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A note from Jane

How does one celebrate an unwanted milestone?

My mother will soon (fate willing) turn 90 years old, and since none of her other nine siblings reached that age, she still doesn’t expect to make it. Nor does she feel like celebrating. She prefers her quiet routine at home, in a predictable and low-risk environment, with few surprises.

But my sisters and I don’t want to let this milestone go by without doing something. And since none of us live close by, her birthday has become that time of year we reliably gather to see her, knowing it might be the last birthday.

Last weekend I was in a department store fitting room when I overheard a woman my age helping her mother buy a new bra. Could she handle a clasp in the back? What about a style that you pull on instead—would an arthritic shoulder allow for that? The preferred size and color wasn’t in stock, though. Maybe order it online? What compromise would make sense?

The mother’s responses were mostly of the one-word variety. Eventually she said, with patient resignation, “Whatever you want, daughter.”

I can hear that in my mom’s voice, too.

Jane

P.S. Most popular blog post this month: How I Went from “Big 5 or Die!” to Ecstatic Self-Published Author

Bob Eckstein

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Jane’s Electric Speed List

Here are some of the latest things I’ve discovered. (I am not paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)

Book Radio: listen to public domain classics

This easy-to-use, minimalist website allows you to search for audiobooks by duration, genre, and language. It offers more than 20,000 free audiobooks narrated by humans. Browse.

More public domain fun: browse old imagery

Inspiring and beautiful. Search by keyword.

Spot photos that have been tampered with

TinEye is a reverse image search that helps identify whether a photo has been manipulated. See something on social media that’s suspicious? Load it into TinEye. You can also use TinEye as a browser extension.

Free AI writing tool: Raptor Write (early version)

On August 19, the Future Fiction Academy will release Raptor Write, a free AI writing software that runs in a web browser. (It will require free registration with the Future Fiction Academy.) If you get stuck while writing in Raptor Write, you can click \ and writing will continue inline with AI assistance. This is a great opportunity to experiment with and understand different AI models.

POV Mastery with Tiffany Yates Martin, three-part webinar series. $25 per class, or $64 for all three. Wednesdays, August 21 & 28 and September 4, 2024. 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

NEXT ONLINE CLASS

POV Mastery with Tiffany Yates Martin (Aug. 21, Aug. 28, Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. EDT)

Creating strong, clear point of view in your manuscript is about more than whether to write in first person or third. POV is the reader’s window into the story, its perspective and its personality. Skillful, consistent POV lets the reader relax and lose herself in your story, trusting the author to take us on a journey. But when POV is uncertain, unclear, or weak, readers may disengage—or fail to invest at all.

Instructor Tiffany Yates Martin brings thirty years of experience as an editor working on thousands of stories to guide you through the nuances, benefits, and possible pitfalls of POV to enhance and deepen your mastery of this foundational storytelling element. This three-part series will cover:

Aug. 21: Direct POV: First and Deep Third
Aug. 28: Removed POV: Limited Third and Omniscient
Sept. 4: Mixing POV

Learn more and register ($25 for one or $65 for three)

Your turn: travel pants or dresses

In the last issue, I asked you to share your favorite travel dress or pants. Here’s a selection of what you said. Athleta was mentioned consistently as a favorite.

I’m in my third week of a book tour with only two pairs of pants: Athleta’s Trekkie North High Rise Jogger in black and grey. A shop employee pointed out that I could order them in tall if I didn’t like the ankle length. They’re super easy to wash and dry in a hotel room sink, they don’t look like joggers, and they have loads of pockets. They’re also lightweight which is great for summer, but in winter I’d just wear tights under them. —Amy Stewart
My favorite travel pants are from LL Bean: Women’s Ultrasoft Sweats, Straight Leg. I discovered them during the pandemic and I’m not going back! 100% heavy cotton, front and back pockets, soft soft and comfortable. —Tiffscribes
Big fan of Marine Layer Allison pants. For travel, for WFH, everything. I live in Texas and they are three season pants for me. —Kelly Turner
My favorite travel pants/clothes: Good hYOUman. Made in the US. Super comfy and casual. Size up for best comfort. —Maureen C. Berry
I love my Wool& dresses. They are perfect for travel because they are versatile, lightweight, and oh so comfortable. The wool can be worn for days without being washed and not smell. (They even have a 100 days challenge to wear the same dress for 100 days and get a $100 credit!) I feel comfortable and fancy all at the same time. My favorite is the summer midi, but there is a passionate online community for all their different styles. —Diane Newcomer
I have indulged in Aviator jeans—they are extremely comfortable and have security pockets. They aren’t the greatest for washing in a sink, but they also don’t need a lot of washing. I have two blue pairs and one black (my dressier option). The fabrics are slightly different between the colors. I wear the relaxed style. Their sizing is unusual, and they’ll work with you to figure out which size you are. —Deborah Robson
Athleta has a line of pull-on light-weight “joggers” that fit nicely at waist and hip, are looser through the leg, taper to the ankle, and have a lovely drape. The angled, off-vertical zippers at about the hip are a nice, slimming detail. They give a finished look no matter how many days they are worn before washing. I’ve worn them on a trek through the Scottish Highlands, on bicycles, trains, and to the theatre, in hiking boots, sandals and heels. —Martha Mitchell
My favorite travel skirt with zipper pockets: Appleseed’s FlexKnit 7-Pocket Pull-On Skirt. Pair with leggings and you’re set. —Ruth Kirk
I love clothes with SPF protection, so I wear the tunic dresses from Coolibar, with leggings underneath, and a zip-up sweater/jacket when leaving Pennsylvania (I’m always cold on a plane). —Angela Eckhart
For travel pants, I like the prAna Kanab, both regular and rip stop. Both have great pockets and are comfortable. The rip stop version is more comfortable and has deeper pockets but it’s more bulky around the knees. —Heidi Carpenter
My top travel pants would have to be Fjällräven’s Vidda Pro Trousers. They have a lot of variety and are super high quality, with extremely durable materials. Which comes in handy when you do a lot of hiking in National Parks! Plus—lots of pockets! Including thigh pockets for putting your phone in, which are the best. —Isabela Myre
Always Duluth Trading Company Noga pants or capris. Wash well. Comfy with a zippered pocket on the thigh for my phone. And they last forever. —Rita Schunk

I received so many more suggestions! Review the full list, which also includes links and greater detail about some of the items above.

Next question: Do you have a favorite note-taking tool, digital or analog? Let me know. Hit reply to this message, or head over to Discord to share.