Just an Idea, and More

In Today's Journal

* Just an Idea
* On the Bradbury Challenge
* On the Echoes of Hemingway Challenge
* Super Great Challenges at DWS' Website
* The Writing
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

Just an Idea

The first item in Of Interest turned me a little snarky.

Maybe I should write an article for Writer's Digest about How I Wrote 115 novels and 10 novellas and around 300 short stories and roughly a billion blog posts without an outline. (grin)

Then again, I'm glad at least someone else out there is spreading the word about writing into the dark.

On the Bradbury Challenge

Okay, I gotta go a little hardline here.

As I first wrote here yesterday, the Bradbury Challenge is for those whose intention is to challenge themselves and really try to write a short story every week.

It isn't just to report to me every now and then that you've written a short story. If you want in, by all means jump in, but then try to stay in.

Congrats on writing a new story—I'm happy for you—but unless you intend to challenge yourself to write one every week, please don’t submit your story info for The Bradbury Challenge.

On the Echoes of Hemingway Challenge

Be sure to read Short Story Contest or The New Daily Journal: Short Story Contest carefully.

You only have to meet ONE of the requirements listed under "Each story submitted MUST."

Super Great Challenges at Dean Wesley Smith's Website

This would be a great incentive for anyone in (or who wants in) the Bradbury Challenge.

Be sure to read the second item in Of Interest.

The Writing

The novel did NOT wrap yesterday. It's just getting warmed up for what I suspect will be a big finale.

AND the curve ball the characters threw me a day or two ago might lead to yet another Sam Granger novel. Great fun.

I suspect this one will wrap today or tomorrow.

Of Interest

How I Wrote My Book Without an Outline

SUPER Great Challenges

The Numbers

The Journal…………………………… 330

Writing of Blackwell Ops 44: Sam Granger | Following the Ghost Trail

Day 1…… 3613 words. To date…… 3613
Day 2…… 2893 words. To date…… 6506
Day 3…… 1824 words. To date…… 8330
Day 4…… 3025 words. To date…… 11355
Day 5…… 3697 words. To date…… 15052
Day 6…… 3428 words. To date…… 18480
Day 7…… 1013 words. To date…… 19493
Day 8…… 2993 words. To date…… 22486
Day 9…… 3310 words. To date…… 25796
Day 10…. 4379 words. To date…… 30175
Day 11…. 3952 words. To date…… 34127
Day 12…. 3809 words. To date…… 37936

Fiction for May………………………... 64940
Fiction for 2025………………………. 443353
Nonfiction for May………………........ 17200
Nonfiction for 2025…………………… 118290
2025 consumable words…………….. 555133

Average Fiction WPD (May)……...... 3418

2025 Novels to Date…………………….. 10
2025 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2025 Short Stories to Date……………… 26
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………..... 114
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 296
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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If you’re new to TNDJ, you might want to check out these links:

• On Writing Fiction

• Gifts

• Writing Resources

• Oh, and here’s My Bio. It’s always a good idea to vet the expertise of people who are giving you advice.

Questions are always welcome at harveystanbrough@gmail.com. But please limit yourself to the topics of writing and publishing.