked on workshop stuff, including the new Teams workshop. I’m having a blast doing that workshop and actually putting some things together myself. We have three people signed up for the teams workshop in July. Not even full at five…
-
A Book I Read and A Challenge
A Book I Read and a Challenge I get some wonderful recommendations from readers of this blog about books I might be interested in. And the readers are often right. Thanks, folks!! One such recommendation was for a book titled Paperback Confidential: Crime Writers of the Paperback Era. Author is Brian Ritt. The book has only been out a few years and it had passed me by. So when it was recommended, I got it at once. I love history of writers. So a discussion on it below and some interesting things about how this kind of thing works for me sort of like what many of you say this…
-
First Day
FIRST DAY As expected, knowing I was going to get started today on the run up to ground effect writing, I gave the writing more attention, meaning I actually thought about it during the day. And between now and the end of August, I will go back to detailing out the day as I have done at times in the past. Skip it if it bores you. ————— The Day Made it through a bunch of errands starting at 1 p.m. and then to the regular Wednesday meeting by 2:30 p.m. That lasted until 5:30, but good stuff happening. Then I worked upstairs for about two hours, including two trips to…
-
Topic of the Night: Ground Effect in Writing
Ground Effect in Writing The definition of Ground Effect: In fixed-wing aircraft, ground effect is the increased lift (force) and decreased aerodynamic drag that an aircraft’s wings generate when they are close to a fixed surface. When landing, ground effect can give the pilot the feeling that the aircraft is “floating.” M.L. Buchman once said that when the writing is steady and going at a good pace, pulp speed pace, it feels so, so easy, as if there is a ground effect under the words being produced. Wow, did he have that right. I felt this a few times last year, once in July, another in the fall during a month…
-
Another Month Down
ANOTHER MONTH DOWN For those of you who have been following along with my writing adventures over the last 34 months (986 days in a row or so), you know that this May was my worst month by far writing fiction in all that time. My worst month before was just under 30,000 words. This crushed the old record, and it was all purposeful. My focus and energy went to starting up our new store and I had a blast doing that. So I did what I advise others to do, when the focus is elsewhere, don’t force the writing, let the writing remain a fun place, not a place…
-
Busy Holiday Day
Busy Holiday Day Here in the States this is a major holiday weekend, runs through Monday. So today, as with many people, I worked all the way though the day. Spent a lot of time up at the store, worked on workshop stuff getting June workshops ready. Then binged on a few episodes of Daredevil. Then back working on workshops. Writing will start on the 1st. Had a false restart a few days back, which is also normal for me. Got the date set now and will be fine firing forward with the writing on the 1st. ————— Online Workshops Still lots of room in all of them. I worked…
-
More Holiday Stuff
More Holiday Stuff Here in the States this is a major holiday weekend, runs through Monday. The Day I managed to get to WMG offices where we hold the writer’s lunch back behind the new store. It’s a cool feeling going in through a store to get to a secret writers hideout. Very few of us there. And then I spent the rest of the day and into late at night working on workshop stuff. ————— Online Workshops Still lots of room in all of them. Class #51… June 6th … The Business of Writing Class #52… June 6th … Character Voice/Setting Class #53… June 6th … Author Voice Class #54… June 6th ……