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Typos

By Books & Authors, ThinkingNo Comments

I got an email recently about my Book Review: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern post with the Subject: Typos. See the email below:

Name: Sally O
Email: removed

Subject: Typos

Message Body:
Hello; I found your review of The Book of Tomorrow via Google. It is an entertaining review but has a great many typos. If this doesn’t bother you then that’s fine. If it does, might I suggest a quick proofing and edit? Things to fix =

about to loose everything
LOSE

couldn’t bare facing
BEAR

Rose, in to the gatehouse.
ROSALINE, INTO

which burn’t
BURNED

angry and board.
BORED

having latte’s
LATTES

older man, who she fancies.
WHOM

begin’s to realise
BEGINS

Sally O

Reply Required: No

I’d like to thank Sally O for taking the time to email me. I know that Sally O didn’t require a reply; but I wanted to use her email as an opportunity to write about the grammatical and occasion spelling errors you may spot on my blog.

All of the “typos” or grammatical errors Sally O points out in her email about my Book Review: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern post are most probably right. When I wrote the post that’s where my writing was at. Once I’ve hit the Publish button I don’t go back and edit it, but I do consider the errors and try to learn from them so that my writing improves. This is how my blog helps me to learn to write better and it also shows me how my writings developed over the years.

Interestingly I now spend more time editing a blog post than I do writing one. I’ll write a first draft, then read it carefully looking for grammatical errors. Usually in sentences I’ll find words that I don’t need or words that are in the wrong order. Occasionally I’ll have written a sentence that doesn’t make sense. It’s the editing that takes the time, but it’s the editing that brings out the quality to my writing.

So although it’s tempting to edit posts removing the errors I spot after they’ve been published; especially on posts that bring a considerable number of visitors to my blog like Book Review: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern (according to the WordPress Jetpack Stats Plugin) because the process helps develop and improve the quality of my writing and editing I’ll continue to leave the grammatical and occasional spelling errors as they are.

Take Care,

Antony

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Four Hundred Posts

By The Web2 Comments

This is my four hundredth blog post since I went back to using WordPress about five years ago, before then the site existed in other various formats see Geeky Post: Website Development for previous formats. Whether you’ve been following my blogging for the last five years, had a browse through the archives or are a relatively new reader I wanted to use this post to reflect on some of my life experiences and my growth as a person in this time.

I’ve had many Good Times some of which have been watching various comedians and musical performers. I’ve seen Dylan Moran, Russell Howard, French & Saunders, The Feeling, Tina Turner, Pink, Kylie, John Barrowman and Steps. These experiences have been shared by the most important people in my life my friends and family.

At the beginning of this WordPress blog I wrote about people that inspire me, explaining how my friends and family inspire me. It’s as true today as it was then. Among my close friends I’ve wrote about good times with Simon & Chrys, Sye, Steve, Jayne and Kay. A few recent good times that spring to mind are a trip with Simon & Chrys to Liverpool and visiting Anglesey with Simon.

There have been a few new additions to the family including Shaun the long lost brother, his wife Sarah (see The Wedding of the Year) and their family unit. Dylan and Russell, my two gorgeous bengal kittens have been brought home and added to my family unit. I’m so thankful to have the love and support from my friends and family.

My love life has included dates, relationships, relationship problems and break ups involving several different men. I’ve moved to Spain to start a new life with someone and then moved back when it didn’t work out. I’ve learned from the relationships and although I’ve not yet found that someone special to spend my life with; I’m sure I’ll meet my Mr. Right eventually.

I made the choice to go back to University to complete my Nursing Degree, successfully being awarded a BSc Nursing Hons Upper Second (2:1). I’ve moved out of Nurses accommodation to a grotty house-share and then bought my first home.

Happy times have to be balanced with sad times; saying goodbye to M and experiencing grief after my younger brother Alex passed away are among the few truly sad times in the last 5 years. These events in my life along with others have helped my paganism and spirituality flourish. This has been seen with my Reiki One qualification, my work with Apollo and through me fully embracing pagan festivals such as Samhain.

My writing has developed with changes to subject matters, style, editing, grammar and spelling. Subject matters have changed, from writing purely about me and my life to an increase in reviews of books and films. I feel I’ve managed to keep a careful balance between writing about my life and reviews. I have retained and continue to retain that this is a personal blog, that I write more for me than anyone else. A place to write about experiences I have, memories I want to keep and thoughts that I want to share or reflect upon.

My own individual writing style seems to be unfolding although I’m not sure quite how, or what it will look like when it’s fully formed. I do know my writing is increasingly descriptive and seems at times to have a voice. I used to a write blog post and hit the publish button, whereas now I spend more time editing the post than writing the first draft. This has hopefully led to better grammar and spelling – although I don’t claim these to be perfect. In the past my blogging was a spontaneous event, now I try to write a little each day and this change has probably led to the improvement in my writing.

As I have continued to experience life I’ve certainly grown and developed in many different ways. Life’s events have influenced the way I think, feel or act in situations as they do for everyone. I have enjoyed writing about these events and continue to do so, so here’s looking forward to the next four hundred (plus) posts.

Write soon,

Antony



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The Best of 300

By The WebNo Comments

This is my 300th blog post on this version of the site (see Geeky Post: Website Development). So from previous blog posts here’s 50 good reads for you:

Advice
1. Relaxation
3. What makes a relationship work?
4. All of your tick boxes

Funny
5. You know your getting old(er) when…
6. Funny Cartoons from a friend
7. More funny cartoons from a friend
8. Dear Madonna
9. Scape Goat
10. Addiction to shower gells
11. My First Wet Shave
12. Immitation is the biggest form of flattery…or maybe not?

Gay
13. A man named Alan Turning
14. The blood debate continues
15. The Independent on Sunday Pink List 2010, my thoughts
16. Pride
17. A Sad Truth
18. An interesting AIDS Advert
19. My Pride Costume
20. ‘If I were gay’ Straight Humour

Happy Times
21. Psychic Party & Home Warming
22. Partying – despite the weather
23. Salsa Tuesday’s
24. A Night of Laughter

Inspiration
25. The Story of Rosa Parks
26. A pearl of wisdom from Dame Edna
27. Inspirational Icons

Learning about me
28. Dear Me, A letter to my 16 year old self
29. What influences my IDENTITY?

Love
30. Adventure 2 – Benidorm Part 2
31. A Weekend Away, Up North – Adventure 1
32. An Unsent Letter
33. One Month
34. 18 of my favourite love songs
35. Past time Crushes

Music Gigs
36. Tina was Incredible
37. Pink is Sexy
38. The Feeling were Awesome

Paganism
39. Pagan Festivals
40. Apollo
41. Making a pumpkin latern for Samhain
42. A Magickal Grand Plan
43. Money Magick

People
44. People that inspire me
45. A Lovely Day with Simon

Sad Times
46. My Darling Baby Brother
47. Goodbye M
48. Grief

Writing
49. My Writing Process – for some of my better blog posts
50. Inspired by Stephen Fry

Take Care,

Antony

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Goals for 2011

By Life, Thinking2 Comments

Here’s my goals for 2011. Some are goals regurgitated from 2010 (see Goals for 2010), others are new:

Health
1. To quit smoking.
2. To test my blood sugars twice a day.

Education
3. To complete my Dissertation and Change for Children modules, therefore completing my degree.
4. To complete Complementary Therapies (Teach Yourself Your Evening Class) with Ian (my boyfriend).

Creativity
5. To use my creativity more in my everyday life.
6. To write a short story per quarter of the year with themes. The themes and deadlines:

Theme Deadline
Heroes and Villains 31st March 2010
Love 30th June 2010
Life & Death/Light & Dark/Good & Bad 30th September 2010
In search of an “object”/Holy grail 31st December 2010

7. To read 10 fiction or autobiographical books and review on the blog.
8. To read 5 pagan books and review on the blog.

Paganism & Spirituality
9. To continue to work on invokation of Apollo.
10. To read Astral Projection for Beginners by Edain McCoy and regularly practice my astral projection.
11. To buy a book on runes, learn runes and practice.
12. Host a psychic party.

Financial
13. Pay off credit cards.
14. To not increase my debts.
15. To live more frugally.

Family and Friends
16. To support them to achieve a state of increased happiness.
17. To see my friend Simon at least once a month.

Travel
18. Save up to visit the Egyptian Pyramids.

Write soon,

Antony

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