Bill Conrad's Blog, page 15

Am I An Expert?

When we have a question, we seek the advice of an expert. What qualifies an ordinary person to be considered to be an expert? They are usually bright and have mastered a specific subject. One might ask an auto mechanic why their car does not start.
We have learned who are the experts in our circle of friends and trust their sage wisdom. “Hey, your brother knows about cars? Let’s ask him why the car will not start.”
The field of electronics is vast, and there are many niches. I dislike to brag, but many people have sought my wisdom, and I confidently answer their questions or admit ignorance. My advice has proven sound, but I have made mistakes.
Do I consider myself an electronics expert? In certain areas, I am. Why? I have been playing with electronics before I could walk, so this advanced ability should not surprise anyone. My car mechanic has been playing with cars from a young age, and I unquestionably trust his advice.
What about writing a book? When I began my writing adventure, I was fortunate to have two people who helped. My mother was a beta reader, and she had excellent grammar skills. The second person, Bethany, helped with the technical story aspects, publishing and provided many writing tips.
Have I become an expert? In self-publishing, I feel comfortable advising, which means I have learned how to self-publish and can provide direction to others. Of course, I could be a self-publishing bonehead because my books are not flying off the shelves.
What about writing? As far as creating a story, I consider myself in the middle of the bunch. A good example of my limited knowledge is understanding what a “five-act play” is. I could not spot one if you threw it at me. However, I have a creative mind and a desire to bring my ideas to life. So, I have some work to do.
How about grammar, flow, dialog, and structure? My blog readers know that my English skills are lacking. Yet, I can spot ~80% of my own issues and now see issues in celebrated works. Unfortunately, there is a lot of room for improvement.
Marketing? Mmm, I must give myself a 2 out of 10 score and conclude that I will never be a marketing expert. Bummer.
To formally answer the question, I am not a writing expert. However, I now understand that there will be a time when I can consider myself an expert. How long will that be? In engineering, one is a “senior engineer” after ten years of experience. (It used to be fifteen.) This number is up for debate, and I have met “senior engineers” with two years of experience. No, I did not use this title when I referred to them.
I have been writing books since March 12, 2016, and by engineering logic, I will be an expert in three years and 12 days. In the meantime, ask me any writing question, and I will pleasantly provide you with a non-expert opinion.

You’re the best! -Bill
March 01, 2023

My New Comma

Since the first grade, I have struggled with commas and still do not confidently know when they are appropriate. And I am not alone. Every grammar program seems to have different opinions on where to place a comma. Of course, there are rules, guides and textbooks. Yet there are “exceptions to every rule.”
Unfortunately, a new grammar nemesis has crept into my life. Hyphens join two words together, and they are used to break up a big word so that we can continue the word on the following line. This saves space, but fortunately, this second use has fallen out of favor.
Hyphens are an added modifier to connect two words. “pre-heat” “mid-July” “ex-mayor” “de-ice” Or a combination. “red-orange” Or a device that substitutes the word “to.” “1926-1935.” And lastly, numbers. “thirty-two.”
That kind of hyphen use made sense to me, but my grammar checkers have been correcting me lately. They add hyphens to all kinds of words with no apparent logic. For this blog, I looked up a bunch of examples:
state-of-the-art
expect four-week delay
a family-owned cafe
a two-year-old
six-centimeter caterpillar
a high-school senior
know-it-all
I disagree with every example. Why the heck do we need a hyphen for know-it-all? Does that help the reader? When a reader speaks that phrase, is it supposed to rhyme? Sing it with me! Know-it-all, know-it-all, that’s how we all fall. Does the hyphenated “know-it-all” look more professional? Does it look proper? Do sophisticated writers insert hyphens like rain? I don’t think so, but somebody once determined that specific phrases require hyphens.
If we look at books from the 2000s, there were fewer hyphens. Two-year-old? That’s new. I do not know why hyphens suddenly became fashionable. However, I need to learn when they are now appropriate. Gahhh! Another issue to add to my grammar battle.
It seems like extra hyphens are here to stay, which means that my four regular blog readers are-in-for-a-wild-ride.

Putting Forth Rubbish

We all have flaws, personal limitations, and deadlines. As a result, some of our work is less than stellar. Yet, that topic is not quite what I wanted to blog about. Sometimes we get lazy and attempt to hide the fact that something we present is not our best. Meaning we knowingly cover up lousy work because we are too lazy to fix it.
I recall intentionally submitting high school homework that was incomplete, incorrect, or “not my best work.” Why? I wanted to watch television. But, hey, I can be honest now. When confronted, I would answer, “I did my best,” but this was not true. Yet, I refused to back down.
Now, I am all grown up (sort of), and my ethics are better (sort of). Yet I still let things slip and get annoyed by legitimate criticism. “Why are you pointing out my flaws? The rest of the thing was good.” So we can conclude that I am being lazy about being lazy.
What happens when an author does not put forth their best? There are basic book covers without graphics, characters that appear without an introduction, incomplete motives, missing descriptions, or a noticeable plot hole. The author would respond, “A competent reader should be able to fill in the blanks.” “There were editing issues.” “I disagreed with the publisher.” “The deadline was too short.”
Because I am not a celebrated author, I spend lots of time and money to product the best possible books. Of course, there are flaws, but I can honestly say that I put fourth my best. Yet, I have let a few things slide in my writing adventure. This morning, I was reading old blogs to ensure I was not covering a topic I had already explored. In the process, I read basic issues that I should have fixed.
Was I aware that my earlier blogs had issues? “I have a weekly deadline.” “I cannot afford a professional editor for my blogs.” “Blog readers expect some raw content.” I am full of excuses, and here is the proof. “I could go back and edit the blogs on my website. Umm. That would take too much time.”
In my books, I admit there have been several times when I did not fully describe a character, environment, emotion, or situation. “It was all in my head, but I assumed the reader was following along.” Yeah, full of excuses.
So… Am I admitting that I put forth rubbish? Hmm. That is not the way I look at it. I am doing my best and having some fun along the way. Or is that a cop-out? Hmm. Something for a future blog.

First To Final

I thought comparing my first book’s first draft to the second edition’s final version would be interesting. However, I did not want to make this a long blog, so there are only two paragraphs.
Perhaps this will provide some insight into my writing process or expose me as a hack. Let’s find out. I created the following first draft in 2016 and did not make any edits to this blog.

My life was working out well or at least I thought so. My divorce was finalized (for the third time), my third major book of the Grime series had just been published and was selling well, I just got a 50 cent per hour pay raise, I paid my last check to my divorce attorney and with some luck I would meet a cute fan of my book at the book signing. I was thinking about all of this on that fateful evening as I drove my broken down Toyota Carola on that chilly Saturday morning. I had no idea what was in store for me. I had no idea that people like her were even possible. I had no idea how much my life could possibly change.

Second edition:
Looking back on my life objectively, it was working out beyond my expectations. My divorce was finalized (again), and the third book of my popular Grime series had just been published. Best Buy gave me a fifty-cent-per-hour pay raise, my divorce attorney had gotten his last payment, and with luck, I would meet a seductive fan at my book signing.
Those were my upbeat thoughts as I steered my barely running, beat-up blue Toyota Corolla toward my future on that chilly Saturday morning. I had no idea what was about to happen or how a person like her could exist.

Wow, that first paragraph was rough. The Microsoft Word grammar checker, Gramarly and Prowriting aid all flagged issues. Yet, I conclude that “with some editing, this text is salvageable.”
The concepts were there, which is the goal of a first draft. Many talented writers have never created a first draft. Good for me!
The second draft had approximately 30 editing passes, with clear improvements. It had better descriptions and tighter sentences, but the flow is the most significant readability update. The second version reads a lot smoother and is easier to comprehend.

Here is the first draft of a later paragraph:
I was taking in everything in that was ‘her’ when I realized that it had been some time and I should say something. Her arms tightly held my latest book “Grime: At the End” and for some reason even that the book had only been on sale for a month, her copy looked 30 years old up. I stammered like a frightened pupil in front the teacher to say: “I see you have a copy of my latest book. Would you like me to sign it?” Her eyelids squinted a bit and she stared deep into me. Really deep, deeper then I knew a person could possible stare. The affect made me feel naked and alone. I did not know what to do but I could not move my fingers finger blink my eyes. I became aware of an encroaching chill that was going up my spine and I that I could take a no longer breathe. I have never been so terrified in my short 28 year life. While continuing to stare, she imperceptibly raised her head and said: “You will do.”

Second edition:
I was trying to take in everything that was “her” when I realized some time had passed and I should say something. Her arms clasped tightly around my latest book, Grime: At the End. Even though my book had only been on sale for a month, her copy looked to be thirty years old. I stammered like a frightened pupil in front of the teacher. “I see you have a copy of my latest book. Would you like me to . . . ?”
The woman squinted and stared deeply into me. Really deep! The effect made me feel naked, afraid, and alone. I did not know what to do and could not move my fingers, cough, or even blink. A chill shot up my spine, my lungs struggled, and my muscles refused to move.
I have never been so terrified in my thirty-one years. The woman continued to stare while I could do nothing. Then she flashed an evil smile, and said in a wicked voice, “You will do.”

The dialog integration improved the most. I struggled to develop a solid method for years, and I still have room for improvement.
and said: “You will do.”
and said in a wicked voice, “You will do.”
Like the above example, I streamlined the flow. This included breaking up the mega paragraph into three smaller sections which cleanly separated the concepts. Plus, I eliminated unnecessary words and added words to make the concepts leap into the reader’s mind.
I hope my four regular blog readers get some insight into my writing process. I found the experience of exploring my past to be rewarding, but it is not the first time. Occasionally, I look over my past school projects to see how I used to be. Perhaps this will inspire my four regular blog readers to do the same.

The Test

After earning a degree in Electrical Engineering, I began interviewing for jobs. In my second, I had an unexpected request. They wanted me to complete an engineering test. I thought school was over?
The test was a mix of electrical theories, work knowledge, and intelligence tests. Unfortunately, I was unprepared, and I did poorly. However, with some experience (from the first test) and preparation, I did much better on the next test.
I have taken multiple tests over the years, ranging from being straightforward to convoluted to completely inappropriate. Often, I saw questions that only people who had worked at the company for years could answer. On three occasions, I took a handwritten that was difficult to read. And the endless open-ended questions. Meaning there were no correct solutions or an infinite number of correct solutions. “What is the best car? Justify your answer.” Umm, what does that have to do with engineering?
Companies use such tests to answer four questions. The first part tests a person’s general knowledge, and the second is to see what a person does under pressure. The third identifies creativity, and the fourth determines how well a candidate would fit the company.
In my early career, I saw the immense value of engineering tests. They made it easy for an interviewer to weed out poor candidates. I once interviewed for a job where they used a multiple-choice test at the beginning, and if the candidate did not pass, the interview was over. What a time saver! Side note. I walked out of that interview because I saw the workers struggling with awful development tools. Side-Side note. That company went out of business.
In my later career, I began to loathe these tests. I felt the companies that used them were lazy, their format was absurd, and their usefulness was dubious. Fortunately, most companies no longer bother with testing and instead rely on a seasoned interviewer’s intuition. It is a bad sign when they bring out the test. Talented candidates also judge the quality of the test, which reflects on the company.
On three occasions, the interviewer wanted to discuss the test with me. “You did not answer question two.” “Yeah, I forgot that basic fact. Sorry. You understand that engineers loaded the internet and textbooks with information so people could look up information all day long. Also, smart engineers always look up critical information.” Such comebacks anger and stun interviewers.
Companies are all the same no matter what the field. So, what kind of test would writers get in an interview? Translation: What test would annoy the heck out of a talented writer?
Let’s start off with an SAT kind of test. This includes spelling, grammar, writing technique, and comprehension. How about a multiple-choice format.
One of our staff loses their temper and shouts at you in front of others, how would you____with this?
A) take
B) react
C) handle
D) deal
How about a comprehension test where the candidate reads a paragraph and answers questions? Let’s make the candidate write a short essay about their career and why they would be a good fit. How about a short story with dialog? Of course, they would provide no topic.
And how would the candidate write their short story? On a notepad without the aid of a computer with spell checking. No pressure.
My response to such a test would be: “You know, all word processors now have spelling and grammar checkers. Plus, writers and scholars loaded the internet and textbooks with information.” Hmm, precisely the same reaction as I had to an engineering test.
How often do such writing tests occur? I suspect such tests would be standard for interviewing newspaper or magazine writers. And I am sure those candidates would argue, “You should evaluate my prior work and not put me on the spot with a silly test.”
However, engineers (and I suspect writers) face an additional challenge. Companies forbid employees from disclosing their intellectual property because they sign Non-Disclosure Agreements. As a result, we cannot bring drawings, documents, or products to an interview.
In the past, employees had it easy because companies could not check to see what employees brought to an interview. Now with the internet, companies can learn that employees have violated Non-Disclosure Agreements. Plus, hiring companies are aware of Non-Disclosure Agreements, and it would be a red flag if a potential employee freely broke such an agreement. I suspect writers find this development even more challenging than an engineer.
Fortunately, my blogs do not contain Non-Disclosure Agreements or tests. Wow, a test would annoy my four blog readers. Now, please sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement about the contents of this blog.

Future Word Processors

My last blog was about the future of grammar and spell checkers. Now, I would like to predict the future of word processors. All computers aim to save time, and word processors are no exception. A good example is auto-formatting. One typical timesaving feature is when we begin a sentence with “1)”. The modern word processor knows we are typing a list, and the following paragraph automatically indents and starts with a “2)”. What a time saver.
My first prediction is that this area will expand and more critically become interactive. In the above example, a dialog box might allow more control over how the numbers appear and interact with the text.
Another area of improvement will be auto-word completing. Today, we see this technology in text messaging applications. For example, when we type “tow” it might complete the word with “toward.” I have not seen this feature in word processors, but I suspect it will be available soon.
My big prediction comes with linked documents. Today, many writers can simultaneously work on a single document. However, they cannot collaborate with multiple documents. I predict the writer will copy (link) “active” text from a (different) document into theirs. When the text in the original document is changed, the second document gets automatically altered. The result will be a (second) document that is automatically updated (made current) without the writer’s involvement. The advantage is that one writer can instantly change many documents. This will be a great help in the corporate environment. For example, they could keep the legal disclaimer at the beginning of a document current. Yet, this feature could easily mess up many documents with a single mouse click.
The next advancement will allow the writer to copy “active” text from the internet. A consistently changing stock price would be a great example. This is now possible (by experts) by inserting programming scripts into a document. I envision a word processor that ordinary people can copy “active” text with a few mouse clicks.
A similar advancement will be to copy/paste active text, data, or pictures from another program such as Visio, Excel, or PowerPoint. It would be nice to have Excel graphs automatically updated.
In the distant future, I predict we will be able to apply active rules to our documents. For example. If the stock price is below 50, “we are experiencing some difficulties.” If the stock price exceeds 50, “we are experiencing significant progress.” Like the above example, active rules are possible with scripts, but this process requires experts.
What is a bridge too far? I depend on outlines to create my books, and it would be nice to expand this tool. How about a function that converts a story into a (summary) outline? Or a tool that shows (overlays) the outline of the story? How about a tool that summarizes a document? Hmm. Not going to happen soon.
What about incorporating a random name, story, or fact generator into a word processor? This task would be simple, but non-authors would not find it helpful.
Last, we should cover failed word processing technology. Computer dictation (voice recognition) showed great promise but has not replaced the keyboard except for cell phone texting. I feel that most word-processing users find it more annoying than helpful.
I have made some intuitive suggestions, and it will be interesting to see what the word-processing future holds for my four regular blog readers.

Future Grammar Checkers

My parents purchased a Texas Instruments 99/4 computer in 1981. How was the word processing? A massive upgrade was required to connect that beast to a printer, and I do not think there were many word-processing programs. Yet there was one bright spot. It had an excellent typing tutor program that I never used...
My father purchased his second computer in 1983 to aid his self-publishing efforts. It was a Wang PC and ran the proprietary Wang word processor. At the time, this was the best word processor available for home use. Unfortunately, we did not have any other programs in the Wang, and I do not think many were available. Perhaps a spreadsheet or database? However, Wang PC had an ace up its sleeve. It had an impact printer (incapable of producing graphics), and the documents it made looked fantastic. One could argue that they looked better (crisper and easier to read) than today’s best laser printers.
By today’s standards, a Wang computer is pathetic, but it was absolute magic for a kid like me. Finally, I could type out a document and correct my mistakes. No white out required! But that was not the best part. The word processor had a spell checker!!! The Wang transformed me into the highest levels of thirteen-year-old spelling talents. Yet, the spell checker was slow, and the suggested words were terrible. Yet, I was in love.
I wish I had my earlier material to share, but the hard drive crapped out, and we lost everything. My father was really upset about losing his books. Ahh, the importance of backups.
Later, my father upgraded to Office Writer, and this was a vast improvement over the Wang. Still later, I convinced him to upgrade to a PC with windows 3.11 and Microsoft Word. Wow, what an improvement.
I would like to get off-topic for a moment. Let’s rewind the clock to the year 1920. How did one publish a book? Authors used a pen or pencil to write a book. They took the handmade pages to a typesetter and manually set the printing press type. Where was the editor? That was an optional step, and the typesetter did some spell-checking. Back then, people spelled better and early books were full of errors.
In the ‘30s, typewriters became popular, but this invention did not change the publishing process. They invented offset printing in the ‘40s, which allowed a typed document to be mass-produced. This reduced the printing cost because it eliminated typesetting, but a new problem occurred. Documents needed to be formatted for printing, which is tricky for a typewriter.
In the late ‘70s, computers with word processors became available. As a self-publisher, the most significant advantage was not the spell-checking, saving, or editing. It was the ability to format the document for publishing. But this requires some explanation.
You will see two standard formats if you pick up a book and turn to a page with text. The first is proportional spacing. Meaning that the amount of space allocated for each character is different. Look at the space required for ten characters. PPPPPPPPPP iiiiiiiiii. The Is take up half of the Ps space. The web page program you use to read this blog has proportional spacing.
The second thing you will see in a book is the spacing is “justified,” meaning that all the text on the left lines up vertically, and so does the right. From a distance, the text appears as a big centered rectangle. Computers accomplish this by making the spaces between words have different lengths from sentence to sentence.
Mechanical typewriters (with one exception, the IBM Selectric III. Side note. My father considered getting a Selectric III over getting a computer. Side-side note. Try to find a working one on eBay. They go for big bucks!) were monospaced and justified spacing could only be achieved with a typesetter.
Why were these two spacing features so crucial to a self-publisher? Books cost money, and more pages are more expensive to print. Yet, readers dislike reduced text. Formatting solves this problem. But why is it extra important for a self-publisher? Books used to be sold in price groups. For example, $4.99 books were about 300 pages. But, if your book was 290 pages, you (whoever paid to print the book) made more money. So, self-publishers invested in good typewriters and computers to develop efficient formatting.
Around 1995, self-publishing changed dramatically because authors could upload a PDF file and print (publish) a book. The quality and accuracy were far higher, and the setup cost was far lower. Now with eBooks and web pages, this is mute. A person could write a book on their phone or “publish” a YouTube video.
Back to the blog. Since windows 3.11, I have kept up with the latest editions of Microsoft Word and added two spelling and grammar checkers. What an improvement over typing on a computer with a green screen. But what is the future of such products?
It’s tough to predict the future, and I blogged about this difficulty:
https://interviewingimmortality.com/b...
However, despite my warnings, I wanted to give it a shot with the future of grammar and spell checkers. But hang on, this should be a simple task. “They will get better.” Meaning more accurate spell-checking, improved content tips, and more effective grammar checking. Not that hard to predict the future.
Yet, I believe there is additional room for prediction. For example, in my third book, I invented the alien race called the Veronn. Wait a moment. My spell-checking just flagged that word because it is not in the English language. Is Veronn a noun or verb? Does it need to be capitalized? Are two Veronn called Veronn or Veronns? Considering that I made up the word, I can assign any rule I desire.
Fictional words are an enormous problem for spell checkers. The best present technology can do is ignore (not flag) an unrecognized word. So, my first prediction for future spell checkers is to have a detailed entry for invented words. This leads to my second prediction for spell checkers. They will search the internet for unknown words and make “educated” suggestions. Essentially, an interactive spell checker.
For Grammar checkers, my big prediction is to analyze a document for the author’s style and adapt the rules to follow that style. Another area for improvement is the overall style. “The phrase dynamite is no longer popular. Consider the following suggestions.” Another area is logic. “That sentence makes little sense within the content of this paragraph.” And content. “Female readers will find this sentence offensive.” Other. “This sentence contains a pun.” “This sentence is redundant. Consider deleting.”
I also see a revolution coming. There are far too many inconsistent grammar and spelling rules. The grammar and spell check people might get together and establish firm rules. The various programs fight each other, and it is getting worse with each revision.
What about using artificial intelligence to analyze documents to develop better grammar checkers? I suspect word-processing programmers were unsuccessful in this area. English is too chaotic, and sound documents require proper and improper rules.
What is a bridge too far? I do not think grammar checkers will ever be able to evaluate the content or the big picture. “The main character’s motivation is unclear.” “Where did Sally get the knife?” “Add a paragraph to describe the scene.” “This description is weak.” Can artificial intelligence analyze cherished stories and come up with some basics? I think this arduous task will take a long time to achieve.
Well, I have made some lofty predictions. Hopefully, my four blog readers will live long enough to see if I hit the mark.

Putting In My Time

I recently watched a YouTuber celebrating 500,000 subscribers. They played parts from their first video and talked about their three-year journey. What really struck me was their deep dedication to consistently producing one video every week. (Kind of like one blog per week.)
The big difference between being an author and a YouTube influencer is that videos are immediately available, and popular videos are an instant hit. Unfortunately, despite being freely available to billions of people, uninspiring videos are not recommended and only receive a few views.
A book is a much slower burn, and immediate success only occurs if the author has massive publishing money, gets written by somebody famous, or is topical (has a popular hook).
My writing adventure began Saturday, March 12, 2016, and I created my first blog on September 16, 2017. There have been difficulties and victories, but I would not consider myself successful. How long before I taste the sweet nectar of widespread acceptance? Reluctantly, I see myself only becoming popular after completing a trilogy. At this rate, that will probably occur in three years. Meaning this will be a ten-year journey. Wow, that’s an enormous commitment.
Should I have done something different with my time? Start a business? We can second-guess every decision and postulate potential outcomes until the cows come home. But the question remains. Would I go back to the past and warn myself about the arduous journey?
That’s a tough call. Let’s pretend I tried to start a business (for the fourth time). Given my track record, success is a low probability. More time, more money. Arguably, deciding to write would have taken fewer resources, and there might be a marginally better outcome. Yet, a ten-year journey is not for the fainthearted. An author has to be committed.
However, as I write this very sentence, I realize that is not the point. Writing is supposed to be fun! If it is not, get out of the game.
Fortunately for my four dedicated blog readers, I will persevere. Perhaps in a few years, I can say, “Fortunately for my eight blog readers…”

Autotune

In college, I developed an interest in professional audio. This included mixing boards, amplifiers, microphones, and audio effects. I spent countless hours (when I should have been studying) setting up equipment, watching bands play, hauling heavy equipment around and talking about audio.
One day, a local band brought a new piece of equipment and inserted it between the microphone and the mixing board. I learned this effect was called “autotune.”
This technology analyzes a singer’s voice and determines if they are singing. If they are, it looks for when the singer holds a note. Then, the audio processor analyzes the intended key and adjusts the pitch so that the resulting voice “is perfectly on key.” Using autotune, an inexperienced singer sounds like they had many singing lessons and practiced for years.
During the band’s warmup, they “cut in” autotune, and the singer instantly became fantastic. The change impressed me; since then, autotune technology has drastically improved. In fact, the word has become synonymous with a particular artificial singing sound caused by setting the autotune to an unrealistically high level. Unfortunately, this technology has also drastically raised the bar, and audiences now expect live singers to be super talented. Meaning that singers are expected to use autotune.
What does this have to do with writing? Yesterday, I was slogging through my sixth book with Prowriting Aid and Grammarly. These powerful tools uncovered many errors and made excellent recommendations. The results pleased me; it was like I had years of writing classes…
While uplifting my words, the experience reminded me of first hearing autotune. One button press transformed the singer into a superstar. I realized my two writing tools are in the same class. Granted, the process is far more involved.
Note that autotune has no effect on the singer’s style, music type, or appearance. It only tweaks the voice at just the right time. So a bad song will still be a bad song. The same is valid with computer writing tools. The content could be dreadful, but the grammar and spelling will be fantastic. Well, in my case… Let’s settle for good. Alright, passable. Perhaps a smidge above dreadful.
Readers also benefit from writing tools with improved documents. As a result, readers do not tolerate basic mistakes. However, this is not quite the topic of this blog. I still get a warm feeling when I use Prowriting Aid and Grammarly. “This is the kind of writer I should be.” What astounding technology.
I still enjoy that magical moment of seeing my writing come alive after a good scrubbing. It makes me wonder what a singer feels when they hear their autotuned voice. I certainly remember the first time I used a spell checker. A completely transforming moment. I suppose my four blog readers also appreciate polished blogs without gibberish. See, I spelled “gibberish” correctly. Thanks, spell check!

Healthy Writing

Two weeks ago, I woke up sick but fortuity; this malady was the common cold, not covid. So, I went through the typical sniffles, aches, cough, and sore throat. Yuck! Now I am at the stage where I have to cough once every 30 minutes, but I cannot seem to fully kick it.
What did I do during this adventurous time? Slept and watched streaming videos. What about writing? It took a lot of effort to format and post a completed blog; this was all the writing I accomplished.
Why didn’t I take this perfect opportunity to write up a storm? My hands did not hurt, and I was looking for an activity to take my mind off being sick. Writing does not require physical energy. Right? Well…
The first thing I thought of that Tuesday morning was, “Wow, I am going to get a lot of writing done!” Yet, I quickly learned that a simple cold zapped away the right attitude, concentration, and desire.
This was a great surprise, and I added this knowledge to my bonkers knowledge base. Fortunately for my four blog readers, I write my blogs three weeks ahead of time and let them marinate (edit) to perfection.
In the future, I will be more aware of what it takes to write and understand that my three-week “tank of blogs” is more important than I realize. Hopefully, that will keep my four blog readers entertained.