I'm adding a new writer to the sidebar.

I first discovered Patricia C. Wrede when I read the epistolary novel, Sorcery and Cecelia, which she co-authored with Caroline Stevermer. (I should have recognized my love for and my desire to write fantasy years earlier than it finally knocked me in the head.)

More recently, I bought and read A Matter of Magic, in which, "Magic and intrigue go hand in hand in Mairelon the Magician and The Magician's Ward, two fast-paced novels filled with mystery and romance, set against the intricate backdrop of Regency England."

But it wasn't until this weekend that I discovered Wrede's marvelous blog in which she frequently discusses writing issues. From today's entry:

Because there are two parts to “being a writer” the way they mean it. There’s writing, and there’s what happens afterward. Most of the people who talk about “being a writer,” whether they’re asking the question or whether they’re announcing to the world that they themselves want to be writers, are either talking about the perceived glamour and respect and status that they think goes along with publication and a writing career, or else they’re talking about the validation of getting published - the fact that someone, somewhere, has deemed their story worthy.

All that is stuff that happens after the writing part, if it happens at all. (And when it does happen, it’s nothing at all like the rosy dreams people have of what it’s going to be like…but that’s a different post, I think.)

And so I'm adding her to the sidebar of Helpful Writing Blogs.

Enjoy her books. Enjoy her wisdom.

The Writing Process

I love talking process. I love reading about process. Sometimes it even leads to the process of, you know, actually writing.

But when a science writer--someone who writes about facts and doesn't just make stuff up create stories? Talks about writing process? Even breaks it down into a graph? I sit up and take it seriously. I might even learn something!

Love, Amish Style...

Or, the "bonnet books."

A hot subgenre in romance, these are books written for the Christian market. Read what Lisa Miller has to say about them. (From Newsweek, December 13, 2010 and The Daily Beast, December 10, 2010)

Agent Rachelle Gardner addresses them, as well.

I Read Banned Books

I Read Banned Books, a photo by Oak Park Public Library on Flickr.

This is Banned Books Week and I'm blogging about a different banned book each day at planetpooks.

See ya there!

Or on twitter. Let me know you're there!

Or on tumblr. Where I posted this image and have watched it spread.

Pinterest, a different kind of corkboard.

I can't believe I'm doing this again, tempting you with another form of distraction research and inspiration, but I am!  Stephanie Burgis, author of an amazingly fun new series for girls, blogged today about Pinterest, "a virtual pinboard."

The best way to demonstrate is to follow Stephanie's links, but I'll follow one for you.  Another fabulous author, Caroline Stevermer, has a pinterest board of her inspirations.

I still will prefer collecting things in my Scrivener application, but still, pinterest looks like a lot of fun and a way to find new things to inspire and elucidate!

And now, something I found there this morning (after following another of Stephanie's links). This gorgeous image of Northern Ireland. And yes, I'm researching Ireland though at this point I'm not sure which area. But that's the fun and glory of this kind of hunting and gathering. Right now I'm just collecting. I'll make those choices later...

Source: sunsurfer.tumblr.com via mrs on Pinterest

Maybe I should have called it nekkidpeoplereading?

 I finally decided to get a tumblr account.  I once had an idea that I'd like to collect lots of small pictures--classical paintings and casual photos, whatever--of people reading. Put them in an arrangement on the wall.  A wall full of people reading. It appealed to me but was too much work. Plus I don't have an excess of bare wall space around.

Then I thought, tumblr. I could do that there.

I spent awhile looking at templates, frustrated. The one I finally went with was not one I'd even considered at first. And yet, the more I noodled around with others and was dissatisfied, the more frustrated I got--well, suddenly I clicked that one and went, "Wow. That works." Mind you, it didn't "work" for me the first time I skimmed by.

This happens in writing, too. I dismiss an idea for any number of reasons, mainly because I just don't like it.  But something brings me back to it, and suddenly it clicks. It works. In fact, it's brilliant if I do say so myself! (Or that's the way it feels in the moment.) In other words, in writing (and I guess, tumblr?) no doesn't always mean no.

Then there was my idea. I was going to go with people reading or people-reading or reading-people or something like that--but those names were taken.  Yes, these are generic titles but that didn't bother me. I wasn't trying to be original. (Why not? Too much trouble? Maybe. Maybe it was too much trouble for something as inconsequential as tumblr account, or seemed so at that moment.)  But that made me think a little harder.

Not a lot harder, mind you. Just beyond the first obvious thoughts. And "a book in the hand" popped into my head. It was snappier, at least. Familiar but not identical to the source phrase. I went with it.

Again, this is a writing lesson. I've taught it; I've lived it. Don't go with your first thoughts because no matter how much they satisfy you, they are most likely obvious. It's your second thoughts, your fourth thoughts, your twenty-seventh thoughts that bring that bolt out of the blue, that spark of "something different" that your story needs to go beyond the predictable.

[And no, I don't think "a book in the hand" is earth-shattering, but it's the process I'm looking at, and the process works.]

Finally, "a book in the hand" brought me a more narrow focus, a more narrow premise.

As I went through tumblr and found a few things to reblog in my own stream, I started out including quotes about reading or books, as well.  I alternated quotes with images.  But then I realized, no, these quotes are about reading and they are about books but they aren't about "a book in the hand."

And here is something about writing that some of us never learn. (Yes, I'm looking at myself here.) A broad premise, or an execution that spills over the edges and goes beyond the premise, is more difficult to write. It's more difficult to make work. If you get an idea for your story that goes off in some wildass direction away from the original plotline, there is a very good chance that you will spend a lot of time and effort writing in circles trying to find a way to make it fit, when it simply won't. Your premise, your idea, needs to be the spine of your story, and to support your story and allow all the lovely twining sinews and muscles and organs that make it come to life and move, the spine itself needs to be strong and straight.

And that's what "a book in the hand" was--the spine I had to mold to, twine around (hopefully in sometimes unexpected ways), but the thread that holds it all together.  I have one image I like a lot right now that I am probably going to delete because as lovely as it is, it really doesn't quite fit.  And oh so many images I love and would ordinarily share through a reblog, but they may be gorgeous but not about books and reading, or they may be of books but no people in the frame, or...

They don't fit.

And each time I make a choice to "like/heart" something without reblogging because it doesn't fit, I am again exercising the judgment writers have to use every day.  It's not just about "is it fun" or "is it pretty" or "does it make me say wow."

Does it make my story stronger? Does it make my story better? Does it work?

And that's how the past few days on tumblr have been emphasizing basic writing techniques even though I made an early decision to keep it simple and only photoblog w/o words.

And now, without further ado, abookinthehand.

Don't expect much. It's just a lot of images. Tell me if you spot the one/s that doesn't fit.

[Maybe I should have called it nekkidpeoplereading? Even narrower focus, wider audience?]

from buried in books

The Agent/Writer Relationship

A must-read post about the relationship between writers and agents from Natalie Whipple.

Check out her Happy Writers Society, "dedicated to spreading writerly cheer, celebrating the journey, and otherwise purging writers of angst," while you're at it.

Once more with feeling.

It's in the air, the curse of people wanting to write about things without actually knowing what has already been written, what is being published today, what it means to write that thing.

Here is a detailed explanation of why you must read YA to write YA from new YA author Julie Cross, whose brand new book will be out in January 2012.

Excerpt of article:

"I can’t even tell you how many unpublished writers I’ve chatted with, whether in person or through crit sessions, that have decided YA is for them and when I ask them, “Oh, have you read….”and I either get, “No, never heard of it, but I LOVED Twilight” or even, “No, but I hated Twilight so…” And then you get the rare few (and I say rare because most of these writers wouldn’t bother talking to someone like me who wastes time writing *gasp* commercial fiction), the intellectuals, the ones who are determined to create the next Catcher In The Rye and are so above anything non-literary and couldn’t possibly rot their mind on something like, Vampire Academy."

If you don't know what YA is--it's Young Adult. And if that's what you want to write but you don't know the term YA, you need to start learning. This article also has a solid list of recommended YA reading.

Have fun. The adventure awaits!

A great summation of information you need

25 Things Writers Should Know About Social Media

There it is. Read it and learn, and if you have questions, ask!

In the meantime, I'm here:  me on twitter

If you only follow a single person in publishing, it should be: Colleen Lindsay on twitter

But if you follow her, you'll quickly find yourself following a lot of other agents, editors, writers, and people in the biz, because she is smart, experienced, shares her knowledge and her humor freely, and she knows everybody.

Have fun!

What are you reading?

You must read what you write. If you write YA (young adult), you must read it.  If you write epic fantasy, you must read it.

Unless.

Unless you've already read and absorbed it because you are a True Fan.

I know people who don't read what they write. They read other things. And this is fine, as long as you truly know the area you're writing in.

"Write what you know," doesn't limit; it demands. It demands that once you've found that story, that character, that universe that you have a passion to write about--you learn it. You know it inside out.

If the genre is already part of your blood? You're ahead of the game.

If not, read what you're writing.

So, what are you writing right now?


What are you reading?

An unnatural desk.

So, Max [extraordinary screenwriter and teacher, follow that link for the best courses ever] supplied this information about her desk/office space in comments to a previous post.

I have a wall board I got at Ikea, it's glass, extends about an inch out from the wall, you can write on it in dry erase markers if you wish, or clip papers to it. It tends to be very spare and neat but I do put things up on it, often I have a favorite photograph on it that just makes me feel good in the space.

[You thought I was going to say totally bare white walls didn't you Pooks?]

And now she has graciously supplied us with a picture of her desk as described:

And here is her new desk.

Unnaturally pristine, but then, it takes all kinds.

And to reassure myself over my own slovenly ways, here is Einstein's desk and wall:

Are you a Max or an Albert?

First Class Links

Dinotopia Storyboard Explained by James Gurney

You can go to Amazon's listing for Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara and click to see inside pages to understand why Gurney uses the kind of storyboard he does, with images.

Jennifer Crusie's essay on mapping her way to the end

Jennifer Crusie's essay on collage as pre-writing and inspiration

The Jennifer Crusie book we saw two collages for, the one that worked and the one that didn't: Agnes and the Hitman

Jennifer Crusie collages

The books the others are about:  Bet Me, Don't Look Down.

Anne Gracie's webpage about a writers' retreat and the collages they made.

The book we saw in collage form: The Stolen Princess

What grabs, what doesn't.

So you've been revising, and you think you've got it. You think your book is ready.

Are you sure?

Author/editor Rhonda Stapleton chimes in on how to wow an editor with your first three chapters.

Since editors and agents often ask for the first three chapters of your book (with synopsis) before they'll request the full manuscript, this is important information for you.

Check it out before you attach and hit send! 

Reminder: Are you reading the Practical Meerkcat series linked from my sidebar? You should be! Every Friday, another entry from multi-published fabulous author and editor, Laura Anne Gilman.

Never underestimate the wisdom of the meerkat.

Image source.

Writing Your Bliss

Right now I am in an enchanted place, and I want to share more of it with you, those who toil along with me in this writing gig.

The first presentation I ever gave about writing was, "Writing With Emotion."  It has now grown and been incorporated into my classes.

But that's not what I'm talking about here.

I'm not talking about how to write with passion, with emotion. 

I'm not talking about craft.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once offered this advice to a young student:

"You’ve got to sell your heart, your strongest reactions, not the little minor things that only touch you lightly, the little experiences that you might tell at dinner. This is especially true when you begin to write, when you have not yet developed the tricks of interesting people on paper, when you have none of the technique which it takes time to learn. When, in short, you have only your emotions to sell."

Selling your heart, your emotions, your passions.  That means being fearless and going where it sometimes hurts to go, digging deep where it sometimes hurts to dig, and fueling your fiction with this source that is deeper than coal or oil and more powerful than atomic energy, and the reason he gives is so that you can do what we all want to do--write something people are willing to spend money to read.

But I'm also not talking about why to write with emotion, with passion. 

I'm not talking about selling.

I'm talking about the creation, the work itself, the sitting down and doing of it.

And that starts quite simply, and yet, for too many of us, not obviously.

First, you have to identify your passion. 

Find that world--whether it is a physical location or a kind of magic or technology or a genre or a dream--that stirs you to the depth of your soul. 

Find that passion that excites you, and come up with a story that embraces it.

Create characters that deserve it.

Design a world that involves it. 

Make your writing a place that you can't wait to get to, that is worth it even when it's hard, that sizzles in you like fresh infatuation and forbidden love and ageless wonder.

Find your passion and write about it, and you will have created work that you love, and there is nothing more rewarding than that.

And when you do that, when you finally find that passion and delve into it, and when you learn your craft so that you can execute it with precision and yes, the passion it deserves—

You will have achieved the success of finding work that you love to do.

You will have found your bliss, and followed it, and lived it. 

In the words of Joseph Campbell:

"I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be."   

And when you do that, you will have built your very best foundation for success that comes from publication, for if your work is infused with that kind of intensity, you will reach people, you will touch people, you will find your audience.

Come with me.  

Write your bliss.

A post about Self-Publishing with numbers.

This fabulous image came from here.

The numbers you need to be considered successful by the traditional publishing industry.

And a surprising view of small presses.

Check it out. She's one of the new agents on the block, and her blog is great.

Writers and their Superstitions

 [Source of image.]

Do you have any writing superstitions?

This article is one of the first in a series from a young writer just starting out.

I want some cool superstitions. Whenever anyone asks me, “So what’s your secret?” I want to be able to answer: “I drink two cups of lemon juice with lunch,” or “I channel the ancient godess Sekhmet over cereal,” or “I burn half of anything I write with incense.” At least that way, if measures prove fruitless, I’ll at least have confused a generation of authors.

Yes! That's me, exactly! I don't think I have any superstitions. (Thinks harder.) Can't think of any, but the idea of having them is so cool, and what great interview fodder.

But I do have preferences.  I have a preference for a fountain pen, and a preference for a certain shade of red ink for editing (which is not the shade I chose in that entry, I ended up going with plain RED from the same company and it's deliciously bloody).

But there is no superstitious "if I do this, this will happen" aspect to it.  It just makes editing more fun and anything that makes editing fun is a plus in my book.

Do you have any writing superstitions?

More cards! More walls! More office pr0n!

I stumbled across this article about home offices, home businesses, and it happened to be about people who put their work on the walls to inspire and organize.

This is not the Blake Snyder method by any means, no story structure or even story, because this is the office of the creator of Jars of Joy (a nifty gift idea).

And this wall belonging to a pr rep is what my wall would look like (and I'd like it!) if I weren't plotting on it.

Do your walls inspire you? Organize you? Are they full and busy or stark and clean?

What's your working style?

Money from the other side of the desk.

Yesterday we looked at money and writers. What about the other side of the desk?

What do editors make?

Follow that up with the question, how much does it cost to live in NYC?

"...making $123,000 a year would buy you the same standard of living as someone who makes $50,000 in Houston, Texas, according to the New York Daily News."

But since we don't have to actually live there and pay the price, it's fun to daydream and this site will help:    New York City Apartments

 photo source

Because dreaming, like writing, is free.

What Everybody Really Wants to Know--MONEY

Today's subject--money, writing for it, earning it, watching it ebb and flow, not getting rich fast enough.

Kameron Hurley writes: When I got my offer for GOD’S WAR, I was woefully ignorant of exactly how many copies I needed to sell to earn back my advance, or how to track those numbers. Every writer’s situation is different, so it’s hard to glean any data from other folks online – even the few who are willing to talk about it. Looking back, it would have been smart to simply ask my publisher or my agent directly, but nobody likes to look like a n00b… So there was a lot of worry and gnashing of teeth. And discusses frankly watching to see if her advance earned out, and what that would mean to her career. This is good information, people. Read it.

And then Psychology Today chimes in, also the source of today's image (above). Write for the money. Really? Well, let's see what they have to say.

Honestly, I have to write from that place of passion, but I couldn't and wouldn't bother if I weren't deeply positive that once I'd done so, I would reap millions of readers and the money that comes along with it.  That's when I'm writing.

Dealing with reality comes later.

Carry on! Write!

Mastering your domain...

[source of image, more good info here]

In classes I've advised students to secure their own domain name--preferably the name under which they want to publish--as soon as possible. There is no need to develop a site until you have a book to market, but having the domain ready is certainly a big step in the right direction.

Duolit is a great site with information for those who are self-publishing. But even if you are going the traditional route you'll find lots of information there, including these three articles:

Better Author Branding Through Domain Registration: Part One

Better Author Branding Through Domain Registration: Part Two

I Registered My Domain: Now What?

Great information in detail, clear and easy to follow.

I've been contemplating a remake of my own site for a year or longer, but can't make up my mind what kinds of changes I want to make.

Do you have any author sites you particularly like visually? For the content? For another reason? What are they?

Do you feel lucky, punk?

Sometimes I decide to put writing content on my other blog that could go either place. This is one of those days. So, here is a hint of what is waiting for you when I talk about the pros and cons of self-publishing.

See ya there!

Jim Hines Addresses the Great Myths of Getting Published

I mentioned this survey in classes last night and this morning, and here it is.

In February of 2010, I began collecting information from professionally published novelists.  My goal was to learn how writers broke in and made that first big novel deal, and to use actual data to confirm or bust some of the myths about making it as a novelist.

The results of his survey are here.

A new one in the sidebar

I love to read about process, which means I frequently love reading writing blogs that talk about process. Especially when they are blogs of successful and prolific writers who somehow manage to meet deadlines and have a life.

So I'm adding some of those to the sidebar.

Today, Elizabeth Bear's blog gets added, specifically, those entries that she has tagged "a writer at work."  Enjoy, and maybe even learn.

Shaken Not Stirred

I've added a new "helpful writing blog" to the sidebar.  Not just a friend of mine, not just a fabulous writer (we've workshopped together so I know), but also somebody who has her finger on the pulse of all things spec fic and YA.  Plus, she reads and reviews and recs more books than anybody else I know.

Follow Gwenda Bond's Shaken Not Stirred. (is that a great name, or what?).

She gives good blog.

Cruel hoax, oh how you sting.

Photo credit: Bogart Handsome Devil on flickr

If you aren't already following Writer Beware, you should be.

Today's horrifying entry is about a writer who was punk'd, hoaxed, tricked into believing she had not only a legitimate agent offer one morning, but a fabulous book deal that afternoon.  Why?  That remains to be seen.

I can only advise you to learn as much about the business as you can.  Follow blogs like the ones I have linked to in the sidebar. Learn what is typical, what is normal, and then it will perhaps be easier to spot that which is impossible.

Nathan Branford on Dialogue

Nathan Branford has an excellent blog.  See him in my blogroll in the sidebar. [If you note, in the sidebar I link to the best info on query letters ever; this is Nathan's info, and it's the best ever because it's what I've been teaching for twenty years. It's really nice to find I'm doing something right!]

As a former agent and a novelist, he brings insights from all sides of writing and publishing.  Check out what he advises about dialogue.  It's excellent.

Hiding Behind a Pseudonym

Chance is the pseudonym God uses when He does not want to sign His name. - by France, Anatole

Some rights reserved by -Bert23- www.aerosolplanet.com

Some authors who have used pseudonyms have regretted it. Some who haven't wish they had. This isn't a one answer fits all decision.  Carmela Ciuraru's Huffington Post article, 9 Reasons You Should Use a Pseudonym, reveals some fascinating bits of literary history and why various authors chose wisely to use pseudonyms. She expounds further in her Salon article, and of course even further in her book, Nom de Plume.


So while I was pondering this, I decided to toss around a few reasons you might want to consider, which include:

Is your name to similar to another published author, person or character, meaning there would be confusion?

Is your name so difficult to spell or pronounce that you fear it would create problems for people trying to find your books?

Would you like to create a privacy barrier so that you are not easy to find in this time of Google Earth and vanishing privacy?

Do you want to separate different writing personas--for example, do you write erotica and YA fiction?

Do you simply want to write under another name, a name that you feel better reflects who you are or want to be as a writer?

None of these things means you absolutely have to use a pseudonym, but they are certainly worth consideration.  If your name really is Mark Twain or Nancy Drew, brace yourself for a request from your publisher, however.

And secure the URL asap, so it will be ready when you need it.

What about you? Do you use one?  Want to use one? Want to use your own name? Tell me about it.

Ms 

What color of the rainbow is your character?

This is a very unusual approach to developing and exploring character. It may work for you, and if it intrigues, go for it!

Paperback Writer has published 47 novels in 6 genres, and writes some of the most helpful and fascinating blog entries about writing around the intertubes.

Character palettes.

I've seen lists before. Favorite colors. Favorite animals. Favorite songs. And I've seen collages and posters and bulletin boards filled with images of characters and the pieces of their world. Lynn Viehl has taken all this to a new level, both more 21st Century and more retro.

Check it out.  Let me know what you think!

Girl Power!

Disney says little girls aren't interested in being princesses any more?

Evidently so.

New in my Inbox

I won't always be sharing these, but thought I'd post this for local writers who check by here regularly.  I will later put various writers' groups in the sidebar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WRITERS' GUILD OF TEXAS MONTHLY MEETING


Monday, 20 June 2011
7-8:30 p.m.
Topic: WGT All-Stars Read-In
Speakers: WGT Members
Richardson Public Library
900 Civic Center Dr.
Richardson TX 75080
Basement Room


If you plan to read, please forward your submission to Pari Danian by 13 June. Pari will pre-plan the program according to time constraints. Limit your selection to 1,000 words maximum.

For a free edit before you read, attend the WGT-PCS meeting at 7:00 p.m. 15 June (see following notice for more details).

Since the emphasis in June is on our own efforts, feel free to bring copies of your published works for sale during the June meeting. We will display one copy of each book on our display table. Buyers may make selections and then approach the authors, who will provide signed copies.

Annual 2011 WGT dues of $20.00 may be paid at meetings, by mail to Writers' Guild of Texas, 6009 W. Parker Road, Suite 149-175, Plano TX 75093, or online at the Writers Guild of Texas website.

I will buy this book.

I first discovered Merlin Mann when I was trying to figure out a way to implement Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.

This is a great book, one that really worked for me, but David Allen leaves it up to you to figure out your own system--what kind of capture device you want to use. Blackberry? iPhone? In my case, it ended up being the Moleskine Ruled Notebook Pocket and I only figured that out by reading the now defunct forum at Merlin's site, 43 Folders.

Today I'm linking to him for a different reason.  If you are a writer, you should read this entry of his. It addresses very hard writer-issues.  It tugs at your heart, twists it, and makes you wonder, what would I do?  What did I do? What would I do if I could start over again?

Mainly, it makes me know that wherever his book ends up being published, his book, I will buy it.

I want to read it.

As long as it is his book.

Let me know what you think.

Writing YA/MG--Online Resources

Since so many of my students are writing for this market, and since I know so little about it, I asked the most excellent Doug Solter* for resources and he came through like a bandit:

Websites: 

 Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Under the tab research library there's a just getting started link which has a FAQ and some past issues of the SCBWI newsletter that gives them an idea about writing for children. There are many regional chapters (Tons of them in Texas) that host many events that are open to the public, good place to ask authors questions about writing YA/MG.

Verla Kay's childrens writers boards are chock full of information geared toward YA and MG writing specifically. Good place to lurk or ask questions and get good answers.

 Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine. This magazine focuses on public and school librarians, great resource to find out what kids are reading and the kinds of books that librarians are recommending to teens. The online version of their magazine is FREE.

 This website lists new YA book geared blogs. Good research to finding what some teens are reading and their opinions on a lot of books.

 Twitter chats...many agents, published authors, and editors participate in these chats. Good place to lurk:

     use hashtag: #kidlitchat (Every Tuesday night at 8pm CST)

     use hashtag: #yalitchat (Every Wednesday night at 8pm CST)

By the way--you should follow Doug's blog. He has lots of good info about YA lit and writing!

Comic of Wisdom

You really should be following Jim Hines' blog. Seriously.

He says some of the smartest things about writing, publishing, and life its own self that I've seen anywhere.

Beyond that, if you followed his blog you'd already have seen this:

Told ya he was smart.

Revisiting Scrivener

Have you downloaded any updated software lately? Did it screw up your old projects or have bugs that drove you batty?

I downloaded Scrivener updates several times without a single glitch.  When the remarkable Keith did so many improvements it was finally time to present a 2.0 that I actually had to pay for, I did it w/o hesitation.  And again, even with some significant (and fabulous) changes, old files opened in the new software without a hitch. This is bleedin' remarkable.

As I have said before, I have been writing for about 25 years now and this is the first time I have ever recommended a dedicated software program over MS Word or any other basic writing software.  I know people who have literally bought Macs just so that they can use Scrivener--and have not regretted it.  It's that amazing.

I've praised it high and low and written about it here.

I have only scratched the surface of what Scrivener can do.  I first bought it to use for organizing my research materials because you can import anything into your scrivener program and have it at your fingertips to just click and open and see, or sometimes have open at the same time as the project you're writing.  Not several different windows and programs open all over your desktop, but one program that has images, documents, music, video, etc. all in the sidebar (which is called the "binder") and all of which will open and work within Scrivener.

Let's say I'm writing.  In this case, you might note that I have a character image and even music--"Ride of the Valkyries"--in my right sidebar so that I can have the music going for mood and the image in front of me since this is a new project and new character, and I type the document in the center:

And say I need to see a map of London that I downloaded off the internet when I was researching, I go to the sidebar/binder and click and:

Or other character images or even complete books, yes, complete books, downloaded into the program to be at my fingertips.  Here is The Magus, which I found in public domain, opened from the sidebar/binder:

This is the tip of the iceberg of what you can do with Scrivener, and yet, if this is all it did, it would be worth the price.

And so, here, I give you an opportunity to buy it:

Regular license:



If you're a student or educator:


It's only $45 (reg) or $38.25 (student), and worth three or four times that much money.  I'm not kidding.

Let me know what you think.

*Scrivener for Windows is available in beta here.

The Slutty Novelist Recommends...

Thank you, Candace!

 Note: Feel free to send me stuff to use here and get credit, and link to your blog or site if you have one!

Words matter.

Use them well.