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Wed, Nov 26, 2025

11:51pm EST

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Writing Blog Number 2 (continued)

by S🤦‍♂️

Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #2348964

This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC

This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. It follows on from the old one, which is now full.

An index of topics from old and new can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"

Feel free to comment and interact. And to suggest topics!

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

🌻 pwheeler ~ love joy peace

43 minutes ago
In response to "20251126 ONE HUNDRED"

Congratulations, Steven!

Dave Ryan

Nov 12, 2025 at 4:47am
In response to "20251112 Hemingway's Iceberg"

There's an author I quite like for his sheer inventiveness - Neal Stephenson - who, apart from his occasional inability to land the ending, is obsessed with including a shit-ton of detail that can be an appalling slog to get through (Anathem being a prime example). I often think Stephenson's books would benefit from a harsh application of King's rule, with a 10% cut being on the conservative side - 20% would be more like it.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Nov 11, 2025 at 2:37am
In response to "20251110 Setting The Time"

Beloved Queen Sirikit just died. Thailand is officially in mourning. That doesn't even affect ex-pats. Yes, the party is dimmed a tad, but truly? She was in her 90s. Any Thai middle aged knew her well though. She was very active in the community. Still, lots of folks wearing black.

I watch Thai series... the historical ones have issues being correct. Of course, what would I know! Actors have commented on having to speak differently. Me? I loved hearing the music and seeing how people dressed and how they portrayed the change in class attitude.

Schnujo

Nov 6, 2025 at 3:24am
In response to "20251106 Books For Writers"

Oh, wow! #1 sounds awesome! I tried to find it on Audible, but it's not there. IDK if it's not really a book that would translate well to Audible or if it's just too old to be there, but it wasn't there. However, I don't do well with reading a lot. (Yeah, if you are wondering how I'm going to edit my books, me too. I think I will mostly have to edit as I go, then rely on others to help with the rest. lol) Maybe this is a book I can just read bits and pieces of as I need? IDK, but it sounds great!

Well, 2 for 2 -- #2 also isn't on Audible. Disappointing.

I didn't bother checking to see if the dictionaries were on Audible. lol But #6 wasn't. That's too bad.

I already have The Elements of Style, #7, though it is possibly the 3rd edition. IDK. And IDK where it is, so I guess it doesn't really count anyway. Hahaha!

I was pretty sure my thesaurus was Roget's, but also didn't think it was 1972. IDK. It's in a box, probably with The Elements of Style. lol When my apartment is only 220 sqft, there's no room for such luxuries, especially if one isn't actually writing. What do I need those for? lol

I do have and have listened to and even reworked my NaNo project, I think my very first one that I won with, based on advice from #10, On Writing. You're definitely right -- excellent book, for sure!

Thanks for this list! I'll have to check out that book in #1 at the library and see if it's something I want to buy. I dream of writing fantasy, but in reality, I know sweet romance is just easier. lol And I am told if you write fantasy, you should write romantasy, which would be great. I've got ideas. But if you write romantasy, you should write high heat. And I'm not willing to do that, so maybe I need to stick to my little sweet romance stuff and just be fine with it. Ugh.

Anyway, again, thanks!

Kåre เลียม Enga

Nov 5, 2025 at 12:28am
In response to "20251105 Character Jobs"

I think Anne McCaffrey's Pern explores that to an extent... including warriors without a war (bored dragon riders) that must be supported (and the resentment that creates).

In Real Life... solo explorers need support, clothes that can hide gold and diamonds, a skill that is universal (like a teacher or nurse). Nowadays, it's easy-peasy... kinda-sorta.

I'm no hero but I still need to have a place to stay. I still need to eat.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Nov 1, 2025 at 11:16am
In response to "20251101 Author Voice"

Yes, you have a voice. I say that after listening to you on the radio.

That said... your drabbles may not read like your novels and novelettes.

Jeffrey Meyer

Oct 31, 2025 at 10:50am
In response to "20251031 External Writerings October 2025"

Tank was really punk-y, like the DiAnno years with Maiden. Also really reminiscent of Lemmy & Co (who put on a good show, but were kind of 4$$holes). Hadn't heard Tank before, but I quite like it!

Jim

Oct 27, 2025 at 12:32pm
In response to "20251027 Conspiracy Theories"

I was working at a Firestone Tire Plant when that Firestone tire recall started in 2000. I'm not sure this qualifies as a Conspiracy Theory, but here's my take, and belief, on it.

I did not realize that it's the manufacturer who sets the tire pressure for a vehicle. The recall initially centered around the Ford Explorer. It had a rough, bumpy ride. Ford then lowered the manufacturer's recommended Tire Pressure. It wasn't enough, people still complained about the bumpiness of the ride. The tire pressure was lowered again.

Harvey Firestone and Henry Ford were close friends, and Firestone was the tire manufacturer for all Ford vehicles. When Ford lowered the tire pressure a second time, Firestone objected vigorously. After all, today's tire are just glued together until they are vulcanized (or baked) in a mold, it's called Curing it (that's where I worked as a maintenance technician before becoming a Supervisor). A tire running with low pressure will eventually explode. Why? The low pressure causes the tire to overheat, the tire cannot withstand the heat, and fails.

Initially Firestone agreed to replace any failed tire on a Ford Explorer. That idea expanded, and Firestone agreed to replace failed tires on any vehicle. The plant that made the majority of the tires was in the news, in a bad way. That plant was the plant I worked at in Decatur Illinois. Now you have to understand that the Union and Management did not get along at that plant. They were constantly butting heads over very minor issues, and some major issues.

My Conspiracy theory about all this is not proven, nor will it ever be,. I felt that Firestone sort of encouraged the tire recall. Other plants made the same tires, but they weren't in the news. Only the Decatur Illinois Firestone plant was. Firestone wanted that plant closed, but that would most likely mean that they would have to move any Union members who wanted to remain with Firestone to new plants. Closing it because of the recall solved that problem. For some reason, Union members wouldn't have to be moved. But, the tire recall exploded far more than they planned, costing the corporation a lot of money, and severing the tie between Firestone and Ford.

By the way, I still insist on having Firestone tires installed on any vehicle I own. I feel Firestone Tires are excellent, and are high quality tires. Our Campervan now runs on Firestone tires.

Turkey DrumStik

Oct 27, 2025 at 9:23am
In response to "20251027 Conspiracy Theories"

To answer your question, Kåre เลียม Enga

, I have not. Also, the phrasing "the antidote" suggests there is one true way to remedy conspiracy theory thinking when that's not the case. Likewise, even our understanding of conspiracy theories is shifting to some degree. Feeling special is still a part of the appeal, but there is a growing community element to it (see QAnon as an example: https://youtu.be/-3ol1aUN_Go?si=zG-kfUOD6bMpDbYi). The notion of being part of a "special group" is starting to more equally both words in that phrase.

1 Like

S🤦‍♂️

Oct 27, 2025 at 4:52am
In response to "20251027 Conspiracy Theories"

Kåre เลียม Enga - Belief Perseverance is a tough thing to overcome. The harder you try to tell someone their beliefs are wrong, the more they double down because they see it as a personal attack. This is why those who try to deprogramme cult members only have a low success rate. The only way to counter conspiracy theories is to allow the person to understand that the conspiracies are not correct for themselves, and this does involve some removal and some "nudging" in a direction that is seen as "better."

It is a tough nut to crack.

November 26, 2025 at 12:28am

#1102413

20251126 ONE HUNDRED

ONE HUNDRED!

So, I made a small announcement on the Newsfeed, but I wanted to go into it in a little more depth.

I recently saw my one hundredth short story traditionally published, in Tales From The Crosstimbers, Winter 2025 edition. I have signed contracts for three more stories, so it does not end here, but one hundred is what I want to focus on.

So… one hundred. It’s just a number, but humans like patterns and numbers have meaning. I sold my first short story, that I can officially recognise (I never saw the 1988 one in print), in 2002-ish. So, that’s 23 years. I didn’t sell from 2015 to 2017 because of personal issues. But, as an average, it’s a little over 4 stories a year; taking out those 3 years, it’s 5 stories a year. I have been told that is reasonably good. The length ran from a heap of drabbles (100 words) to just under 10k words.
Now, after having my first book published, I stopped setting writing goals for myself. I just write. Even NaNoWriMo didn’t help; in 2024 I wrote over 160k words in the month. A novel, a novella, a film script, 2 short stories and 2 poems in 30 days. Goals didn’t mean a lot.
But in the middle of 2024, I sold 5 short stories in a month or so. My statistics on Excel (yes, Excel; don’t judge) informed me that that would break me into a hundred by 2027 at my then current rate of sales. Then 13 O’Clock Press died, and 3 of those stories were subsequently not going to be published. 100 was a nice goal, but seemed years away.
BUT!
2024 saw my sales increase, and come the start of 2025 and I was suddenly only 6 or 7 stories away from the mark.
I had a goal. I started submitting like crazy. I wanted to reach this goal in 2026. But sales came… and suddenly, here I am, a month shy of 2026 and I have 100 short stories traditionally published, with contracts signed for three more…
Why do I keep saying traditionally published?
To be traditionally published, someone has to accept your story. You have to please an editor, a publisher and a slush pile reader. Heaps of people have probably self-published hundreds of short stories; my archives have over 1000 unpublished short stories, so I could easily have hundreds (plural) out there. But, as I have said before, if it isn’t good enough for a publisher, it’s not good enough for the public. In. My. Opinion. I think that is a distinction. Literally anyone can self-publish if they have the money. Not just anyone can be trad published. Just sayin’… but regular readers know this about me.
Anywho, if you go to

ASIN: B0G26B6KRC

Tales From the Crosstimbers : Winter 2025

Product Type: Kindle Store

Amazon's Price: $ 0.99

Buy Now!

you can get a copy of the magazine and see my rather weird comedy-scifi tale, my 100th trad published story: ‘Big Black Thing Of Doom’.

I feel like I might have finally achieved something as a writer…

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