I'm back!

I've been letting the grass grow on this blog for too long now, so I've finally brought out the hedge trimmers and the riding lawnmower to get the job done.

Just a quick question to all my blog readers--what software do you use for writing?

I usually use Microsoft Word, but with the different versions out there, it can be a mess. As a result, I save my documents in RTF (Rich text format), which seems to be compatible across versions. Also, my writing partner has an easy time accessing my docs because it seems that all platforms provide a method for reading RTF. We just email the docs back and forth, doing our own version control.

Anyone have a better idea? How do you write?

NaNo's over!

But I didn't win! At least not the goal of 50,000 words that was supposed to be everyone's goal. But as I had mentioned at the start of the month, my goal was to become a better writer, and in that sense, I won.

I was keeping in the contest, albeait at a slower pace than necessary to win, but I thought I could still make it. Then, after about a couple weeks, I read a blog post stressing the importance of theme. I examined my own story and realized that my theme, although strong and clearly defined at the beginning, had drifted out of the limelight as my story progressed. So I stopped and I'm still in the process of redeigning the storyline to keep the story on track.

So what is the theme of my story? I started with Romeo and Juliet, which has the theme that true love can defeat all problems, but it requires sacrificing the lovers. I questioned that conclusion, and asked whether two people from different worlds could overcome family disapproval.

I still haven't got the answer! I'll let you know when I finish my story!

NaNoWriMo Approaches!

As the month of November approaches, I am reminded of first snowfalls, the happiness of family coming together at Thanksgiving, and, ... AND ...

NANOWRIMO!

That's right! It's National Novel Writing Month, that time of year when amateur writers join with professional writers to attempt to create a new novel ( or at least 50,000 words towards a novel) during the month of November. Even if you don't believe that you've got a novel inside you, this contest (FREE! No entry fee!) leads you, through motivational writings and an encouraging community, towards good writing habits that can help you develop that inner voice.

Perhaps the most important difference between a professional writer and an amateur writer is that a professional writer WRITES ALL THE TIME, while an amateur writer TALKS ABOUT WRITING ALL THE TIME! So stop your jawing and start tapping that keyboard.

For me, I've found that I write much more on the weekend than I do during the week. I can manage about 3000 words on each day of a weekend, and I see on my calendar that there are 9 days this November that fall on Saturday or Sunday, so that means I need to make 23,000 words on the 21 weekdays of that month. If I set a modest target of 1200 words per weekday, I should have plenty to cover those days that I fall a little short.

For those of you who need things spelled out, I'm entering. Why? Because it's FREE! That's right! I'm a cheap guy always looking for something free! HaHaHaHaHa!

Actually, I believe that the daily striving to fulfill an agressive writing goal will increase my writing output. If I succeed, then riches, fame, and glory can be mine! But if I fail to make the 50,000 words by the end of the month, what do I lose? NOTHNG! That's right! Nothing to risk, everything to gain! That's the kind of deal I look for in life!

So if you're like me and you can't pass up a deal that truly helps you succeed in life, then I invite you to join me in this year's contest. Feel free to friend me. Because the most important thing in this writing journey is to share what we write. I've truly been influenced by some spectacular writing in my lifetime, and I want to have that effect on others some day. And that's not going to happen unless I

WRITE!

A Quick Look at Social Networking

This was inspired by tweets on Twitter.

LinkedIn is a way to keep in touch with people you need for your job.
Facebook is a way to keep in touch with people you'd rather not see in person.
Twitter is a way to tell your friends whatever you want without listening to their drivel when they tell you whatever they want.

Any more?

Your Cyborg Eye Will Talk to You

I found this one on twitter. Thanks for the post, @RWW.

A group is working on a human machine interface where LEDs are embedded into contact lenses in order to display information to the wearer.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/your_cyborg_eye_will_talk_to_you.php

I thought this was so cool! I expect to use this in a future story.

Why I use an RSS feed to read blogs

This is not in line with my regular posts, but I decided to post here anyway. I hope you don't mind.

Why I use an RSS feed to read blogs

* Fewer ads.

The primary benefit here is faster loading. Some ads get locked up and prevent the page from displaying. I also find flashing ads to be an unnecessary annoyance.

* Default colors are black and white.

A definite plus on some sites where background images make reading a challenge.

* New posts appear automatically.

Originally I would periodically check back on sites to see if something was posted--a big time-waster and resulted in following few blogs and losing track of some.

* Easier to organize posts, both for reading and saving.

Google Reader allows me to organize all the posts by directory and also to add my own tags when saving.

* Invisible following.

Although I haven't needed this myself, I could envision a case where I didn't want the blog owner to know I was following.

* Added indirection for replies.

In the event that I had an emotional response to a post, the added delay of waiting for the site to load gave me more time to cool down. That way, I'm less likely to post a reply I'll regret later.

* Allows me to view the last few postings at my convenience.

When I subscribe to a feed, I get the last few postings directly in the reader. Then I can read at my convenience and decide whether I want to follow the blog regularly. As a result, I unsubscribe from several blogs quickly if I feel they are not appropriate for me.

Writer's Block

In general, I don't suffer from writer's block, but I do notice that sometimes, my writing flows more than other times. By observing my habits, I've come up with a few helpful rules to increase my productivity.

1. Write everyday.

I didn't realize how important this was until I went without writing for a few days and then tried to go back to it. I found that I took longer to get started, and my writing quality was poorer than usual. If I write everyday, it becomes easier to start the next time. I din't realize how beneficial this would be until I took a five-day trip recently, and I spent almost the whole time writing. My words continued to flow easily for quite a few days after that.

2. Plan my next section.

Although I'm an avid outliner, I have found that if I study the next section before taking a break, I have a better idea what I will write when I return to writing. Even if I don't actively think about the next section, the passive thought process is beneficial.

3. Carry paper and pen at all times.

I've heard this one many times, and I'm a firm believer that if you have more opportunity to write, you write more. It just makes sense.

4. Listen to your dialogue.

This helps my characters sound more realistic. The way I do this is to convert my file to a PDF, and then have the Adobe (C) Reader read it out to me.Although the voice is rather dull, it allows me to close my eyes and listen to the dialogue rather than read it. I can fine-tune a dialogue rather well using this technique. It also allows me to hear common mistakes that I fail to notice when I'm reading, such as repeated phrases or sparse descriptions, which are two of my most frequent problems.

5. Rewrite.

If I am stuck on a scene for a long time, then I examine my story structure. Sometimes I find that I don't like the direction the story has taken and I need to rewrite the previous scene or scenes to change the direction of the story.

6. Skip a scene or scenes.

If I have trouble getting started on a scene, I might skip that scene and continue with another easier scene. Then I can come back and try again.

I also frequently see advice on other sites that I've found unhelpful for me.

1. Ask a friend how to get my story going again.

The story structure is the writer's domain, and I'm not likely to relinquish control in that area. Also, no one else knows what I want to accomplish with my story, so how can they tell me what should happen next?

2. Write something other than your story.

On the occasions that I've been stuck and started writing something else, I've found that this in no way helps me with my current story. When I return, I'm usually just as blocked up as I was before. I believe this is because what I really need to get unstopped is to get more involved with my characters and storyline, not separated from them. Only by working through the block do I get unblocked.

Are these helpful for you, or do you have other ideas on how to get started?