Understanding Friends

I have friends, much as y'all do, but how many of them are not thinking you're crazy when they get an earnest call...

"Quick, I need a woman's name - make it bitchy."

I am going over some of my stories and I discovered that two of the stories had a woman with the same name. I changed it to another name and then I realized that I had two of them too - thus the reason for the frantic call.

I thought I would make a collection of some of my old 'too short' stories. I would just as soon not repeat names... I will have to keep my eyes open for duplicating guys too. I used so many of my favorites in the Julia series, I may not be able to keep from doing it. Sigh... I like real names, not Dirk, Brick or Brock, haha.

I have been proof reading since my early morning rise. The dogs can't read the clock... so much for that 'extra' hour. What are you doing with that extra hour in the morning? It takes me a week or two until I don't notice the difference. (and retrain the dogs.)

Letter From Home 07/12/13

It has been a week! 

I did get most of my numbers into the new phone. It is amazing and I love it! If it is one of those irritating 'non-calls' the pleasant female voice just says, "Call from" and then a string of numbers. I have the ring set on 7 rings, they usually hang up before it goes that long. The ring is not unpleasant or jarring. I am now a happy camper.

Chiggers are a nearly invisible parasite or bug that love tight warm places on our bodies. A search will give you more info. They are not fun and really itch.

Someone I know, is getting his wish for a natural yard. DH has no time to mow it, but it is just thick and only some yellow spindly flowers are growing out there. Not glamorous. DH said that if someone comes by with an offer to mow it that I should have them do it. Yah, like that is going to happen out here in the boonies. More likely, I need to keep the shotgun handy because the place looks deserted.

I finally got my 'Premium' status on Lincoln Avenue. I heard that it was harder now. Hmm. I lack a cover for 'Bad Things' and a blurb, it is ready to send as soon as I have that. Cannot put pretty flowers on that cover... My brain is getting overworked. I am proofing the last one, sigh... Then I will be finished with 'Julia'. I hate to see it end. I was my goal - to get them all out there before my mushy brain cells gave up the ghost entirely. I hope I can do that.

Lastly, my grandson told me he has joined the marines. He will do training throughout his senior year and go in when he graduates. I hope everything goes well for him, there is nothing more that I can say. I get too emotional...

To Be or Not To donotusethisword

I imagine that you wonder just what the heck has been keeping me so busy lately. I have been fighting with words. It would seem that I am hung up on the “to be” words. My manuscripts are full of them. I probably use twice as many as I should. I have problems with “had” as well.

I have been taking my own challenge in an effort to cut them way down. Someone told me that writing could be done with none of the “to be” words. It seems to make for a whole lot of rewriting and rewording. I am not keen on the results I am having so far. Have set my WORD program to change the “BAD” words so that I can see where they are. Here is an example of what I am talking about:

My name donotusethisword Sharon and I donotusethisword a mediocre writer. I used to love to write and then discovered I donotusethisword doing it all wrong. I donotusethisword so surprised, how could I donotusethisword so blind? It donotusethisword disgusting that I donotusethisword using so many bad words. How could I have donotusethisword so wrong? I donotusethisword a writing sinner, donotusethisword you? Some days I think donotusethisword a writer really donotusethisword too much work. It’s a challenge, if I wasn’t so in love with Julia, I donotusethisword positive I would donotusethisword tempted to delete it. I never said I donotusethisword smart. Therefore, I plug away and wish I donotusethisword at the beach. I donotusethisword only a human donotusethisword.

Can you see my problem? It even missed some. Can you find them?

Have a great rest of the weekend!