Word Processors

Last week a reader mentioned word processors. I consider them a blessing and a nuisance, moreso the blessing. Okay, I have a love/hate relationship with my word processor.

Why? Simple.

A word processor allows me to type in cyberspace rather than on a sheet of paper. Remember -- for those old enough -- back to the days of a typewriter and the silly typing eraser with the mini whiskbroom? You made a typo and then you needed to fix it. The damage caused by the stupid ink eraser scratching away the paper... and then the broom to brush away the itty-bitty wads of paper... yuck!

IF the paper was still in the typewriter, it was somewhat easier. IF you'd removed it THEN found the mistake, well, it was more difficult. It was especially true if you had to squeeze two letters into the space of one. But, thanks to my typing instructor back in high school, I was able to do that. Learning the skill made my job much easier when I was in the Navy. {Short digress follows}

I was lucky enough to be part of a crew for a new ship -- yes, I commissioned a ship. Anyway, as the Engineering Yeoman, my duty during our cruise from Boston, MA to Long Beach, CA was to type up all the pages of the 6-10 manuals, duplicate and compilate. I had a case of those blue mimeograph sheets, bottles of blue fix-it for typos, one IBM Selectric typewriter and hours of fun. The manuals were completed on time.

Thinking back of how much easier it would have been to create all of them in cyberspace. [sigh]

Anyway, I have used manual typewriters, electric typewriters, Atari computers, Epson CP/M computers, IBM computers and a large selection of generic PCs over the years to create my stories and novels. Each year and each computer was just a wee bit smarter than the last and the word processors improved also.

Then came SpellCheck. I was in heaven. I was a Spelling Bee competitor and did very well so it was never really an issue for me. But, wow, a spell checker. How cool!

I love a word processor on the computer. Speed... Ease... Yes, it is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

Remember last week's entry? Their isn't an our goes buy eye don't think the spell chequer can't help me with my spelling.

The above sentence is correct according to almost every spell checker. All the words are spelled correctly.

Hence, my hate position with a word processor. And that isn't the only reason. Ever try to get it to spell the word correctly?

I mean, if you don't know how to spell it? Just like the dictionary -- the touchy-feely book version -- you can open it up and look up and down the pages. If you don't know how to spell the word, at least you have some idea of how it starts to get you on the correct page. Flipping pages of a book dictionary and you can find the correct spelling. With a word processor, you might as well beat your head on the desk until the correct spelling comes to mind. psychosis. Start spelling it incorrectly and you will be lost forever in the spell check work processing game.

So, what am I saying here today? Word processors are a great thing. They are marvelous, wonderful, and like everything else in this world -- they carry a danger load. Be very careful of misspelled words as decided by your word processor. Especially if the spell checker lets you add words. If you don't have the strange, new word spelled correctly, well, it isn't going to help. My character -- D'Lernia-Ha -- kept showing as incorrect, and well it should have. I decided to add it and other characters to 'my' dictionary. Unfortunately I didn't look closely at the selection when I added it and the name still kept appearing as incorrect. In anger, I highlighted and entered it again. Suddenly, all of the misspells disappeared. What I didn't see -- until I sent it out to an editor -- was all the secondary spellings I had. Seems the first entry was D'Lenria-Ha, not good. Her twin brother's name was D'Lonria-Ha ... so for the editor it was 'did he misspell D'Lonria or D'Lernia' ... a good question, indeed.

Yes, I definitely have a love/hate relationship with my word processor.

Do you like your word processor? Which one do you use? I use WordPerfect 99% of the time.

Ewe No ...

What if wii awl used the wrong word too right what wii wanted two say?

The English language is a complicated one. We speak the words and everyone knows -- for the most part -- what we're saying.

But, when we start to put those same words to paper, a mystical thing happens.

Whee sensor ourselves. Witch word due wii put too paper? Sew, threw trial and airer sometimes we make the write choice, sometimes knot.

I want to make a list of homophones -- u no witch wons eye am talking about.

Don't let the big word fool you -- it means: sounds the same, different spelling and meaning. A homonym, on the other hand, is spelled the same with different meanings, sometimes sounding alike, sometimes not. Ex: Sewer: drain Sewer: tailor OR Row: in a boat Row: to plant in.

I offer the following homophones; please add to the list. You might even know another sounding word to add to my list. I bet we can find over a 100 different same sounding words... I've already got the list over 20% of the way there.

one, won
two, to, two
for, four
which, witch
sensor, censor
ford, fjord
serial, cereal
threw, through
read, red
read, reed
new, knew
no, know
dew, due, do
sew, so
your, yore
or, oar
lie, lye
by, bye
some, sum
flour, flower
toed, toad, towed
passed, past

This is a great exercise for every writer. I know I've used the wrong word at times and I have even seen the wrong word in published books which made me stop and think or laugh, depending on the context.

Another Box

Today I want to take the Corner Philosophy and run in another direction with it.

Description. Let's look at the four corners.

When you write, exactly how do you describe your scene? Terse? Flowery? Barren? Detailed?

Let me show you some examples...

Terse: Beth stomped down the street revealing to everyone she was mad.

Flowery: Beth, with the wind blowing her long russet tresses in all directions, stomped the stilettoes with a sharp clicking sound on the concrete walk, revealing to every stranger passing by she more than angry, she was venemous.

Barren: Beth moved down the street; she was mad.

Detailed: Beth, a young wisp of a lady, barely twenty-one, brushed back the long, windswept, russet tresses of hair with a quick snap of her hand, never once losing a clicking stride in her glossy, black stilettoes on the gray cement walk, screaming to every passing stranger her ranting feverous, venom laced outbursts of anger.

Whew!

Which corner do you see yourself lurking in? How would you describe your 'descriptive' writing method?

Please share your thoughts.

Results Are In

Now let's look at last week's blog entry.

The first set of images, most people associated the Banana/Orange together as fruits. True. Some associated Monkey/Banana together. Also true. Adults, with a wider knowledge base will see 'fruit' as the binding factor while children, who haven't been taught the concept of 'fruit' saw something totally different, usually the monkey and banana. Kids go to zoos! For those that chose monkey/banana, this doesn't mean you haven't matured, it just indicates you have a child-like prespective. In other words, being able to see different corners.

Moving to the second set of images. Again, most people chose Seahorse/Shark with the ocean association. A couple picked Horse/Seahorse using the equine theory of 'horsies' -- both choices are fine. But, what about Horse/Rose? The association there? Kentucky Derby. Rose/Shark? Or Rose/Seahorse? Alphabetical. Horse/Shark? Both can bite.

There is no wrong answer but the answer reveals your mindset. Seahorse/Shark is very adult and educated. Horse/Seahorse is childlike and has the allure of riding a horse/horsie. Horse/Rose is a gambler who sees 'tips' to winning everywhere. Even more abstract is the person who views things alphabetical (an organizer) or even the person combining the bite aspect (a fear/phobia.)

So, now you are in the box and you've been looking at the corners. Most people just know the corner they are sitting in (Banana/Orange or Seahorse/Shark) yet for a writer, to be inside the mind of your character, you have to know what they are thinking... not what YOU are thinking.

As explained above, a child sees differently than an adult partially due to education and experience. A gambler thinks differently than a person with a phobia. Or perhaps your character sees the world in an orderly fashion.

One needn't go outside the box to find the answer -- everything is right there, neatly fitted into the four corners. Just peek around.

Want to try one more? Okay, here are four choices.
a) Horse
b) 3-Leaf Clover
c) Horse Shoe
d) Garden

Okay, tell me which two are grouped together and why. Use your character's mindset. Using last week's examples as a guide: Louie, a loser of a gambler, gazed at the horse and rose, he knew then that the Kentucky Derby winner's circle was calling to him -- he had to bet.

Now you use the new set (horse, clover, shoe, garden) and let us know.

Looking At The Corners Of The Box

This week is something really different. I'm sure you've all heard about 'thinking outside the box' or some such idea.

Today I want you inside the box. I want you to look at the different corners, to think beyond the ordinary, to take that extra step INSIDE the box. I see no reason to go gallavanting all over creation when what you want is right there in front of you. Just look!

I'm posting two (2) pictures of four (4) images each. There is a poll to the right. Select which two (2) items you thinks are the closest related. Imagine these items within your mind -- grass, sun, weeds, mower. Now of those four, which two do you feel are the closest related? Grass/sun? Grass/weeds? Grass/mower? Sun/weeds? Sun/mower? Weeds/mower? Me? I'd probably pick grass/mower.

So, here is picture one. Select using the poll to the right----->>


Now, here is picture two. Again, select using the poll to the right----->>



Now, there really isn't any right or wrong answer but tune in next week to see what the results are and what a possible answer would be if you were thinking from a different corner for your aspect.

My Bad -- Oops!

So, today is Tuesday and it should be Monday. Monday just whisked by me so fast I never even realized it was there. I am truly sorry. That's what happens when you get lost in your weekends.

Therefore, being late, I need to find a good topic for discussion. How about...

Writing Tricks.

How do you create scenes or settings? Do you use an image or picture to help you describe the setting? Have you re-envisioned the argument you had and used it for a scene? Looked out the window? Let music carry you away?

A good writer doesn't just say he walked into a room. That room has to have items; be it furniture, clutter, moving boxes, office equipment, operating table, etc. etc. There is something to sets that room apart from others. How do you describe it?

Again, your heroine doesn't just ride into the woods. There are trees. Are they large and looming oaks or majestic redwoods? A glen of first year birch? Crunching pine needles? Are there streams, slopes, rocks?

Is it a car? Or a sleek Maseratti, classic Rolls or even a clunky Model-T? Giving the letters BMW or SUV helps to define the vehicle. Car is so banal.

So what tricks do you use to establish your writing scenes to enlighten the reader?

Share a trick.

He Said - She Said

Following up on last week's topic about quotation marks, how about we dive into another scenario -- he said / she said.

Supposedly "said" is an innoculous word that just disappears into the writing. Does it really? Try reading your manuscript... or any other persons work of art and see if it really, REALLY does disappear. Oh, wait, I meant READ IT OUT LOUD!

Remember, at some point in your banal life you are hoping to hit it big-time. At that point, somebody is going to be forced to stand in front of an audience, whether it be a classroom of bored English students, a clutch of tea-sipping ladies of the afternoon white-glove society, or an artist performing at a coffee shop or elsewhere.

Yes, they will be reading YOU out loud.

How will you measure up?

So, do you believe that "said" just disappears or do you think it should be mixed with add-on phrases and substituted terms like: shouted, screamed, whispered, hissed, etc. I say this with drama to reinforce... I spat angrily... ETC ETC ETC

What are your thoughts on this little discussion?