30 Comments

Thank god this alternate reality doesn't exist. It's more like a horror story!

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Very much so! I gather that adverbs aren't so expensive.

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And those exclamation points!! They must be giving them away free!!!

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Yes!!!!!! ;)

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At least I would only have to pay for the cheap words. 🤣 Not that I would. This nightmare scenario would probably spur an increase in mimes. 😂

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Or comic books. :)

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Great job, Bill. do you think AI will become our word Boss? Maybe it already is.

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Thanks, Scott. I guess if you use Grammarly, AI already is our boss?

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Hah! Good question, Scott.

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What a concept, Bill. As a matter of fact I know a few writers who evidently pay to use these obscure, unpronounceable words! I have unsubscribed. If you are a good writer, though, I think the cheaper words can be used brilliantly. Maybe style and grace are more important than the words?

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Thanks, Sharron.

Don't tell anyone, but in next week's story, I have a made-up word. It's a fantasy that takes place in an indefinite time, somewhere in the middle ages, and I needed a word to describe something that doesn't quite exist.

I like stories with strong characters and compelling plots. The language should be clear and digestible, I think.

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Well... in that case, you'd better be reading MY stuff, Bill! Ha ha ha ha. Try this , why don't you? https://sharronbassano.substack.com/p/copy-out-of-the-frying-pan

It is a lot of fun.

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I'm heading over now!

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Proceed with caution - those two women are having way too much fun.

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New here, first story I read... loved it! This place is a treasure trove for aspiring writers like me , can't believe I did not find it sooner.

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Thank you for your kind words, Parthiv. I'm delighted you enjoyed The Word Boss.

Substack is a great place for discovering and reading fiction.

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Paying for words! Writers got to charge a lot … a lot more!! 😂

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I agree! The cost of writing is very high these days.

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Well, there’s an explanation for Hemingway that I’ve never considered!

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Yes, you're absolutely right. :)

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Wery veird.

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The writer's world is a weird one for sure.

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What a creative story. I loved it, Bill! Leon is a detestable character and quite the villain!

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Thanks, Justin! Anyone who charges writers for words is an evil villain.

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Brilliant! Somehow evocative of Woody Allen’s “The Whore of Mensa”

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Thanks, Matt! I'm delighted you enjoyed The Word Boss, and thanks for the comparison.

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Everything business gets crooked when the gangsters start muscling in on it.

I could never afford to be a working writer if I had to pay for the words I used. Writers are supposed to be PAID for using words....

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Indeed. The more we write, the more we should be paid.

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Now you are talking!

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100 percent.

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