Don - Don Martin Books- Stories & Back Pages Journal

Your Pretend Newsletter Is Here Now

Published by Don on July 22, 2022

Your Pretend Newsletter Is Here Now Pretend you subscribed, and pretend nobody else can see it. Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash OK, everybody knows by now that I am not doing well with the various newsletter platforms. But I’m proud to have come up with an interim solution. This will be a Medium-based communication especially designed for Medium readers. It will be on the honor system. Soon, I intend to offer another, off-Medium…

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How I Beat Writer’s Block

How I Beat Writer’s Block

Published by Don on July 12, 2022

Works for me EVERY TIME! This is way too simple. After you read it, you will want your money back. “It’s so simple, it’s stupid,” you will tell me. OK. Suit yourself. Get up. Watch the news. Start writing. That’s it. Don’t over-complicate it. Take a look at life. It will make you laugh or cry, bring you up or down, but it won’t leave you alone. Some of your fellow peeps are goofy. Some…

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6/24 – Friday BTW Struggle Bus Plus +

6/24 – Friday BTW Struggle Bus Plus +

Published by Don on June 25, 2022

Showing a lack of civility for 9 weeks now! Photo by Dylan Collette on Unsplash Don’s Big-Time Writer Corner The struggle is real. My tomato crop was late getting planted this year, and almost immediately thereafter, our area began the worst drought period in years. They get watered daily, but it appears we may have casualties anyway. My dreams of tomato pie and tomato sandwiches are getting dimmer for this year. I understand there was a time when…

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Newsletter

Published by Don on June 13, 2022

I am giving some thought to starting a free newsletter with my Medium stories, maybe like a couple on Mondays. Would that be something you guys would be interested in? You wouldn’t have to pay a Medium fee if you didn’t want to. It would help me too. Sometimes when I talk to a publication about my stories I get asked how many newsletter subscribers I have. Thanks, Don click here…

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How Writing Can Hi-Jack Your Life

How Writing Can Hi-Jack Your Life

Published by Don on June 12, 2022

Quietly, while you aren’t looking. When I like something and start a project, I give it all. I go all the way before I can talk myself out of something. That’s how I accomplish any start-up. And, I admit, many of you guys know how much I like shiny things, too. The rediscovery of writing For me, the rediscovery of writing in my life was distracting. The discovery that I could make money at it…

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Medium Writer Ruins Twitter, Gets 20% Increase in Twitter Followers

Medium Writer Ruins Twitter, Gets 20% Increase in Twitter Followers

Published by Don on May 11, 2022

I read all the time. When I don’t write. When I write, I try to use Twitter to announce new stories. A couple of years ago I read that one way to increase Twitter followers was to find a similar or interesting person and follow them. As you do, I was instructed to just leave an invitation for them, by tweeting “Thanks in advance for the follow.” Some did. Some did not. Some said they would…

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“Just Kryptonite me NOW!”

“Just Kryptonite me NOW!”

Published by Don on April 13, 2022

Says the superhero as he searches for a wormhole to ANOTHER alternate universe. It’s not easy being a superhero. Long hours, lousy pay. But it can also be a rewarding life. Like when the mayor says “you saved us all from the bloodthirsty Gila Monsters!” Wow, it can feel good. And it’s equally tough to write about. When your editor tells you “I can’t see where this story is going…” you have to understand that…

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Do Algorithms Have Feelings?

Do Algorithms Have Feelings?

Published by Don on April 2, 2022

Do Algorithms Have Feelings? ’Cause I must have hurt them… Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash For the past couple of stories, I have remarked on the fact that quite possibly the number of people who are exposed to any given writer’s stuff is but a fraction of the total number of people who followed that writer. The math of it i.e. If a writer is followed by x number of readers, then when he publishes a story,…

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Can Writers Fit In As Readers?

Can Writers Fit In As Readers?

Published by Don on April 1, 2022

And vice versa? Photo by Vardan Papikyan on Unsplash And can they both live in harmony in this Medium environment? This may be a kind of a “Cowboys dance with the farmers’ daughters, farmers dance with the ranchers’ gals” thing that territory folks just do. Speaking from the archaic days when humans used to be rule followers, here are a couple that will promote peaceful coexistence between authors and fans. Rule One for Readers Rule one. Fans and…

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That Time of Year

That Time of Year

Published by Don on March 12, 2022

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Author: Don