Thanks, Karen. My situation is a bit different. I didn't set mine up. I was a 'new site' Beta tester and Sol presented me with a subscription for my help. One thing I really hope is that I don't have to use some sort of auto-withdrawl from my account because I will NOT allow that of any site. Too much chance for mistakes. I had to quit my local gym when they wanted me to just give them my account number so they could suck out a monthly bill. Don't like that at all.
~Tom
Maybe the guy is an out-of-work horn player from the London Symphony Orchestra.
~Tom
Question along this line, Sol. When I go to Billing, there is no indication whatsoever telling me WHEN my billing runs out. Could that be added so we can budget the funds?
~Tom
Oh, say it isn't so, Janet. I really look forward to your reviews. Hurry back.
~Tom
Happy to be here, Memphis.
In high school, I was forced to read several books by Steinbeck, Lewis, and others. Simply because I was forced to read them, I think that may be why I haven't read any more of their works since.
Red October was a very good novel. His later ones (except for Red Storm Rising) are even better. He started (and Mark Greaney is writing them now) a series on young Jack Ryan, the elder's son, now in "the business". They are a natural extension of his earlier works on Jack Ryan, Sr.
John le Carre never really interested me for some reason. I go back a bit further to those of Manning Coles (actually, two people - man & woman) and the adventures of Tommy Hambledon. He was first before James Bond came on the scene. I have a complete set of their books, but they are ever so fragile I hate to even open them.
~Tom
This thread is very useful, Karen. It helps a great deal to know some of the background of a person who will be reviewing your works.
My very first book was "The Rolling Stones" way back around 1955 or so. My mom was a huge SF reader and introduced me to all the classical authors - every one of them. My interest in SF has waned somewhat by what is now called SF, but is really Fantasy. There IS a difference (at least in my own mind).
My wife turned me on to David Weber and his Honorverse series of books. They are simply great. My goal is to write a fan fiction story about his Treecats, which are probably the best extraterrestrial companions to Man that exist (or will exist). His books are many, and once you get started on them you won't be able to stop. The first one is "On Basilisk Station". Be prepared for a ride.
Action/Adventure/Spy novels are another passion. I have every book that W.E.B. Griffin has written, in every one of his categories: Crime, Intelligence, Marines, Army, and Cold War. Clancy's books are another legacy that will live on since his death. Mark Greaney is carrying that banner. My love of this genre is undoubtedly due to my 20 years in the Navy - Deeply involved in Cold War intelligence.
I love Romance. I cannot define the reason why, just that I do. The wife is into Nora Roberts just like Karen. And, like Karen, I've read all of Clavell's books. Shogun, I've read at least 7 times. Living in Japan for 3 years, how could I not?
There you pretty much have it. Although 72, now, and have been typing since I was in junior high, I don't have any trace of arthritis. I type around 120/130 words/minute, which no doubt contributes to typos that slip by my editing and re-editing before posting. I can easily run off 3 or 4 thousand words in a couple of hours. This, I have found, is very useful for whacking out a plot outline while the ideas are still flowing.
*takes deep breath*
~Tom
All very good questions, Karen. I've read a number of novels that were a part of a series. usually, when I see on the dust jacket something like "The first in the exciting trilogy of "...........", I don't active LOOK for hanging issues that haven't been resolved. If I see one or two, I just say to myself "gosh, I hope I can wait to see what happens to Nick and Nora and if their shuttle that crash-landed on Planet X will sustain them until help can be found." All this just adds to the desire for a reader to purchase the next book in the series.
I'd be really sure that it is, if not prominently, then boldly, printed on the jacket that this is a series of books. If it were I, once I read the first book, I'd be clearing a space on my bookshelf for more of them. My reading room has three walls of bookcases already, no problem.
~Tom
having those two links (Report & Delete) on the left would be a wonderful idea. I, also, have nearly hit the Report link (as well as the delete key - which got rid of a long post of mine causing me to have to recreate it). I use a 1600x900 screen and still this happens.
~Tom
I've found a good way (for me, anyway) to counter writer's block. I have a huge German-English dictionary and I open it up to a random page and finger a word. Then I sit down ant try to write anything that uses the word, or can be attributed to the word. It works well for me.
~Tom
I had a feeling it was something like that. Even a PING wasn't being returned. That kind of outage usually signals an ISP failure, not an individual site. Happy to see it back up.
~Tom
Well, I'll be darned. I though I was one of the few who did things like this. I've never counted, but I bet I have 20 stories on my computer that have anywhere from 1 to 5 chapters and they just stop - dead - and haven't been touched in months.
What is really strange is that I use every method mentioned to continue the work. My favorite way to do it is like Philisha, do a paragraph on what I want to accomplish even though I may not get to it in weeks.
Since I type so fast (120/130wpm), I can rap out seven or eight paragraphs in a half hour or so. Then I let it drop for a few days or a week. When i go back, I start fresh, edit, and continue. It helps break the doldrums.
Sorry for adding so late, but I just found this thread - and the group - and joined this evening.
~Tom
Excellent point about location, JP. Something to remember when reviewing is that American English and UK, Canada, Australia, etc. often spell words differently, especially -our/or endings and the use of Z/S in spellings.
But I think I'll put this in the writing tips forum, since it's not anything Sol can add to our exhaustive wishlist.
I use Word or OEWriter. Sometimes, when I finish a chapter/story, I change the dictionary from English-US to English-UK and run the spell-check again. The words are flagged that I might want to take a look at and make more 'international'.
This is from my 'for what it's worth' department.
~Tom
Hi, Karen!
Sol has a lot on his plate now, and I don't want to increase the load. I have a small script that I use to remove ALL color from a given page. Sometimes it makes things go a bit 'wonky', but it does turn the font into black on white. Then I mousewheel the page larger so I can read it. This forum, for example, is a tiny bit easier because the font is black on a pale yellow background. I do NOT see any highlighting, however, when I select text for alteration/removal. I think it is a darker shade of yellow, but I'm not sure. Should be deep blue which is what all selections are in most of the world of web design.
I use Times New Roman @ 14 on my computer and when I post, I just copy/paste into the web editing window. It appears to transfer just fine. If anyone (like me) needs a bigger font, just use the Control-mousewheel method to increase it.
~Tom
I do it ALL the time, Dirk. Especially when I'm trying my best to read the teenie-tiny font in the review boxes. My trifocals just don't read blue on light blue very well. A very poor choice of font colors IMHO. So, I hold down the Control key and mouse-wheel away!
~Tom
Well, crud. This escalated quickly, didn't it? As Steve Martin would say: "Well, excuuuuuuse me". Sorry to even try to help someone. If you don't like this thread, then don't read it. She had permission for it. End Of Story!
~Tom
Actually, you can hold down the Control key and use the mouse wheel to "scroll" the page size. If you want to return to "normal" use my hint. You can also use the "+" and "-" keys with the Control key to change site sizing.
~Tom
If you use most any browser, try holding the Control key and touch the '0' key (zero).
~Tom
So, Temple and Dags, you see this as SELF-promotion? Check closely at who started this thread. It was I who decided I'd like to help. Blow off steam at me if you will, but don't blame anyone else.
~Tom
I have recently discovered through conversations with Mikira/Karen Sundstrom that she has initiated a Kickstarter project for her novel The Aurora Mission. I loved the storyline, character development, and her plans for the entire novel so much that I plan on making a donation to her project. At the moment, she has a very tight deadline to raise funding and could use a hand.
Take a look at her Kickstarter page: http://kck.st/1C7pgXE and see what you think. I know she'd appreciate it very much.
~Tom
Hope I don't have the font size issue. I'm blind.
You're fine, Janet. I really like purple text on an orange background. The font sizes nicely, though.
~Tom
Sol. Something changed a couple of days ago. Now, when I begin an in-line review I cannot change the font size. The mouse turns into a 'hand', but nothing happens when I click it. I can change backgrounds and reverse the text, but sizing the font is unavailable.
Are you able to resize any in-line reviews? I've noticed that some content, depending on how it is posted, does not resize well.
Sol
Here is some more info, Sol. I've run across several postings now that will simply increase the line spacing when I click the three size buttons, but not change the actual font size. A posting right now exhibiting that anomaly is In Search of Grace.
I've cleared a couple of cookies and reloaded the page, but that didn't help. Could it have something to do with the underlying font itself?
~Tom
I'd like to enter either "You Only Live Twice" or "The Long Trek Home", but I doubt if I can whip them into shape for the competition before the deadline.
~Tom
Definitely agree.
~Tom
I am not sure when this started, but I think that a while back I could resize text on an in-line review. Now, I can't.
Before I click the 'leave inline review' button the resizing works, afterwards - no.
~Tom
Sol. Something changed a couple of days ago. Now, when I begin an in-line review I cannot change the font size. The mouse turns into a 'hand', but nothing happens when I click it. I can change backgrounds and reverse the text, but sizing the font is unavailable.
~Tom
