• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    Introduction to A Class About Learning…

    A FIFTY YEAR PERSPECTIVE OF LEARNING… As I said last night, this year marks 50 years since I sold my first two short stories (and started selling a lot of poetry as well.) Over those 50 years, I was stunningly lucky to have some amazing mentors (who also became friends.) Jack Williamson, Damon Knight, Kate Wilhelm, Algis Budrys, Harlan Ellison, Frederick Pohl, Julius Schwartz, and others. As I said, stunningly lucky. So I figured that since I am still around after 50 years of selling fiction and they all told me a lot of great stuff, I am going to do a nine-week class talking about and telling stories about…

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    My Writing Off to Slow Start…

    Real Slow, But That’s All Right… I got started on the first few days of the new year on a new novel, even though it was a rough start putting the world back in my head. And Mary Jo, the main character. I was barely typing with two hands and the PT was knocking me down. Energy still fairly low overall as I continue to recover. And I took stock and realized after two months mostly gone how far behind I was on recording some workshops, and on reading for Pulphouse. And other things. So I just sort of decided I wouldn’t push the writing for a few weeks. I…

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Don’t Panic Or Give Up…

    Just Because the Year is Starting Off Slow… Sometimes, this time after the first of the year can be rough. Job issues, family, travel, and a ton of other stuff. And even though you wanted to get off to a fast start, you didn’t. I sure didn’t this year. Annoying for sure. But no big deal. Let me show you some math on why it isn’t a big deal. Say your goal for 2024 is to write a half million words.  An average of 1,370 words per day. If you write 1,000 finished words per hour, about 1.3 hours a day or 9 hours a week on your writing. (That’s…

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Two More Days to Sign Up For Challenges…

    Jump In For the New Year! These four challenges will shut off on the 5th. 2,024 Words Per Day in 2024 (Mug and t-shirt included) Kris’s Fresh Start Challenge Dean’s Challenge Full Dean’s Challenge Half Lots of details on these in the last four blog posts. All available on Teachable. As for the regular challenges of a short story per week, a novella a month, a novel every two month, or the publishing challenge, they can be signed up for and started at any time. If you were in Kris’s sprint challenge or my two challenges from April, please send me your total word counts in the next two days.…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  workshops

    Yes, A T-Shirt and a Mug…

    To Everyone In the Challenge Yourself… Challenge Yourself to write 2,024 words per day for 2024.  Get a mug with the cool saying on it and a t-shirt (Lifetime Everything folks can buy the mug and t-shirt.) just for signing up. See the previous post for more details on the challenges. LAST DAY FOR THE TARGETED SALE… All lifetime subscription and a few other bundles are half price only through the 1st.  Check out the details here… Also the bundle for the new 52 week class CREATIVE SURVIVAL is in that sale and also the bundle for the new MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY. Advanced Craft Classes 2024 Starting Up These are nine-week…

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Getting Back To Writing

    Not There Yet… Got to wait until I can type with two hands. But I have noticed lately that I have been going through a weird form of craving, or withdrawal, or something. Three times in the last few days I have sat at my writing computer and tested if I could write yet. I knew from working on this business computer it would not work yet, but I still found myself sitting there. And I am talking about getting back to writing, which I never do normally. Kris calls me a stealth writer in normal times. So getting impatient, not with healing the injury, but with getting back to…

  • Challenge,  Fun Stuff,  On Writing

    Katy Perry

    Kris and I Went to Her Show Tonight… Katy Perry has had a residency at the Resorts World Hotel and Casino here in Vegas for the last two years.  It is called “Play.” And it is a whacked out version of Toy Story combined with Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse, twisted a couple dozen more times and then put on steroids. For the entire first two acts I sat with my mouth open in shock and awe at the writing and the over-the-top everything. And the background animation and the between-acts animated transitions were just stunning and clear. Sometimes the animation in the back screens I could not tell if it…

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Just Writing Fiction Tonight…

    The City is Quiet… My email is quiet, and I want to do some reading tonight of stories I am behind reading, and Kris’s new novel. But first I’m going to spend a few hours just writing my own fiction. To be honest, that feels weird. I normally have so many things that must be done yesterday, so much so that I work in the fiction writing late at night. But tonight I am going back to my schedule of getting to the fiction by midnight and if I can do that regularly, I will be back up to my old speed. So during this time of forgetting for most…

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Decisions…

    We All Make These Kinds of Decisions Every Day… I have spent the entire day on errands and then recording some videos and then doing assignments and answering email. It’s a Monday. It is now 2:20 AM and I have not gotten any writing done. So instead of spending my last waking hour tonight doing a long blog, I am going to shut this business screen down and go to my computer and get at least an hour of words done. There, I lead by example.

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Another Day of Needing to Write

    Romantic Suspense Workshop In Town… I honestly am doing nothing with them, but I am recording the study along videos and reading the stories from those assignments for those taking the Study Along. It is not many because this is the time of great forgetting.. And Allyson from WMG is here and we are having great meetings and such as well. So no long post tonight, but soon. Again, questions on the first seven parts of the series, feel free to ask. Or something I have not talked about and you would like me to, feel free to ask on that as well. Off to write.