I subscribe to The Bookbaby Blog (they have lots of helpful free information) and today I caught up with the page called Online tools that will help you revise your writing.

“Revolutionary Joyce Better Contrast“. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

First up was I write Like and who can resist fooling around with that. You know how, on submissions to publishers, they often ask you to nominate who your writing most resembles. I would never have the gall to compare myself to any writer.

So, bemused and hopeful, I picked sections out of my W.I.P. and played along … several times … okay, more than that. I probably tested about ten pieces of writing from different parts of my novel to see which ‘famous’ person put their hand up.

First it was Ian Fleming. But then each time James Joyce put up his hand, with single waves from J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling when the word dragon was probably included in the text, or wizard, or witch, or maybe magic.

Okay, so off I go to Amazon to spend a dollar getting the works of James Joyce. Just to check for myself. 🙂

Next up was the Hemingway App where I tried two bits of my draft.

Readability
Grade 9 (Good)
300 words
6 of 14 sentences are hard to read.
3 of 14 sentences are very hard to read.
0 phrases have simpler alternatives.
1 adverb. Remove it.
1 use of passive voice. Aim for 3 or fewer.

Readability
Grade 9 (Good)
306 words
2 of 17 sentences are hard to read.
5 of 17 sentences are very hard to read.
0 phrases have simpler alternatives.
3 adverbs. Aim for 0 or fewer.
1 use of passive voice. Aim for 3 or fewer.

O-k-a-a-a-y   😮   ?? [scratching head]  James Joyce isn’t looking so crash hot now?

Third, to check out if my writing is flabby or fit, I tried The Writer’s Diet using the same piece of writing already in my clipboard.

313 words
My verbs are having a heart attack
My nouns, prepositions, and adjectives/adverbs are lean.
My ‘and it, this, that, there’ are flabby.

The disclaimer says: ATTENTION USERS: Please note that the WritersDiet Test is an automated feedback tool, not an assessment tool. The test identifies some of the sentence-level grammatical features that most frequently weigh down academic prose…

That explains the crook verbs, academic stuff is a bit on the passive side. Phew, the fun died there for a sec. And I already know I have to rein in those pesky ‘and it, this, that, there’ words during the editing phase.

Two more to go.

4. The Up-Goer Five Text Editor. Huh? With this one you want plain writing. I couldn’t be bothered trying this one.

5. Ninja Essays.  Good, didn’t have to bother with that either, but could be handy next time I do a MOOC needing essays. I have an e-book full of helpful advice already, on my long now reading list.

I can hear you all yelling – get back to your writing and stop stuffing about.  I go to work soon, and I’m going out the backyard to do a thousand steps while I ponder what other obstacles I can put in my heroine’s way.

My mum was fond of saying “small things amuse small minds”.  Oh well. It’s good to laugh. 😀

This morning. On dull mornings like this the kangaroos are usually still in the front paddock (the green one). They are those darkish smudges near the fence line.

27 May 2015

I think our clouds get broken up a lot by all the planes during their descent into Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport.

27 May 2015

Have a good day. 😊

Hello people, I’ve had a wonderful experience to-day – a podiatric pedicure. Yeah, I know I’m only 60 and I was horrified when the doctor mentioned visiting a podiatrist as part of my ‘chronic pain case management’, thinking only old people go to podiatrists. But when the government wants to give money away, one has to use it or lose it. I can have five visits to health professionals under the plan – the initial ones completely free.

This was why I went to the St John of God Hospital in Bendigo a week ago where I saw a physiotherapist. She seemed a bit put out, asking why I wasn’t seeing someone locally and I told her it was because there was a wait of ten weeks. When she said my condition was hardly life-threatening, I could have waited, I explained that the nurse who did the case management interview asked me to go there. So, I was coached through three simple exercises to do daily to help my back and she advised heat packs twice a day whether I had pain or not. She also advised aqua therapy but then agreed the travel right afterwards made it less beneficial. Anyway, she must have warmed to me in the end, because she invited me to see her again if I wanted. I assured her that the ten week jump on the exercises made it  worth my while not waiting.

In case you are wondering, my back pain lurks around at the levels 1 or 2 constantly, but as soon as I clean windows, do the laundry or make beds it whips right up to 5-9. Early morning tossing and turning in bed doesn’t help, either, which is why I’ve developed a late night reading habit. At level 9-10, I usually take pain-killers and have a good whinge. Most of the time I can ignore it by distracting myself – which is where family history, blogging and writing comes in handy. 😀  Well, now I know to reach for the hot-water bottle as well.

Anyway, I digress. The Podiatrist. I hadn’t yet made my appointment when the lady rang me yesterday, offering a midday appointment today. I jumped at it, else I was likely to forget.

Somehow my feet now feel naked despite the three pairs of socks. (It was minus 3 this morning and still only 10C, mid-afternoon)

The young pretty podiatrist trimmed my toenails first. I felt better about taking up her time when she said, at one glance from across the room, you have a corn starting there or you have a very strong potential for a corn. Oh? Great. Luckily, there was no corn.

She scraped off callouses. She used a pick beneath my toenails, dragging out dead skin and grot. Gross. Yech!

Then came the power tool and everything was smoothed over  – dead skin was flying everywhere!

She moisturized.

I loved it.

After walking about barefoot most of the warmer months, you can imagine what my heels looked like. I only think to put Sorbolene cream on my feet when the crevices in my heels catch on the sheets.

Before I left, she smiled and said she would see me in a few more years, but if I wanted to come in for a tidy-up I would need a referral and $65. Well worth it. In the meantime, I must find my pumice stone.

Thanks for reading this highlight in my mostly mundane life.  🙂