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JamesSavik

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Everything posted by JamesSavik

  1. JamesSavik
    Because writing a 90K word novel as a wall of text without any breaks would drive authors insane and readers would flee?
  2. JamesSavik
    Anyone who has ever worked in Tech has seen bafflegab in action. More commonly known as technobabble, this is how sharp computer salesmen sell incompatible garbage to suits who expect techies like me to make it work. It did not take the suits long to discover that they needed a tech to accompany them and shield them from slick sales propaganda and ask pertinent questions like is this compatible with our installed base?
  3. JamesSavik
    Inflation seems to be the only thing burgeoning in this economy.
  4. JamesSavik
  5. JamesSavik
    Take care with this story. If you got abuse or violence in your history, you might find it triggering. Once you get past that, this hero's journey is compelling and feels entirely too real for those of us who have been there.
  6. JamesSavik
    I like stories that take anti-gay stereotypes and smash them to bits. Weak? Crunch. Cowardly? Crunch. Effeminate? Kick it in the damned knee. Peter has the kind of guts and grit it takes to live in what some people call flyover country. In his copious spare time, I'd suggest that he take martial arts training. He's got the fighting part down, but could probably benefit from the spiritual side of it. Inner peace is difficult to find when people want to kick your head in.
  7. JamesSavik
    Science fiction authors often fall into the trap of anthropomorphizing their aliens. As we are yet to encounter any aliens, this is understandable. We are likely to discover any aliens we may encounter are much more alien than we bargained for.
  8. JamesSavik
    I know the difference from flea markets. NO. You don't buy fleas there. I like to rummage through the old books, but they are mostly about antiques. These are two cobalt blue glass inkwells. This is an ink stand... for your inkwells.
  9. JamesSavik
    Perpendicular triangles and the ratios of their angles and sides are the core of trigonometry and are exceptionally important to engineering. If you drive over a bridge or live in a skyscraper, raise a glass to Pythagoras.
  10. JamesSavik

    Chapter 13

    JamesSavik commented on Al Norris's story chapter in Chapter 13

    I knew there was bad blood, I just didn't know the origin. Their personalities make them natural antagonists.
  11. JamesSavik

    Chapter 13

    JamesSavik commented on Al Norris's story chapter in Chapter 13

    Jeremy and friends, boldly threatening Pete in front of witnesses, makes me anxious. Either they are stupid (quite likely) or think they are covered (also likely). Does this Turner character have cards he hasn't dropped yet? If he is indeed a big dog in the community, and can pressure the people who work for him, he might decide to keep pressuring Pete as a distraction and go after George. In a small town, I wouldn't be surprised if Uncle George and Turner hadn't tangled before. In fact, given their temperaments and Turner's belligerence, I'd expect the two had a long-running feud.
  12. JamesSavik
    I remember seeing old movies where naughty boys dipped girls pigtails in the inkwell.
  13. JamesSavik
    Autocorrect leads to some absolutely fascinating unintended (and sometime hilarious) malapropisms. My phone does not like the word "karaoke" and habitually replaces it with "kamikaze". My comment on Reddit: I once sang the Car's song Drive at kamikaze while hammered. Got a much bigger reaction than I expected.
  14. JamesSavik
    Marjoram tastes like a smoother, milder version of oregano. Oregano can be substituted for it, but you'll want to use less.
  15. JamesSavik
    Finding good examples of malapropisms isn't essay. Modern readers often think they are typos. They are often a good way to inject humor into your writing, or subtly show one of your characters is a wit… or perhaps a half-wit.
  16. JamesSavik
    I shocked my pals when I used a windlass fashioned out of stuff in the back of his truck attached to an oak tree to pull his truck out of a muddy bog. Archimedes was wrong about using a lever and a fulcrum to move the world. You need a windlass too. Redneck engineering is fun and has gotten me out of so much trouble. I won't say what we were doing in that bog. 😇
  17. JamesSavik

    Chapter 12

    JamesSavik commented on Al Norris's story chapter in Chapter 12

    Principal Dingleberry is in the wind. That last comment about Micca Onenut. It ain't over.
  18. JamesSavik
    The short story as a form is challenging. It condenses everything about writing into a short piece that can be read in a sitting. It's a good place for a beginner to start because it forces you to be concise. Every word matters. You can easily get lost if you try writing a novel first. The short story is a nice, tame hundred acre wood to play in.
  19. JamesSavik
    Authors should be cautious about using razzle-dazzle in their prose. If it works, you get the fireworks you were hoping for. If not, you get a messy fizzle. Write, rewrite, drink heavily, cuss, rewrite and hope for the best.
  20. JamesSavik
    Before a treatment was devised, Tetanus was a dreaded disease which was almost always fatal. The vaccine stings, but it's much better than the alternative.
  21. JamesSavik

    Chapter 11

    JamesSavik commented on Al Norris's story chapter in Chapter 11

    Imagine how frustrated Mitch would be if he’s being blackmailed and losing someone he really cares about. That could make him very angry or distracted. Mitch has got to bite the bullet and come clean. That will take guts he might not have.
  22. JamesSavik

    Chapter 11

    JamesSavik commented on Al Norris's story chapter in Chapter 11

    Perhaps. On consideration, there are possibilities. Blackmail or other forms of coercion could be in play. Archimedes once said: Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world. There are ways to get leverage over people that are absolutely diabolical. We will have to see what Sir @Al Norris has in store for us. Yeah, you saw it. I knighted him.
  23. JamesSavik
    The teasel of our local thistle is vicious. When I find one, I dig it up and dispose of it, so I've about gotten rid of most of them. Occasionally, one of the little monsters shows up in the spring, but I zap it before it can spread seeds.
  24. JamesSavik

    Chapter 11

    JamesSavik commented on Al Norris's story chapter in Chapter 11

    Why did you blow me off and cheat? Reasons. Oh, sure. That's gonna work. Mind the flying pigs.
  25. JamesSavik
    While tequila makes you eager for nookie, it does nothing good for your standards.
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