Day 24 of the A to Z Challenge Blog for the Letter X

I’m back! That was short. So, hello again. The sun is shining, it’s warm, and I had my one week check-up with the eye surgeon this morning. Everything looks good. He says my vision will keep improving, especially the lazy eye, once the brain comprehends that it’s getting messages from two eyes instead of one.

After yesterday’s writing marathon, I plan to take things easy today. Tomorrow, I have a book to edit for another author, and once that’s done, I will jump back into The Case of the Missing Prince, due in four weeks. We’re over the hump with that one and the characters and I are on the same page. AFter that, it’ll be time to work on Book Three of the Listen to the Stones Series, The Bonding.

To be quite honest, X is one of the hardest letters in this challenge. In the past, I’ve written about Xerxes, the Persian King, Xena, the warrior princess, Xenophobia, the fear of starngers, and xylophones, an instrument that is harder to play than you think. I’ve mentioned X-rays and XXX books and movies, and XL in clothing, so today I thought I would simply mention X, the social media site.

I’ll be honest with you. I must preferred it when it was Twitter and we tweeted. Posting on X just doesn’t have the same fun feel to it.

My use of social media is limited to this blog, FaceBook, and the occassional book ad on X. Tic Toc and YouTube are far beyond my techno-savvy. Unfortunately, AI seems to have taken over both of the sites I use. I get all kinds of newsfeeds that are FAKE and a waste of time. I see hundreds of ads for Ozempic, face cream, you name it. I don’t care to read about miracle cures that make people feel poorly about themselves, or articles whose only purpose is to enflame and create more hatred. Like many other writers, social media has created an even greater problem, a case of slander of the worst kind–the accusation that my words are AI generated. Do I use AI? Yes, for reseach, spell check, synonyms, and grammar, but not for my stories. How ridiculous is it to accuse Mary Shelley of using AL when she published Frankenstein on January 1, 1818! It doesn’t get dumber than that.

Today, I leave you with this great version of Xanadu by Rush, a fantastic Cnadian band. If you enjoy great instrumentals, this is for you.

Published by Susanne Matthews

Hi! I live in Eastern Ontario. I'm married with three adult children and five wonderful grandchildren. I prefer warm weather, and sunshine but winter gives me time to write. If I’m listening to music, it will be something from the 1960s or 1970s. I enjoy action movies, romantic comedies, but I draw the line at slasher flicks and horror. I love science fiction and fantasy as well. I love to read; I immerse myself in the text and, as my husband says, the house could fall down around me, and I’d never notice. My preferences are as varied as there are genres, but nothing really beats a good romance, especially one that is filled with suspense. I love historical romance too, and have read quite a few of those. If I’m watching television, you can count on it being a suspense — I’m not a fan of reality TV, sit-coms, or game shows. Writing gives me the most pleasure. I love creating characters that become real and undergo all kinds of adventures. It never ceases to amaze me how each character can take on its own unique personality; sometimes, they grow very different from the way I pictured them! Inspiration comes from all around me; imagination has no bounds. If I can think it, imagine it, I can write it!

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