Category Archives: editing writing
Let’s Return to Direct Lead Paragraphs
A Wandering Lead and Three Revisions Writers must compose direct lead paragraphs or risk losing readers. A wandering opening finds readers lost, wandering somewhere else. A direct opening can’t guarantee that a reader will continue but a clear, direct path … Continue reading
Rewriting and Forgetting History in Today’s Ever Present Moment
1984 is here. The Orwellian Era has officially begun in the United States. CNN reports (external link) that a large statute dedicated to Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia will be removed on Wednesday under orders by authorities of that … Continue reading
E.C.T. Update, Perspective, and an Unknown Poet
4:34 AM E.C.T. Update In June I went to Tempe, Arizona to get electroconvulsive therapy for my nightmares which have been regularly going on since 1988. There were to be three treatments a week for four weeks. I stopped after … Continue reading
Stupid Male Fantasies
Our society is losing the ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. That misunderstands The Natural Order of Things and endangers free expression. It also contradicts the ongoing acceptance by society of images produced by famous photographers, film makers and … Continue reading
Posted in art, editing writing, non-fiction writing, Uncategorized
Tagged films Monroe, male fantasies, movies, seven year itch
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A. E. Housman Noting the Difference
Everybody thinks they are smarter than they are. You, me, everybody. Everybody thinks they are smarter than they are. Politicians also think they are smarter than they are. The difference between us and them is that they constantly seek to … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, editing writing, fiction, non-fiction writing, Poetry, politically correct
Tagged Housman, Poetry, politics, the laws of god, the laws of man
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Not Marble nor the Gilded Monuments by William Shakespeare
Took another look at Shakespeare’s sonnets. (internal link) Number 55 is very good, outlining the hope of all poets to live beyond the grave. Maxwell Nurnberg (A Gathering of Poems, Washington Square Press, 1969) says that the first two lines … Continue reading
Posted in editing writing, fiction, Poetry, Thoughts on writing, Uncategorized, video, Writing by others
Tagged david calder, Poetry, shakespeare, sonnets, YouTube
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The Insane Hypocrisy of Facebook, Twitter, and Corporate America
While following the latest news from Afghanistan, I thought it mentioned that Taliban members were Twitter users. That seemed ludicrous since a sitting president had been banned by that service. Who could possibly be worse? As it turns out, Twitter … Continue reading
Posted in editing writing, free speech
Tagged free speech, political power., taliban
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Not Only
Not Only “Not only” is a phrase which brings negativity to a piece and prevents you from directly and quickly stating your position. Original: Not only is ice cream tastier than sherbet but it appeals to more people. Revised Ice … Continue reading
Fighting Wordiness
I once revised copy for a painter’s home page. The original text was only 250 words or so. These changes were the most important. It’s not just about reducing word count but making text more direct and impactful. Fighting wordiness … Continue reading
Posted in editing writing, non-fiction writing, organizing writing, revising writing
Tagged copy, editing, text, writing
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Twitter Favors Faces of the Young, Slim, and Light Skinned
The Guardian (external link) reported yesterday that a photo algorithm within Twitter favors lighter, slimmer, and younger faces. This confirms what I wrote yesterday (internal link) that the view of beauty in the West has never changed. Twitter came under … Continue reading
Posted in art, editing writing, free speech, politically correct, Uncategorized
Tagged algorithms, beauty, bias, def con, kulynych, twitter, view of beauty
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