Common mistakes by first-time authors:

Posted on August 11, 2015 by
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Here are more notes on a great panel at Life the Universe and Everything SF/F symposium. The topic is on ‘Common mistakes by first-time authors’.

– Sometimes you may need to stop to see how you can improve your book and writing. It’s okay to suck because writers often perceived writing to be terrible, but when they review it. They find the text is not as bad as previously perceived.
– Finished the first draft and put in a drawer for about two months and work on something else. Then you come back and review the book with new eyes and see the mistakes that were missed when it is fresh in your mind. You may not want to share the book with anyone else on its third draft.
– Find new readers. They can often see what you do not see. You have to be careful on your rewrites because of people continuing take rewriting. They will often take the voice and creativity out of your book.
– Something that I like doing which I need to do more is I have certain mistakes as I do every time I write a book. I need to write that list and go to that list by myself and add to it as I know my but my common challenges our selected six those prior to give someone else.
– You can often catch a lot of mistakes by simply reading out loud. That helps with the flow realistic. Dialogue and pacing.
– Authors need to be not so sensitive to critique sessions. The people at review your book or simply want to make it better. The ability for an author to be teachable and to improve their work from suggestions of others shows maturity of that offer.
– When you do, get critiques, is not necessary to do everything that everyone says. Have confidence in your inner got so that you can determine what a good suggestions, and water not. The more frequently a comment is made by multiple readers, the more serious you should consider those recommendations.
– Don’t trust agents and people will offer a critique for money. Sometimes they may want to change the true intent of the story. Don’t let fear control your decision. You need to maintain the integrity of the original story.
– Check out the software, called scribbler. A lot of authors really enjoyed this product.
– Don’t write your baby/favorite book until you get better in your writing. You should write what you are excited about. Resist the temptation to present down again is not working. But they put it down to long. Many times it will abandon the book. Maybe just a short break from the manuscript may suffice.
– Don’t attach happiness to perceptual success. You need to find happiness in the journey of being a writer. The same should apply to critiques or book reviews. If you get a negative book review does not need to stop writing.

Have something to add to the list? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

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Retirement Advice:

Posted on August 10, 2015 by
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At work, they had multiple presentations throughout the day on retirement and I took a couple of notes.
– The closer to retirement. You reach the more conservative your investment.
– Consider all your financial portfolio. An emergency fund should be 3 to 6 months. You will want to determine living expenses for six months to see how much needs to be set aside.
– Provide beneficiaries in your documentation.
– Long-term care should be arranged between 55 and 60 years old. Long-term care is purchased outside the company. You may want to check your employer to see if they provide a discount.
– Supplemental insurance is insurance coverage you purchase to supplement Medicare.
– Maximize your 401(k) contribution to have a bigger nest egg.
– If your job offers access to a lawyer program for monthly fee, try it for a year. It might be worth hiring one to do a will and trust more economic cost that would hire them separately.

Have something to add to the list? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

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Only a Matter of Time 4:

Posted on August 9, 2015 by
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I recently attended a Book of Mormon evidence conference. I listened to a number of panels that gave archaeological evidence of where events occurred in Northern America that matched the events in the Book of Mormon. It was a great conference. This blog touches upon some of a panel discussing the signs of the times for the coming of Christ. This is a continuation of my notes.

Future: the next 10 years:
– DC 88:87, sun, hide, his face.
– On March 21, 2015 is a Jewish holiday. Well, one of the blood moons occurred. This is only happened them in times past history.
– A blood moon will occur on August 21, 2017 and on April 18, 2024. The shadow of the Moon will create a path will cross United States continent and goes across the area that we know to be the new Jerusalem from the left side. In 2024, a blood moon will cross the new Jerusalem from the right in the center of the acts is the new Jerusalem.
– 3 Nephi 3:18 – 21 seasons of choice and? The concept of the separation between church and government came from a letter from Thomas Jefferson to a Baptist minister. It meant that the government is to stay out of the church. Nephi says we will gather in the center of the lands or crossroads. At Hopewell for.
– Psalms 19:1 – 4. The heavens will declare
– DC 128:23. Let the mountains shout for joy.
– Check out, Facebook Mormon evidence.
– YouTube: Mormon evidence.

That’s the end of my notes for this presentation. I was a very informative presentation.

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Spelling breathe:

Posted on August 6, 2015 by
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Breath should be breathe.

How to remember; breathing means air enters in and exists the mouth/lungs. Thus there are two Es near the beginning and end of the word/action. Breath is the object of air; while breathe is the action of inhaling and exhale air.

Have an alternative for defining the difference? Please share in the comment section of this blog.

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Coming up with story ideas:

Posted on August 5, 2015 by
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Here are more notes on a great panel at Life the Universe and Everything SF/F symposium. The topic is on coming up with story ideas.

– There are various ways to come up with story ideas. There were a few. First you come up with ideas. Ideas come from life’s experiences. Second, role-playing can be a good source of story ideas. Or you can write a story about any object, such as, a muddy boot. What is the story behind that boot?
– Some additional ideas I have is that I will go walking down an art show look at a piece of art that someone has done and then think what the story is behind that piece of art. Another way is to look at the newspaper looked ahead. And see how a good input that idea or story into your universe.
– Some authors have done the following devices for their own stories. One author had the idea of sisters visiting members of the congregation being accused as doing espionage and therefore there could be a story. Another author came up with an idea about how to spell checker is used to fix words and so she used as a spellchecker for actual spells and therefore got a fancy story.
– I had a similar idea in my book called spellbinders. Which is a story of some grandchildren of the gods of Olympia, and have a spelling bee with an elementary school. But when they have a spelling bee. There spells become reality. So it’s fun to see a fellow author with a similar slant. Why do that yet separate.
– The question was asked the panel about how role-playing can be of help in story ideas. If some of my ideas on that question. With different people playing their different personalities in different roles of each character and therefore you’re already have an example of unique distinct characters for story. Then as a variety of adventures that the role-playing game can play therefore given a lot of action in the story versus a must have the talking heads or maybe expository lumps. Using role-playing can give you a mix of adventure, dialogue and progression of clock
– Another idea I have is, let’s say that you think of a favorite scene in a book you love. Have you suddenly have that book. Turn left instead of right and you have characters that are maybe hot pot into the universe. The don’t belong there, so that that is the starting point and then you create your own ideas known elements in that different altered story.
– Some authors really benefit from brainstorming with their friends. They will actually present an idea, maybe even play a game of it, and in a different characters respond to different ways and their ingenuity can help embellish and add a variety, and surprises in your own plot.
– The question was how does an operative the brain open to receiving new ideas. Some authors say to get enough sleep that can help others jokingly say that insomnia help simplify this. The suggestion was given that you want to find your most productive time that you do well in writing and make to try to write in that time. You need another suggest that was given was to avoid distractions.
– The challenges that many authors will have writing slumps or they get discouraged about the writing and question their quality of writing. The suggestion is given to push on through it because it’s easy to edit sums been written that and a blank page.

Have something to add to the list? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

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Ideas when buying a home:

Posted on August 4, 2015 by
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Here is a list of things to keep in mind when buying a home.

– I believe business stock sold to buy a new home has benefits. Check it out at least to get more info.
– Remember the 20 percent down payment
– Don’t buy beyond your finances.
– You don’t need a big home as a new couple
– Make sure monthly note is affordable.
– Test all the lights, plugs, faucets etc.
– May want to consider renting fora few years to get the experience of home managements and until your life settles down.
– Look for cracks in the foundation/sidewalks
– Look for houses with equivalent square footage, and a similar number of bedrooms, bathrooms and amenities. The prices on those homes should be comparable to how your house is priced.
– Check for moisture under the sink
– Closing costs can range anywhere from 3-to-6 percent of the cost of the loan.
– It’s often useful to over-estimate on your costs.
– A credit report is the detailed history of a consumer’s borrowing history, and a credit score is a value assigned to the consumer based on credit history details.
– Home inspection checklists are available at home inspection websites such as American Home Inspector Directory.
– Burning candle can help you find air drafts.
– Hiring a good home inspector is a vital step in the home-buying process.
– Need money for furniture after mortgage.
– Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, is there specifically to help first-time buyers.
– Consider costs for home improvements after purchase
– Foreclosures are a great way to go for a first-time buyer.
– Consider cost of monthly utilities as a major part of choosing where to live.
– With loan pre-approval, a homebuyer gets a good idea of how much money he realistically qualifies for.
– Make sure the buyer knows his rights as a borrower.
– A fixed rate means that no matter the change in market interest rates, your mortgage payment will remain the same month after month and year after year.

Have something to add to the list? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

Sources:
http://home.howstuffworks.com/real-estate/buying-home/10-financial-factors-to-consider-when-buying-a-home.htm
http://get.smarter.com/qa/business-finance/homebuyer-s-checklist-222fcbec2e910db3?qo=questionPageSimilarContent
http://home.howstuffworks.com/real-estate/buying-home/what-should-be-on-home-inspection-checklist.htm
http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/family/parenting/adult-children/10-tips-for-helping-child-buy-first-home.htm
http://search.howstuffworks.com/hsw.gp.07/search/web?q=buying+a+home+checklist&cid=210237141&ad.network=s&ad.keyword=buying%20a%20home%20checklist&ad.creative=68582628021&ad.position=1t4&ad.placement=&ad.matchtype=b&ad.aceid=&ad.ismobile=&ad.device=c&ad.devicemodel=&ad.segment=hsw.gp.07&gclid=CNiKg7f-kMcCFQktaQod0a8IDA

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Only a Matter of Time 3:

Posted on August 3, 2015 by
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I recently attended a Book of Mormon evidence conference. I listened to a number of panels that gave archaeological evidence of where events occurred in Northern America that matched the events in the Book of Mormon. It was a great conference. This blog touches upon some of a panel discussing the signs of the times for the coming of Christ. This is a continuation of my notes.

Present: moon turn blood.
– This occurs during a lunar eclipse with a shallow of the earth hits the moon.
– DC 29:14 have dark and the blood.
– DC 88:47 such a hide his face and moon bathed in blood.
– Genesis 1:14, let them be for signs and seasons. The seasons reference here is not about the four seasons when you go to the Hebrew word of season, it means “moredim” which means, and appointed time, feast, Festival, time of meeting. For blood moons will or have occurred on April 52,014; October 8, 2014; April 4, 2015, September 20, 2015. All of them have or will occur on Jewish holidays. 36 blood moons will occur within a 100 year. This is not normal in 300 years from 1600 to 1900 there was not one blood techrod, means four blood moons within two years.

More notes coming.

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Political conventions or websites:

Posted on July 31, 2015 by
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Don’t like how government is being run? Do something about it. Become involved at the ground level. Check out these political parties.

American Party: http://www.theamericanparty.org/
Constitution party: http://www.constitutionpartyofutah.com/calendar/
Democrat: looks like it may have already happened: http://www.utahdemocrats.org/convention
Green Party of Utah: http://www.gp.org/
Independent American party of Utah, http://utahiap.org/
Libertarian party, lardy happened http://www.lputah.org/
Reform Party of Utah: http://reformpartyut.org/
Republican: August 15th, http://utgop.org/2015-state-convention/convention-pre-registration/
Socialist Party of Utah: http://www.utahsocialism.org/contact-us/
Utah Labor Party: http://www.thelaborparty.org/
Utah Patriot Party: http://www.pacificwestcom.com/stateparties/UTAH/utah.html
Veterans Party of Utah: http://www.veteransparty.us/StatesT-W/UT01.htm

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Spelling Surveillance:

Posted on July 29, 2015 by
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Bad: surveylance.
Good: surveillance

Surveillance is the effort to pierce the veil of secret actions of someone else. You use a Lance to pierce their behavior by observing or following them. So remember that Veil and Lance are both in the word sur-Veil–Lance.

Have a better idea on how to spell this word? Please provide your suggestions in the comment section of this blog.

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Agents:

Posted on July 28, 2015 by
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Here are more notes on a great panel at Life the Universe and Everything SF/F symposium. The topic is on Agents:

– Do research on agents to find out who you want is an agent. Don’t waste their time and yours by pitching to agents that will not represent you. You can do research by the Articles, their blog entries, who the clientele is, etc. very tracker.com is a good place to see a list of agents and to record your query steps you can also read the books edited by that editor to see if your book will match their interests
– Check out JF pitch for February 20
– Agents will only respond to pitches if they are interested in you give them about three months
– When you do submit a query to multiple agents do indicate it’s a simultaneous submission.
– Check out the book: a guide to literary agents.
– Write a standalone book with series potential.
– Jellyfish press email to editor of Deseret book the day in the life upon.
– A book is never finished. Authors tend to be continually working on the book. You need to send it out. Find the top 20 agent. You want to submit to send your query out to the bottom five. If no responses or requests for full of portions and you may need to revise the query. If you get responses from the query that is as good as it is, and you might be of the jumps the top the list of your top favorite agents.
– Melva: keep a record of your queries so you can overuse with it. To she don’t repeat yourself and you can also monitor your workload. Items in the query should be who’s the character want to stand in the way, what are they doing what is the consequence of their actions. What makes them unique.
– People like personality in a query.
– Make a concise and well written and then put back in the personality by may be rewrite it to scratch. If you can summarize into paragraphs. Your story line, then you may need to revise your book. Use words effectively and concisely.
– Strategy 20 agents for you want to do and do the bottom for first if you didn’t offer for representation by lesser agent. You may want to send a query to one’s you’re interested in and put in the subject line offer of representation and then give the pitch to the agents that you want.
– As several agents do the same feedback and listen to it and implement the change. The only one agent makes a suggestion. Don’t assume that the change will follow where he rules precisely.
– You don’t have to do an exclusive to limit your queries to one person and tell a offer you a contract.
– Keep writing new material, so that as you query the old the sting of rejection is not as intense. Another suggestion is, don’t write book to and tell book one has been accepted as that can waste valuable time.
– The website predators and editors is a good source to find out who the scammers are for agents and editors because there were people that will want to take advantage of you. If an agent asked for money. They are not legit.
– You need to check for personality compatibility between yourself and the agent. You can do this by looking at their articles the blog entries. The Twitter and to interview fellow writers and worked with them. As you build a network of friends. They may have agents and information to share with you and may recommend their agents in a query the database does not relate to you outside, being author.
– Big presses like seeing authors publishing in small presses as it shows that they are marketable.

Have something to add? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

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