Writing | J.R. Johnson

Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

Not Too Long & Not Too Short

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, anthologies, creativity, inspiration, Kickstarter, Writers, writing on February 15, 2026| 4 Comments »

Here’s a quick notification for anyone interested in writing and publication venues and supporting a fun Kickstarter:

Missed-Fits: A Calendar of Fools Anthology by Storm Humbert

The idea for Missed-Fits is born of two central motivations at Calendar of Fools: the desire to create truly unique books and reading experiences for our readers, and the desire to provide a service or fill a gap we see in the professional short fiction space. In this case, the gap we saw was a relative dearth of stories of a certain length (1,200 to 2,100 words)…

I backed an earlier Calendar of Fools campaign and am happy to see that these anthologies are still going strong.

Given that I like books, often write stories that don’t fit traditional venue length requirements, and enjoy supporting artists, this is right up my alley.

Perhaps these are things you like too?

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Hold This Truth Close

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, haiku, haiku the news, Thoughts, writing on February 11, 2026| 2 Comments »

First, hold this truth close

there may be demons on earth

but there are saints too.

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How Marvelous!

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing on February 10, 2026| 1 Comment »

“How marvelous books are, crossing worlds and centuries, defeating ignorance and, finally, cruel time itself.” ― Gore Vidal

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On Behalf Of…

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #wotf39, free fiction, Writers, writing on February 9, 2026| 1 Comment »

Today, I’m happy to share a story from friend and fellow writer Elaine Midcoh.

On Behalf of Lake Owakeela

Do you want the truth? I will whisper so no one else will hear and think that I am crazy. I am not the ‘clever young legal scholar’ as has been alleged. The idea didn’t arise because I am brilliant or original. It only happened because, one night, after I had given up before trying, Lake Owakeela talked to me.

This story was a winner of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ “Write Before Midnight” short fiction competition, judged by none other than Kim Stanley Robinson (yes, of the Mars trilogy, The Ministry for the Future and many, many more).

See Robinson’s story notes at the top of the page, then settle in to enjoy a clever, entertaining, and ultimately uplifting story about protecting the world, and those who live in it.

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For Those With Excellent Taste

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, persistence, Thoughts, Writers, writing on February 5, 2026| 1 Comment »

“There is a time for any fledgling artist where one’s taste exceeds one’s abilities. The only way to get through this period is to make things anyway.” ― Gabrielle Zevin

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Taking a Broader View

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, persistence, Thoughts, Writers, writing on February 3, 2026| 2 Comments »

We admire people at their peak, we don’t get to see the distance they’ve traveled. — Adam Grant

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Everything You Need to Know

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, life, Thoughts, Writers, writing on January 30, 2026| 1 Comment »

“All you have to do is to pay attention; lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step.”

― Paulo Coelho

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Cold Diamonds

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, haiku, Thoughts on January 28, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Cold diamonds sparkling

Worth more than treasures untold

Bright sunshine on snow.

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Faster Than a Slow Thing

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Ig Nobel, inspiration, science experiments on January 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

I’m work work working away here, but of course crossing things off my to do list is never as fast as I’d like. Which is why it was somewhat reassuring to come across The World’s Longest Running Lab Experiment.

The World’s Longest-Running Lab Experiment Is Almost 100 Years Old

The world’s longest-running lab experiment is an ongoing work in sheer scientific patience. It has been running continuously for nearly a century, under the close supervision of several custodians and many spectators – and it’s ever so slowly drip, drip, dripping away.

If you’ve ever wondered about the viscosity of pitch (noun, not verb) or are just curious, read the article above or watch for the next drop. Should only be a few years. A decade at most!

Given this I know I, for one, will be heading back to my to do list feeling just that little bit faster!

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