Monthly Archives: August 2017

” . . . the ship usually sailed backwards”

Posted on August 31, 2017 by thomasfarley01

To follow Lewis Carroll’s Preface in The Hunting of the Snark (internal link) you must know what a bowsprit and a rudder are. The latter’s form and function is common knowledge, the bowsprit less so. According to the good folks … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Poetry, Uncategorized | Tagged bowsprit, Lewis Carroll, nonsense poetry, rudder, Snark, The Hunting of the Snark | Leave a comment

Kipling and Long Sentences

Posted on August 30, 2017 by thomasfarley01

Kipling and Long Sentences I prefer short sentences and paragraphs. Think Orwell, or better yet, newspaper columnists like Delaplane (internal link). I am constantly amazed, however, at how writers like Conrad and Kipling and Melville carry off long sentences. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Thoughts on writing, Writing by others, Writing tips | Tagged Conrad, How The Leopard Got His Spots, Just So Stories, Kipling, long sentences, Melville, Orwell, Poetry, sentence variety | Leave a comment

Move Completed!

Posted on August 28, 2017 by thomasfarley01

After three days of hard work, my move is complete. I am completely out of my old apartment and into my new one. A score of boxes still need to be unpacked and their contents put away, but my cat … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I’m Moving!

Posted on August 25, 2017 by thomasfarley01

After less than two years in Las Vegas, I am moving out of my present apartment complex to new quarters. I’ll be in the Las Vegas community of Summerlin. My new place promises to be much quieter, giving me a … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts on writing | Tagged anxious and moving, link to article, moving in Las Vegas, new opportunity, new place | Leave a comment

The Nevada State Flag That Never Was

Posted on August 22, 2017 by thomasfarley01

Updated: November 23, 2020 Nevada’s history is as rich as its mines. While reviewing Nevada’s symbols, features and images, I came across a story on a proposed state flag that never was. Flag designs need Legislative approval and this one … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized | Tagged almanac, Nevada, nevada state flags | Leave a comment

Reflections on Haiku From a Non-Scholar

Posted on August 19, 2017 by thomasfarley01

When I lived in Isleton, a small town in the California Delta, I made friends with the editor of the local weekly newspaper. It was called The River News Herald and Isleton Journal and his name was Michael Duffett. Duffett … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized, Writing by others, Writing tips | 1 Comment

A Content Mill Example

Posted on August 17, 2017 by thomasfarley01

I enjoy writing for Catalogs.com. Some derisively call such sites content mills. But as a writer they are an opportunity to take on a variety of interesting and challenging work. Below is a recent article of mine. The assignment required … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized, Writing tips | Tagged assignments, Catalogs.com, content mills, contract writing, freelance writing, jewelry, sculpture, the museum store company, writing | Leave a comment

Current Clichés and Ugly Words

Posted on August 16, 2017 by thomasfarley01

Can we please avoid these? Ready made words and phrases are poor substitutes for expressing real ideas. If, in fact, there is a real idea to be expressed. actionable game changer Get your game face on. killing it bringing it … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized, Writing by others | Tagged at the end of the day, best practices, bromance, cliches, disruptive technology, disruptors, double down, issues, manscaping, takeaway, ugly words | 2 Comments

Physical Books Making a Comeback. At Least in The UK.

Posted on August 13, 2017 by thomasfarley01

The Telegraph has an interesting read today. Hardcopy books are coming back into style. It reminds me of vinyl records enjoying a resurgences. I think, though, that there’s little hope for hardcopy books in general as the “shelfie” trend the … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized, Writing by others, Writing tips | Tagged bookshelves, drop in e-book sales, increase in hardcopy book sales, reading, shelfies, The Telegraph | 1 Comment

Good Help With InDesign — A Recommendation

Posted on August 12, 2017 by thomasfarley01

I’ve been battling InDesign lately and getting some good help with it. In publishing, half your time is in writing, the other half is in figuring out a layout program. Bhim Singh has created an excellent template for me to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged help, InDesign, layout programs, recommendation, self-publishing | Leave a comment