A Note from Aspen Delaney
In Today's Journal
* A Note from Aspen Delaney
* Yeah
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
A Note from Aspen Delaney
"Hey there, ya'll. Harvey was gonna share another excerp' with you? Only it would'a been a complete spoiler? So I wouldn' let him do that? He ain't much, but he listens good?
"Anyway, ya'll can see the whole story when he puts it on that Mornin' Serial thang startin' on the first'a May? So ya'll stop by there an' subscribe, okay? You can find that right here.
"Thanks. I'll see ya'll there?"
Yeah
I've long preached that all fiction writers should let the characters take the reins and live their own story.
Then all the writer (recorder) has to do is write down what happens in the story and what the characters say and do in their reaction to what happens. Easy peasy, and a ton of fun.
But I always thought of that only as a way to build confidence and empower fiction writers. I never thought of it as empowering the characters too.
But it does.
When you give the characters free rein over their own lives, it has the same effect as giving other 'real' humans free rein over their own lives. It gives the characters (real or otherwise) the strength and confidence to simply be who they are.
This is the first time ever that one of the characters whose lives I've chronicled have stepped over the line and chosen to post something in TNDJ. And Aspen didn't even ask. As I copied and was about to paste an excerpt, she batted those eyes and said, "No, now don't you do that? Post this instead?"
Then she took over and typed the bit above. And no, I'm not going to have a "talk" with her. After I read over what she wanted to post, I sat back, crossed my arms, and read over it again. I could only agree.
I kind'a like people who take charge of their own lives. If what they do happens to overlap my (previous) autonomy of TNDJ, that's okay with me. The rewards are just too great to ignore.
Besides, she was right, so there it is.
Of Interest
Amazon lists your book in 13 countries. But does it sell?
Five Reasons Why I Quit a $100K Per Year Job to Become a Full-Time Writer
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………… 390
Writing of "Instant Replay"
Day 1…… 2137 words. To date…… 2137 done
Writing of "The Quiz Master"
Day 1…… 5776 words. To date…… 5776 done
Writing of Blackwell Ops 42: Sam Granger
Day 1…… 2873 words. To date…… 2873
Day 2…… 1873 words. To date…… 4746
Day 3…… 3717 words. To date…… 8463
Day 4…… 2353 words. To date…… 10816
Day 5…… 3236 words. To date…… 14052
Day 6…… 3767 words. To date…… 17819
Day 7…… 4457 words. To date…… 22276
Day 8…… 5428 words. To date…… 27704
Day 9…… 4936 words. To date…… 32640
Fiction for April……………………….. 82238
Fiction for 2025………………………. 349188
Nonfiction for April………………........ 15070
Nonfiction for 2025…………………… 96600
2025 consumable words…………….. 439278
Average Fiction WPD (March)……... 3738
2025 Novels to Date…………………….. 8
2025 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2025 Short Stories to Date……………… 25
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………..... 112
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 295
Short story collections……………………. 29
Whatever you believe, unreasoning fear and the myths that outlining, revising, and rewriting will make your work better are lies. They will always slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.
Writing fiction should never be something that stresses you out. It should be fun. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Because of WITD and because I endeavor to follow those Rules I am a prolific professional fiction writer. You can be too.
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Questions are always welcome at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. But please limit yourself to the topics of writing and publishing.
Well isn't she cheeky?!
You rock Uncle Harve ... !!!