Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

The Day Filled Up

August 30, 2016 /

The Day Filled Up

This day just was silly crazy. Not only was it a Monday, so I had a ton of running around to do, but also some meetings and workshop assignments tonight.

And the fun project that will start very quickly. I’ll announce it here when it does in the next day or so.

But let me say this: I got it all done just a few short minutes ago at 5:30 a.m.  Worked from a little after 1 in the afternoon until now. Yeah, a long day.

I mentioned this last night but wanted to push it again tonight. I have a book in a really nifty bundle right now. It’s called “Out of This World Bundle” and it has 16 sf and fantasy novels in it, including one by me and one by Kris and a fantastic bunch of science fiction writers.

This is a good bundle, worth the money, folks. Just click on the image to go to the bundle.

Only six days left on this one!!

One Week

I know, I know, the summer is almost over. And the September workshops start in one week. Stunning but true. And there is still room in all of them including the new Speed workshop.

If you haven’t taken a workshop from us before, start with Depth. Maybe the most important workshop we have done for your writing.

Topic of the Night: Too Late

Way too late tonight to try one and I have been staring at these computers all day with my one good eye, so it needs a rest. Tomorrow.

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September Online Workshops

They start in about one week!!!

Click the workshop tab above for description and sign-up or go to www.wmgpublishingworkshops.com.

Questions about any of the workshops, feel free to write me. There is room in all of them at the moment.

Class #21… Sept 6th … Author Voice
Class #22… Sept 6th … How to Write Thrillers
Class #23… Sept 6th … Speed
Class #24… Sept 6th … Writing Mysteries
Class #25… Sept 6th … Character Development
Class #26… Sept 7th … Depth in Writing
Class #27… Sept 7th … Advanced Character and Dialog
Class #28… Sept 7th … Cliffhangers
Class #29… Sept 7th … Pacing Your Novel
Class #30… Sept 7th …Expectations (Writing on the Rails)
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Totals For Year 4, Month 1, Day 29

Writing in Public blog streak… Day 1,075

Over 10,000 steps streak… Day 60

— Daily Fiction: 00 original words. Fiction month-to-date: 67,400 words  

— Nonfiction: 00 new words. Nonfiction month-to-date total:1,900 words 

— Blog Posts: 200 new words. Blog month-to-date word count: 11,600 words

— E-mail: 68 e-mails (not kidding). Approx. 3,400 original words.  E-mails month-to date: 472 e-mails. Approx. 32,700 words

— Covers Designed and Finished: 0. Covers finished month-to-date: 0 Covers

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— Year of Short Fiction Goal: 120 stories (July 1st to June 30th). Stories finished to date: 8 stories.

— Yearly Novel Goal: 12 Novels. Novels finished to date: 2 novels.

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You can support this ongoing blog at Patreon on a monthly basis. Not per post. Just click on the Patreon image. Extra stuff for different levels of support and I will be adding in more as time goes on. Thanks for your support.

Or you can just toss a tip into the tip jar with a single donation at PayPal. Either way, your support keeps me going at these crazy posts.

And thanks.
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12 Comments

  • Mark Kuhn

    August 30, 2016 at 5:52 am

    Hey Dean, I know you begin writing right from a title. I’ve tried it, doesn’t work for me. I use your “character in a setting” technique to get me started or use other generators found on the internet.

    Anyway, figured I’d post this question here, even though most of the writers who comment here are more advanced than me, the answer might help other padawans.

    I have finished a short story, but I have no title. How do I find it?

    Thanks as always!

    • Harvey

      August 30, 2016 at 6:57 am

      I recommend reading it aloud, preferably to an audience. Maybe the title will occur to you. If that doesn’t work, remember that sometimes a title is not within the story itself but reflects the mood or tone of the story. Actually, I’m experiencing a similar problem with a novel I just finished yesterday.

      • Mark Kuhn

        August 30, 2016 at 4:30 pm

        BINGO! Harvey. Touchdown! The crowd goes wild. That reading aloud trick did it. It has a title: “The Shadow Killers.”

        Dean, very strange how Creative Voice decided to go outside and play stickball when it came time to title the story.

      • Sean Monaghan

        August 30, 2016 at 4:59 pm

        I was in a little workshop the other day where the tutor suggested mapping out five or six key words or phrases from the piece – she drew it on the whiteboard, kind of like a mindmap with the words spread all around. She joined them with lines leading to the middle. Then, she suggested, go away – take a walk, do the dishes, have a nap, or something – and come back. She said that about 50% of the time the title came right there the moment she returned. I’ve yet to give it a go, since I usually start with a title.

  • Prasenjeet

    August 30, 2016 at 10:46 pm

    Hi Dean. Sorry. Just an off the topic discussion. I was really enjoying your essentials videos. I like to listen to you and was looking forward to more sessions. Any idea when you might upload the new sessions? 🙂

    • dwsmith

      August 30, 2016 at 10:56 pm

      No more coming for that workshop. Far, far, far too dated. But I might do another workshop later this fall on YouTube.