Tag: reblog

Software review: “Editor” by Serenity Software

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Interesting software. Reblogged post from Today’s Author

Today's Author

I’m working with a piece of software that might be of interest to those who self-publish. It’s got the catchy name of “Editor”, a product of Serenity Software. (I bought it retail and have no sort of relationship with the company.) I’m using it to go over my novel. So far, I like it. PC World gave it four out of five stars. Since I’ve started using it, it’s pointed out some mushy text that benefited from being changed.

The software scans the text for the following (click the image to enlarge it):

Editor - usage

Notice that this goes well beyond the spelling and grammar check that’s part of MS Word. Fortunately, I haven’t yet had any of my prose flagged for “pretentious term”, but I have gotten flagged for weak constructions such as starting a sentence with “It was…”

Editor scans the prose, numbering each sentence. It then checks…

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[Reblog] F is for Filing Cabinet: Organizing with File Folders

Posted in Reblogs, WCH - Writers Core Habits, Writing CraftTagged , , , 2 Comments

Denise shares some organization approaches for writers in this A to Z series.

Organization and Inspiration for Fellow Writers

By Denise Reashore

Purchased a new filing cabinet or does the old one look like a bomb went off? Has it become a free for all storage area or an unorganized “organized” mess? Why not rearrange, clean out or organize it to suit your writing needs?

Even if the only available space is one drawer, try colour coordinating your writing files:

  • Designate one colour (ie. red) to the business of writing: Business cards; Mailing address labels; Biography; Resume; Union dues; Expenses; Income tax claims
  • Choose another colour, like black, to hold copies of templates found in writing books and from courses but make sure to keep your original copy
  • Pick a bright or neon colour to identify your present writing: Works in Progress
  • A paler coordinating colour could be used to file away work once it has been sent to publishers: Works Sent
  • Keep a file for works published…

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Basic spy craft for daily use

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Writing, women and spies

Le cul entre les deux chaises

The bus stop nearest my house doesn’t have a shelter so when it rains, which is most of the time, people huddle under the awning of the bakery up the block or the alcove of a building nearer the route. On a rainy day like the dozens of others I’ve experienced here, I was in the latter spot with an elderly lady and I ducked out and reached the stop exactly as the bus pulled up, hopping directly on.

The lady sat down next to me once she’d gotten away from the protection of the building and hobbled over to the curb. “How did you know it was coming?” she asked. “The window,” I said, generally indicating a storefront receding behind us. Then I said, “La vitrine,” since a shop or display window is not the same as the kind you have in your house. She looked confused…

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More flesh please!

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reblogging, because I can’t turn down a post that has a big ol’ skeleton on it, and is about writing.

Dianne Gray author

No, not that flesh – I’m not that kinda gal. I’m talking character flesh.

Skeleton

In a previous post Put Some Flesh on the Bones of my Dreams I received some great comments from other bloggers on how they add flesh to characters.

I thought I’d share their secrets with you (shhh – don’t tell them!)

4am Writer – When I teach kids creative writing, I have them pretend they are their own protags and question each other in order to help them flesh out their heroes and villains. This helps them realize that even villains have a soft side too, which is harder for kids to understand as most villains they read about are very ‘cookie cutter’ and one-dimensional.

Anna Scott Graham – I talk out scenes that may or may not be in a book, but mostly it’s dialogue to get to better know my characters. (I’ve warned my family…

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Reblog: Guest Blogger: Jodie Renner: Essential Characteristics of a Thriller Hero

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Jodie Renner guest post at The Writer’s Forensics, perfect for my thriller series here.

The Crime Fiction Writer's Blog

 

 

ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A THRILLER HERO

The hero or heroine of a suspense-thriller, like the protagonist of any popular bestseller, has to be impassioned, unique, and likeable enough for the reader to want to jump in and follow them through their journey, worrying about them and cheering them on through their challenges. So it’s important to take the time to create a charismatic, passionate, complex, sympathetic main character, one that readers can connect with immediately.

Heroes in novels and movies haven’t really changed a lot over the centuries since the days of Robin Hood and Maid Marion, but they continue to have universal appeal because through them, readers can vicariously participate in exciting adventures and confront and defeat evil to win the day and restore justice. Makes for a very entertaining, satisfying read. Get the adrenaline flowing with worry and fear, then triumph over adversity together, just in…

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