It’s my birthday, and I’m taking the day off. No blog this week. (The pool is calling.)
Yesterday I attended a local writers’ meeting where one of the members mentioned her experience with an agency that had sounded promising until she received an e-mail mentioning that they wanted her to pay X number of dollars and they would help her get her ms into publishable form.
Now, I’m aware that many agents are so swamped with submissions that they are asking potential clients to have their mss edited, but I cringe any time I hear about an agency or a publisher asking for up-front money.
Writing nowadays has truly become a business with writers being forced to market as well as write. As a business person, the writer needs to evaluate how and where the money is being spent. Hiring an editor to vet a ms is fine, but the writer should be the one who chooses the free-lance editor and decides how much will be spent and what to expect from such an edit. The same is true regarding publicity packages. If/when a publisher promises marvelous promotion for a book for X number of dollars, be wary. Make sure they can and will deliver what’s promised.
The writer yesterday was wise enough to reject the agency asking her to pay, and she has been checking agents and publisher on Editors and Preditors (http://pred-ed.com/ ), but many new writers are so excited by the idea of being published, they’ll pay whatever’s asked simply to see their work in print.
That’s why some writers turn to self-publishing, which simply guarantees there will be predators out there waiting to take their money. Just recently a self-publishing company here in Michigan—one that stated “We are Michigan’s largest and most trusted book publisher. We publish most genres and offer such excellent services as custom book covers, editing, continuity editing, and specialized layout”—closed. It’s being investigated for claims of unpaid royalties, unfulfilled book orders, and breach of contract.
It would be wonderful if writers could simply write, but since that’s rarely true, do be careful. If you’re signing with an agent or a publishing house (be it a traditional publisher or a POD publisher), check it out. Contact others who are with this agency or publisher, check Preditors and Editors. Post an email on your chapter links asking anyone who’s had experience with this agency or company to contact you privately. The money is supposed to flow to you. If it’s not, make sure you know you’re getting what you pay for.
“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
Mark Twain (and Zuri Soule)
I’d like to start by thanking everyone who commented or sent e-mails regarding Zuri’s health. The pills and a change in diet (fresh liver to increase his red-blood count) have helped. We have no idea how long he’ll be with us, but we treasure each day.
Now, about writing…
I follow Janet Reid’s blogs. (http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com) . For several years she blogged as Ms Snark, and I loved her snarky responses. Then, a couple years ago I attended an agent/editors session during Bouchercon where she was on the panel. Again I was impressed by her wonderful sense of humor and industry savvy. If you haven’t visited her blog, take a minute and check it out.
This week she wrote about pivotal, important scenes and how those scenes (she used a movie as an example) can and should be longer. Her comments came when I was in the process of writing just such a scene for the third book in my PJ Benson mystery series. I’d already put down the first few paragraphs of that scene, but after reading Janet Reid’s blog, I reworked those paragraphs and continued writing with those thoughts in mind.
I really should have thought of this myself since, whenever I read a new writer’s work, I usually make similar comments. If the scene is important (one you couldn’t simply toss if your word count was too high), then don’t rush through it. If it is a pivotal scene, one which changes the direction of the story or the goals of the protagonist, definitely give it the time that it needs to be fully developed.
How to do this usually comes back to SHOW don’t TELL. In my case I was telling what was going on. The sheriffs’ deputies arrive, they have a search warrant, PJ wants to get a jacket (since the weather has suddenly turned cold), and one deputy goes with her into the house. PJ gets her jacket and returns outside. Blah, blah, blah. In a few sentences I’d said it all. What I’d forgotten was I needed to SHOW this scene (and what follows). I needed PJ’s reaction, her anger and confusion, and how others were reacting to her.
Besides making the scene longer, these scenes should involve a feeling of tension. TELLING what happened doesn’t create that feeling. The writer needs to involve the reader, make it seem as if the reader is there, experiencing the event. This is not the place for long, descriptive sentences or lengthy backstory. (But sometimes a quick déjà vu memory works.).
Make the scene longer, but the sentences shorter. Make the paragraphs shorter. Allow lots of white space on the page.
Dialogue will be clipped, maybe breathless or stammering. Use the ellipse to indicate the pauses, the stammering, or the breathlessness. Use the em dash to show speakers being cut off by either others interrupting or something happening that interrupts the dialogue.
Use body language to express emotional responses. Don’t tell the reader the protagonist is angry, show it through the stiffness of her body, his glare, her stomping off. Let action verbs keep everything moving. (Here’s the place to beware of “to be” helpers. No,”he was thinking” or” she was worried.”) We react to words. Use them to create the reactions you desire.
After you’ve finished the scene, read it aloud. Read it to others. Does the sentence structure create a sense of motion? Do the words express the tension and emotion?
If the answer is yes, then pat yourself on the back.
I spent most of this morning in the veterinarian’s office. Zuri stopped eating yesterday and then threw up in the afternoon. He’ll be twelve years old in 8 days. It doesn’t seem like that many years have gone by since the breeder notified me that the litter had been born and yes, there would be a puppy for me. For a big dog (and Zuri is even larger than the Rhodesian Ridgeback standard), 12 years is a good lifespan. For a friend and house-companion, it’s way too few.
He was a rough and tumble youngster, and I often had to warn my husband that his game of “growlie” with Zuri wouldn’t be so funny if someone not familiar with our dog made a move that triggered Zuri’s “play.” This became especially evident when Zuri matured out at 31″ at the shoulders and 150 pounds. Having a dog that could jump as high as a man’s shoulders, could hook your legs out from under you with just one paw, or could knock you over with a bump of his shoulders meant we needed to make sure he understood we were in control.
With Zuri that’s been an easy task. He wants to please. By four months of age he was as big as most mature dogs, so he was allowed to attend the regular obedience classes, which he passed with ease. I never had any intentions of showing him, but living with a dog that obeys both voice and hand commands is truly a pleasure, and when he was six, he even spent several months visiting a nursing home, shaking paws with the elderly residents as I tried to explain that the hair grew the opposite direction on his back and that was why it looked like he had a sword there (and no, he wasn’t angry or upset).
Zuri’s antics have helped me with my P.J. Benson mysteries. PJ would be in big trouble if her Baraka hadn’t played growlie or hadn’t run down and knocked the villain over with the bump of his shoulder. And if I’m having a problem with a plot point, Zuri is more than willing to listen to me grumble, rant, and rave.
I left the vet’s office this morning with two bottles of pills, but little hope. An ultra sound showed a large tumor on Zuri’s spleen. The vet said he could operate, but the operation would be extensive and at Zuri’s age, he didn’t recommend it. We’re hoping the pills get Zuri feeling better and eating again, and as long as my dog doesn’t appear to be in pain, we’ll go that route, ’cause saying goodbye isn’t easy.
Yesterday I drove 165 miles one way to speak to a book group. Approximately 100 women were in attendance, and the event included a nice lunch and the opportunity to sell books. (This isn’t a book group where the speaker’s book is read and discussed. In fact, while I was there, only two books were mentioned, but I do believe the members read a lot of books.)
After lunch and a short meeting (in which a $1,000 scholarship was awarded to a local high school senior), I was introduced to the group. I spoke for about 20 minutes about how I started writing, the changes I’ve seen in the 30 years that I have been writing, and what I’m working on now. That was followed by a short Q&A session, and then I was selling and signing books.
I did sell several copies of THE CROWS and AS THE CROW FLIES, but as I drove home, I wondered if the trip was worth it. On the positive side, a hundred or more people have now heard (and seen) my name, so maybe next time they’re in a library or book store, or perusing Amazon.com, they’ll (out of curiosity) see what might be there under that name. And those women who purchased THE CROWS (if they enjoyed it) might consider purchasing the second book in the series (and the third book if I ever get it finished). Or maybe they’ll download one of my e-books.
On the negative side, gas is now over $3.90/gallon, and I probably averaged 27 mpg. The round trip took me 6 hours of driving. That plus the time I spent at the meeting meant I wasn’t writing. Since I had to provide the books that were sold, I had a cost involved with that.
So how does a writer know if saying yes to any of these events is worthwhile?
I don’t have an answer, but I do think personal contact is much better than an ad in a magazine or newspaper, better than a postcard sent in the mail, and even better than being on Linked-in, Twitter, Facebook or whatever else is out there. I wish I could simply sit in front of my computer and write and have someone else take care of the publicity, but getting my wish might be the worst thing that could happen. I write about everyday people and the events that put conflict in their lives. It’s talking to people that gives me new ideas. (Last week I talked to a man who used to guard the First Ladies. Boy would I like to pick his brain.)
Lately I’ve had the opportunity to read and comment on some stories written by new writers. What I’ve noticed is these writers are so eager to get their stories written, they end up TELLING the story rather than drawing the reader into the story. Often what we tell these writers is you need to SHOW not TELL, but new writers don’t always know how to do this. And, of course, there are many ways to SHOW what’s going on. One way is to allow the reader’s knowledge to help paint the picture. We do this by creating a world that’s “familiar” to the reader. Words become our “paint brush.”
What a writer strives for is verisimilitude. The word comes from the Latin verum meaning truth and similis meaning similar. Even though the story may be fictional, we want the reader to feel what’s happening and where it’s happening is real. Writers do this by including items that most people either know about or can visualize.
Write a dog came running up, and I have a partial picture. Write a coon hound loped across the grassy field and I not only have a more complete picture, I know a little more about the setting and the characters. (We’re definitely not in a city and at least someone in the story either likes to hunt or likes hunting dogs.)
Take this opening line from David Morrell’s The Shimmer: “From fifteen hundred feet off the ground, the blue pickup truck looked like a Matchbox toy.” He could have simply said the truck looked like a toy, but by adding the word pickup, we immediately know what that truck looks like (he also gave us the color), and by using Matchbox to describe toy, we know the size comparison (this gives us a better understanding of what things look like from fifteen hundred feet off the ground).
In the initial process of getting the story down a writer might simply write dog or truck, but once that rough draft (be it a scene or the entire book) is down, it’s time for the writer to consider how important the information is and how it might be used to SHOW the reader setting, time period, or character.
Using familiar items eliminates the need for lengthy (wordy) descriptions. If I write: She drove up to the house, you know what she did but little else. If I said: She drove up to the colonial-style house, you have a better picture. Or maybe: She drove up to a McMansion. I don’t have to use a lot of words to describe each. Maybe I could add that it’s a two-story colonial-style house or a McMansion surrounded by dozens of other McMansions. Each addition increases your visual image of where “she” is.
Verisimilitude is cultural. We use places and objects that are familiar to our readers. When our books are translated, it’s often the job of the translator to use images that would be familiar to that culture. (Though with our American movies and TV shows now viewed in so many countries, many of the words/images that would have been foreign in the past are now known to all.) Years ago I had a case where one of my Harlequin Temptations (The Law of Nature) was translated into German. The story took place at a Boy Scout camp in Michigan Upper Peninsula. A coworker of mine at the time happened to be German, and I gave her the foreign edition of that book. She told me, in her edition, the story took place in a work camp. Why? Probably because at that time the German readers would not have been able to visualize a Boy Scout camp, not like they could a work camp.
So once that rough draft is finished, go through it and see if you can make your writing more “visual.” Make your story “seem” real.
(By the way, this topic must have been floating around lately because after I wrote this, I came across this blog that basically touches on the same subject. Catherine does an excellent job of explaining how to SHOW.)
http://authorvsnelson.com/blog/2013/05/14/dog-or-doberman-by-catherine-e-mclean/
I don’t know when it happened, but sometime or another this month (or maybe it was this year) my brain ceased working. At least that’s how it feels. I thought I had a plot for my third Crows book, but evidently I don’t because I’m halfway through and I have no idea where to go next. It’s not even as if I wrote myself into a corner. It’s more like I’ve written myself over a cliff. I knew the beginning and how I wanted the story to end, and I thought the middle would work itself out. Well, surprise, it hasn’t.
My mystery lacks tension and suspense. There’s absolutely no reason for my protagonist to be involved in solving the crime. I just finished judging books for the Daphne contest and the criteria used to judge those books is fresh in my mind. Considering what I have written, if I were judging it today, I’d have to give it a low score.
In some ways I’d like to simply shelve the story and work on something else, but I ended the second book in the series with a situation that more or less requires a third book. (At least that’s what my fans tell me.) So if I walk away from this story, I’m letting them down. Heck, I’d be letting myself down.
Today I decided to start a chapter by chapter outline of what I have written. I’m hoping as I go through what I already have I’ll stimulate my creative thoughts and will come up with a new direction. If that doesn’t work, I’m hoping my critique partners (I’ve sure missed working with those ladies while I was in Florida) will help with some brain storming.
This being brain dead sure isn’t fun.
I’m having trouble discarding a preconceived notion. I’ve always considered books that were self-published as inferior, work that didn’t meet traditional publishing standards, books that lacked the qualities that make for a good read: tight writing, proper punctuation and sentence structure, and good story telling.
More than once over the years I’ve been talked into purchasing a self-published book only to wish I hadn’t wasted the money. I always felt I knew why the writer had to resort to paying to have the book published. When I read an article about an author’s first book being published and realized it was self-published, I mentally scoffed and felt superior. I, at least, had been able to convince a legitimate publishing house (4 different publishing houses over time) to publish my books. I didn’t have to pay someone to print it.
Well, times have changed, and I guess I’d better change my attitude. This past month I’ve been judging published books for a national contest. Three of the five books I’m judging are self-published. I groaned when I first received the package, but then I started reading. The two books that have blown me away…
Yep, they’re self-published.
I will say the authors of these two books weren’t complete novices. One mentioned the help of her agent (along with her critique partners and the fact that she’d had the book edited) and the other has had several short stories published. But for some reason or another, these two writers chose to self-publish their books.
I also noticed last week that two of the top ten best sellers on the USA Today list were e-books published through Amazon. Another two self-published e-books were listed in the extended list of best sellers.
E-publishing and many of the print-on-demand digital publishers are changing how books are published. In many ways that’s great. Being the writer and the publisher takes out the middleman, gives the writer more control. It’s also giving us more variety. With major publishing houses worried about the bottom line and afraid to take chances on the new and untried, bookstores and stands are loaded with the same well-known authors. Self-publishing is an opportunity for those new voices and new categories or genres to be published.
Oh, I’m sure for every good self-published book there will be dozens of not-so-good to terrible books. But you know, not all of the books published by traditional publishers are that great. The old adage is: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, I guess, you can’t judge it by its publisher either.
(I’d tell you the titles and authors of those two books I loved, but I can’t. Not until the contest is over.)
I think most writers, at one time or another, have met someone who said, “When I retire, I’m going to write a book.”
They make it sound as if all they need is more time and they, too, will be able to accomplish what I or other published writers have accomplished. And maybe some of them will, but I’m betting most might start a book and that’s as far as it will go.
Why?
Because most of them don’t realize that writing isn’t easy, at least not for most of us. It takes more than time, more than simply being able to write a decent sentence and spell words correctly. Writing is more than TELLING what happens, it’s storytelling as was practiced long ago (and is still practiced around a campfire), where the storyteller pulls the listener into what is happening. It’s using words to create a world, time, and people that come alive for the listener.
For me the most difficult part of writing is making sure everything in a story makes sense, is logical, and accurate. It means I can’t simply end a mystery by saying the villain was crazy and that’s why he or she did all of those terrible things, or end a romance with a hero who’s been a cold, domineering male, suddenly saying he loves the heroine and they’ll live happily ever after. I have to give my characters motives for what they do. I need to show the reader a character’s personality, not simply tell the reader someone is good or bad, hot tempered or calm and collected. And if I’m writing a mystery, I need to figure a way to make several people look guilty (whether they are or not) so the reader doesn’t immediately know whodunit.
I have a feeling most of these people who are “going to write a book someday” have no idea how much research goes into writing. I remember one told me she was going to write a historical because no one really knew what happened back then. I don’t believe she ever wrote that book, but if she had, I’m sure she would have been surprised by how much readers do know about each and every period of history. Same with Scifi books. A writer can create a new world, but it better be logical. Vampires. Werewolves. Those readers have expectations, and they’ll let a writer (and a publisher) know if the writer gets it wrong.
The more real a writer makes a story, the more it draws the reader in. Make a big mistake (I almost put a silencer on a revolver once), and the writer loses credibility. The reader begins to doubt other parts of the story.
So yes, I’m sure some of those people I’ve met who’ve told me they’re going to write a book after they retire will give it a try. So far I’ve only received one announcement regarding where I could buy a finished book. Maybe the others are slower writers…or maybe they discovered writing wasn’t easy.
Hmm, maybe I’ll try being a surgeon after I finish this next book. What do you think?
Tuesday’s USA Today had an article in its LIFE section about a new category of novels: NA (New-Adult) (http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/04/15/new-adult-genre-is-the-hottest-category-in-book-publishing/2022707/)
These books feature protagonists in the 18-to-early-20s age range. The stories have the emotional intensity of YA (young adult) novels, but include more mature themes—the freedom of living away from home, discovering who they are, and finding their way in the world. Of course they also include sex, but that’s not the main focus of these stories.
Though I remember those years of angst and emotional turmoil (as I discovered who I was away from the constraints of my parents, what I truly wanted to do, and what sort of man I wanted to live with), I have no desire to write these books. On the other hand, I’m delighted to see others are writing them. Not only are they writing NA novels, those novels are doing great. And even better…it was writers who saw the need for this category and created it, not publishing houses.
Writers often know what the public wants way before the publishing industry catches on. In the past it’s been frustrating for writers who want to offer something new. All too often they would have their stories turned down. We used to joke that editors said they wanted something new and different, but in reality they didn’t want anything too new or too different. In fact, for years writers have complained about editors writing back that they loved the submitted story, but they were going to have to reject it because “marketing,” or a senior editor, or some unknown but powerful entity said there was no market for “that kind” of story.
Those attitudes, in the past, sometimes led frustrated writers to become publishers themselves. Many of the small, niche publishing companies that exist today were formed simply so “those kinds” of books could be published. It certainly happened with vampire and erotic novels.
Nowadays, however, frustrated writers have another outlet. Rather than having to start a publishing company, they’re able to e-publish. Those books the publishing houses turned down don’t have to be put in a drawer or rewritten so they “fit” the market. And if the writer is right, if there is a demand for a certain type of book, it’s the readers who make the determination.
Only a small percentage of self-published books (either in print or e-book format) will become gigantic successes, but when the writing is good and the time is right, they now have a chance to make decent sales or, in a few cases, make best sellers lists. And, lo and behold, when a book or a category of books sells a hundred thousand to a million copies, traditional publishing houses take note…and offer contracts. That’s certainly what happened with the books mentioned in the USA Today article.
For me it’s exciting to see some of the control of who and what becomes a success taken out of the hands of big business and put into the hands of writers and readers.
One of the neat things about being a writer is basically you’re the boss. You can set your own hours, decide what you’re going to work on, and plan how you want the project (story) to turn out.
One of the worst things about being a writer is you’re the boss.
Yes, you can set your own hours, but it’s way too easy to let other things, events, people nibble up those hours. Your spouse or significant other sees you staring at the computer screen, not typing, and assumes it’s okay to interrupt. Or friends call and ask you to do something, either with them or for the school or an organization, and how do you say no? As far as they’re concerned, you don’t work, so you must be available. Right? Or you’re working at home and you know the family needs clean clothes, or the refrigerator is empty, or your cat just knocked over the gold fish bowl. Can you really ignore those needs and keep typing?
It takes a lot of willpower to set aside a block of time or set of days when you won’t let anything interfere with your writing. I’ve often seen the quote: “Writing is 5% talent and 95% persistence.” (Or hard work.) Over the years I’ve come across many very talented writers (far better writers than I’ll ever be) who never get beyond the desire to write a book. They have the talent, but they don’t have the self-discipline or will to treat their writing as if they had a boss who would dock their pay if they didn’t come into the office at a specific time and not leave until they’d put in a full day of work.
It doesn’t have to be an 8-hour day. One hour a day has worked for many fledgling authors. The writer simply has to make it clear (both to herself/himself and others) that this is writing time…no interruptions, please. (When my children were small, they knew I wasn’t to be interrupted unless there was blood or a bone sticking out. They still remind me of that.)
Deciding what you’re going to work on also has its drawbacks. Oh, it’s nice to be in control of what you write, but I’ve seen many beginning writers start one book, get a ways into it, run into some problems or get a different, more exciting idea, start another story, get another new idea, start that story, then another and another. Now they have several stories started, but nothing finished, and because there is no “boss” demanding a project be completed, they never will have a story that could be published.
Even established writers don’t always have control over what they’re going to write. Some have a series or character that their fans adore. As much as that writer might want to try a different genre, unless s/he writes more than one book a year the fans have become the boss. You will write what I want, not what you want.
And, of course, we may all like to think we have complete control over what we’re writing, but unless we self-publish, if we want to be published, we do have a “boss.” Publishers determine genres they’ll accept, along with lengths, and to some extent, content. Editors often see the story in a different way and request changes. We, as writers, can always say no: it’s my way or I’m pulling it. After all, it is my name on the cover of the book or as a byline on a story. But refusing to make those changes may mean the book won’t be published, and if the change isn’t that great, or if I can fit my idea into the publisher’s guidelines, am I going to refuse?
Sometimes I think I’m the boss. Other times I know it’s an illusion. ☺
My family has come to Florida for sunshine and warmth. My diet is out the window, along with my writing, but it’s fun seeing everyone.
No blog this week.
As some of you know, I’m trying to lose weight. I’ve lost a little, but it’s a slow process (we go out to eat way too much here in Florida), so I’ve started taking walks with my husband on the days I don’t go to yoga class. Today I had a rough time convincing myself to go. Although it’s sunny, the temperature is only in the high 50s and the wind is blowing, making it seem colder. And I stayed up late last night, so I’m tired. And my back hurts. And…
Well, you get the point. I was making excuses, which I also do when it comes to writing. (I can’t write because I’m not sure how I want this scene to go. I won’t have enough time to really get much written, so why start. I’m tired…and so on.)
Starting a book and starting a walk are very similar. With both you have to decide where you’re going and what direction you want to take to get there. Once I get started walking, I usually find a comfortable pace, my muscles warm up, and I begin to enjoy the scenery. With a book, once the characters have been introduced and I’ve indicated the setting and time period, and introduced the major conflict, if only as a hint, I’m eager to tell the story.
As with writing, it’s the middle of the walk where I slow down. (We have a 1-mile loop we walk here in Florida.) I’m now at the halfway point. I must go as far as I’ve come in order to get back home. Can I make it?
My husband mentioned that when he was in training as a Marine, if they had a march, they often didn’t know where they were going, so he never knew if he was halfway there or not. I told him that reminded me of the difference between writers who are plotters (I tend to be one, though I do wander quite a bit.) and pantsers (who start out with characters and maybe a conflict or an idea and simply let the story unfold.) Pantsers may know where they want to end up, but they have no idea how long it’s going to be before they get there. Or maybe they don’t even know if they’ve reached the end until they do get there.
Today when we reached the last third of our walk, my husband yelled at me to slow down. I didn’t realize I’d picked up speed, but I guess I had. I knew I wasn’t far from the end of the walk, I knew exactly where I was headed. Again, this is similar to when I’m writing. Once I get past that middle (that’s where I’m stuck right now) and I can see the ending in sight, I’m eager to get to the computer and write. My fingers don’t type fast enough to keep up with the words running through my head.
And when I type THE END, I’m tired and happy and a little sad that I’ve actually reached the end of the story and have to say goodbye to these characters and their adventure. I have a similar reaction at the end of a walk. I made it. I’m a little tired, but the fresh air and the exercise were exhilarating. I accomplished what I set out to do.
I’m happy.
(Now, if I can just get through the middle of this book I’m working on.)
I’ve always thought I knew the difference between further and farther. You could further a discussion or further a career, but you had to go farther if you wanted to get anywhere.
That’s what I thought, but I’ve heard and seen the two used almost interchangeably, not only with new writers, but also with seasoned writers, highly educated speakers, and those less adept with the English language.
So I decided to see what Webster had to say. (I’m using the Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.) Webster, it seems, has several definitions for further. There’s the adverb that means in addition, moreover, or to a greater degree or extent. When further is used as a verb, it indicates to help forward or advance, and used as an adjective, the word indicates going or extending beyond.
But wait, isn’t that last one farther?
Sure enough, Webster says (right after the adverb and adjective definition) that you can also use farther in these cases.
So I looked up farther.
Farther, according to Webster, when used as an adverb indicates at a distance or a more advanced point. As an adjective it stands for more distant, remote. And farthest is at the greatest distance.
I’d still be confused (and maybe I still am), but there’s a note included with the farther definitions regarding usage. It seems further and farther have been used more or less interchangeably throughout most of history. BUT—and I think it’s this “but” that has influenced me—currently they’re showing signs of diverging, and when there’s no notion of distance further is used while farther is used to indicate distance. Back to further when we need to go no further.
So I’m right.
Or maybe I’m not.
Whether you use one or the other, even if it doesn’t sound right to me, according to Webster, you’re probably correct. Therefore, for all of those writers whose work I’ve critiqued and where I’ve stated the word further (or maybe it was farther) was incorrectly used—I apologize.
Moreover, I’ll take this discussion no further.
I’m sitting in front of a time bomb. No, not a real bomb, but I can practically hear it ticking away.
I’m talking about my computer. It’s not that old, but almost from the day I purchased it, that imaginary bomb has been ticking away. I first realized there might be a problem when 
the computer was set up in South Haven. All at once, for no discernible reason at all, colored lines would appear on my screen, sometime in horizontal bands, other times in vertical bands. The only way to get rid of them was to physically turn off the computer, either by holding the on/off button down or pulling the plug.
While in Florida last winter I bought a new, touch-screen computer (no need for a tower) and decided to take it to South Haven when we returned. We did, and in turn, we brought the computer I had in South Haven down to Florida this winter…which was probably a mistake.
Most of the time this is a wonderful computer. Lots of memory, fast, and the monitor is easy to read. Most of the time it works great. But every so often, it goes crazy, and last night was one of those times.
Which brings me to the topic of this blog.
Ever since I started using computers I’ve backed up my files. I’ve told others to do the same. “One of these days your hard drive is going to die,” I’d say. “Make sure it doesn’t take your manuscript with it.”
And I do back up as I type. Whenever I pause, I automatically hit Control S (I started with DOS, so I still use those key strokes), and I also have Word programmed to do automatic saves. But that really isn’t enough.
Sitting in front of me are three flash (Thumb) drives. I actually have four. When I reach the end of a day’s work, I save to a flash drive as well as a hard drive, and I try to rotate those flash drives. Often I have one in the purse I carry. Another one goes with me in the car. I even have an external hard drive that I take back and forth between Michigan and Florida. Am I overly obsessive about this? Maybe, but I remember a Mid-Michigan Retreat I attended several years ago when one of our members returned home after the retreat to discover her house had burned down and she lost everything, her computer and the files it held, discs, hardcopies, books, etc. Everything.
I’ve also heard too many news reports where robbers have broken into a house and stolen the computer.
So I have a flash drive in my purse, a flash drive in my car, and one in the computer, ready to use. Except, last night I wasn’t quite finished for the day, and it was when I returned to my computer, prepared to look up something and then save my day’s work, that nothing worked.
Aagh!
One hour and several SYSTEM RESTOREs later, my computer did come back to life and the first thing I did was make back-ups of everything I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose, cause who knows when this computer is going to do it to me.
