Brian Jopek<p>A birthday tune here on deck for a birthday girl: happy 80th, Debbie. <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/MusicOfMastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicOfMastodon</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/70sPop" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>70sPop</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> <br><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pNeCMEESdn0" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">m.youtube.com/watch?v=pNeCMEES</span><span class="invisible">dn0</span></a></p>
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#ParallelLines
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50+ Music<p>"One Way or Another" is a song by American <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/newWave" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>newWave</span></a> band <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Blondie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Blondie</span></a> from their 1978 album <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>. Lyrically, the song was inspired by Blondie frontwoman <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/DeborahHarry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DeborahHarry</span></a>'s experience with a stalker in the early 1970s, an incident which forced her to move away from <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/NewJersey" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NewJersey</span></a>. The song's music was composed by bassist <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/NigelHarrison" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NigelHarrison</span></a>, who introduced the <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Ventures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Ventures</span></a>-influenced track to keyboardist <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/JimmyDestri" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>JimmyDestri</span></a>. <br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anzk-T0KgWc" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">youtube.com/watch?v=Anzk-T0KgWc</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
Brian Jopek<p>Heard an interview this morning of Blondie’s Chris Stein on NPR’s Beta and now I’m gonna have to get his memoir; a chunk of the interview was about this tune and why he thinks it’s held up so well 46 years later. It definitely does. <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/MusicOfMastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicOfMastodon</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/70sPop" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>70sPop</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/UnderARock" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>UnderARock</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M6zdLTfH-As" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">m.youtube.com/watch?v=M6zdLTfH</span><span class="invisible">-As</span></a></p>
50+ Music<p>"Heart of Glass" is a song by the American <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/newWave" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>newWave</span></a> band <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Blondie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Blondie</span></a>, written by singer <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/DebbieHarry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DebbieHarry</span></a> and guitarist <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/ChrisStein" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ChrisStein</span></a>. It was featured on the band's third studio album, <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> (1978), and was released as the album's third single in January 1979 and reached number one on the charts in several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. "Heart of Glass" ranked at number 66 in the UK's official list of biggest selling singles of all-time. <br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-0xCANCL4Y" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">youtube.com/watch?v=T-0xCANCL4</span><span class="invisible">Y</span></a></p>
Brian Jopek<p>I gotta get some air drum practice (and dance moves - psych!) here on deck with the “Studio 54” version. And Jagger needs a laugh. 😄<br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/MusicOfMastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicOfMastodon</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/70sPop" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>70sPop</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/NoImNotWasted" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NoImNotWasted</span></a><br><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pNeCMEESdn0" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">m.youtube.com/watch?v=pNeCMEES</span><span class="invisible">dn0</span></a></p>
Dom Tyer<p>Green Day’s ‘Dookie’ to be preserved as an audio treasure by the US Library of Congress, who've also added Blondie's ‘Parallel Lines’ to their National Recording Registry</p><p><a href="https://www.punktuationmag.com/green-day-dookie-blondie-parallel-lines-library-of-congress" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">punktuationmag.com/green-day-d</span><span class="invisible">ookie-blondie-parallel-lines-library-of-congress</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mas.to/tags/music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>music</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/punk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>punk</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/PunkRock" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PunkRock</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/PopPunk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PopPunk</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/GreenDay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>GreenDay</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/Dookie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Dookie</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/Blondie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Blondie</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/Punktuation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Punktuation</span></a></p>
50+ Music<p>"Heart of Glass" is a song by the American <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/newWave" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>newWave</span></a> band <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/Blondie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Blondie</span></a>, written by singer <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/DebbieHarry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>DebbieHarry</span></a> and guitarist <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/ChrisStein" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ChrisStein</span></a>. It was featured on the band's third studio album, <a href="https://mastodon.online/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> (1978), and was released as the album's third single in January 1979 and reached number one on the charts in several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. In December 2004. <br><a href="https://youtu.be/WGU_4-5RaxU" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">youtu.be/WGU_4-5RaxU</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
Mark McElroy<p>Have you read <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>, my LGBTQ+ sci-fi romcom? Here's a family album of characters using portraits I made to capture the essence of each character as I wrote them. Can you tell who's who? How do these differ from the characters you pictured?</p>
Mark McElroy<p>I'm so embarrassed. In reading <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> aloud for the <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/audiobook" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>audiobook</span></a>, I've come across at least a dozen typos in what I believed was a very well-edited manuscript. Some are small (like a doubled period at the end of a sentence). Some stun me (a character named Dean called Dale, at one point). </p><p>I'm correcting them and re-uploading the paperback and Kindle manuscripts, and know I can ask Amazon to make a corrected version available ... but I'm disappointed readers received this. <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/AmWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AmWriting</span></a></p>
Mark McElroy<p>So, I've started production for the <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/audiobook" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>audiobook</span></a> version of <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>, the <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/LGBTQ" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>LGBTQ</span></a> <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/scifi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>scifi</span></a> <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/romcom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>romcom</span></a> that takes place in a near-future <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/Atlanta" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Atlanta</span></a>. It's "read by the author" (hoo-haa!), so if you'd get a kick out of hearing my personal pipes at work, please tune in to the preview of the first chapter here and let me know what you think!</p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/UJfA3Mi9OA8" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">youtu.be/UJfA3Mi9OA8</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
Mark McElroy<p><a href="https://pkm.social/tags/WritersCoffeeClub" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WritersCoffeeClub</span></a> 9 Feb. How do you describe character ethnicities?</p><p>I had to check this, so I went back to <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> to see how Davina, a strong Black female character, was represented. She comes in like this: </p><p>"A Black woman perhaps twenty years his senior pulled up a metal chair and sat down beside him. She smoothed her simple black dress with the palms of her hands, then adjusted her owlish glasses, peering over the frames and giving him a grin."</p><p>So: directly?</p>
Mark McElroy<p>For the novel <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>, I have a ton of behind-the-scenes material: notes on why certain things were written certain ways, a "cutting room floor" of chapters that didn't make it, characters and scenes I deleted, and insights into the hidden references and Easter Eggs throughout the text. What's the best way to share these? </p><p><a href="https://pkm.social/tags/WriterCommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WriterCommunity</span></a> <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ReadersCommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ReadersCommunity</span></a> <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/IndieAuthors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IndieAuthors</span></a></p>
Mark McElroy<p>Hey! If you’re leading a <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/BookClub" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BookClub</span></a>, <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/SFFBookClub" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SFFBookClub</span></a>, or discussion group, you might enjoy the free discussion guide for <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>, the world's only LGBTQ+ scifi romcom taking place in alternate world versions of Atlanta Georgia! </p><p>(It's also a fun way to do some deep thinking after you finish the book on your own!)</p><p><a href="https://markmcelroy.com/parallel-lines-book-club-discussion-guide/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">markmcelroy.com/parallel-lines</span><span class="invisible">-book-club-discussion-guide/</span></a></p>
Mark McElroy<p>When I became one of those <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/indieauthors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>indieauthors</span></a>, I promised to share honest figures about the performance of <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>, my first <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/novel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>novel</span></a>. Here goes:</p><p>From November 28 through January 31: 117 copies sold, 33,417 Kindle Unlimited Pages read, and revenue of $877.90. I’ve spent $389.36 on Facebook ads, for a profit of 448.50.</p><p>Meantime: the book’s gotten 34 Amazon ratings and reviews: 75% 5-star, 21% 4-star, and one 1-star … giving it a 4.6/5.</p><p>It debuted at #1 in LGBTQ SciFi; lingers in Top 100 since.</p>
Mark McElroy<p>Saw my husband reading a book at the coffee shop on our cruise ship today … and then saw he’s reading <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> — again. </p><p>He’s my first reader, and has gone through multiple versions of the book. And now, on vacation, he’s choosing to read it again. </p><p>For so many reasons, I love that man. </p><p><a href="https://pkm.social/tags/AmWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AmWriting</span></a> <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/WritingCommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WritingCommunity</span></a></p>
Mark McElroy<p>Friends, word reached me this morning that William Whittaker — a good friend, a faithful husband to his partner of 50 years, the inspiration for “Ed” in <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>, and half of the couple to whom that novel is dedicated — has passed away. </p><p>I’m broken-hearted, particularly for Matthew, Will’s husband for half a century. </p><p>The best of Ed — the faith, the humor, the ability to love others so fully — is rooted William. If you love Ed, you would have loved Will. </p><p>💔</p><p><a href="https://pkm.social/tags/WritingCommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WritingCommunity</span></a></p>
Mark McElroy<p>Since <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> (my debut indie novel, a <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/queer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>queer</span></a> <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/scifi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>scifi</span></a> <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/romcom" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>romcom</span></a>) launched on November 28, I’ve sold 86 copies and had a whopping 8,724 pages read by Kindle Unlimited readers!</p><p>I’m over the moon. <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/HappyNewYear" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HappyNewYear</span></a> … and thanks, <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/WritingCommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WritingCommunity</span></a> friends and <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/readers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>readers</span></a> of <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/IndieAuthors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>IndieAuthors</span></a> everywhere!</p>
Brian Jopek<p>A Sunday morning jam: watching this 80s video show on the MTV Classic channel and this catchy little 1978 gem from Blondie pops up for some reason. <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/MusicOfMastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>MusicOfMastodon</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/70sPop" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>70sPop</span></a> <br><a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">m.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5R</span><span class="invisible">axU</span></a></p>
Mark McElroy<p>After three weeks, this is by far the best-performing Facebook ad for <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>. I found it by running random mixes of six pieces of artwork and six different ad phrases, then tracking which ads people liked or commented on. So now, I’m running just this ad ... and introducing one new ad a week to see if it performs better. Learning as I go!</p>
Mark McElroy<p><a href="https://pkm.social/tags/WritersCoffeeClub" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WritersCoffeeClub</span></a> 12/14: What's the biggest edit you've ever needed to make to your work?</p><p>In <a href="https://pkm.social/tags/ParallelLines" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ParallelLines</span></a>, there's a series of chapters focused on Thomas (the MC) waking up as a character in a reality show about a thruple. The entire storyline just never quite felt right or pleasing to me, so I chopped it out, discarding several thousand words. </p><p>Another possible answer: I suppose each time I started but didn't finish a novel, I edited out everything from that stopping point to the ending!</p>
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