Generational Sounds

Every generation has its unique sound. Music is the first thing that comes to mind. Who doesn’t remember the Big Band sounds of the ‘40’s, the beatnik rock and roll era of the ‘50’s, the mellow ‘60’s,  the groovy ‘70’s, or the always popular bitchin’ tunes of the ‘80’s? I’m not sure if you noticed what I did there, but it’s not just the music that represents the sounds of a particular generation. It’s the language, the slang, the terms the popular kids used at school. There’s a distinct sound for every generation.

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To Change Or Not To Change

In the past, I’ve stressed the importance of having a manuscript professionally edited before publishing it. In my opinion, that is the single-most important thing an author can do (and spend money on). Many a good story has been ruined because it was poorly edited. It doesn’t matter how well you can self-edit, you should never skip this step.

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Because I Really Like It There

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything about my books or writing in general. Since I am a published author, I guess I should probably talk about my books on occasion, right? Today is that day. I thought I’d share with you some of my ideas and how my creative process works when I’m writing.

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What’s In Your Browser?

Computers are so commonplace these days; everyone has one. A lot of folks have more than one. We’ve become a society so dependent on our computers that we often forget how to do things without the assistance of artificial intelligence. Like spelling. Most computers will either automatically correct your spelling or, at the very least, highlight misspelled words so that you can click on it and see how to fix it without even knowing how to fix it yourself. Lazy. Lazy is what that is.

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Stupid Dad Words – Part 2

On a couple of occasions in the past, I’ve blogged about my dad and his quirkiness. I’m not going to bore you with the history, but my dad is back in Mississippi and living here at the inn with my husband and I again. It has been a blessing and a burden at the same time.

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Winging It

Most of you know that I am an author. One of the hardest parts about being an author is marketing and selling your books. Nobody tells you that when you start writing. As a newbie you focus on the mechanics of writing, proper English, not getting too bogged down with the minutia and keeping the story moving along. Designing the covers is the fun part. Editing is the tedious part. But selling and marking is the absolute hardest part.

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It’s All In the Headline

Have you ever read a headline and thought: “I really need to read this article?” Or have you read a headline and said to yourself: “Self, it’d be a waste of time to read any farther?” Headlines can make or break a story. Like back cover blurbs on a book, a headline has to grab attention and elicit feelings of wanting to know more.

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PSA – Facebook AI Doesn’t Have A Thesaurus

Facebook uses artificial intelligence to flag certain words and phrases that it deems “inappropriate,” and if you use those words or phrases, you’ll be sent a nastygram and your comment or post will be made invisible to the public. This is common knowledge. People get their comments removed quite frequently and they even find themselves in FB jail for posting certain content. (So much for freedom of speech, but whatever.) But, here’s what you don’t know: Facebook AI does NOT use a thesaurus. And that’s where the fun comes in.

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My First Time

There’s a first for everything and a couple of weeks ago was my first time. I’ve got to say, it was a very pleasant experience. I highly recommend it. That’s right, it was my first time and I’m sharing it with you guys! You’re welcome.

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Lost Talents

The world as we all knew it has changed. It always does. The world is constantly changing. Not always for good, but always changing, nevertheless. Ask your grandparents or your parents about what life was like when they were kids. Think back to when you were a kid. How much has changed in just a few short years?

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