An Apt Analogy, and Part 2
November 24, 2024 by Harvey
In Today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* This Should Be a Guest Post, Part 2
* An Apt Analogy
* The Writing
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
“[Of writing, publishing, reading, and learning,] Writing is the most important. Regular writing, putting new words to a page and creating stories and finishing stories that you start. Without that, you are just an author who talks a good game. Writers are people who write. Authors are people who have written.” Dean Wesley Smith
This Should Be a Guest Post, Part 2
First, if you haven’t, you can read Part 1 here.
And then follow the strategies, or at least try them out.
A Huge, Important Post Script
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An Interesting (maybe) Analogy
A religious leader and friend emailed me regarding the departure of part of his congregation. It struck me that I’m familiar with that concept, though in a secular way.
My response came out as an apt analogy:
I’m happy to report that my own congregation is holding steady in numbers.
Every other month or so, a new member even staggers in out of the storm. But most of them are in the building only for shelter, or maybe to look at the columns and paintings on the walls. Of around 200 souls, only a handful have given themselves over to taking communion.
As a result, at times I default to ego and believe myself a failed disciple of the truth—that I simply haven’t yet said the right words in the right sequence. That I haven’t managed to convince my congregation to let go of the turmoil, lay down their burdens, and accept the gift of self-confidence.
Then I remember—what’s at stake is not my writer’s soul, but theirs. In my own life, I’m devout and devoted. I have the faith in myself to write into the dark, guided by the apostle Heinlein.
Some few will pick up their words, trust themselves and their characters, and follow me into the storm. And even we few, even with our abiding faith, are still amazed when no hailstones strike us.
But most will remain huddled together inside, trembling with fear, seemingly unable to make the leap of faith and accept the gift that is offered. I can only assume they still have lessons to learn on their own.
Good on all of you for what you’re doing and for what you’re trying to do. Neither you nor I are responsible for the truth itself. We are responsible only for whether we personally accept or reject it.
The Writing
I enjoyed another good day of writing yesterday. I thought I might not, because before I allowed myself to start writing again, I cycled over about 35,000 words.
Still, it was fun. I was able to figure out the number of words I’d brought forward for the novelette or novella, and the characters showed me some things I’d missed.
At the end of the day I’d added another 2600 new words to the novel and another 3400 new words to the novella. For me, that’s a very good day.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
A Few Great Questions Today A good, info-filled post.
Dr. Mardy’s Quotes of the Week: Strong Weaknesses
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………… 640
Writing of Blackwell Ops 31: Jack Temple
Day 1…… 1620 words. To date……. 1620
Day 2…… 5016 words. To date……. 6636
Day 3…… 3466 words. To date……. 10102
Day 4…… 1235 words. To date……. 11337
Day 5…… 3188 words. To date……. 14525
Day 6…… 3933 words. To date……. 18458
Day 7…… 3187 words. To date……. 21645
Day 8…… 4081 words. To date……. 25726
Day 9…… 2198 words. To date……. 27924
Day 10…. 2621 words. To date……. 30545
Writing of “The Imp” (Erotic Fantasy)
Words brought forward……………… 3522
Day 1…… 4946 words. To date…… 8468
Day 2…… 3409 words. To date……. 11877
Fiction for November………………… 74489
Fiction for 2024………………………. 911621
Nonfiction for November…………….. 21610
Nonfiction for 2024…………………… 356030
2024 consumable words…………….. 1,091,690
Average Fiction WPD (November)…. 3239
2024 Novels to Date…………………….. 16
2024 Novellas to Date…………………… 1
2024 Short Stories to Date……………… 18
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………..… 98
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 255
Short story collections……………………. 29
Disclaimer: 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.
Love the analogy!
I'm listening with rapt attention, and a desire to go out and do good, and even singing shyly with the choir now and again, but still shaking off the depredations of the storm before I stumbled into the haven. So, working on heading back out to preach, but still building strength within myself and habits within myself, which is where that daily/weekly communion with like-minded people is helping heal and strengthen me for the long haul. And you need to remember, that like all missionaries...you never know the exponential lives you touch in the future, when you are only seeing the few in front of you now. You never know how many others that they will touch because of you.