Dirk, can you keep the site moving forward while Sol focuses more on Booksie? Is maintenance mode good enough for us?
127 2024-07-02 18:34:14
Re: Free Booksie Premium membership for TNBW members (10 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Is there an estimated death date for NTBW? Or did I miss when it will happen?
Thanks.
128 2024-07-02 13:46:20
Re: Migrating from TNBW to Booksie - closed for now; see inside (50 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Thanks for the update, Dirk. There's comments and discussions that need copying.
I don't know enough about Booksie to hardly comment on it. Does Booksie allow for uploading images?
I've wondered about a technical group. It would be great to have serious talks about anti-gravity approaches, AI, applying for patents, etc. I realize there are intellectual property issues, perhaps the group could be treated as confidential. And if you simply want to make contacts with other techno geeks then it's useful. I don't know how much the technical community worries about the art of writing so it could be very useful.
I've learned so much from TNBW. It's a pity to see it end. But life goes on!
129 2024-06-14 13:53:47
Re: On the Mend! (9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Welcome back Marilyn. Glad to hear you have a clean bill of health. May you continue to be a productive member on this site.
Keep on writing.
George FLC
130 2024-06-05 14:02:12
Re: The evils of ing verbs? (17 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I put Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address into Grammarly. Sorry, Abe. You only get a score of 85. Two -ly adverbs and 5 -ing verbs! And comma issues.
Granted there were different versions, but this one was the only one with his signature.
Opening sentence:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Corrected by Grammarly:
Four hundred and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
I prefer the original line. Go Abe!
131 2024-06-04 12:36:31
Re: The evils of ing verbs? (17 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
From Reddit:
Q: How bad are '-ing' verbs?
A: They're so bad every published novel by popular authors is filled with them.
But it's a funny response and perhaps appropriate.
132 2024-05-15 14:30:48
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
As a member of that wing of Christendom, let me protest a bit! My group might be more Prosperity Gospel Lite. We are not as far out there as some but y'all might have problems with us. Heck, I have problems with some of our teachings. But you're looking from the outside in and all you see is BAD. You're painting us all in one massive green (as in Mamon) stroke. You might be surprised as to how my church has been very generous and merciful to people who have needed desperate help. I'm thrilled with what we've been doing and are doing. Some of it is almost unbelievable.
I know it's space opera. I know you're trying to slap groups around and exaggerate. But so many people take so many punches at us that it's a little wearisome. How often do you hear the good stuff? Never. So, be careful. Slap everyone around and it'll go down easier. Perhaps say something good about us. You handled Catholicism so well and you still had zombie nuns and corrupt cardinals.
133 2024-05-15 14:05:18
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I just made guacamole! It's great stuff!!!! It's also good for you. Avocados helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. Go buy some, njc!
134 2024-05-14 16:15:14
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Snot green sounds pretty disgusting.
135 2024-05-13 14:43:36
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
When they dissolve their skin make sure to give the effect color. A gross green or bright red. Can they reconstruct their skin if they're still standing at the end of the fight?
136 2024-05-02 14:11:14
Re: Until we meet again... arrivederci (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Sorry to see you leave like this. Hopefully, it will only be temporary. You have been one of the best reviewers for my writing. Get better, I'm praying for you.
Be blessed and get healthy.
George FLC
137 2024-05-01 13:37:35
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Actually, the wine was infused with the power of God, so it'll keep forever. No refrigeration required.
The compound is Satan's, not God's. Also, clear-cutting for growing grapes would be more visible from the air.
God's grapes can grow anywhere! No need for clear cutting. I guess...
How about if they've become the grapes of wrath? Just a thought.
138 2024-04-26 15:30:14
Re: 2023 CIBAs Results for Global Thrillers (10 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Wow. Very good. And you have more to write! Keep on writing!!
139 2024-04-26 15:28:45
Re: Heart surgery update (22 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Welcome back.
140 2024-04-24 13:25:10
Re: etc (63 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
K and Dirk, good comments. I try to limit names but sometimes it's hard to be super legalistic about it. However, I like the idea of a glossary with names, perhaps Cheyenne words, history, etc. at the front of each chapter. I found out that women in my book's time period married around 22, men married around 26. This was attributed to the Civil War. Lots of younger men got killed. I put that in the glossary. I plan to keep the glossaries.
141 2024-04-22 15:34:43
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Better than Connor defying the laws of physics with no plausible explanation, the wine from the Garden of Eden will be the source of his boosted power.
Connor beheaded another four demons with one stroke, their bodies flying backward and bowling over another seven others. "What was in that wine?" Connor asked St. Michael, wide-eyed.
Michael grinned. "The power of God!"I think the solution to how to handle the stench of so many dissolving demon corpses is that Megiddo is considered holy ground. They won't dissolve within its boundaries, or they don't stink when dissolving. Probably the former. Whichever way I go, it needs to be consistent from book one on, where some demons died in a church.
I'm trying to catch up. I like the wine idea. But saying wine from Garden of Eden seems too much. It would be vinegar. How about the place in South American has original seeds and hence plants or pure uncontaminated plants from Eden? Basically, non-hybrid plants. And the wine was made from them.
142 2024-04-19 14:54:49
Re: Heart surgery update (22 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I like to tell people to keep on writing. In your case, keep on walking. Be blessed.
143 2024-04-16 19:25:26
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
>The only issue is that some people will state that God limited man's age to 120 years. That is up to interpretation.
The oldest person ever whose age has been independently verified is Jeanne Calment (1875–1997) of France, who lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days. It definitely needs reinterpreting.Can't use Mengele's son since he really did have a son, who is still alive. That could get me sued.
Even a bastard son? An unknown bastard son?
144 2024-04-16 14:03:33
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
>> FYI, the geneticist is a former disciple of Joseph Mengele, spirited out of Germany after WW2. One of the things the geneticist does early on is to adjust his own DNA to extend his lifespan since it's yet unknown when the end will come, and the breeding program has to continue until the Antichrist has been successfully created.
Very interesting historical twist. Could you perhaps have the former disciple of Mengele show up as Mengele's son? The Angel of Death's son. Find an appropriate name of course!
The only issue is that some people will state that God limited man's age to 120 years. That is up to interpretation. Apparently, that might have been the time when the flood was to occur 120 years in the future.
I'm a little nervous about breeding in supernatural powers but will comment later.
145 2024-04-15 13:27:04
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
What's great about the compound is that it's already there. You don't have to make it and then magically hide it. To me it adds to the mystery and the reality. Hope this makes sense.
146 2024-04-14 23:14:48
Re: The Gathering Darkness (the Connor series) - Dirk B. (1,415 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
I had a neat idea for book three. Since Connor needs a human fighting force at the beginning of the final battle, I thought that Connor, being the result of genetic manipulation based on Satan's millennia-old breeding program, would have had predecessors from the breeding program. Turns out, many of them are still alive, even though Satan had ordered them destroyed once Connor was born. The program was run from a compound in the the jungles of South America, run by a trainer who took pity on the last batch of kids created for the program, so he led them to a local priest, who assumed their care.
People have found cities or architectural structures in South Americ. Maybe you could attribute them to the breeding program.
147 2024-04-11 19:29:56
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Okaaaaay. I'll withdraw my complaints... sort of. :-)
But my fav is still the Julius Ceasar comment.
148 2024-04-11 16:54:20
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
My fav is Julius Ceasar.
Don't use conquering France or Denmark. How insulting! You fellow citizens (Quebecers) might not like it.
149 2024-04-11 13:35:15
Re: The Archangel Syndrome (309 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Stomping on roaches in a roach motel.
Shooting stuffed elites eating stuffed pizza.
Shooting stuffed elites stuffing stuffed pizza down their stuffed throats. (Hmm. Too much?)
150 2024-04-08 14:04:18
Re: Bugs & Maintenance Requests (124 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I'm having to sign in a lot lately. Is there something you can do? Thanks.