Archive for the ‘Important Stuff’ Category
So, I bought a new book.
Big deal right? Go ahead and say it, I know you want to.
But this is a special book. It’s about line editing.
What’s line editing? hellifiknow, but that’s why I bought the book! Pay attention, girlfriend.
So anywho…this book is about the correct lining up of your sentences, so you don’t end up with those dangling participles or predicates in the wrong place.
I can’t read it. Seriously, it puts me to sleep within 5 minutes.
I’m going to recommend a copy to everyone over at Insomniacs Anonymous. If you can get past page 3, you are a professional insomniac, and there is no cure.
My problem with sentences started in seventh grade, with my English teacher, Mrs. Carver. She hated my guts. The feeling was mutual. She’s explain over and over and over again about adverbs, pronouns, subjects etc. Then she’d draw line graphs on the board demonstrating why you HAD to have a predicate in your sentence, why you CAN’T dangle anything off the end, and God FORBID you should put an extra comma where it didn’t belong.
Bored. Me. To. Tears.
But now, I’m starting a writing career. I should know about these things right? I should care whether my adverb is preceded by the correct pronoun or not.
Well I don’t.
So there.
phllllbbbttt.
I’ve tried for over 2 weeks now to not only read, but understand this book. My eyes swim with the extra small spelling, words dance like mutant spots in front of my eyes, my attention jumps to important things like belly button lint and wondering if I can touch my tongue to my nose. (yes, I can)
I’ve shortened my reading time down to just one paragraph. If I can make it through, and comprehend, that one paragraph, I get to do something fun! Like read a real book!
No can do.
My next plan is to get the book on CD, slip on my headphones and zone out for the night.
Learning English through osmosis.
It’s the only way to go.
carrie
How many times have you heard someone say “backup backup backup”? If you work in a garage, probably lots. If you work on a computer, chances are you’ve seen it, you’ve thought it was a swell idea, but you never really got around to it.
Until….
(insert jaws theme here)
You lost your hard drive. You got a virus. You upgrade to a new computer.
Suddenly, everything you’ve worked so hard for is gone. Alllllllllll gone.
Or is it?
First of all, I’ll mention my DH. Brilliant with computers, hates them with a passion. But he can usually, almost always, save your “stuff”. Once we put a woman’s laptop in our freezer, and after 6 hours saved her 8 years of book keeping that had never been backed up. Once we put a woman’s hard drive in our freezer, then set it on a heating pad while sucking off the info. We’ve used hammers, pliers, software, expensive software etc. to save this all-important if-i-lose-it-i’ll-just-die information for people.
Hello???? Just back it up! For Pete’s sakes! If it’s that important that you’re going to a> lose the farm b> lose 8 years worth of work c> cry hysterically THEN JUST BACK IT UP!
And this goes for you writers too! I know you’re shaking your heads…wow, how could some lady not back up her business for EIGHT years? so answer me this, when was the last time you backed up all of your stories?
*tapping my foot and humming a happy tune*
c’mon…you can tell me…..last month? two months ago? what if tomorrow you turned on the ‘puter and it said GAME OVER…? would you be calling your computer tech and crying and beating your chest?
oh yeah…i know…some of you are even now surreptitiously backing up your files and saying who??? me??? i always back up…snort!
The point being, you can lose WEEKS worth of work, just because you don’t back-up. Go out tomorrow, to wal-mart, staples, wherever….get one of those 250GB+ back up hard drives, plug it in to your USB and back up back up back up.
You’ll thank me for it someday. Honest.
carrie