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| R.A.T.! Random Aussie Tune! This is part of my ongoing attempt to make Australia seem like a country not just populated by wildlife out to kill you (even though it is) and always on fire or under water (only half the time, to be honest) by posting songs I like by Aussie (not Kiwi) artists. The start of April will see me posting tunes by bands I like that are cover songs done for a radio programme called 'Like A Version.' This song was my first exposure to Odette, and she made a huge impression. I have since seen a few of her televised performances, but not for a couple of years. She treats this AC/DC classic as a chance to go all classical - think 2Cellos with lyrics. Just an innovative artist, I think. Seen live? No. Overseas success? No. 'Thunderstruck' by Odette (2021) |
| What I really enjoy about your posts is that I normally would never listen to this music. As for Odette, good range and impressive low notes. |
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| very good. |
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| Fun difference between US English and Australian English: The word: BUOY US pronunciation: Boo-ee Aust pronunciation: Boy (This is also UK) It comes from the French word boie (pronounced "boy"), which is also the basis of our word "boy". This comes from the Latin boia, a fetter or a yoke (particularly of oxen, from bos, cow). A boy was originally a person who was in servitude to another, yoked to them, and a buoy was originally chained or fettered in place. But that's okay. The US can have its pronunciation peccadillos. |
New question over at
And it might be here... "QOTD: Tuesday April 8 2025"  |
| AI really does suck. And Grammarly... sheesh! I received edits for a short story a few days ago for an anthology. The editor made a point of say he ran the story through Grammarly, which he used to check stories, and then through what he called "AI" to make sure that "everything falls into line." Grammarly corrected things that were not wrong and changed spelling and words that did not need it. I wrote to the editor and told him that I would be removing my story, and explained why, giving every example it got wrong. By the way, this included most direct speech in split form. He said Grammarly knows more than any person, and that he would not be accepting anything else from me in the future. This morning I got an email from him. He apologised and asked me to reconsider removing my story, that he would not use Grammarly on my tale. It seems I was not the only writer to do what I did, and now he did not have an anthology. I refused. |
| Disagree. Tools are only as good as the workpeople who use them. Why would I use AI for things I have done successfully without AI for years? It's not going to make me a better writer. My meter in my poetry is pretty good; AU isn't going to make it better. AI creates lazy writers who rely on useless tools used wrongly and curated by morons on the Internet. The only AI I even think about now is the MS Word spell and grammar check from any Office product pre-2013... because they are now user-curated as well. And even then, I know full well Office is right only 50% of the time. If you trust AI over people, then you are trusting the GPS to guide you down the swollen river it thinks is a road, and you go along with it because it's a computer, so it knows best. As far as I am concerned, AI is useless and getting worse. |
| I agree the editor is a boob. It seems he was either grossly misinformed, inexperienced, or lazy (or some combination of the above). I have no problem with Grammarly. I have a problem with people who take it as gospel truth and the final arbiter of all things writing. I have the same problem with people who say the same thing about Strunk & White. It's nothing more than a tool. Like any tool, one needs to learn how to use it, when to use it, and when it's completely inappropriate to use it. Dialogue is 100% an inappropriate use. It doesn't handle it well because that's not what it is for. Creative writing is hit or miss, and no matter what they claim, it was built for business writing. While I find many of its core and all of its extraneous features (tone, inclusiveness, etc.) of no value, I also know I have a privileged background and no real concerns with language (save for my infamous typos). Admittedly, though, I suck at editing my own work, but I don't generally struggle with clarity, tone, or getting my thoughts across. Some people do. Used properly for its intended purpose, I have no more problem with it than when I was taught to use a scientific calculator. I was allowed to use during exams under an exception, because I cannot do the math without it. It's not a lazy problem, it's a fundamental way my brain processes numbers. There needs to be better education on how to use the new tool. But we are not all the same. The value of any tool varies across sectors, backgrounds, and individuals. |
| I've added a new entry to my "Writing Blog Number 2" : "20250407 Book Review – How Not To Write A Novel" A writing book review! |
| R.A.T.! Random Aussie Tune! This is part of my ongoing attempt to make Australia seem like a country not just populated by wildlife out to kill you (even though it is) and always on fire or under water (only half the time, to be honest) by posting songs I like by Aussie (not Kiwi) artists. The start of April will see me posting tunes by bands I like that are cover songs done for a radio programme called 'Like A Version.' I first saw These New South Whales on a TV music show, then saw them live some time later and found their pop-rock stylings to be like a modern version of the pub rock I grew up with. Live they are amazing. I have a feeling they will remain an Australian niche product, but I don't care - they are great. And they have so much fun with the Chumbawamba song. Seen live? Yes. Overseas success? No. 'Tubthumpin'' by These New South Whales (2023) |
| Allegedly it is US National Poetry Writing Month. So... poets. Want to look for a publisher for your work? https://authorspublish.com/102-poetry-manuscript-publishers-accepting-submission... Seriously. 102 publishers. Now, I need to say that Authors Publish does vet their publishers, so these are all fine, but, on a personal note, I would recommend do NOT pay reading fees. This is a hidden way of hybrid publishing or taking money. But it is rather common in poetry circles because poetry publishers are so rare on the ground. Some accept poetry only at certain times, so have geographic restrictions and some are very them-orientated, but have a look. Seriously, what have you go to lose? |
| Thanks for sharing. I have no clue how to publish anything or where to start looking to publish anything. It seems that everyone wants you to pay them to publish your works and then that is only for them to market your products. What is a writer/author supposed to do to get their works published? |
G. B. Williams  - It's not easy. While I have had some modest success as a traditional published author, it has been years and years of submitting, refining my craft, learning how to write for a wider audience, things like that. I always try to improve, asking people's opinions, things like that. But I also submit often. Just last month I submitted 2 novels, 1 poem and 8 short stories to various markets. Never stop trying and never stop learning are the only bits of advice I can give. FWIW, I have never paid to have a piece published. If a publisher demands money for anything, they are hybrid/vanity or self and that is not for me. |
| R.A.T.! Random Aussie Tune! This is part of my ongoing attempt to make Australia seem like a country not just populated by wildlife out to kill you (even though it is) and always on fire or under water (only half the time, to be honest) by posting songs I like by Aussie (not Kiwi) artists. The start of April will see me posting tunes by bands I like that are cover songs done for a radio programme called 'Like A Version.' I have only seen Yours Truly on TV, a few broadcasts of festivals and things like that, but I do like the vocals here. Again, I know very little about them, but have started to keep an eye on their releases. This cover of a Charli XCX song is a good place to start, though. Seen live? No. Overseas success? No. 'Von Dutch' by Yours Truly (2024) |
| Ever notice how something as simple as a hyphen can completely change a word? If I resign from a company, then I quit, out, gone. But if I re-sign with a company, then I had continued employment, gone back to them, still work there. One hyphen and suddenly the word is its opposite. English is stupid. |
New question over at
And it's time to be creative! "QOTD: Friday April 4, 2025" |
| Traditionally published short story number 98! 100 is so close! https://www.amazon.com/Thuggish-Itch-Gypsum-Sound-Tales/dp/B0F27255WR/ |
| I've added a new entry to my "Writing Blog Number 2" : "20250404 The Music Of Writing" Just a little insight into how I write. |
| OBSCURE WORD OF THE DAY! Today's word (phrase) is obdormition. (ob-door-m'-shn) This is another of those clever-sounding words that means something very common. In this case, it means: "when a limb 'goes to sleep'; numbness in a limb caused by pressure on a nerve". Your challenge today, should you accept it, is to use this word in a conversation with a person IRL! |
| R.A.T.! Random Aussie Tune! This is part of my ongoing attempt to make Australia seem like a country not just populated by wildlife out to kill you (even though it is) and always on fire or under water (only half the time, to be honest) by posting songs I like by Aussie (not Kiwi) artists. The start of April will see me posting tunes by bands I like that are cover songs done for a radio programme called 'Like A Version.' Chet Faker are a band I have seen on TV a few times, and quite like their sound, but I know very little about them. Well, him. It is the stage name of a guy who goes back forth between this and his real name. Seen live? No. Overseas success? Some. '(Lover) You Don't Treat Me No Good No More' by Chet Faker (2014) |
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