Today I mostly wrote ... the word count thread. Showing 4,101-4,150 of 4,252

[Pam]

Been doing the edit, using NaNoWriMo as a goad to make sure I worked on it every day. Christmas preps starting to interfere now, but planning to get back to it once I've done the feedback for my online crit group.

[M.T.]

Fantastic going! Well done. I did Nano too and I cannot believe that I actually wrote 50k! It was a big surprise. I'm totally into it now and it's a pain but I've had to stop because of Christmas but I do now have a slight inkling where it's going and how to join up quite a lot of the bits I've done ... and there's a drag act in it because I can never do anything sensible.

[Alicia]

Wouldn't dream of trying again, but congratulate those for whom this is a useful incentive program.

I'm so unpredictable that I've given up preplanning anything except doctor's appointments (pesky doctors are not otherwise available when I am up to par) and maybe an occasional dinner engagement downstairs.

[Jim]

Nano always comes at the wrong time of year for me. It's good to see people getting benefit from it

[Alicia]

I don't need something like Nano - lack of motivation is not my problem (any more).

Brain fog is - I fight that every day. Sometimes I win for a couple of hours.

[M.T.]

Jim, yeh, it's a shit time of year for me too but it takes my mind off Christmas so I don't get miserable about it as early on.

Alicia, yeh, you can't force brain fog. Mine is better at the moment but mainly because my father is no longer suffering and Mum's dementia seems to be a lot kinder than his was so she isn't suffering as much and therefore, neither are we.

[Alicia]

So sorry about your parents. I remember what you've posted, and keep wondering why this scourge is still not even understood - we've had it since biblical times at least.

[Alicia]

Trying to goose the reading and reviewing world again - nice friend in Australia reblogged my post about the Kindle Countdown Deals - but I'm still trying to get past paperwork and back to writing, and today I get a new assistant - essential, but untrained - and I'm up to my ears in dust since her predecessor left last June - had the nerve to graduate from college! Kidding.

I should check on HER - she's in Sacramento in grad school - less than an hour away, and we've been inundated. Speaking of which, I wonder how often that word is used to mean what it means!

Hope the UK isn't under quite as much water.

It's always something.

[M.T.]

Alicia wrote: "Trying to goose the reading and reviewing world again - nice friend in Australia reblogged my post about the Kindle Countdown Deals - but I'm still trying to get past paperwork and back to writing,..."

We are frozen solid rather than runny I think! Congrats on the new assistant and glad teh count down deals have done well. I've not written anything much either. Another thing has broken at Mum's and I've been doing my tax return. Got that in the bag today though.

[Alicia]

The countdown deals ran. They didn't do anything - maybe sold a book or two total. Not having luck with the easy things - have to finish the paperwork project now that I have an assistant, and get back to work.

People don't realize how totally useless my days can be when the brain fog is almost constant. Can't seem to get rid of it lately - stress doesn't help.

I'm fine - just slower than usual when I have more than usual to do. Frustrating to have time and not be able to use it.

[M.T.]

Just keep in mind that it’s amazing that you do anything with the disability you are facing.

[Alicia]

It is, but I refuse to use that as a standard.

It's more that everything I do takes SO much longer, and I have no spare energy for the many things that need some, but everyone has limitations, and I'm not letting myself off any hooks because of mine!

Just time. I WILL accept (because I have no choice) that it's going to take me a LOT longer. Which means far fewer books total, and is even MORE of a reason to insist they be the best I can manage. So be it - because that's what I have to work with.

You have had your own many obstacles, and have handled them with persistence and grace (while somehow even making them funny when you post about them, along with heartbreaking). Don't sell yourself short.

[M.T.]

Alicia wrote: "It is, but I refuse to use that as a standard.

It's more that everything I do takes SO much longer, and I have no spare energy for the many things that need some, but everyone has limitations, and..."

Thank you and back at you. :-) That is something I hope to complete this year; the dementia memoir.

[M.T.]

Finally managed to write something. OK so it's only a blog post but it's better than a slap in the face with a wet fish! :-)

[Alicia]

Will mention this once, the short way, and then tell you that I'm fine, and that I'm sleeping a lot (as expected), and slowly getting back to normal, and not in any pain but that generated by hospital beds and gurneys:

Short version: I had an event of cardiac pain, they checked it out with a full cardiac catheterization at a hospital in Sacramento, turns out not to have been a heart attack, and I’m home with no restrictions to get over all the gastric side effects and the total exhaustion a person with ME/CFS deals with if anything, especially hospital-related, happens. Phew!

Just so you don't say I never tell you anything, and because I have been missing.

Lesson learned: don't lean over and vigorously clean pieces of your carpeting. Not if you're me, apparently.

[Jim]

sounds rough, glad you're back home

[Alicia]

Thanks. Me, too - I'm only happy when I'm writing, and all this stuff steals time and does a number on energy. The stress isn't helping.

[M.T.]

Sorry to hear that Alicia, glad you are home now. Hope you are soon a lot more de-stressed and you can write again.

[Pam]

Sorry to hear you've had this stressful experience and hope things get better for you soon.

[Alicia]

Pam wrote: "Sorry to hear you've had this stressful experience and hope things get better for you soon."

Thanks, Pam. Not fun at all - and it really interferes with writing!

[Alicia]

M.T. wrote: "Sorry to hear that Alicia, glad you are home now. Hope you are soon a lot more de-stressed and you can write again."

Thanks. As usual, I'm still working on it. They'll be carting me off, and I'll be screaming, "Wait! There's a comma wrong on page...!"

Just had the thought that our real life children grow up and manage themselves most of the time; our books, never. I'm not sure I knew this when I decided I was going to do this writing thing.

[Alicia]

Jim wrote: "sounds rough, glad you're back home"

Amen.

Hospitals are not good places for people who are chronically ill AND sensitive to light, sound, food, people,... There is too much of all of that running around all day and all night.

[M.T.]

Definitely ... no calm in hospital at all.

[Alicia]

Amazon didn't give Werner Lind's 5* review of NETHERWORLD any trouble (except that it's not a verified purchase because it was an ARC).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
entitled No "second-in-the series slump" here!

I always worry that the Amazon one won't make it, because of something, until it's there. Thanks, Werner!

I love the long ones without spoilers. It CAN be done.

[M.T.]

Always lovely to get s good review. Nice one. 🙂👍

[Alicia]

Thanks, M.T.

I am very grateful for his reviews - it's a big commitment of time. The things are 'big books'.

[M.T.]

Alicia wrote: "Thanks, M.T.

I am very grateful for his reviews - it's a big commitment of time. The things are 'big books'."

I can believe it and I'm totally in agreement. I'm hugely grateful for any review but when someone puts in that much time and effort it's just wonderful.

[Alicia]

I'm in the middle of changing my main computer to my new MacBook Air - and switching browsers - and updated to Scrivener 3, and have to move my passwords - and am not sure where all my files reside now that some are on the cloud.

At least I have the keyboard and mouse going, and a new external solid-state drive, and am figuring things out.

I'm impressed at myself - this stuff is non-trivial at 73 (some of the print has to be 1/16 point type!), but will be in and out as I connect, backup, edit, try to get rid of junk, delete my three children's college applications...

Or maybe just store it all because I have such a huge amount of storage space, and don't want to risk losing anything...

The old computer overheats, but will still run some programs I need I can't upgrade; poor thing is warped.

I'll get there, but will probably be erratic - if faster. At something.

[Pam]

Alicia wrote: "I'm in the middle of changing my main computer to my new MacBook Air - and switching browsers - and updated to Scrivener 3, and have to move my passwords - and am not sure where all my files reside..."

Wow, you have my sympathy. I'm still holding off buying Office 2021 or whatever is the latest non-subscription version in case it messes everything up while I'm trying to get a book edited.

[M.T.]

Pam wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I'm in the middle of changing my main computer to my new MacBook Air - and switching browsers - and updated to Scrivener 3, and have to move my passwords - and am not sure where all ..."

I couldn't get the non subscription version at first. I got it from some dodgy site ... rather than microsoft. Originally I had word 2012 but I downloaded the file and at some point windows started quietly deleting downloads in the downloads folder and everything over a year old has disappeared. I loathe and detest subscriptions and the new version I've put on my new lap top is an abomination. I've bought at 'life time' version so I presume that's as long as the lap top keeps going.

[M.T.]

Alicia wrote: "I'm in the middle of changing my main computer to my new MacBook Air - and switching browsers - and updated to Scrivener 3, and have to move my passwords - and am not sure where all my files reside..."

I'm also impressed. I've just upgraded to a new lap top, only to find that it's not really much faster than the old one. It has a bigger memory capacity though and the mouse and other things work as they are supposed to instead of being a bit borked, the way they are on the old one.

[Alicia]

The new setup is nice - and now I have it so I can switch all the peripherals from one to another of the laptops (because the keyboard and mouse at least are critical).

So far I've been successful at keeping Scrivener 2 on the older laptop and having Scrivener 3 on the newer one - need that temporarily.

The only part that doesn't work smoothly is the brain, and even that is getting the hang of switching.

I am up and RUNNING!

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Jim]

I have no subscriptions because there is no way I can download new software

[Alicia]

Not for subscriptions, but can you download licensed software in an internet cafe somewhere?

I don't like subscriptions - I want to pay for it, download it, and have it just work. But I just realized that when they send security or bug updates, you can't get those at home - which makes the programs less valuable to you.

What do you do for your blog posts? Or are they short enough that it isn't a problem?

[Jim]

Blog posts are easy enough. I write them in a word document, paste them into the webpage, and then stick in a picture.
That has the advantage that I have the content if I want to do anything with it.

When I get a new computer, the person I buy it off knows that it's got to come loaded with software that I'll need, without subscriptions etc.
Upgrades can be a pain, but they slowly build up in the computer (which means it can run slow for a day or so) and then the machine tells me it wants to install them which I do when I switch it off

I'm not sure there are any internet cafes within a hundred miles of me (as opposed to ordinary cafes offering free wifi. But as I use a desktop machine it isn't moving anywhere anyway :-)
I learned a long time ago that adding new software to a computer was to be avoided, as this avoids compatibility issues :-)
I think the only thing I've added to this one is Zoom and Teams

[Alicia]

Macs don't do that much updating of system software, but it seems Scrivener3 has updated three times since I installed it on the new computer a few weeks ago.

I was pleased Zoom installed so quickly - I left it to fewer than ten minutes before the doctor visit I needed it for! Suddenly realized that the Zoom on the older computer was going to be looking at a very unflattering view of my neck from below (I have it on top of a low bookcase under my window, conveniently left when husband installed several DIY bookcases). But I get the fact that you don't really want to haul the desktop to a cafe of any kind.

I'd say you're doing fine - or you would have found a way to jury-rig something by now.

[Jim]

We only get about 9mbps with a dongle, so even that isn't sparkling

[Alicia]

Are there reliable times during the day when you have the best access? I would assume that if there are, you would have found them by now. Unless they always happen at inconvenient times, such as when there are lambs to be delivered or livestock needing lunch.

[Jim]

no, it seems to be pretty generally bad
Saturdays can be worse, a month back the engineer recorded that our broadband dropped out 523 times

[Alicia]

Probably would keep you from downloading updates.

You do very well with the access you have.

[Jim]

Yes they're trying a lot of things, but none of them are working because the copper is getting past it as well

[Pam]

Jim wrote: "Yes they're trying a lot of things, but none of them are working because the copper is getting past it as well"

They are planning to completely remove the copper network by the end of 2025 ... have seen people in my area up telegraph poles and leaving little plaques on them afterwards with an engineer's name, date and the company - F&W Wireless. So I think they are getting ready to put in full fibre to the premises for everyone and turning off the copper based network. Don't know where that leaves people like yourself Jim?

[Pam]

Well, I had to upgrade to Office 2021 after all because I read in my computer magazine that support had just ceased for 2013 and no more security updates would be issued. They were doing £10 off through their store so I ordered it only to not receive the licence key and when I chased them it seemed it was actually out of stock and they had to order one! Anyway, the key came through the next day and it's all up and running now though there was a quirk with Excel and Powerpoint as they insisted on going online and trying to be Office 365. I quickly scotched that by finding the actual programs on my PC and creating short cuts to those so all is well. Phew!

[Jim]

Pam wrote: "So I think they are getting ready to put in full fibre to the premises for everyone and turning off the copper based network. Don't know where that leaves people like yourself Jim? ..."

up the creek without a paddle because when the electric goes off, phones on a fibre network don't work and a lot of rural people have regular power cuts and rubbish mobile reception. :-(

I think we've been told we ought to get fibre by 2026

[Pam]

Jim wrote: "Pam wrote: "So I think they are getting ready to put in full fibre to the premises for everyone and turning off the copper based network. Don't know where that leaves people like yourself Jim? ..."..."

Yes these things are all right in theory till you come up against the real world limitations. There are occasional power cuts around here though the mobile signal is OK but if the power goes off too long you can't recharge the mobile either and I did read of one area where power was off for days and the mobile mast power went off in any case.

[Jim]

Yes the authorities forget that in rural areas you might only have one usable mast and it can be on the same electric supply as the rest of us

[Stuart]

Hi all!

Back from my travels and straight into The Truth About Trees. I am about midway through the final rewrite of the third of the four tales of which the book is comprised. Currently clocking in at around 113,000 words, so I reckon another 20,000 or so more, and I'll be done.

Hope you're all fairing well with your mighty gems!

[M.T.]

Stuart wrote: "Hi all!

Back from my travels and straight into The Truth About Trees. I am about midway through the final rewrite of the third of the four tales of which the book is comprised. Currently clocking ..."

Fine work Stuart! Your travels looked fantastic. Sadly nothing much is happening on my mighty gem but I'm hoping to do a photo book soon.

[Stuart]

It was a remarkable experience. Thank you. Rebecca has just completed the photo book of all the pictures she took. What sort of photo book are you looking to do?

[M.T.]

Stuart wrote: "It was a remarkable experience. Thank you. Rebecca has just completed the photo book of all the pictures she took. What sort of photo book are you looking to do?"

An eyebombing book. But I want it to be decent quality so it's taking me ages to select the photos