A thousand good words a day, with some time off or implode. That’s the norm. Chapter five is done, but I will go back after chapter six to beef up the description on this. It’s a new world, and needs proper description. I don’t want to overdo it, so will have to be careful. 22,000 words so far means eight days off, and the month isn’t over. I want 30,000 words a month with weekends off, and with the coming winter, I don’t see a problem with that. The garden is over. I’ll mow the lawn two more times this year for whatever leaves and clippings I can get. Next year’s garden is going to kick ass,

　

On the business side: I gathered my finished short stories into one large file, 230 single-spaced pages, 14pt. Times New Roman, and proceeded to use the first of two checklists. The first checklist is here. http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors

It’s a big list, with lots of words to check, but worth the trouble. Use the Find and Replace feature of your word program’s Edit tab. Find everything, but fix it yourself. Less mistakes that way.

　

The second list is one of my own creation, and comes in two parts. Part one is a words to waste list, and/or, my make sure I got my word right list. Most of these words are overused and could vanish from the text without hurting a damn thing, writing more to the point. Sometimes you put in you, when you meant your, or you’re. When the story grabs you, and you wrote it, it’s hard to correct everything on one or two editing passes. This list helps find those errors, especially when all you have is yourself. I don’t have beta readers. Then, some notes about what is universally true, but not really talked about, borrowed from many places. Part two is my multiple words into one better word list. Verb from a position of strength. And remember, use the Find and Replace feature of your word program’s Edit tab. Find everything, but fix it yourself. Less mistakes that way.

　

NO

ON

IN

SO

AS

UP

NOW

INTO

WHEN

THEM

WERE

WE’RE

TO

DIE

YOU

DYING

BUT

AND

HAD

WAS

THE

NOW

ALL

HERE

KNOW

LEFT

MORE WITH

THEY’RE

ITS

THROUGH

NEXT

OUT

THEY

THAT

EVEN

JUST

OVER

HAVE THEIR

THERE

RIGHT

THOSE

THESE

YES

THREW

THEN

SOME

FROM

GOOD

VERY

ALSO

THIS

ONTO

THOUGH

BESIDES

ALWAYS

OF THE

BIRTH

TOO

DYE

THAN

DOWN

TWO

AGAIN

BERTH

BORNE

BORN

IT

MEAT

MEET

HERS

　

RIGHT HAND, LEFT FOOT THING. Let the reader decide which hand is being used, unless important to the narrative, making a specific point. The killer was right handed, ect.

　

Set the following in italics: books, periodicals, newspapers, long poems, plays, movies, TV and radio shows, operas and long musical pieces, record albums, works of art.

　

Set the following in quotations marks: chapter titles, articles in magazines, individual episodes of television and radio shows, short poems, essays, song titles.

　

WHO/WHOM — Use who and whom instead of that to refer to people and animals with names. Use who when it is the subject of a sentence, clause, or phrase. For example, Lassie is the dog who saved Timmy. Use whom when it is the object of a verb or preposition. For example, Timmy is the boy whom Lassie saved.

　

Mix it up. Start a sentence sometimes without using I, He, She, You, They, the name of your protagonist or antagonist, or the subject.

　

SAT DOWN - SAT - PLACED

STOOD UP

SHOWED UP - ARRIVED

WENT OVER - SCRUTINIZED - EXAMINED - DEFECTED

LIVED ON - CONTINUED - REMAINED - INHABITED

FLIPPED ON - ACTIVATED

PUT OUT

TURNED INTO - BECAME

PICKED APART - DECIPHERED - DISMEMBERED

DREW CLOSE

BURST APART - EXPLODED - SPLOOSHED

FOUND OUT - DISCOVERED

ISSUED FORTH - ERUPTED - GUSHED

CAME BACK - RETURNED

MOVED IN - PRESSED

POPPED UP - SPROUTED

WRAPPED AROUND - ENCIRCLED - SURROUNDED

PULLED OPEN - YANKED

LIVED THROUGH - SURVIVED

FOLDED BACK

OPENED UP ON

SHOT OUT

SANK DEEP

THE SMELL OF THE THING - ITS STENCH

IN AND OUT OF

CAME IN CONTACT WITH - APPROACHED

EARLY ON

TOOK OVER - CAPTURED - COMMANDEERED - ASSUMED

PUT AWAY - CONCEALED

BLEW UP

THROWN UP - LAUNCHED

BROKE THROUGH - PIERCED

COMES OUT WRONG

CAME OUT OF - EXITED

HAD ON - WORE

GOING ON

SUDDENLY

ALL AT ONCE

SOON AFTER

WEARING THIN - EXHAUSTING

DOWN ON

BEEN IN - OCCUPIED

A LOT OF - NUMEROUS - MANY

PICKED UP - PROCURED - SNAGGED

CLOSED AROUND - ENCIRCLED

SPRUNG OUT - BOINGED

SLID UP AND DOWN - STROKED

MADE UP - COMPRISED

DROPPED OFF - RETURNED

FUCKED UP - OBLITERATED

NEXT TO - BESIDE

USED UP - EXHAUSTED

COULD OF - COULD HAVE

OPENED UP - PARTED - UNFOLDED

THREW UP - PUKED - BARFED

OVER AND OVER - REPEATEDLY

IN FACT

IN TURN

IN OTHER WORDS

IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS

AND SO

MOVED FORWARD - ADVANCED

STRIKE BACK - RETALIATE

STRUCK BACK

LEFT BEHIND - REMAINED

COUNTED OFF - TALLIED

CLOSED OFF - SECURED

TONED DOWN - SUBDUED

FIND OUT

COME BACK

WENT BY

HOLD OFF

HEADED OUT - LEFT

MAKE FOR - LEND - GIVE

PUT UP - ERECT - RAISE

GAVE UP - SURRENDERED

BACKED UP - RETREATED

PULLED UP - EASED - SLIPPED

PULLING APART - UNRAVELING

SAT ON - SAT IN - OCCUPIED

CAME OVER - APPROACHED

BROUGHT ABOUT - COMPELLED -

　

My personal lists are never complete. I add to it from book to book. See you next week.