Monthly Archives: February 2017
The Background on My Fourth Rock&Gem Article
It’s out! My article “The Meaning of Mariposite” has been published by Rock&Gem Magazine. Available soon at booksellers like Barnes&Noble or you can order it in hardcopy here. (external link). A digital download is also available. In late November last … Continue reading
Try Eliminating “Was” and “Is”
“Was” and “is” are easy to write but they deaden sentences. A quick first draft: Elko County is in northeastern Nevada. It was founded on March 5, 1869. It was created out of Lander County. Elko County’s population is 48, 818. … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized, Writing tips
Tagged dead sentences, edit, Elko, is, rewrite, was
Leave a comment
Radioactive Cows and Operation Haylift
I’ve added two new posts to NevadaAg.com (external link). One post describes the experimental dairy farm at the Nevada Test Site in Nye County. The other details Operation Haylift, which saw the United State’s Air Force dropping tons of alfalfa … Continue reading
Fly Me to The Moon
February 24, 2017 Update: I’ve made up a simple six page book after only four days of trying. Following these videos I converted it to a .pdf and the book prints correctly. I have an enormous amount to learn yet … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized
Tagged .pdfs, Adobe, book printing, book publishing, getting certified in inDesign, InDesign, layout
Leave a comment
What is a Book Without Pictures?
“A tall man looks from a battlemented roof over sea and shore; he holds a globe in his right hand, while a staff in his left rests on … Continue reading
If I Had More Time I Would Write You A Shorter Letter
The paragraph in quotes is entirely serviceable. Given time to edit, however, it can be more dynamic and easier to read. In revising I cut the word count from 76 to 59. This takes it from the 12th grade level to the … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized, Writing tips
Tagged editing, editing tips, lowering word count, revising, writing, Writing tips
Leave a comment
Word and .pdf Files
I’m on a Mac and I use the latest version of Word since I have an Office 365 subscription. Word saves documents to .pdfs with little loss of formatting. Printed out, such a file looks almost like the original Word … Continue reading
On Deadlines
“I find that it takes a lot of years of living, and many more of reckoning, to come up with one worthwhile paragraph. And when a deadline looms, prayer doesn’t hurt, either.” Carmen Agra Deedy I respect many newspaper reporters … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized, Writing tips
Tagged deadline, meeting deadlines, writing, writing on spec
Leave a comment
Updating My Book Proposal At NevadaAg.com
02/12/2017 Update: Revisions completed! Original post: Five months ago I constructed a website (external link) to support a book proposal on Nevada agriculture. That site needs updating and I’m doing that this week. The sample chapter I have in .pdf needs the most work. In … Continue reading
Future Proofing, Coincidences, and Mariposite
Take more pictures. You might need them someday. My next article for Rock&Gem Magazine will be on mariposite. This rock can be a building stone, lapidary material, or even gold bearing ore. It occurs chiefly in the central and southern portion … Continue reading