I'm in surgery this week. Also have a big test of Tuesday. Then I have to write a paper. So, things are going to get a little busy again. I better get this one out early.
Dr. Doyle with some of the basics of dialog. You might think everybody knows these two simple rules, but they don't. I can't tell you how many early writers who don't have a grasp of these basics.
Dr. Doyle also has some good recommendations for things writers should do at least once. Yes, those. Also I would make an addendum to that first rule that you should fire the type of gun for the period you're talking about (they all have different characteristics). And if you're writing about swords and knives, you should also handle one (you don't need to go through the training, but know their balance and how each will move and cause your muscles to move). And if you've never built a fire before, you should know how. It's not as easy as they make it look on TV.
Chuck Wendig's own letter to a young writer.
Research. It's important so you don't look like an idiot. (Grokked from Tor.com)
Terri Windling offers some good advice for creatives. The things about creativity and inspiration is this, you gotta show up first. While it may come at any time, more often it shows up in the garden of hard work.
Pearls Before Swine with the new author syndrome (which a few older authors also suffer from). Or "how not to use Amazon when your first book is published."
Ten negotiation strategies for creatives. Geared towards designers, but transferable to other creative ventures.
Ever wonder what all those terms to define sub-genres of fantasy mean? You know, the ones all those smart people up on the podium like to throw around. Well, here's a good crib sheet. (Grokked from Tor.com)
A handy chart for how dangerous a zombie is. (Grokked from Tor.com)
The twenty things that happen in one minute infographic. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
The opening line of Beowulf may have been mistranslated all these years. (Grokked from Tor.com)
On saying "You're welcome" when someone says "Thank you." I'm not sure I entirely agree with this (the article reports on advice to say "I know you'd do the same for me"). There's an implied reciprocity in that change that I know I don't have when I do something for someone else. Also, in my current day-to-day, I hear "Thank you" most often after I finish an x-ray procedure. I know the person isn't thanking me for what I did, but for being a part of the total care they're receiving, as in x-ray we often have to cause pain to get the images the radiologists need. Also, we know our tables are hard and cold. There are reasons for both. So when they say "Thank you", often they are saying I was being as gentle as I could be, or I explained what I was doing better than they often get. When I help my neighbor, I help them because they're my neighbor. It's nice if they're able to reciprocate, but I'm not going to demand it. I help people because I like helping people. Helping them is my reward. So, "you're welcome." (Grokked from Jay Lake)
Fred Clark with a little on eschatology in the modern age.
Three charts that show why Obamacare is important. Because of all the positives that Obamacare has already brought about, people often forget just how bad it looked for healthcare spending before Obamacare. (Grokked from Jay Lake)
John Boehner again repeated that we have the best health care system in the world. John Boehner is full of shit. Just in case you were forgetting why Obamacare needed passing (and why some of us don't think it went far enough). (Grokked from the Slactivist)
The physics of peeing and avoiding splash-back. For those of us of the boy variety (or for those who prefer standing). (Grokked from Jay Lake)
"The two men are being held in jail under suspicion of kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a crime and false imprisonment… The priests involved will not face any charges." Ummm… (Grokked from the Slactivist)
Want a smaller government (like, really small)? Want less regulation? Want those free market solutions to dominate the landscape? Welcome to Haiti.
Tweet of my heart: @Andrew Kaczynski A man tattooed Leviticus 18:22 on his arm that forbids homosexuality, unfortunately Leviticus 19:28 forbids tattoos. pic.twitter.com/heZ2woyfzt
3 comments:
5½ months in hospitals this summer and I tried to say thank you to everyone who came my way -- unless I was motivated or really, really sick in ICU.
Even the couple of times I got really crabby about something, I apologized to people right off that I was having a crabby morning and that it wasn't their fault. Everyone told me I had a right to be crabby on those occasions and were surprised I was worried about them. The staff was used to seeing people not at their best.
Dr. Phil
Stupid autocorrect -- that "motivated" was supposed to be "intubated".
Dr. Phil
Hey Dr Phil, yea, we know the inpatients would rather be somewhere else. Same with the ER/ED patients. Even the outpatients we see, the hospital is not a place most people want to be. So we mostly understand when a patient is crabby, or exhibiting more pain than they probably really have. But we're all there to help the patients go home or get the treatment they need. It's also frustrating to us when we see the same people over and over. We like them, but would rather they be somewhere else too.
So, for all of you in the hospital who. I've treated, you're entirely welcome. I wish we could make it more comfortable, and especially today, a little warmer.
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