Bill Conrad's Blog, page 30
April 22, 2020
Raising Awareness
What does the term “Raising Awareness” really mean? It is supposed to be defined as “to educate.” I find that this term often covers a negative with a thin layer of good. Ignore the man behind the curtain. An ends justify the means argument. Let me give you a particularly evil example. Now, before we get into gritty details, this is supposed to be a friendly blog and I do not wish to bash politics, ethics, culture, or religion. In that context, I will tread lightly.
A large anti-cancer non-profit organization has the fundamental goal to raise awareness about one particular cancer. They have many brochures that describe how to check for this malady and they go on large public relation crusades. This includes dinners, auctions, talks, branded clothing/merchandise, and charity runs like “race for the cure.” Sounds good. Right? It would be good if the money went somewhere useful.
Let’s say you have cancer and need financial help. Or you have a drug that needs money to get approved. Maybe you are a scientist who needs money to research new treatments. Perhaps you are sad about having cancer and would like somebody to talk to. They don’t do any of those things.
What do they do? 80% of their income pays for staff salaries. 20% pays for parties, advertising, and brochures. What is their true gift? Their end product? What do millions of dollars in donations ultimately provide? Their only real tangible outcome is brochures. Are they hiding this fact? Not at all. Their paraphrased main slogan is “raising awareness about cancer.” They never claim to use donated money to find a cure or help anybody. What about that “race for the cure?” That’s a marketing term, not a result.
In my opinion, the trivial benefit of making brochures outweighs their extreme harm. I believe they are worse than cancer because they take money away from genuine cancer research and fool desperate people into believing they provide help.
This seems I have undertaken a crusade to harm this group or I am taking a stand against being politically correct. After all, raising awareness is simply a term.
Now hold on. My four astute followers would point out that I used this very term in two recent blogs. Quite true, and I did it for a reason. Words are simply words and it is up to us to apply meaning. I intentionally used this term to prove to myself that I could rise above my own negative opinions. No, it did not feel good. But I made my little mental point to join the masses.
Does this mean I am a bad person (by my definition) for using this term? After all, I used this term to solicit interest for personal gain. Hmm. Trapped by my own ethics. Perhaps I need to raise my own awareness?
A large anti-cancer non-profit organization has the fundamental goal to raise awareness about one particular cancer. They have many brochures that describe how to check for this malady and they go on large public relation crusades. This includes dinners, auctions, talks, branded clothing/merchandise, and charity runs like “race for the cure.” Sounds good. Right? It would be good if the money went somewhere useful.
Let’s say you have cancer and need financial help. Or you have a drug that needs money to get approved. Maybe you are a scientist who needs money to research new treatments. Perhaps you are sad about having cancer and would like somebody to talk to. They don’t do any of those things.
What do they do? 80% of their income pays for staff salaries. 20% pays for parties, advertising, and brochures. What is their true gift? Their end product? What do millions of dollars in donations ultimately provide? Their only real tangible outcome is brochures. Are they hiding this fact? Not at all. Their paraphrased main slogan is “raising awareness about cancer.” They never claim to use donated money to find a cure or help anybody. What about that “race for the cure?” That’s a marketing term, not a result.
In my opinion, the trivial benefit of making brochures outweighs their extreme harm. I believe they are worse than cancer because they take money away from genuine cancer research and fool desperate people into believing they provide help.
This seems I have undertaken a crusade to harm this group or I am taking a stand against being politically correct. After all, raising awareness is simply a term.
Now hold on. My four astute followers would point out that I used this very term in two recent blogs. Quite true, and I did it for a reason. Words are simply words and it is up to us to apply meaning. I intentionally used this term to prove to myself that I could rise above my own negative opinions. No, it did not feel good. But I made my little mental point to join the masses.
Does this mean I am a bad person (by my definition) for using this term? After all, I used this term to solicit interest for personal gain. Hmm. Trapped by my own ethics. Perhaps I need to raise my own awareness?
April 15, 2020
My Legacy
In President Bill Clinton’s last year in office, he became plagued with scandals. Out of that huge mess, one aspect stands out for me. He had a great concern that his scandals would damage his legacy. I thought this to be an odd priority.
Recently, I have been thinking of my legacy. What long-lasting accomplishments have I made up to this point? I am raising a wonderful daughter, engineered many products, contributed online, have a good marriage and published one book. Obviously, my greatest legacy is my daughter.
The question remains. What do I want people to think about when they hear the name Bill Conrad? Over the years, I set many goals. The most endearing is to start a business. What goals have gone away? I failed to write four patents and stopped working at 11 companies for various reasons. Wow, 11? Something to think about.
Is that it? How about getting a big prize for being an author? An engineering award? An Oscar for a movie based on my book? A hero medal for saving somebody's life? Such awards would be nice, but they are not goals. I would like to think that my efforts speak for themselves.
It seems like I am dancing around the topic. True. My firm answer is that my daughter is my only real legacy. If people like my books or use my engineered products, that is wonderful. Otherwise, I am content to let my name slip away into the digital dust. Still. It would be nice to start a business. Got to work on that.
Recently, I have been thinking of my legacy. What long-lasting accomplishments have I made up to this point? I am raising a wonderful daughter, engineered many products, contributed online, have a good marriage and published one book. Obviously, my greatest legacy is my daughter.
The question remains. What do I want people to think about when they hear the name Bill Conrad? Over the years, I set many goals. The most endearing is to start a business. What goals have gone away? I failed to write four patents and stopped working at 11 companies for various reasons. Wow, 11? Something to think about.
Is that it? How about getting a big prize for being an author? An engineering award? An Oscar for a movie based on my book? A hero medal for saving somebody's life? Such awards would be nice, but they are not goals. I would like to think that my efforts speak for themselves.
It seems like I am dancing around the topic. True. My firm answer is that my daughter is my only real legacy. If people like my books or use my engineered products, that is wonderful. Otherwise, I am content to let my name slip away into the digital dust. Still. It would be nice to start a business. Got to work on that.
April 9, 2020
Bad Book Reviews
As part of my marketing efforts, I write many book reviews. However, I do not write uncomplimentary book reviews. Why? The main reason is that I believe in karma. Bad things happen when I send out negative waves. Another reason is that it is not in my nature to publicly criticize somebody. The world is negative enough without my help. And finally, I have certainly felt the sting of a bad review and they are especially painful when the criticism is valid.
If everybody followed my chaotic moral code, would we only have good reviews? There will always be negative people and a bad item can upset a person so much that they need to vent.
There are hundreds of books and movies out there. When I find one that I do not like, I stop reading/watching. Life is too short to slog through boring media. What about a movie theater? I am thinking about the movies Stealth and Thin Red Line. Two hours of my life that I will not get back.
Let’s take a recent example of a book I put down. The Mammoth Book of True War Stories by Jon Lewis. I made it to 20 pages. It had a bland writing style, boring stories, many errors, and I found the format unappealing.
What did I expect? I expected that a book titled “war stories” to have war stories. This particular book contained battle stories. One is a personal account of a specific incident and the other a historical description from a soldier’s perspective.
I expected real war stories like the ones my Uncle Al told me from this time in Vietnam. Here is one that I remember. He had been driving along a dirt road, came across kids making faces, hit a land mine and went flying. Afterward, the kids laughed, which confirmed they knew about the mine. My angry uncle swung his rifle around and pointed it at them. The kids looked scared to death and at the very last moment, he decided not to shoot.
Is this an earth-shattering story? No. Does this story contain a plot? Not really. However, it is a perfect war story. Why? It is personal, interesting and reveals what happened in that conflict. The best part of this story is that Al shared it with me and I now have a connection to that event. That is the kind of personal connection I expected out of the Mammoth Book and it failed at every level.
Should I have blasted the Mammoth Book with a scorching bad review? At least give it one star. If we took young Bill forward in time, he would have written an angry misspelled mess and sent it to every corner of the internet. I feel that life is too short to dwell on the negative. On a side note, for this blog, I looked at a few reviews on this particular book and they confirmed my negative opinion. Perhaps I should have been more careful with my reading choice.
What about giving a bad review to something that upset me? I recall two products on Amazon and two movies on Netflix that I wrote bad reviews for. To date, I have posted over 200 good book reviews. Will I write bad book reviews in the future? If authors keep coming out with Mammoth Books of Worthless Junk, there is hope.
If everybody followed my chaotic moral code, would we only have good reviews? There will always be negative people and a bad item can upset a person so much that they need to vent.
There are hundreds of books and movies out there. When I find one that I do not like, I stop reading/watching. Life is too short to slog through boring media. What about a movie theater? I am thinking about the movies Stealth and Thin Red Line. Two hours of my life that I will not get back.
Let’s take a recent example of a book I put down. The Mammoth Book of True War Stories by Jon Lewis. I made it to 20 pages. It had a bland writing style, boring stories, many errors, and I found the format unappealing.
What did I expect? I expected that a book titled “war stories” to have war stories. This particular book contained battle stories. One is a personal account of a specific incident and the other a historical description from a soldier’s perspective.
I expected real war stories like the ones my Uncle Al told me from this time in Vietnam. Here is one that I remember. He had been driving along a dirt road, came across kids making faces, hit a land mine and went flying. Afterward, the kids laughed, which confirmed they knew about the mine. My angry uncle swung his rifle around and pointed it at them. The kids looked scared to death and at the very last moment, he decided not to shoot.
Is this an earth-shattering story? No. Does this story contain a plot? Not really. However, it is a perfect war story. Why? It is personal, interesting and reveals what happened in that conflict. The best part of this story is that Al shared it with me and I now have a connection to that event. That is the kind of personal connection I expected out of the Mammoth Book and it failed at every level.
Should I have blasted the Mammoth Book with a scorching bad review? At least give it one star. If we took young Bill forward in time, he would have written an angry misspelled mess and sent it to every corner of the internet. I feel that life is too short to dwell on the negative. On a side note, for this blog, I looked at a few reviews on this particular book and they confirmed my negative opinion. Perhaps I should have been more careful with my reading choice.
What about giving a bad review to something that upset me? I recall two products on Amazon and two movies on Netflix that I wrote bad reviews for. To date, I have posted over 200 good book reviews. Will I write bad book reviews in the future? If authors keep coming out with Mammoth Books of Worthless Junk, there is hope.
April 1, 2020
Writing Quirks
Human minds are indeed strange. We love patterns and often do not realize when we are traveling down the same road. I am no exception and my life contains many habits, themes, and common mistakes. These quirks extend deep into my writing. For example, I love to spell the color grey as gray. While this alternate spelling is not technically wrong, readers prefer popular spelling.
Why do I continue to misspell grey? This less popular spelling looks correct in my deluded mind. What can be done about this problem? The first step is to recognize there is a problem. As a result, I now have many incorrect spellings stored in the auto-correct library and a checklist. Here are some auto-corrects and part of my list:
Lead instead of led
Bill instead of BIll (Really, I cannot spell my own name?) (That is actually me typing really fast.)
From instead of form
Lesson instead of lesion
Appreciated instead of apricated
During instead of durring
Receive instead of recieve
Embarrassment instead of imbursement
Always instead of alwase
Here are some of my checks:
Less than versus fewer than
Replace nodded their head with nodded
Excessive use of “Of course.”
What is going on in my head? Is my brain on autopilot? Am I writing the way I speak? It appears that I learned incorrect English in a few areas. Now, I am more aware of my problems and I am beginning to make fewer mistakes. It is strange to confront my failings.
What does the future hold? As my skills improve, my error list and autocorrect will grow. I am using new tools such as Grammarly and Prowritingaid. These programs have revealed my problems and I see better first passes. There is hopes for me. Dang, another tick.
Why do I continue to misspell grey? This less popular spelling looks correct in my deluded mind. What can be done about this problem? The first step is to recognize there is a problem. As a result, I now have many incorrect spellings stored in the auto-correct library and a checklist. Here are some auto-corrects and part of my list:
Lead instead of led
Bill instead of BIll (Really, I cannot spell my own name?) (That is actually me typing really fast.)
From instead of form
Lesson instead of lesion
Appreciated instead of apricated
During instead of durring
Receive instead of recieve
Embarrassment instead of imbursement
Always instead of alwase
Here are some of my checks:
Less than versus fewer than
Replace nodded their head with nodded
Excessive use of “Of course.”
What is going on in my head? Is my brain on autopilot? Am I writing the way I speak? It appears that I learned incorrect English in a few areas. Now, I am more aware of my problems and I am beginning to make fewer mistakes. It is strange to confront my failings.
What does the future hold? As my skills improve, my error list and autocorrect will grow. I am using new tools such as Grammarly and Prowritingaid. These programs have revealed my problems and I see better first passes. There is hopes for me. Dang, another tick.
March 25, 2020
Fictional Ethics
I recently came across an article about the Ethics of Fiction and I thought it would be interesting to blog about this topic. The article began with a deep dive into the history and techniques of fiction. It then described how fiction affects society and what responsibilities authors have.
Its essential questions: Are fiction authors liars and do the authors intentionally deceive readers? For me, the answer depends on how an author presents their work. If an author honestly informs their readers about the fictional content, then the author is acting ethically. If an author attempts to pass along a fictional event as true, then they are acting unethically.
Of course, there are many gray areas. For example, a news report, that “takes a creative look into the problem.” Or “embellished facts.” My favorite are stories that are “based on true events.” Today we accept that “true” stories contain a percentage of fiction. The term for this new media is “dramatized.” I prefer to stay out of this gray area and I have never claimed my published work contained factual events.
However, I do get near reality. For example, in my first book, I developed the concept that the ruler of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra is immortal. To be clear, I am attempting to get readers to believe a not fictional woman lived for hundreds of years. This “fact” is clearly untrue.
How would I respond to the allegation of lying? First, at the beginning of my book, I declare my book to be a work of fiction. Second, I market the book as fiction. Third, the concept of immortality is an accepted functional construct.
Am I behaving unethically? In my mind, I made up a story and never intended to deceive anybody. If a reader ever suggested that my story is real, I would immediately defend my work as 100% fiction. So, we’re good? Right? Well…
People have Star Wars themed weddings and they name streets after fictional characters. Fans firmly believe in The Force and Harry Potter’s magic. Are we deceiving ourselves? In some cases, we take things a bit too far. Yet, as a society, having a fantasy foundation is good because it helps soften the harsh blows of reality.
Let’s tackle this issue head-on. Darth Vader never existed and will never exist. Right? Well… A few diehard fans truly believe and contend he exists “in a galaxy far, far away.” We can conclude he kind of exists. Now hold on. If a judge ordered Darth Vader to appear holding his lightsaber, nothing would happen. At best, an actor would show up in costume while holding a plastic prop. This individual only can come alive in a fictional environment.
Did George Lucas intend to deceive his audiences when he created Star Wars? He certainly put in a lot of effort into making realistic movies. Clearly, he only intended to create an amazing movie and not fool people. How would George Lucas respond to people who think the force is real? He would probably shake the hands of his diehard fans. How would George Lucas respond in a courtroom? He would strongly declare his creation to be fictional and laugh at the absurd notion that any part of his move is real.
What about an author that passes off their fictional creation as real? We now have an accepted term for this. Fake news. In my mind, this attempt at reality is an undisputed lie. What if we bend the truth? Fact: There have been allegations that the mayor embezzled school funds. Statement: “The mayor stole our tax dollars. -An anonymous source.” This statement is a thinly vailed lie. The anonymous source could be me and I have no idea about any mayors. What is the harm? I am raising awareness. Right? In my mind, this “author” is behaving unethically.
Can any good come out of fake news? Let us pretend somebody wrote a fake story that got people upset and the resulting interest brought a positive change. This is an ends justify the means argument. The bad situation could have been exposed in a well-written article with documented facts and a well thought out solution.
Are my ethics holding me back? Should I write up a bunch of fake news to bring attention to an important subject? I have to live with myself, and I would rather be a nobody author than an important person propped up by lies. The world has far too much fake news, urban legends, and distorted facts.
In life and literature, I do my best to behave honestly and try not to deceive. When I blog about a real topic, I do my best to present facts without embellishment. For those who choose a different path, I do not believe they qualify as authors.
https://aeon.co/essays/how-to-tell-fa...
Its essential questions: Are fiction authors liars and do the authors intentionally deceive readers? For me, the answer depends on how an author presents their work. If an author honestly informs their readers about the fictional content, then the author is acting ethically. If an author attempts to pass along a fictional event as true, then they are acting unethically.
Of course, there are many gray areas. For example, a news report, that “takes a creative look into the problem.” Or “embellished facts.” My favorite are stories that are “based on true events.” Today we accept that “true” stories contain a percentage of fiction. The term for this new media is “dramatized.” I prefer to stay out of this gray area and I have never claimed my published work contained factual events.
However, I do get near reality. For example, in my first book, I developed the concept that the ruler of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra is immortal. To be clear, I am attempting to get readers to believe a not fictional woman lived for hundreds of years. This “fact” is clearly untrue.
How would I respond to the allegation of lying? First, at the beginning of my book, I declare my book to be a work of fiction. Second, I market the book as fiction. Third, the concept of immortality is an accepted functional construct.
Am I behaving unethically? In my mind, I made up a story and never intended to deceive anybody. If a reader ever suggested that my story is real, I would immediately defend my work as 100% fiction. So, we’re good? Right? Well…
People have Star Wars themed weddings and they name streets after fictional characters. Fans firmly believe in The Force and Harry Potter’s magic. Are we deceiving ourselves? In some cases, we take things a bit too far. Yet, as a society, having a fantasy foundation is good because it helps soften the harsh blows of reality.
Let’s tackle this issue head-on. Darth Vader never existed and will never exist. Right? Well… A few diehard fans truly believe and contend he exists “in a galaxy far, far away.” We can conclude he kind of exists. Now hold on. If a judge ordered Darth Vader to appear holding his lightsaber, nothing would happen. At best, an actor would show up in costume while holding a plastic prop. This individual only can come alive in a fictional environment.
Did George Lucas intend to deceive his audiences when he created Star Wars? He certainly put in a lot of effort into making realistic movies. Clearly, he only intended to create an amazing movie and not fool people. How would George Lucas respond to people who think the force is real? He would probably shake the hands of his diehard fans. How would George Lucas respond in a courtroom? He would strongly declare his creation to be fictional and laugh at the absurd notion that any part of his move is real.
What about an author that passes off their fictional creation as real? We now have an accepted term for this. Fake news. In my mind, this attempt at reality is an undisputed lie. What if we bend the truth? Fact: There have been allegations that the mayor embezzled school funds. Statement: “The mayor stole our tax dollars. -An anonymous source.” This statement is a thinly vailed lie. The anonymous source could be me and I have no idea about any mayors. What is the harm? I am raising awareness. Right? In my mind, this “author” is behaving unethically.
Can any good come out of fake news? Let us pretend somebody wrote a fake story that got people upset and the resulting interest brought a positive change. This is an ends justify the means argument. The bad situation could have been exposed in a well-written article with documented facts and a well thought out solution.
Are my ethics holding me back? Should I write up a bunch of fake news to bring attention to an important subject? I have to live with myself, and I would rather be a nobody author than an important person propped up by lies. The world has far too much fake news, urban legends, and distorted facts.
In life and literature, I do my best to behave honestly and try not to deceive. When I blog about a real topic, I do my best to present facts without embellishment. For those who choose a different path, I do not believe they qualify as authors.
https://aeon.co/essays/how-to-tell-fa...
March 18, 2020
Another Writing Setback
My second book is about two people who survive a horrific event and fall in love. It seems like a standard romance topic. However, the girl is underage, and the story is unconventional. While I applied an extreme amount of effort to provide a universal appeal, I knew my creation might cause a few people to be offended or at least dislike the story.
In this time of South Park, Tinder, big sports cheating, political debacles, legal recreational drugs, common core education, and sex scandals, is it bad to have an offensive book? The bar has been set so low that my trivial efforts should not make a single wave. Knowing this, I chose to write this story because I knew its unconventional nature would pull people in. Hmm. Does mean that I intentionally wanted to offend a few people. Umm. I guess so. Is it my nature to offend people? Not at all. In fact, I go out of my way not to be offensive. Hmm. Something to think about.
Bringing my book to print has been a long road. My first editor applied less than the minimum effort. When I got the edits back, they put me into a panic. I went on a six-month self-editing frenzy to correct every mistake I could find. When I convinced myself that I had something worthwhile, I submitted it to another editor.
To put it mildly, the feedback from this new editor did not make me happy. It took a while to face the main issues. The male is an arrogant ass, and the girl reads like a confused idiot turned genius. To top it off, I had fundamental plot problems. The editor's overall opinion is that nobody will like it. Ouch.
Reading these comments really hurt, and I went into my unhappy place for a long while. Eventually, I pulled myself up, took a deep look into the actual edits and the comments. At this point, I need to take a sidetrack to explain what a good edit should accomplish. The most important task is to eliminate all grammar, spelling, logic, and format issues. Next, style and flow should be addressed. A good editor will also include constructive comments.
A bad edit will not correct the problems and introduce new ones. Unfortunately, this is exactly what I found. I never claimed to have great spelling abilities, but within five minutes, I located three Homonyms (words that sound alike but have different meanings.) Important sentences were deleted, facts changed and logic flaws introduced. The strange part is that many sentences were moved for no reason. This resulted in horrible flow and left me wondering about the editor’s true motivation.
Eventually, I concluded that the editor did not like the story and “wrote angry.” An ethical editor should have stopped the process and voiced their concerns. Instead, I got a huge mess that forced me to make a drastic decision. Rewrite the book with a new plot, drop the project or somehow continue. Of course, I bucked up. I am not a quitter, and I still like the story.
I decided to fix what could be fixed and ignore the other criticism. My first pass will address the character, plot, and logic problems. The result will be a more likable male and a realistic female. However, I see the downside to my efforts. By eliminating character flaws, I end up with bland people. Granted, I know that readers like characters they can relate to. An unfortunate tradeoff.
My second pass will attempt to incorporate the useful edits. This is not going to be a pleasant task, but I am up for the challenge.
Will the result have universal appeal? Regrettably, I am facing the reality that my story will offend some people and I will have to deal with the blowback. Up to this point, I did not fully consider this harsh possibility. However, I am aware that the popular book Harry Potter offended many people. Their big complaint is that magic is not real, and that book taught children otherwise. Are such complaints valid? Of course not, but people still got offended, and others took their complaints seriously.
Does an author feel the sting from invalid complaints? Negativity always hurts, which reminds me of a great quote from The Princess Bride. “Life is pain. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something.”
The world is a tough place, and a timid book will not get any attention. I have to keep remembering that fact, believe in myself, continue to take risks and push through the pain.
In this time of South Park, Tinder, big sports cheating, political debacles, legal recreational drugs, common core education, and sex scandals, is it bad to have an offensive book? The bar has been set so low that my trivial efforts should not make a single wave. Knowing this, I chose to write this story because I knew its unconventional nature would pull people in. Hmm. Does mean that I intentionally wanted to offend a few people. Umm. I guess so. Is it my nature to offend people? Not at all. In fact, I go out of my way not to be offensive. Hmm. Something to think about.
Bringing my book to print has been a long road. My first editor applied less than the minimum effort. When I got the edits back, they put me into a panic. I went on a six-month self-editing frenzy to correct every mistake I could find. When I convinced myself that I had something worthwhile, I submitted it to another editor.
To put it mildly, the feedback from this new editor did not make me happy. It took a while to face the main issues. The male is an arrogant ass, and the girl reads like a confused idiot turned genius. To top it off, I had fundamental plot problems. The editor's overall opinion is that nobody will like it. Ouch.
Reading these comments really hurt, and I went into my unhappy place for a long while. Eventually, I pulled myself up, took a deep look into the actual edits and the comments. At this point, I need to take a sidetrack to explain what a good edit should accomplish. The most important task is to eliminate all grammar, spelling, logic, and format issues. Next, style and flow should be addressed. A good editor will also include constructive comments.
A bad edit will not correct the problems and introduce new ones. Unfortunately, this is exactly what I found. I never claimed to have great spelling abilities, but within five minutes, I located three Homonyms (words that sound alike but have different meanings.) Important sentences were deleted, facts changed and logic flaws introduced. The strange part is that many sentences were moved for no reason. This resulted in horrible flow and left me wondering about the editor’s true motivation.
Eventually, I concluded that the editor did not like the story and “wrote angry.” An ethical editor should have stopped the process and voiced their concerns. Instead, I got a huge mess that forced me to make a drastic decision. Rewrite the book with a new plot, drop the project or somehow continue. Of course, I bucked up. I am not a quitter, and I still like the story.
I decided to fix what could be fixed and ignore the other criticism. My first pass will address the character, plot, and logic problems. The result will be a more likable male and a realistic female. However, I see the downside to my efforts. By eliminating character flaws, I end up with bland people. Granted, I know that readers like characters they can relate to. An unfortunate tradeoff.
My second pass will attempt to incorporate the useful edits. This is not going to be a pleasant task, but I am up for the challenge.
Will the result have universal appeal? Regrettably, I am facing the reality that my story will offend some people and I will have to deal with the blowback. Up to this point, I did not fully consider this harsh possibility. However, I am aware that the popular book Harry Potter offended many people. Their big complaint is that magic is not real, and that book taught children otherwise. Are such complaints valid? Of course not, but people still got offended, and others took their complaints seriously.
Does an author feel the sting from invalid complaints? Negativity always hurts, which reminds me of a great quote from The Princess Bride. “Life is pain. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something.”
The world is a tough place, and a timid book will not get any attention. I have to keep remembering that fact, believe in myself, continue to take risks and push through the pain.
March 11, 2020
Bad Grammar
From an early age, English proved to be a difficult subject. Spelling, sentence structure, and crazy rules all messed with my young mind. Of course, many of my classmates had vastly superior skills and when this particular breed grew up, they turned into snobby Grammar critics. “Who should be used in the subject position in a sentence, while who should be used in the object position.” What a useless rule! Why is English so complex? Why don’t we write the way we speak?
My path toward improved English should have taken a graceful course into a sea of misspelled words and incomplete sentences. Instead, I decided to become an author. Words now dominate my thoughts, and I endlessly toil over choosing the best ones. Side note. My four blog followers would likely point out the vast need for improvement.
As my English improved, I began noticing a change in my perception. To my great surprise, sentences in other works had problems. For example, the book Reamde by Neal Stephenson had many issues per page. He is a bestselling author and surly uses a top-notch editor. Right? Apparently not.
Recently, a new trend emerged in my life. Other people’s flaws became so obvious that I felt the compulsive need to complain and correct them. Just this morning, I noticed the advertising slogan on a medical diagnostic company van “Because doctors care.” While this sentence is mostly correct, it made me want to yell, “Who the heck asked this question? Doctors are supposed to care. It’s their job. You guys are not even doctors!” Two years ago, I would not have given that van a second glance.
I recently read this Slashdot article sentence, “Cost-conscious farmers are looking for bargains, and tractors from that era are well-built and totally functional, and aren't as complicated or expensive to repair as more recent models that run on sophisticated software.” Do their tractors fuel up with run-on sentences? Don’t the Slashdot editors look at the headlines? Is there someplace to complain? Should I write a nasty comment?
Wait a minute. Who just wrote that? This is Bill here. The undisputed king of run-on sentences, awful grammar and misspelling. Did I somehow become that grammar hater? Have I switched sides? Is this going to be my new thing? “Stay tuned for epic bad grammar rants.”
By now, my four blog readers have a good grasp of my personality. Long-winded rants into esoteric topics do not lead to “buy it now” clicks. Will I suffer in silence? Perhaps a future blog will have my top ten bad grammar finds. Will my sentences make the cut? They will probably be the first nine.
PS, March 4 is National Grammar Day.
My path toward improved English should have taken a graceful course into a sea of misspelled words and incomplete sentences. Instead, I decided to become an author. Words now dominate my thoughts, and I endlessly toil over choosing the best ones. Side note. My four blog followers would likely point out the vast need for improvement.
As my English improved, I began noticing a change in my perception. To my great surprise, sentences in other works had problems. For example, the book Reamde by Neal Stephenson had many issues per page. He is a bestselling author and surly uses a top-notch editor. Right? Apparently not.
Recently, a new trend emerged in my life. Other people’s flaws became so obvious that I felt the compulsive need to complain and correct them. Just this morning, I noticed the advertising slogan on a medical diagnostic company van “Because doctors care.” While this sentence is mostly correct, it made me want to yell, “Who the heck asked this question? Doctors are supposed to care. It’s their job. You guys are not even doctors!” Two years ago, I would not have given that van a second glance.
I recently read this Slashdot article sentence, “Cost-conscious farmers are looking for bargains, and tractors from that era are well-built and totally functional, and aren't as complicated or expensive to repair as more recent models that run on sophisticated software.” Do their tractors fuel up with run-on sentences? Don’t the Slashdot editors look at the headlines? Is there someplace to complain? Should I write a nasty comment?
Wait a minute. Who just wrote that? This is Bill here. The undisputed king of run-on sentences, awful grammar and misspelling. Did I somehow become that grammar hater? Have I switched sides? Is this going to be my new thing? “Stay tuned for epic bad grammar rants.”
By now, my four blog readers have a good grasp of my personality. Long-winded rants into esoteric topics do not lead to “buy it now” clicks. Will I suffer in silence? Perhaps a future blog will have my top ten bad grammar finds. Will my sentences make the cut? They will probably be the first nine.
PS, March 4 is National Grammar Day.
March 4, 2020
An Important Blog Topic
I have the goal of creating a multi-part blog about how women are poorly portrayed in media. This seems like a reasonable goal. Why not jump right in? Well… This is an important topic and a controversial topic. Does this mean the topic is too difficult to write about? I have given this topic a lot of thought and know exactly how it should be written. Hmm. It seems like I am avoiding the real issue.
In writing this blog, I took some time to think about the subject and identified two obstacles. The first is that I have been waiting until I had enough writing skills to properly tackle this issue. The second reason is a little more complex. I have been preparing for so long that I would have covered all the important topics. Hmm. The human mind is indeed strange.
How should I solve this problem? The obvious answer is to set a date. Fine. I will make this a subject for my next three blogs. Done! Well… I already set a few “hard dates” and they flew by. I even wrote an outline.
Should I disregard the topic? Should I apply more effort? Break it up into stages? Start a new outline? Hmm. I know how my mind works. One day I will get upset (probably by watching another movie where women are mistreated) and start writing.
Perhaps writing this blog will shame me into starting this task. Blogging solved writing issues in my past. If you recall my blog that dealt with writer's block:
http://interviewingimmortality.com/bl...
Will this blog effort rouse up my inner drive? Perhaps. Or is it best to best to procrastinate even longer? It seems like a lazy way to end a blog.
In writing this blog, I took some time to think about the subject and identified two obstacles. The first is that I have been waiting until I had enough writing skills to properly tackle this issue. The second reason is a little more complex. I have been preparing for so long that I would have covered all the important topics. Hmm. The human mind is indeed strange.
How should I solve this problem? The obvious answer is to set a date. Fine. I will make this a subject for my next three blogs. Done! Well… I already set a few “hard dates” and they flew by. I even wrote an outline.
Should I disregard the topic? Should I apply more effort? Break it up into stages? Start a new outline? Hmm. I know how my mind works. One day I will get upset (probably by watching another movie where women are mistreated) and start writing.
Perhaps writing this blog will shame me into starting this task. Blogging solved writing issues in my past. If you recall my blog that dealt with writer's block:
http://interviewingimmortality.com/bl...
Will this blog effort rouse up my inner drive? Perhaps. Or is it best to best to procrastinate even longer? It seems like a lazy way to end a blog.
February 26, 2020
My Personal Life
Writers get inspiration from many sources, including their personal experiences. For example, I had a bad breakup in High School and I used those memories to create a scene. In looking over my work, I captured many critical life-defining moments. However, I do not write about recent personal events. Are they noteworthy? While I don’t lead a particularly exciting life, there have been many circumstances worthy of sharing.
For example, my daughter’s female classmates experienced inappropriate policies. Why not discuss every detail in great depth? While my daughter did not get exposed to this harsh treatment, a healthy Facebook discussion could bring about change or make an amazing book scene. I bet people would be truly outraged. Best of all, such a topic would promote my abilities. Hey, world. Bill really cares about stuff. Buy his books!
Not going to happen. Why? I go far out of my way to make sure my private life stays off the internet. The idea of random people knowing my details is repulsive. Plus, there will be personal fallout. In the above example, sharing these details would put my daughter into an awkward situation. In addition, those girls have been through enough without my attempts to peddle books. On a side note, the parents are very upset and are now taking the matter up with the district. If that fails, they will be seeking legal avenues and media attention.
Why not disguise my identity? Ghostwriter Bob’s daughter is having problems… My ethics are not compatible with this tact. I stand by my words and choose not to hide behind an anonymous shield.
What about my successes? “Hey, world. I just sold another book! Yay!” A core part of my personality does not like to brag. Unfortunately, this low-profile attitude leads to promotion problems. “My books are the best ever! You should buy one.” Do I believe that statement? Should I believe it? Clearly, I need to take more risks. Unfortunately, I continue to believe in the fantasy that a great book will sell itself. “Soon, the world will discover me.” This continues to be a blind spot.
Is having a bubbly personality good? “Hey world, I just crashed my car. Look at me! Buy my book!” People love reading such statements and they do sell books. We are like moths drawn to the open flames of entertainment. Unfortunately, that personality type will never occupy my mind. As a self-publisher, this means the road to success will be lengthy.
For now, I am going to keep my private life private. However, I will try to be a little more outrageous. But just a little. Is it too late to edit that last sentences?
For example, my daughter’s female classmates experienced inappropriate policies. Why not discuss every detail in great depth? While my daughter did not get exposed to this harsh treatment, a healthy Facebook discussion could bring about change or make an amazing book scene. I bet people would be truly outraged. Best of all, such a topic would promote my abilities. Hey, world. Bill really cares about stuff. Buy his books!
Not going to happen. Why? I go far out of my way to make sure my private life stays off the internet. The idea of random people knowing my details is repulsive. Plus, there will be personal fallout. In the above example, sharing these details would put my daughter into an awkward situation. In addition, those girls have been through enough without my attempts to peddle books. On a side note, the parents are very upset and are now taking the matter up with the district. If that fails, they will be seeking legal avenues and media attention.
Why not disguise my identity? Ghostwriter Bob’s daughter is having problems… My ethics are not compatible with this tact. I stand by my words and choose not to hide behind an anonymous shield.
What about my successes? “Hey, world. I just sold another book! Yay!” A core part of my personality does not like to brag. Unfortunately, this low-profile attitude leads to promotion problems. “My books are the best ever! You should buy one.” Do I believe that statement? Should I believe it? Clearly, I need to take more risks. Unfortunately, I continue to believe in the fantasy that a great book will sell itself. “Soon, the world will discover me.” This continues to be a blind spot.
Is having a bubbly personality good? “Hey world, I just crashed my car. Look at me! Buy my book!” People love reading such statements and they do sell books. We are like moths drawn to the open flames of entertainment. Unfortunately, that personality type will never occupy my mind. As a self-publisher, this means the road to success will be lengthy.
For now, I am going to keep my private life private. However, I will try to be a little more outrageous. But just a little. Is it too late to edit that last sentences?
February 19, 2020
I Lost a Friend
he drummer, Neil Peart from the Canadian rock band Rush passed away January 7 of this year. He had aggressive brain cancer and lived to age 64. While I have never met this amazing person, I consider him to be a dear friend. I thought it would be nice to explore how he influenced my writing in this blog.
While I had been aware of the band Rush from an early age, I did not appreciate their music. Around the age of 19, the song Tom Sawyer came on at an event and I asked the surrounding people, “Who are these people?” From that single moment, I had an immediate connection to their music, philosophy, and style.
One might ask, “What makes them special?” Before launching into an epic 30-page answer, I must take a step back and acknowledge the existence of many great musicians/bands. Each one has a unique story, talent, hook, and sound. With so many excellent choices, we have the freedom to listen to the songs/music genre that we enjoy.
Taking an outside view, clearly, not everybody is a Rush fan. They have been described as “tragically un-hip.” Side note. That’s harsh! The haters complain about preachy lyrics, loud music, muted style and unable to compare to (Blog readers, please fill in your own favorite musician here ____________.)
Of course, when it comes to music, we put on our headphones, ignore the haters and play the next track of our favorite artist. However, the question remains. How did Neil Peart music influence me and why do I consider him a friend? Hmm. How does music influence anybody? I think it provides inspiration. At the very least, it gives us something to dance to and sing in the shower. Side note. I am more of a sing in the car without passengers. Yes, I do get amusing looks from the other drivers.
On the topic of writing, Neil is the band’s “chief lyrist.” He wrote the majority of their songs and much of their music. If I were to choose a word to describe the music’s message, it would be “inspirational.”
A song is quite different from a book. Each word is incredibly important, scrutinized and meaningful. For example, the song Beat It by Michael Jackson has 399 words. Yet, those 399 words made a #1 hit that continues to be a huge inspiration.
When one writes, one does their best to create a perfect gem of a story. A writer considers all aspects and works deep into the night to improve. I think the spirit of every Rush song embodies this philosophy. Neil worked hard to create something new, close to his heart and special. I think the results eliminated every scrap of junk and only left perfect gems of music.
I often wonder about the creative process that Neil went through and where his inspiration came from. On an amusing side note, I have yet to make a Rush reference in any of my books. Why? I did not feel I had attained the level of writing perfection to include them.
A big part of my personality is being a perfectionist. It is in every aspect of my life and I see the same in all Rush songs. The difference is that Neil succeeded in creating something great. I have yet to achieve his level of perfection. It took me a while to pin down what I learned from Neil. He gave me the vision to see my own goal. Thanks.
When I learned Neil passed away, it felt like somebody punched me. I indeed lost a part of my life that only could be the result of losing a friend. A very sad day. My mentor could no longer provide new inspiration. In addition, he would never write any more music, conduct interviews, and it would never be possible to meet my friend.
In reflecting upon his passing, I did come up with one bright spot. He left behind a wealth of music, writing, and interviews. Even my daughter likes a few Rush songs. How cool is that? I hear their passionate music read the words that touch my heart. Wait a minute. Did I just end this blog with a Rush quote? Hmm. Breaking some rules already.
P.S. This is my 100th blog. Yay. I dedicate this blog to Neil. You have proven to be a true inspiration.
While I had been aware of the band Rush from an early age, I did not appreciate their music. Around the age of 19, the song Tom Sawyer came on at an event and I asked the surrounding people, “Who are these people?” From that single moment, I had an immediate connection to their music, philosophy, and style.
One might ask, “What makes them special?” Before launching into an epic 30-page answer, I must take a step back and acknowledge the existence of many great musicians/bands. Each one has a unique story, talent, hook, and sound. With so many excellent choices, we have the freedom to listen to the songs/music genre that we enjoy.
Taking an outside view, clearly, not everybody is a Rush fan. They have been described as “tragically un-hip.” Side note. That’s harsh! The haters complain about preachy lyrics, loud music, muted style and unable to compare to (Blog readers, please fill in your own favorite musician here ____________.)
Of course, when it comes to music, we put on our headphones, ignore the haters and play the next track of our favorite artist. However, the question remains. How did Neil Peart music influence me and why do I consider him a friend? Hmm. How does music influence anybody? I think it provides inspiration. At the very least, it gives us something to dance to and sing in the shower. Side note. I am more of a sing in the car without passengers. Yes, I do get amusing looks from the other drivers.
On the topic of writing, Neil is the band’s “chief lyrist.” He wrote the majority of their songs and much of their music. If I were to choose a word to describe the music’s message, it would be “inspirational.”
A song is quite different from a book. Each word is incredibly important, scrutinized and meaningful. For example, the song Beat It by Michael Jackson has 399 words. Yet, those 399 words made a #1 hit that continues to be a huge inspiration.
When one writes, one does their best to create a perfect gem of a story. A writer considers all aspects and works deep into the night to improve. I think the spirit of every Rush song embodies this philosophy. Neil worked hard to create something new, close to his heart and special. I think the results eliminated every scrap of junk and only left perfect gems of music.
I often wonder about the creative process that Neil went through and where his inspiration came from. On an amusing side note, I have yet to make a Rush reference in any of my books. Why? I did not feel I had attained the level of writing perfection to include them.
A big part of my personality is being a perfectionist. It is in every aspect of my life and I see the same in all Rush songs. The difference is that Neil succeeded in creating something great. I have yet to achieve his level of perfection. It took me a while to pin down what I learned from Neil. He gave me the vision to see my own goal. Thanks.
When I learned Neil passed away, it felt like somebody punched me. I indeed lost a part of my life that only could be the result of losing a friend. A very sad day. My mentor could no longer provide new inspiration. In addition, he would never write any more music, conduct interviews, and it would never be possible to meet my friend.
In reflecting upon his passing, I did come up with one bright spot. He left behind a wealth of music, writing, and interviews. Even my daughter likes a few Rush songs. How cool is that? I hear their passionate music read the words that touch my heart. Wait a minute. Did I just end this blog with a Rush quote? Hmm. Breaking some rules already.
P.S. This is my 100th blog. Yay. I dedicate this blog to Neil. You have proven to be a true inspiration.
