Alan Eggleston-A Book Editor
@abookeditor.bsky.social
Retired Web Writer/Editor/SEO Strategist/Bookseller. Part-time freelance Book Editor/Copy Editor, mentor to storytellers. Photo credit: @TechnoAhoy
I do not read or respond to CHAT except when prearranged.
I do not read or respond to CHAT except when prearranged.
Pinned
How to Give and Receive Valid Writing Advice
Recently I was having a chat with an author about writing input. She wanted to know how to differentiate between valid advice and advice that imposes on your writing style (what I would call your &…
abookeditor.wordpress.com
"How to Give and Receive Valid Writing Advice" by Alan Eggleston, A Book Editor. Let's make the most of your hard work and see if you might have missed anything.
abookeditor.wordpress.com/2018/03/09/h...
#writingcommunity
abookeditor.wordpress.com/2018/03/09/h...
#writingcommunity
Reposted by Alan Eggleston-A Book Editor
seems kinda bad that the House GOP is ordering half a trillion in cuts to Medicare now? Not Medicaid but Medicare. Is that bad?
🚨🚨🚨 SURPRISE! GOP #MedicaidMassacre bill is also a #MedicareMassacre bill!
@repbrendanboyle.bsky.social broke the news last night: The CBO says the bill would require $535 BILLION in cuts to *MEDICARE* on top of Medicaid & the ACA being gutted.
acasignups.net/25/05/21/sur...
@repbrendanboyle.bsky.social broke the news last night: The CBO says the bill would require $535 BILLION in cuts to *MEDICARE* on top of Medicaid & the ACA being gutted.
acasignups.net/25/05/21/sur...
Surprise! GOP Medicaid Massacre bill is also a Medicare Massacre bill!
Pennsylvania Democratic Representative Brendon Boyle, on MSNBC last night: Rep. Boyle: This reminds me very much of 2017, I believe, I believed at the time and was proven correct that we won the 2018 ...
acasignups.net
May 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
seems kinda bad that the House GOP is ordering half a trillion in cuts to Medicare now? Not Medicaid but Medicare. Is that bad?
@peters.senate.gov Please vote no on this atrocious bill that puts the burden on the lower and middle classes once again. Support the people who voted you into office!
Call your senators. This bill is heading to them next and they can stop it if the people speak out. (202) 224-3121
May 20, 2025 at 9:28 PM
@peters.senate.gov Please vote no on this atrocious bill that puts the burden on the lower and middle classes once again. Support the people who voted you into office!
Hey there! I’m reaching out to share a heartfelt cause to help honor Kate's final wishes. Every donation, any size, will ease the burden of her cremation and memorial, allowing us to celebrate her beautiful life. Please click the link below to donate or share. Thanks so much!
gofund.me/5c3a3d32
gofund.me/5c3a3d32
Donate to Help Honor Kate's Final Wishes, organized by Alan Eggleston
It’s time to prepare the road for my wife Kate (Kathy) to join our Lord in Heaven. She i… Alan Eggleston needs your support for Help Honor Kate's Final Wishes
gofund.me
April 11, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Hey there! I’m reaching out to share a heartfelt cause to help honor Kate's final wishes. Every donation, any size, will ease the burden of her cremation and memorial, allowing us to celebrate her beautiful life. Please click the link below to donate or share. Thanks so much!
gofund.me/5c3a3d32
gofund.me/5c3a3d32
@tearosekent.bsky.social What’s happening?
April 5, 2025 at 2:38 AM
@tearosekent.bsky.social What’s happening?
Elon, folks will be going to The Atlantic page 2 NOW. Your failed snark of the day.
After rallies of “lock her up chants” and pushing his DOJ to prosecute Hillary Clinton over mishandling classified info, the President has gone with a “lol, who cares” response when it comes to protecting war plans
March 25, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Elon, folks will be going to The Atlantic page 2 NOW. Your failed snark of the day.
Reposted by Alan Eggleston-A Book Editor
Reposted by Alan Eggleston-A Book Editor
Saying immigration is a civil not criminal proceeding and that's why there is no obligation to due process is insane if the outcome of the "civil" proceeding is *checks notes* incarceration in a violent labor camp in a foreign country.
March 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Saying immigration is a civil not criminal proceeding and that's why there is no obligation to due process is insane if the outcome of the "civil" proceeding is *checks notes* incarceration in a violent labor camp in a foreign country.
Reposted by Alan Eggleston-A Book Editor
If only America would protect school children the way it protects Teslas.
March 23, 2025 at 10:29 PM
If only America would protect school children the way it protects Teslas.
“Dogged though I was to escape your eye, you found me. Because you were dogged on your pursuit of me, I suppose. That ‘Where’s Waldo?’ ethos. Every spy image a challenge to your technique, your talent, your skill. I kept to busy streets and bustling scapes and messy scenes. ‘There’s Waldo!’”
#hbp149
#hbp149
March 24, 2025 at 2:22 PM
“Dogged though I was to escape your eye, you found me. Because you were dogged on your pursuit of me, I suppose. That ‘Where’s Waldo?’ ethos. Every spy image a challenge to your technique, your talent, your skill. I kept to busy streets and bustling scapes and messy scenes. ‘There’s Waldo!’”
#hbp149
#hbp149
Approaching the midnight hour. My breath is shallow, my body tired—I slow then stop. “I outran another day,” I say to no one in particular then notice I’m surrounded by a dozen other beasts slinking in the brush, heads bowed in self-reproach. “New day’s begun!” one says and we all run on.
#hbp148
#hbp148
Prose/dialogue: “I outran another day.” #hbp148
March 23, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Approaching the midnight hour. My breath is shallow, my body tired—I slow then stop. “I outran another day,” I say to no one in particular then notice I’m surrounded by a dozen other beasts slinking in the brush, heads bowed in self-reproach. “New day’s begun!” one says and we all run on.
#hbp148
#hbp148
I’m a theoretical physicist. Closing my eyes, I’m near-sighted in four dimensions, which puts me firmly in the quantum level. Nothing is concrete, all shapes are fuzzy and speculative. Open my eyes and I’m on firmer ground, at the macro level, looking up at objects fuzzy and speculative.
#hbp147
#hbp147
Concept: Near-sighted in four dimensions. #hbp147
March 23, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I’m a theoretical physicist. Closing my eyes, I’m near-sighted in four dimensions, which puts me firmly in the quantum level. Nothing is concrete, all shapes are fuzzy and speculative. Open my eyes and I’m on firmer ground, at the macro level, looking up at objects fuzzy and speculative.
#hbp147
#hbp147
The basement room was dark and dank, so not that unusual. Until I found his desk with old medical journals and a corner with an ancient diskette player and a box of mixtapes with hand-scrawled dates. I popped them in and played samples: human screams and cries punctuated by creepy giggles.
#hbp146
#hbp146
March 21, 2025 at 5:50 PM
The basement room was dark and dank, so not that unusual. Until I found his desk with old medical journals and a corner with an ancient diskette player and a box of mixtapes with hand-scrawled dates. I popped them in and played samples: human screams and cries punctuated by creepy giggles.
#hbp146
#hbp146
Rich misread it. A brilliant civil engineer, he took their money and built their luxury underground bunker as they demanded, and filled it with the wealthy. Rich, you see, turned underground living into an art farm. Now they spend their lives moving “pebbles” many times their own weight.
#hbp145
#hbp145
Prose/dialogue: “The rich turned underground living into an art form.” #hbp145
March 20, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Rich misread it. A brilliant civil engineer, he took their money and built their luxury underground bunker as they demanded, and filled it with the wealthy. Rich, you see, turned underground living into an art farm. Now they spend their lives moving “pebbles” many times their own weight.
#hbp145
#hbp145
Work had been suspended for the day, so the foreman was surprised to pull into the worksite and find Journeyman Joe at the top of a lean tower of plywood and one piece nailed across the top, he exhausted asleep there. “He built without experience or knowledge but with limitless passion.”
#hbp143
#hbp143
Prose/dialogue: “He built without experience or knowledge, but with limitless passion.” #hbp143
March 18, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Work had been suspended for the day, so the foreman was surprised to pull into the worksite and find Journeyman Joe at the top of a lean tower of plywood and one piece nailed across the top, he exhausted asleep there. “He built without experience or knowledge but with limitless passion.”
#hbp143
#hbp143
There is no such thing as “clean coal”. He’s dragging us back to the dirty air era. Welcome back asthma, black lung disease, smog, coal ash in our rivers and lakes. Wonder how much the orange orangutan is taking under the table to make this decision.
Yes, let's build up coal, which is more expensive than renewables. Genius
welcome back coal
March 18, 2025 at 4:01 AM
There is no such thing as “clean coal”. He’s dragging us back to the dirty air era. Welcome back asthma, black lung disease, smog, coal ash in our rivers and lakes. Wonder how much the orange orangutan is taking under the table to make this decision.
Before there was Ford Field in Detroit, there was the Silverdome in Pontiac. One autumn day in the mid-‘70s I went to my only Lions game. We had tickets, all we had to do was park, walk into the building, hike up the ramp, and pass into the stands. It was ginormous. I’ve never felt so small.
#hbp242
#hbp242
Prose/dialogue: “I never felt so small.” #hbp142
March 17, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Before there was Ford Field in Detroit, there was the Silverdome in Pontiac. One autumn day in the mid-‘70s I went to my only Lions game. We had tickets, all we had to do was park, walk into the building, hike up the ramp, and pass into the stands. It was ginormous. I’ve never felt so small.
#hbp242
#hbp242
Who knew when lives would go back to normal. Meanwhile, evenings the widow and widower shared dinner time as if a couple. No jury duty deliberation was ever mentioned; holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes, sharing family tales and hopes and dreams became their getaway life.
#hbp141
#hbp141
March 16, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Who knew when lives would go back to normal. Meanwhile, evenings the widow and widower shared dinner time as if a couple. No jury duty deliberation was ever mentioned; holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes, sharing family tales and hopes and dreams became their getaway life.
#hbp141
#hbp141
“My whole world just collapsed,” he said, his eyes betraying lost bewilderment, explaining an unexpected highway bridge falling beneath him. I patted him on the shoulder in solidarity. “I know that feeling. I lost the best job ever. Never saw it coming. Then 911 hit, a week later. Whoosh!”
#hbp140
#hbp140
Dialogue: “My whole world just collapsed.” #hbp140
March 16, 2025 at 1:12 AM
“My whole world just collapsed,” he said, his eyes betraying lost bewilderment, explaining an unexpected highway bridge falling beneath him. I patted him on the shoulder in solidarity. “I know that feeling. I lost the best job ever. Never saw it coming. Then 911 hit, a week later. Whoosh!”
#hbp140
#hbp140
The old farmer tipped his frayed Ford cap back on his grayed scalp and scratched his noggin for ideas why his neighbor’s corn might suddenly have died. “Wouldn’t know, Don. You’re the one playing around with genetic seed and all. You’re so smart; mebbee give the old seed a try again.”
#hbp139
#hbp139
Character: Crotchety farmer suspected of sabotaging a competitor's crop. #hbp139
March 14, 2025 at 3:08 PM
The old farmer tipped his frayed Ford cap back on his grayed scalp and scratched his noggin for ideas why his neighbor’s corn might suddenly have died. “Wouldn’t know, Don. You’re the one playing around with genetic seed and all. You’re so smart; mebbee give the old seed a try again.”
#hbp139
#hbp139
From mighty oaks does the erstwhile trebuchet grow. From thence the evil despot or the greedy lord falls and a simple acorn tumbles into the hole, and here we go again.
#hbp138
#hbp138
March 13, 2025 at 8:07 PM
From mighty oaks does the erstwhile trebuchet grow. From thence the evil despot or the greedy lord falls and a simple acorn tumbles into the hole, and here we go again.
#hbp138
#hbp138
He really cheapened the real estate with this tacky move. My God, how tacky and weedy. One expects broken windows and patchy lawns in the weeks ahead.
“What's it going to take for you to drive one of these babies home today? I can talk to my manager and see if he'll let me throw in a MAGA hat and a Bible."
March 12, 2025 at 11:12 PM
He really cheapened the real estate with this tacky move. My God, how tacky and weedy. One expects broken windows and patchy lawns in the weeks ahead.
Neighbor on the roof tanning sees me climb up the downspout. “Why you on da roof?” He yells. “Locked out of my apartment. So I drove the mini-van under the downspout to climb up here. Going over the other side to go down the fire escape, in my window.” “Oh…I have a skeleton key, ya know.”
#hbp137
#hbp137
Dialogue: “Why are you on the roof? #hbp137
March 12, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Neighbor on the roof tanning sees me climb up the downspout. “Why you on da roof?” He yells. “Locked out of my apartment. So I drove the mini-van under the downspout to climb up here. Going over the other side to go down the fire escape, in my window.” “Oh…I have a skeleton key, ya know.”
#hbp137
#hbp137
Lou’s rival for the hand of Ms Trudy was a skywriter and Lou was ready for a sassy last word from he who was known as the local “Bard of the Sky,” but not this. A large O for a face, two x’s for eyes, a lower curve for a sad face, and a large L on the forehead for Loser. “Wysocki” ID’d Lou.
#hbp136
#hbp136
Concept: Reasons to not piss off a skywriter. #hbp136
![Photo: A sky writer painted [a smiley face in] the sky during the Arctic Thunder Open House on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 1, 2018. During the biennial open house, JBER opens its gates to the public and hosts multiple performers including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, JBER Joint Forces Demonstration and the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Jamal Wilson). Jamal Wilson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5czgnb5wwkj2jlu7mdqciavg/bafkreidbpiidchf4tsbc45ed4p3zjq3yxp2mlcadtslq4ahort2dojdp3m@jpeg)
March 11, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Lou’s rival for the hand of Ms Trudy was a skywriter and Lou was ready for a sassy last word from he who was known as the local “Bard of the Sky,” but not this. A large O for a face, two x’s for eyes, a lower curve for a sad face, and a large L on the forehead for Loser. “Wysocki” ID’d Lou.
#hbp136
#hbp136
Mrs. Kitty Wompas, star reporter for the neighborhood news and gossip rag. Tap, tap, tap. No answer at the window where she can clearly see you, she moves to the door. Bang, bang, bang. Still no answer. Ever in quest of her truth of your personal story, she moves next door. “Have you heard…”
#hbp135
#hbp135
March 10, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Mrs. Kitty Wompas, star reporter for the neighborhood news and gossip rag. Tap, tap, tap. No answer at the window where she can clearly see you, she moves to the door. Bang, bang, bang. Still no answer. Ever in quest of her truth of your personal story, she moves next door. “Have you heard…”
#hbp135
#hbp135
Demons in the desert. In the Sahara the Tuareg call them djinn, a menace a cow lick like Two-Shot McCoy wouldn’t want to bring back to the Old West—but he did. He wasted two wishes on whiskey and wild women. The third on a saddle with all the trimmings, which became flashy Christmas lights.
#hbp131
#hbp131
Concept: Demons in the desert, a western horror. #hbp131
March 6, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Demons in the desert. In the Sahara the Tuareg call them djinn, a menace a cow lick like Two-Shot McCoy wouldn’t want to bring back to the Old West—but he did. He wasted two wishes on whiskey and wild women. The third on a saddle with all the trimmings, which became flashy Christmas lights.
#hbp131
#hbp131