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Robert Stephen, writer, photographer, storyteller
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  • blog
  • Writing
  • Helpful Hints for Writers of Fiction
  • WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE TO SAY
  • AUDIO ESSAYS-STORIES-AND MORE
  • Photography
  • Rory and El Paso
  • Pierre and the Baker
  • About
  • Connect
Robert Stephen, writer, photographer, storyteller

THE EXCITING JOURNEY OF Writing
​a Fictional Book

"IT'S A LUXURY BEING A WRITER,
​ BECAUSE ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT IS LIFE."

​AMY TAN






#AI-ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE-ARE WE BECOMING TOO COMPLACENT

10/29/2016
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What if the questions created by man are too complicated to be solved by man? Throughout history, if one single man placed another single man in indentured servitude often he controlled him.

However, if one single man placed several men in indentured servitude, eventually those men will rise up and eliminate that single man to gain their freedom. Often, man has been his own worst enemy; however, he does not see that to be the case.

​Today, has man unknowingly placed himself in indentured servitude?  

For centuries, man has built machines to help not only improve him but to improve society. We have explored and dug up the past of many civilizations and are often surprised at the complexity of their cultures. The improvement of farm tools, from the plow to tractor, buildings, from one story cabins to towering skyscrapers, weapons, from bows and arrows to long range missiles, health, education, laws, and inventions. 

Today, it seems as though we build machines to make man's life more convenient so that the opportunity to interact with one another is constant. With convenience comes a price that man is discovering he is expendable. Man sees that machines will do the same work in less time. Manufacturing, robocalling, communication, driving cars, flying planes, winning at chess, supplying man with information. 

Man unknowingly has become lethargic he has built machines to entertain him.





Increasingly alarming, man is in constant search of ways machines will make decisions on his behalf. In London, a group of British scientists has created Artificial Intelligence to predict the outcome of trials.

A question, will computers be able to prevent crime before it happens as depicted in the movie MINORITY REPORT with Tom Cruse in 2002? Maybe not, but a software that is able to weigh up legal evidence and moral questions of right and wrong has been devised by computer scientists at University College London, and used to accurately predict the result in hundreds of real-life cases
.

The AI judge reached the same verdicts as judges at the European court of human rights in almost four in five cases involving torture, degrading treatment, and privacy.   

There is AI software that can find patterns in highly complex decisions used to predict our taste in films, TV shows and music with ever increasing accuracy.
 

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      STEPHEN HAWKING: AI WILL BE 'EITHER BEST OR WORST THING' FOR HUMANITY

My question is: What if AI likes man's way of life, but just doesn't like man?



#artificial intelligence,#AI,#Stephen Hawking,#robot,#computer,#futureofman,#law,#minorityreport,#technology,#brain,
​#future robots



​
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WRITING-DISCOVERING YOURSELF AND YOUR AUDIENCE

10/20/2016
I think for all aspiring writers comes the fine line between not taking oneself seriously enough and being a little too serious. In the last year, I have learned a lot about people, both friends, and strangers, and I have to admit there are times that it has been disappointing.

Building a following or an audience is not as easy as it sounds. It is a part of a process which takes time and patience. I subscribe to a variety of blogs about writing that are full of information and like anything else in life sometimes they are helpful and sometimes they are not.

I have come across a young, successful writer by the name of Jeff Goins. I have never met him, but I find his information helpful. I received a small book, which he authored, titled, It's Not Too Late," and have taken the liberty of reprinting a portion that I believe is important not only for myself but for all writers.
​
It begs to ask the questions, "Who am I as a writer and who my readers are?"
I hope that you find it informative.
  
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1. Describe yourself in three adjectives.

Example: snarky, fun, and flirty.

2. Ask (and answer) the question: “Is this how I talk?”

3. Imagine your ideal reader. Describe him in detail.
Then, write to him, and only him.

Example: My ideal reader is smart. He has a sense of humor, a short attention span, and is pretty savvy when it comes to technology and pop culture.

​He’s sarcastic and fun, but doesn’t like to waste time. And he loves pizza.



4. Jot down at least five books, articles, or blogs you like to read. Spend
some time examining them.

How are they alike? How are they different?

What about how they’re written intrigues you?

Often what we admire is what we aspire to be.
 
Example: Copyblogger, Chris Brogan, Seth Godin,
Ernest Hemingway, and C.S. Lewis.
​I like these writers, because their writing is intelligent, pithy, and poignant.

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5. List your favorite artistic and cultural influences.
Are you using these as references in your writing, or avoiding them, because you don’t think people would understand them.

​
Example: I use some of my favorite bands’ music in my writing to teach deeper lessons.

​ 
6. Ask other people: “What’s my voice? What do I sound like?” Take notes
of the answers you get.
 
7. Free-write. Just go nuts. Write in a way that’s most comfortable to you,
without editing. Then go back and read it, asking yourself, “Do I publish
stuff that sounds like this?”
 
8. Read something you’ve recently written, and honestly ask yourself, “Is this something I would read?” If not, you must change your voice.
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9. Ask yourself: “Do I enjoy what I’m writing as I’m writing it?”
​
If it feels like work, you may not be writing like yourself.

(Caveat:Not every writer loves the act of writing, but it’s at least worth asking.)

 

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10. Pay attention to how you’re feeling. How do you feel before
publishing? Afraid? Nervous? Worried? Good.

You’re on the right track. If you’re completely calm, then you probably aren’t being vulnerable. Try writing something dangerous, something a little more you.

Fear can be good. It motivates you to make your writing matter.

#writing,#writingabook,#jeffgoins,#becomeabetterwriter,#howtobecomeabetterwriter,#robertstephen
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THREE QUESTIONS

10/10/2016
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There are times when I have wondered, if given the opportunity, what three questions I would ask the person I most admire. If it were business, would it be Bill Gates or Warren Buffett? If it were entertainment, would it be Anthony Hopkins or Matt Damon? Sports, would it be David Beckham or Dusty Baker? If I had the chance to meet a writer, would it be J.K. Rowling or James Patterson? The list is endless, except now I must add another element. What if I only had one hour, that's all, to ask my three questions?


What would that mean? First, it means, the questions could not be simple ones. The type of question that is answered in only one or two words. The questions must be thought out before hand, and each answer could only be 20 minutes in length. Three questions to someone I admire, with answers that could change my life or my way of looking at the world. Would twenty minutes be enough probably not? Then would I ask only two questions and allow each answer 30 minutes, or should it be one question with one answer? I would not be allowed to interrupt, which means the question and answer would be life changing. 

No, that does not work; it has to be three questions. However, what would they be? In each of the people I mention as examples would I ask, "How did you become successful," or "When did you know you wanted to be," or what?

If I had two days to prepare what would I do and what would I want to know? Personally, I want to know how to become a better writer. So, I want to know in the face of life's disappointments, how to pick myself up and push forward. I want to know how long the whole process takes. I want to know at what point I should quit if I don't succeed. I want to know how many hours a day I should work at honing the craft. What makes a good writer? What makes a good story? 

Now for a dose of reality, I do not know anyone famous, and if I did, one hour would never be enough. As far as the questions though, I should be asking those and many more of myself. What I know of success comes from within. What I know of persistence, hard work and determination, with no guarantees also comes from within.

​


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The following is a portion of J.K. Rowling's Bio- She conceived the idea for the Harry Potter series while on a delayed train from Manchester to London in 1990.[5] The seven-year period that followed saw the death of her mother, birth of her first child, divorce from her first husband and relative poverty until she finished the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in 1997. 

I wonder if anyone ever gave her the advice to give it up, and were they famous. 


#harrypotter,#j.k.rowling,#jamespatterson,#threequestions,#warrenbuffett,#billgates,#mattdamon#harrypotterandthesorcerersstone
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Easy to Quit-Hard to Succeed

10/4/2016
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There are not many words in the English language, which have as profound an impact on one's life, as the following two words. I QUIT. Those two words roll off the tongue easily but can be the most painful and regrettable words spoken. It's funny, but to say I SUCCEEDED also rolls easily off the tongue but it is very difficult to achieve. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

On the weekend of September 23 thru September 25, the Los Angeles Dodgers paid tribute to and said goodbye to Vin Scully. He was the voice of that city’s baseball team for 67 years. This post talks briefly about him and baseball. I wanted to focus on Mr. Scully's passion and accomplishment, along with two individuals on the Dodgers team who overcame adversity. The individual achievements of each man are noteworthy.

Of course, I will not even begin to pretend I could say enough positive things about Vin Scully that other far more articulate individuals have not already said. Vin Scully loved his job, which meant it never was a job, at all. He enjoyed what he did for a living and retired on his terms. At 89 years old, Vin Scully decided it was time to stop going to his day job. 

How many of us are capable of working into our 60’s, 70’s, or 80’s and for one reason or another convince ourselves, we cannot. Of course, there are circumstances beyond our individual control that alter our lives. Aging causes us to slow down, but that does not mean quitting is the only choice.

For most people the early days of the daily grind were primarily for one main reason, to get ahead. Nothing is wrong with getting ahead, but for most, they were just jobs. Somewhere along the way, most people leave their dreams behind and possibly their happiness.

Passion is only one key element to succeeding, but it is vitally important throughout a person's vocation. Waking up each morning with a desire to accomplish our goal before the day ends. Asking ourselves how is it that the hours flew by so fast because we love what we do, not because we are overwhelmed or bogged down with garbage. Is it possible to have a passion for what we do, absolutely? People like Vin Scully prove that anything is possible. 

There are two young players currently playing for the Dodgers, Charlie Culbertson, and Andrew Toles who I will speak about shortly. Charlie Culbertson is 27 years old, originally drafted by the Giants in 2007 right out of high school. He made it to the major leagues in 2012. Two months later the Giants traded him to the Colorado Rockies. In August of 2013, he hit his first major league home run. In 2015, Charlie suffered a back injury and missed most of that season. 

Following his injury, Charlie and the Rockies agreed to go their separate ways. He signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers and in 2016 he was invited to the Dodgers spring training camp. An injury to one of the starting players gave Charlie the opportunity to start on opening day with the club. In July, he returned to the minor leagues only to be recalled, a month later.  

During the season, all teams have 25 players on their daily roster. In September, the last month of the season all teams are allowed to increase that number to 40. It gives each team that extra push to win and go to the post-season playoffs.

For those who are not baseball fans, Charlie’s contribution came at a time that propelled him into his few minutes of instant fame. In 2016, Charlie Culbertson statistics from the LA Dodgers say that he was at the plate only 66 times had 19 hits, of which one was a home run. However, that home run is the one that every baseball player, no matter what age, dreams of all the time. 

It was late on a Sunday afternoon September 25; Vin Scully was broadcasting his last baseball game at Dodger Stadium. That alone was monumental unto itself. The Dodgers were playing the Colorado Rockies and were trailing the Rockies during the whole game. In dramatic fashion, Corey Seager, a sensational rookie shortstop, who will have many stories written about him during his career, hits a homerun in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game.

In many stadiums throughout the league when teams play afternoon games, and it is late in the day, shadows begin to creep across the field, which becomes a problem, primarily for the hitter. The pitcher, who is 60 feet away, is standing on the mound in bright sunlight. However, the hitter is standing at home plate in a shadow. 

Imagine being thrown a small round object, traveling at somewhere between 88-98 mph. Going from light to dark in a flash and you are standing at home plate hoping to connect for any hit, a single or maybe a double. When Boone Logan, the Colorado pitcher, threw the ball, Charlie didn’t see it as well as he hoped, apparently his bat did.

That afternoon, in the bottom of the 10th inning, with the game tied, Charlie Culbertson hit a home run, which gave the Dodgers the Western Division Title for the fourth year in a row. Baseball is a game where an individual can go from obscurity to a hero, with one swing of the bat. It was a great sendoff present to Vin Scully, but just months earlier Charlie Culbertson was competing for a place on the team. Oh, I forgot, that was only his sixth home run, in his career.

Personally, I think that I have saved the best for last. Andrew Toles, a young man with speed, a good throwing arm, and overall ability, almost missed his opportunity to play baseball at the major league level. Personal problems plagued Andrew Toles, and he almost hung up his cleats.

In 2015, Andrew missed playing the whole season and even spent a couple of weeks working in a grocery store. Attitude problems got in his way, and he began to get a reputation for being too difficult. Andrew Toles was destined to be one of those people that let the opportunity slip through his fingertips.

There are 162 regular baseball games, plus 30 spring training games. Andrew Toles played about 40 regular games with the Dodgers, most in the second half of the season. A quiet young man, but when Andrew was given the opportunity to play he appeared to be playing the game as though his life depended on it. Over time, his skill set and his attitude both continued to improve. Someone within the Dodger organization believed in Andrew, and it paid off. Was this also the time Andrew believed in himself? Only Andrew Toles knows what changed. He has added depth to a good team's lineup. Andrew will likely reap the rewards for all of his hard work. Teams that are going into the finals shrink back to 25 players on their rosters. Andrew Toles will be a Dodger on that roster.

Looking at these three men, it is more than luck that finds them where they are today. For Vin Scully, he enjoyed what he did and was passionate about the game of baseball. The game going forward will now be less interesting without him. 

 As for Charlie Culbertson and Andrew Toles, how did both rise from obscurity only months earlier to move forward and play in the National League Playoffs?

For any individual who has the desire to succeed it comes down to several components, which make up a simple answer. Hard work, bad days, determination, disappointments, commitment, practice, patience, never giving up, never quit, push yourself higher than you ever believed you could go.

If I were writing about Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, or myself, all of those components and words would resonate just as loud.

Robert Stephen​

#vinscully,#basball,#quitting,#charlieculbertson,#dodgers,#andrewtoles,#succeed

​

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    Author

    Robert Stephen.
    What makes a writer? What do you envision when you think about that question?

    Someone sitting by an open window looking out over the ocean, desert, mountains? Rainy day, foggy, sunny? 

    My definition of a writer of fiction. A person who drives himself or herself to the edge of insanity when writing a story to the best of their ability that you the reader find entertaining.

    I can honestly say my life has been interesting, far from boring.  Land baron, restaurateur, photographer, artisan, author. A life full of ups and downs. A life full of stories.

    Along the way I've met hundreds of people, some interesting, some not. Some dangerous, some beautiful, some kind, and some cruel. During my lifetime I've even had my heart run over a couple of times, but when all of it is said and done I wouldn't trade it in. 


    Writing has always been inside of me, but the siren never called to me. I wasn't ready until one day in October of 2015 when life said, "Start writing."

    Writing is a long journey, full of many perils, but don't be afraid it is an exciting adventure! 

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