Notices by Cooking the books (nichelle@wandering.shop)

I normally like Grammar Girl, but I totally disagree with this. By all means, let's curtail our vocabulary so we can all contribute to the dumbing down of America. 🙄

When I write, I use the words I think are best suited to convey meaning and establish flow and rhythm. My own vocabulary grew with reading (which is why I sometimes mispronounce things, having learned a word in written context before hearing it spoken).

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#Writing #GrammarGirl #WritingCraft #Writers #WritingCommunity

AI is already killing authors' voices. Let's not self-mutilate our prose in order to hit some imaginary standard of optimal reading time. Maybe it's a good thing for a reader to have to slow down and think about what they are reading, instead of swallowing it whole without reflection.

Do not listen to all the writing advice you hear. Think about it before you take it into your own craft.

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[Edit: replaced a word with a better one]

#Writing #GrammarGirl #WritingCraft #Writing

A question for folks out there who read fiction. I am an indie author with a new book. I do not use AI in my writing. Should I put a note or sticker on the cover which says something like "This story is entirely human generated" or "no AI was used in the making of this book." Would readers be interested / reassured by knowing it is all human-made? My covers are also designed using photos I took myself.

Edit: Please boost for reach.

#IndieAuthor #Bookstodon

Just returned from #HandsOff march. Even in our little red corner of #Colorado there were about 400 people and lots of honks and waves from passing cars. The cops even complimented us for crossing the street in an orderly fashion. Radical leftists always cross with the light. 😉

I imagine the Denver event will be huge and amazing, but we thought it was important to be present in our GOP controlled district. No counter-protesters in evidence.

Edit: it was snowing.

@bmacDonald94 costco sends emails? 🤔

With the sheepish ones just letting them know you won't do it. That it crosses the bright line can make them back off some of the time.

This can be very scary and if you are thinking "but I could be fired" I understand that. Ask for help. Talk about it outside of work or with people you trust. Don't go looking for an excuse to comply and not feel bad about it. If you do you should feel bad.

Find a way to NOT do it instead.

@RickiTarr Ew.

It’s not, actually, a future that my science fiction-loving heart desires, maybe because it’s the dystopian end of the sci-fi spectrum. These projects are just the tip of the iceberg.
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@DMakarios I am currently reading The Upanishads, The Reluctant Coroner, Knife of Dreams, Green Hills of Africa, The Boston Metaphysical Society, the Death of Mrs. Westaway, Justine, Tales of a Female Nomad, How Not to Diet, The Coaching Habit, The Crooked Staircase, That Old Ace in the Hole, The Menopause Manifesto, and Wonderbook. #AmReading

#WritersCoffeeClub Jan 20 - Do any of your stories take place on the sea? In what way?

Yes, A Memory of Murder is set in a small coastal Oregon town (Astoria), and my WIP is the sequel. Parts of the WIP take place on a fishing boat, and things definitely get hairy!

@TonyStark I hear you. I'm very concerned about human rights now, civil rights for women and minorities, LGBTQ+, people who are disabled or elderly. It's so disheartening to learn that 1/3 of the adult population actively wants to hurt the rest of us, and 1/3 doesn't care enough look up from their own lives to make a choice. It's sickening. I can't excuse people for being misinformed now. He showed the world exactly who he was. #USPol

@TonyStark Agree. The only way to push the country left is to vote for the left-leaning candidate, even if that person isn't as left-leaning as you want. Rinse and repeat, and eventually we'll get there. It isn't rocket science. But there are those folks who want to sit on their soapboxes and *be virtuous* by rejecting what, to them, isn't perfect. Newsflash: it's never perfect. And now we'll have to make up a lot of ground, assuming we get the chance.

#USPol

@elysegrasso Congratulations! It's actually not a bad idea to let the ebook be out there before the print. Readers will tell you about any typos in the ebook (ask me how I know), and you then have time to fix them before the printed version is live.

Hey fediverse, I'm thinking of offering some merchandise associated with my writing (t-shirts, cups, things like that). I want to use one of the print/make on demand platforms that you can upload designs to and they take care of the rest in exchange for a cut of any sales. Who else has done this? What platforms have you used, and what was your experience? #WritingLife #Writers #WritersCommunity

@vantablue Why are there no lightning bolts for people like this who choose to be evil?

#WritersCoffeeClub Jan 15: Would you ever hide your politics to avoid alienating some readers?

I'm not explicitly political in my fiction, but I think my implicit values come through. I strive to show diversity in my cast of characters. I don't use stereotypes. My MC is probably "woke" although she wouldn't describe herself in that way, she just thinks you should treat people with respect and courtesy. She is more forgiving of the police than I am, since she used to be one.

@EverBeyondReach Watership Down 🐇

@CultureDesk @bookstodon I don't have reading goals, and I read a lot of books, because I am a fairly fast reader with a wide range of interests. I keep track of the books I read and own on Library Thing. When I finish a book, I write a brief review of my thoughts. I do not write plot summaries. My reviews help me to remember which books I have read (so I don't accidentally buy them again, yes this has happened), which authors I like, and maybe they help or entertain others.

@KaKetelmug @futurebird @dan613 Also, can we address the level of quality between men's and women's clothing? My husband can buy a shirt and have it for years. I spend twice what he pays and it gets holes in like five minutes. I buy men's t-shirts for exercise and layering for this reason, because they last so much longer.

I distinguish meaning from lesson. Meaning is weight/consequence. Lesson is morality. I think one can entertain w/o moralizing.

#WritersCoffeeClub Dec 14