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32 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JULY 2021 | The average person knows around 50,000 words; of course, you could never use them all in a single day. You might use a few of the simpler words 200 times in one day, but larger more meaningful words are usually saved for heavier conversations. But let's say you are a writer and you have a dictionary and a thesaurus on your desk. You probably can't wait to impress readers with complex words that mean the same thing as the ordinary ones you use all day — but, there's a problem. If you are trying to write a best-selling book, you need to unscramble about 100,000 words. As a shortcut, you could always stop at around 5,000 words and call it a short story; drop down to a few hundred words, make each line rhyme and call it poetry; or go all the way down to double-digit words to create a haiku. If you are someone who loves to write, whether novice or professional — or even someone who just got a computer for your birthday that has a WORD program — you should check out the Sun Lakes Creative Writers. You can read your written project to the group, get a pat on the back and a "way to go!" or receive a gentle critique from fellow writers. (That's fellows as in everybody, not just the fellows.) Our meetings are on the first Monday and third Wednesday of each month, except for holidays, from 3 to 5 pm in the Main Clubhouse Multipurpose Room. Since the virus pandemic rules and attendance restrictions keep changing, please check with Roger Smith at (951) 769-2808 to confirm there are openings for new members. There are no dues and you can bring up to five pages of whatever you are working on to read to the group. As difficult as that seems, it is only about 330 words, compared to Lifestyles Magazine's limit of 400. And, hey, here are a few more words: Is it too late to decorate your golf cart for the Fourth of July parade? But now I've run out of words and that's only 352. Free Estimates Senior Discounts 760-250-9919 Contractor's License #529601 formerly PASS AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

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