Calling Comcast Customer Service...addendum

When on the line with Mr. Thick Accent, I asked if he was aware of any problems in the area, and he said no, not to his knowledge.

Sooo, about five minutes ago, I received an automated call from Comcast stating a problem affecting my area had just been resolved and I was given options to let them know if my service was restored or not (how should I know when it's intermittent?) and did I still want the tech to come on Monday.

Huh.

I'm impressed. Or is it depressed?

Calling Comcast Customer Service

Our internet keeps fuzzing out for a few minutes at a time, so I called Comcast to see what was going on (after doing all the double-check things like unplugging the router, resetting the modem...).

The first time, I got disconnected because the phone is also hooked up through the same modem.

I called a second time from my cell phone and right after getting the notice that it was less than a minute till my call would be taken, they hung up on me.

I called a third time and they said they didn't recognize my home number, then said if I wanted to take a survey after talking to a tech, to press 1, if I didn't, press 2.
I pressed 1 and got a repeat: if I wanted to take a survey after talking to a tech, to press 1, if I didn't, press 2.
I pressed 1 and got a repeat: if I wanted to take a survey after talking to a tech, to press 1, if I didn't, press 2.
I pressed 1 and got a repeat: if I wanted to take a survey after talking to a tech, to press 1, if I didn't, press 2.
I pressed 2 and then was put in a queue to talk to someone.

Talked to a tech and explained the problem; she said she was in Mississippi and couldn't do a check of my modem and was going to transfer me to my area.

Talked to in-my-area-tech with thick accent who said he checked my modem and it's fine, it's the wiring, so they need to send a tech to my house. I say fine, when - they set up a time on Monday and then before hanging up, Mr Thick Accent says "Have a good evening." I look out the door to see morning sunshine - they passed me to a tech in MY AREA????

:headdesk:

So, since pressing 1 didn't work, this is as close as I can get to letting Comcast know I am not a happy camper.

a facepalm moment

I am working on a story that takes place immediately after another story. The first story takes place in a snowstorm - the second high summer. I think I need to do some revising there....

Twiddling My Thumbs

I'm at a place where I feel antsy yet helpless. I have a short story and a novel both due to be published soon, however I can do nothing; I don't know the editor's concerns for any changes yet, so I really can't work on either.

Waiting stinks. 

I guess I'll go back to pondering ideas for a series title...

Consistency and Details

I am determined to do my best as a writer to be consistent, and to check details. Why you ask? Two reasons.

One. This goes back to an author who lost respect in my eyes because of a forward in one of her books where she wrote she wasn't worried about consistency or going back to check details in her former books. The gist was this: It's just a story. So what if it takes three days on horseback to go from city A to city B in book one, and half a day on foot to go from city A to city B in book two? Get over it. It's just a story.

Two. I'm a geek. I go for details in everything. How can I not in my stories? Will I be able to get every detail right? Unfortunately, being a mere human, I will not. But I will try. I can give my readers my guarantee on that.

To Write or Not to Write?

Suspension of disbelief. Those words haunt me. I can't let them go. I want to save them for times when I can do nothing about it, not just lump anything that seems too much challenge into that category. Unfortunately, that does often slow down my storytelling. I know I should just go with the mantra: "write first, fix later."

However, I've found that details (especially involving science) can dramatically change a story: oops, it can't be done that way - shall I invoke the magical "suspension of disbelief" or research to find out how it can (maybe only improbably) be done?

So does one continue to write knowing details might significantly change the story, or just keep going?

Smart or Heart - answered!

In a recent post, I mused whether I should work on those stories which had a deadline, or the one which would not leave me alone.

Well, my heart won out. And I now have a new finished short story. Now comes the task of polishing it. Not even pondering where I will find it a home yet...

Letting Go

It never ends. Proofing, finding oopses. It seems like no matter how hard you scrub a manuscript, there will still be imperfections. As awesome as it is having stories published, for someone as much of a perfectionist as I can be it's also a nightmare. I have to overcome this and allow my writing to be "finished." It's not easy.

A Necessary Chore

Today's blog is mostly a whine. I'm scrubbing a manuscript.

I'm going to be doing lots more of this over the next couple of months, too. Not my favorite thing, but the end result will be awesome. DW:BL will available in e-book, and the first book of my Enaisi series will be out later this year as well. Not to mention a short story in ResAliens.


The outcome makes the proofing endurable; at least, that's what I keep telling myself as I plug away.

Blech.

Read It Again, Sam

After yesterday's faux pas in my weekly lesson for the Fiction Writing class, I thought today I'd just quote a blurb from one of my old Writer's Cramps articles, "A gazillion read-throughs aren't enough!"


I think that says it all.*sigh*