Love this approach, and the breakdown. I need to inject a bit of the pulp production ethos into my veins. Getting there slowly.
I found N D Wilson's discussion of motivation really helpful, he had a similar thing where he needed to sell his stories to (literally) put a roof over his kids' head.
We tend to overcomplicate the writing process. We sometimes get stuck in our heads. I know I do sometimes! Heinlein gives us the simple instructions we need to succeed. Thanks for commenting, Kate.
This was the first issue I've read and it came at a great time. My motivation has waned recently and I needed to hear the pulp fiction ethos to get me back on track. I look forward to getting back to writing consistently and reading more of this newsletter.
Glad this newsletter could help you get back into writing. Learning about the pulp work ethic changed my perspective on the writing process entirely. Good luck!
This is an excellent framework and strategy Frank, and your goal to become a professional is noble and inspiring. And, like others in this comment section, I may or may not "borrow" your strategy and try it myself. I will be following your story closely.
Do it! Highly recommend Douglas' book, Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction for further guidance. I'm 75% of the way done and it's filled with gems of knowledge.
Great stuff here. I love Heinlein's Rules. The more I follow them and stay away from the trad-pub/Nanowrimo style advice, the better I write and more I produce.
There's another author I follow, named Harvey Stanbrough, who writes about all this topic. I don't know if you know of him, but he writes a semi-regular journal about this topic which might interest you:
Appreciate the comment! I just checked the link. Haven't come across Stanbrough before but I agree with him 100%. Writing fiction is not work and should never be categorized as work. If you can write stories for fun and profit then you're living the dream.
I'll be following Mr. Stanbrough's journal. Thanks for sharing.
Love this approach, and the breakdown. I need to inject a bit of the pulp production ethos into my veins. Getting there slowly.
I found N D Wilson's discussion of motivation really helpful, he had a similar thing where he needed to sell his stories to (literally) put a roof over his kids' head.
https://youtu.be/LsX7EGvaFec
This is a great find. Thanks for sharing, James.
Understanding and utilizing the Pulp Work Ethic can bring tremendous benefits to one's literary output. It's a game-changer for me.
I love how you've simplified this down to an approach that makes sense!
We tend to overcomplicate the writing process. We sometimes get stuck in our heads. I know I do sometimes! Heinlein gives us the simple instructions we need to succeed. Thanks for commenting, Kate.
This was the first issue I've read and it came at a great time. My motivation has waned recently and I needed to hear the pulp fiction ethos to get me back on track. I look forward to getting back to writing consistently and reading more of this newsletter.
Glad this newsletter could help you get back into writing. Learning about the pulp work ethic changed my perspective on the writing process entirely. Good luck!
This is an excellent framework and strategy Frank, and your goal to become a professional is noble and inspiring. And, like others in this comment section, I may or may not "borrow" your strategy and try it myself. I will be following your story closely.
Godspeed
Thanks Tony. Feel free to try it out. The key to all this is to follow Heinlein's Rules. Stick to the process and everything takes care of itself.
Great article, Frank, very useful and inspiring. Best of luck on your journey!
P.S. I might adopt this methodology too 😅
Do it! Highly recommend Douglas' book, Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction for further guidance. I'm 75% of the way done and it's filled with gems of knowledge.
Hope this method works for you.
Great stuff here. I love Heinlein's Rules. The more I follow them and stay away from the trad-pub/Nanowrimo style advice, the better I write and more I produce.
There's another author I follow, named Harvey Stanbrough, who writes about all this topic. I don't know if you know of him, but he writes a semi-regular journal about this topic which might interest you:
https://harveystanbroughwrites.com/the-journal-the-purpose-of-this-journal/
Appreciate the comment! I just checked the link. Haven't come across Stanbrough before but I agree with him 100%. Writing fiction is not work and should never be categorized as work. If you can write stories for fun and profit then you're living the dream.
I'll be following Mr. Stanbrough's journal. Thanks for sharing.