Good. Let me know if you do it.
If, shortly after that, you're not seen around here, I'll send a search party.
And, in the meantime, how is that novel coming along?
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Good. Let me know if you do it.
If, shortly after that, you're not seen around here, I'll send a search party.
And, in the meantime, how is that novel coming along?
I have the first three pages written. I just need to muddle through the introduction before things get exciting. [[I should actually be a couple of chapters into it by now...)I'm going to work on it again this evening or tomorrow. I've got the plot developed and most of the characters figured out. I'm not so keen on the names yet.
OK, so that sounds like some real progress.
For me, the names would be very important. Like central heating run on gas, you still need a spark of electricity to get it going. Names are important. It will seem a steeper, uphill climb for you while the names don't quite gel......
Well, the name of one character in particular. The name has to be symbolic but unforced. I've been searching Latin and Greek translations of certain words to see if I can name the character. I may check Hebrew, Aramaic, or African translations next. If nothing works, I'll call him "Tom". LOL.
Well, Tom will do for now.
It's not something which can be forced too much, otherwise you will be trying too hard. It should floooowwwww.....
In fact, it is very likely that the character will name himself in due course, and when you least expect it. He just hasn't been around long enough yet.....
The good news is that with modern word processing, I can change every instance of the name at the end of the project within seconds. Again: Living in the future is great.
Prepare for several name changes.....
I already have my nom de plume. It's one that won't make Mom and Dad scratch their heads.
Not your name, I was meaning those of your characters....LOL
I hope your parents are happy with your choice of pen name. And I hope you're happy, even if they're not....
I knew what you meant... And they're typically happy if I am, even if they think that I'm somewhat nuts sometimes...
Perhaps they recognise certain family characteristics.....
Watch it, now... That's not it. They know as much about me as I let them. And I don't tell them a lot for fear of worrying them.
"Please hold. Your call is important to us. Your call may be recorded for training purposes..." :)
So you guys get that notice also? I wonder if the training is so they can better serve us or to create our headaches with more guile?
I imagine it's universal. It just means 'don't hang up, we'll answer as soon as we can'.
So, in order not to lose attention, I just keep concentrating..and hear the message repeated and repeated....
...to be soon followed by a voice with an indecipherable Indian accent say "thank you for calling, my name is 'Melvin'. How may I help you today?"
Over here in the UK, the general consensus of opinion is we don't mind if we ring the number of a British organisation, and then speak to someone in Mumbai, just as long as their English is not only good, but is also clear, and not spoken with a thick Indian accent.
If that is the case, giving themselves an Anglicised first name just adds fuel to the flame.....
With my hearing, I can take a heavy accent so long as it is not accompanied by what seems to be a typically soft voice. I feel horrible asking them to repeat themselves.
Yes, that's exactly the problem. When people on the phone have to ask someone to repeat themselves,they begin to feel that it makes them look stupid.
True. We actually are able to request that they put an American rep on the phone. However, depending upon who gets your call, the attitude and/or lack of functional capability of that person will probably make you wish you had stayed with "Melvin".
Sometimes, dealing with a computer has distinct advantages.
That depends upon who programmed it. Garbage in, garbage out.
I can sometimes feel less pressure with a computer offering me options, than another person...as I sometimes feel under pressure to answer quicker in person.
But don't you hate it when you get seven [[or more) options and none of them is the reason for your call? Especially when the old standby of pressing "zero" does not work.
In that situation, I usually go for the nearest, and hope for the best.....
"Thank you for selecting 'payroll and benefits'. Your call is very important to us, so please hold the line for the next available operator. Average wait time is 35 minutes."
After five minutes of Muzak, the voice returns: "Thank you for waiting. Your call is very important to us, so please hold the line for the next available operator. Average wait time is 35 minutes."
"Now, don't get tetchy with us. Your call is free, so we'll take just as much time as we like...and, right now, we're all huddled round the filing cabinets, testing Dorothy's homemade apple cake..."
It's always a wonderful experience to wait for half an hour, yell at someone who is treating you with the utmost dignity and respect, threaten to call the attorney general about the situation, snort with derision when they ask you to do something that is the most obvious first step to resolving the issue [[like making sure power is turned on for the device that isn't working), and finding out that [[oops!) you forgot to do the most obvious first step before picking up the phone and picking a fight... :[[
How embarrassing.....!
You get used to it after the first few times...
Best keep it to just a few...LOL
Well, it mostly happened at work and now, I don't have to make those calls for everyone. I never found out why it was my specific competency to be able [[or patient enough) to stay with a thorny problem until it was resolved. Even when it wasn't my thorny problem.
You did it once, then again...and so, after that, they all left it to you ....:)
Suckers... I wonder who is rushing in on holidays to reset the burglar alarms now? And no up the overflowing toilets. And escort the many service vendors who show up out of the blue to handle a maintenance call that the requestor never told anyone else about?
Actually, I don't really wonder about any of it. I'm just grateful that is no longer me.
Did your best, and moved on. That's one of my mantras....
I thought "mantras" were big flat fish. But I flunked Natural Science twice.
You probaby had little chants of success.
I resemble that remark...
You don't say!
Well, not twice...