Yesterday, and Thoughts on TNDJ and Zoom
July 21, 2024 by Harvey
In today’s Journal
* Quote of the Day
* Yesterday, and YouTube
* The New Daily Journal
* Zoom
* Alternatives
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Quote of the Day
‘Are you an original or a copy?” Dr. Mardy Grothe (title of his current Quotes of the Week)
Yesterday, and YouTube
Yesterday I mentioned possibly offering live seminars or workshops via Zoom or some other interactive platform.
One writer wondered in an email why I don’t do something similar on my YouTube channel. Good question.
To me YouTube seems more a venue for one-way, regularly scheduled (say weekly or daily) or spontaneous musings.
On the regularly scheduled side, I’ve found it difficult to establish even a passing interest, much less (even free) subscriptions on my YouTube channel. And with few subscribers, who’s gonna show up if I decide to go spontaneous?
Also, YouTube has all kinds of hoops to jump through in order to even be “approved” to broadcast paid content, and setting up regularly scheduled YouTube broadcasts doesn’t fit with my love of and need for spontaneity.
That’s why I dropped doing the whole YouTube thing.
The New Daily Journal
Besides, I already pass along information (almost) every day with TNDJ.
In fact, I often stop in the middle of writing a story or chapter when I learn or realize something that I want to pass along. Then I switch to my TNDJ boilerplate to write the next edition of TNDJ.
But even the TNDJ subscriber base (free, paid, or comped) isn’t growing much. That tells me something. Is twilight approaching? Yeah, probably.
But I intend to keep publishing TNDJ through at least June 30, 2025. Either that or let it fade earlier with the sunset and offer partial refunds on some paid subscriptions.
I’m fully aware blogging is passe, at least practically, as my friend Vin Zandri recently alluded to.
But I like the TNDJ (blog) format because when something’s written, it has more residual value to those who take advantage of it.
By that I mean writers can copy/paste individual posts, or they can download the free Journal Archives. They can also refer back to them as necessary to see exactly what I wrote. They can’t do that with YouTube or the spoken word.
So TNDJ is a much more readily available and easily referenceable source for writers. To me, that makes perfect sense, but only as long as people hunger for valid information regarding fiction writing and recognize that validity.
All of which leads me to Zoom…
Zoom
I’ve already decided I won’t use Zoom or any other interactive platform to teach lectures or workshops.
Of the input I’ve had thus far from yesterday’s post, one writer said he would attend (unspecified) lectures or workshops, two said they would attend for particular topics, and two basically said I should just go for it.
Another one said she couldn’t attend because of all the distractions in her home. She also said she prefers the blog format because she can go over it as many times as necessary. (Sound familiar?)
That’s six out of around 200 free, comped, and paid TNDJ subscribers. And frankly, that’s more input than I ususally get.
But the most valuable input I received was from my longtime friend and fellow “live” instructor Michaele Lockhart.
She wrote in part,
“Those of us who do have experience with classroom teaching know when we’ve reached a student, when we’ve created that ‘spark,’ or when something we’ve said has raised an unspoken question. It’s in the students’ eyes and body language. … [With Zoom] there is no way to see [the eyes or that] body language.”
Michaele is absolutely right. And she also addressed one of the greatest pitfalls any freelance instructor faces: scheduling something students have said they want, and being left with a sagging spirit when they flat don’t show up.
Which leads me to present the following…
Alternatives
Instead of setting up regularly scheduled lectures and workshops on Zoom, I can open up one-on-one or one-on-a-few mentorships again.
For the right person(s), I might even offer an outright and much more involved apprenticeship.
Again, I encourage you to let me know if you’re interested in either of those. If you are, we will proceed. If not, that’s fine. I’ll spend my time writing TNDJ and my own fiction. (grin)
Using Zoom or a reliable other interactive platform would enable students practically anywhere to take advantage of this. If you’re even minimally interested, please read on.
The Mentorship
A mentorship is most valuable to writers who want to learn a particular aspect or aspects of the craft of writing fiction.
My mentorships are for writers of all levels or stages, who are published or unpublished, hobbyists or professionals.
If you are interested in a mentorship, read on, then email me to talk about what you’d like to learn.
In the mentorship structure,
The writer/student determines which craft area(s) s/he is most interested in or in which s/he believes s/he is the most deficient.
If s/he needs help making that determination, I will recommend s/he submit one or more openings to me for critique.
Once the writer identifies the interest or deficiency, s/he and I will mutually negotiate the cost of the mentorship. That cost will remain strictly between us. I’m not out to bust your bank or take food off your table. I’m interested only in passing along what I know to eager students.
Just before we start the mentorship, I will announce it (not your name) and ask whether anyone else wants in.
Then we will meet regularly on Zoom or some similar interactive venue (one-on-one or one-on up to a few who want the same mentorship).
During those meetings I will offer “live” instruction, respond to comments, and answer any questions.
Of course, the success of the mentorship will also depend on the instructor/student fit. If a student can’t seem to grasp the information for whatever reason (including personalities or the way I teach) I will encourage him or her to drop it.
The Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is a whole other level.
It’s only for writers who are in at least Stage Two (if you aren’t sure, assess yourself here) and
who want to be professional fiction writers.
If you are interested in an apprenticeship, read on, then apply privately to me via email.
Regardless of the level or stage as a fiction writer, the successful applicant MUST meet the following minimum requirements:
Possess a solid grounding in grammar (enough so s/he could break the rules intelligently and intentionally). Without that grounding, I will refer the applicant to a mentorship with me on Grammar and Punctuation for Writers.
Possess unwavering drive and self-discipline as a fiction writer, meaning s/he will have to want to learn at least as much as I want to teach, and
Practice Heinlein’s Rules and writing into the dark. I can’t teach anything to a writer who is dedicated to bowing to the fear-induced myths. If the applicant doesn’t already practice HR and WITD, I will refer him or her to a mentorship with me on Writing Into the Dark.
Notes
Yes, I can tell whether a story has been outlined or plotted or planned. Please don’t waste both our time by testing me.
And yes, I know or know-of some professional writers whom, based solely on the above requirements, I would not accept as an apprentice.
If the applicant meets those requirements, s/he and I will mutually negotiate the cost of the apprenticeship. That cost will remain strictly between us. Again, I’m not out to bust your bank or take food off your table. I’m interested only in passing along what I know to an eager apprentice.
In the apprenticeship structure,
I will require one or more writing samples, and together we will assess the primary direction of the apprenticeship.
Then I will instruct the writer, respond to comments and answer questions as I do with a mentorship. Additionally,
I will critique the writer’s recently finished fiction (always for craft, never for content) to check progress as we proceed.
We will establish goals and maybe even challenges, and the writer will report progress to me.
In other words, I will unabashedly push the apprentice up through the levels.
Like the mentorships, the apprenticeship will be accomplished through regular Zoom meetings as well as via exchanged emails and phone calls.
Of course, all of this depends solely on whether writers who at least follow this blog find my knowledge and instruction of value. And that’s something only you can decide for yourself.
I’ll only add that if Hemingway or King or Block or maybe even an advanced Stage 4 writer offered either of these opportunities—and especially if they did so with my proviso that they were not out to break the bank or take food off my table—I personally would leap at it.
But that’s just me and my personal willingness to take a chance and invest in my chosen career. As always, I advise you to do you.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
A Reminder of Traditional Publishing Stupidity
Dr. Mardy’s Quotes of the Week
The Numbers
The Journal……………………………… 1500
Writing of Blackwell Ops 26: Tailor Moses
Day 1…… 2069 words. To date…… 2069
Day 2…… 3438 words. To date…… 5507
Day 3…… 1464 words. To date…… 6971
Day 4…… 2089 words. To date…… 9060
Day 5…… 1037 words. To date…… 10097
Day 6…… 1092 words. To date…… 11189
Day 7…… 1286 words. To date…… 12475
Day 8…… 3631 words. To date…… 16106
Day 9…… 2011 words. To date…… 18117
Day 10…. 2493 words. To date…… 20610
Day 11…. 2747 words. To date…… 23357
Fiction for July…………………….….… 30565
Fiction for 2024…………………………. 460110
Fiction since October 1………………… 723208
Nonfiction for July……………………… 24970
Nonfiction for 2024……………………… 235850
2024 consumable words………………… 656001
2024 Novels to Date……………………… 10
2024 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2024 Short Stories to Date……………… 4
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)……………… 92
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 241
Short story collections…………………… 29
Disclaimer: I am a prolific professional fiction writer. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Unreasoning fear and the myths of writing are lies, and they will slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.
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