Mike Crowl's Blog, page 21

A rift in the lute

My wife and I frequently do the cryptic crossword that appears daily in our newspaper. Some days it can be so straightforward it's done in a quarter of an hour. Other days some of the clues seem incomprehensible, much more like the ones that appear with the Saturday cryptic, which is much harder - though we've found it more doable as the years go by. 

Yesterday we got stuck with a clue that we just couldn't make head or tail of. The clue was "Musical version of someone rocking the bo...

Writing is tiring work

G K Chesterton writing to his friend, Bentley, not long after GK started his first job working for a publisher - Redway, mentioned in the letter. 

There is that confounded 'Picture of Tuesday' which I have been scribbling at the whole evening, and have at last got it presentable. This sounds like mere amusement, but, now that I have tried other kinds of hurry and bustle, I solemnly pledge myself to the opinion that there is no work so tiring as writing, that is, not for fun...

We shouldn't necessarily pay attention to Word's Grammar corrections

Courtesy PixabayIn a draft of a book I'm writing, there's this sentence: 

They were dressed in a variety of ways, one in an expensive suit, another in overalls; one in a track suit and running shoes, another in a jersey and gardening trousers.
A perfectly reasonable sentence for a Kiwi author to write: jersey being the common equivalent of a 'pullover' or a 'sweater.' Which doesn't explain Word's idea that the following are two better and more grammatical alternatives: 
'...some j...

Marketing for self-publishers - does this idea work

Yesterday I came across a blog post entitled: The Fool-Proof Twitter Book Marketing Strategy You Need to be Using. My first reaction was, Yes, this is what I've been looking for, but having considered overnight some of the things the author is saying, I'm having second thoughts. 

One thing I do agree with is that merely announcing on Twitter that you've written and published a book will probably not add a single sale to your sales chart. I get tweets like this all the time from...

Marketing information - does this work?

Yesterday I came across a blog post entitled: The Fool-Proof Twitter Book Marketing Strategy You Need to be Using. My first reaction was, Yes, this is what I've been looking for, but having considered overnight some of the things the author is saying, I'm having second thoughts. 

One thing I do agree with is that merely announcing on Twitter that you've written and published a book will probably not add a single sale to your sales chart. I get tweets like this all the time from...

Stranger - or Forest of Secrets

Last night we finished watching the 16-part series, Stranger, also known as Forest of Secrets. It's available on Netflix; apparently that company paid its producers $200,000 per episode. It appeared on Korean television in June and July of this year, so it's very new. 

Is it worth that kind of money? I'd say it is. Made in South Korea with an all-Korean cast, it's a top-notch thriller-cum-detective story. The two leads, Jo Seung-woo as the Prosecutor, Hwang Shi-mok, and Bae...

Five top blog posts

I'm always interested in stats, though that doesn't mean I always use them well, or understand their finer points. 

Blogger obligingly provides stats on a number of things related to my posts, and, out of curiosity today I checked the top blog posts of 'all time' from my blog. They're a real mixed bag, and there seems no rhyme nor reason as to why any of them should have been viewed so often. 

But for the record (because possibly they'll change at some point) here are the top five pos...

Guest post: Marlena Smith

Continuing a month-long focus on authors from RWISA:the Rave Writers International Society of Authors. Throughout August we'll be showing extracts from the work of these authors. For more information about any particular writer click the link under their photo.Will it ever be enough?Will I ever be complete?These questions haunt me;They scream out defeat.
A mind vacant of answers;A soul lost in time;A heart full of sadness;And eyes that just won't shine.
A whisper full of sorrow;A...

Guest post: Laura Libricz

Continuing a month-long focus on authors from RWISA:the Rave Writers International Society of Authors. Throughout August we'll be showing extracts from the work of these authors. For more information about any particular writer click the link under their photo.

The writing today is an untitled piece by Laura Libricz:
The lunch bell rings and I set my brush aside, returning the unpainted porcelain Debby Doll head to the tray. A kettle whistles. Sarah runs to make the lunchtime tea...

Guest Post: Wendy Scott

Continuing a month-long focus on authors from RWISA:the Rave Writers International Society of Authors. Throughout August we'll be showing extracts from the work of these authors. For more information about any particular writer click the link under their photo.





Note: Wendy is a fellow-New Zealander, a writer who first introduced me to the Rave Reviews Book Club. 
Navigator by Wendy Scott
Luke's body whirled through the portal in a kaleidoscope of starlight and rainbows. Burnt...