Gaiman Defends the Darkness!

The extraordinary Neil Gaiman defends darkness in kitlit in this insightful and very funny interview with Stephen Colbert. I borrowed this from NG's website. Enjoy!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Neil Gaiman

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Mark Sanford
NASA Name Contest

Scrivener Rocks

I posted this today on my group site, Pen Tales. Excuse the re-post here, but there's just not enough time this week! Must get back to using Scrivener!

I wrote my first novel in MS Word. Since it is set in Bronze-Age Greece, it required a fair amount of research. The end result was approximately 3.5 million word files and one handwritten journal containing research notes, character studies, experimental scenes, outlines, critique group notes for later consideration, etc, etc. My office wall was covered with printouts of Nubian Pharaoh's, Greek gods, maps, and photos of islands. Not to mention the long list of websites I've bookmarked. Although I couldn't find any empirical proof, I was starting to suspect that MS Word was created in the Bronze Age.

And then, PenTales member Ron mentioned Scrivener in his blog. Soon after, I discovered that PT'er Elise had started using it and loved it. So, I downloaded the free trial. I used it for about an hour, then bought the software.

It was like moving from stone carved tablets to an intuitive tool made by a writer, for writers.

Let me just say that I'm not getting paid to endorse Scrivener (but would entertain offers). I'm just a big fan. It's a bargain at under $50, it's easy to use, and it works.

It has so many features I can't go into them all, but the workspace is organized like a big binder that holds everything you need for your work in progress. My first-impression favorite features are the cork board, research folder, and export capability.

In the cork board, I create separate files, which look like index cards, for each scene. This makes it really easy to edit, rearrange, and organize the story. The research folder is pure genius. I can store notes, pictures and information for easy reference (ah, no more searching file folders for that photo of a modern reconstruction of a Greek Bireme), and the ability to export the story and have Scrivener do all the formatting work upon export.

There are a vast number of features I haven't used yet (like outlining and synopsis) but I was able to get up and running with the new novel in just a day. Now, it feels very natural to use Scrivener.

If you are a Scrivener user, what are your favorite features? Have you discovered any cool, little-known capabilities? Has anyone figured out how to save a web page to the research folder? Please, do tell!

Looking Forward

The sun shining today in Oregon, and that in itself is worth blogging about. I'm feeling particularly optimistic, and not just because of the weather. (Admittedly, optimism has been a bit shy in my life lately, what with the dismal economy and the long winter.) 

Today, however, the sun is out. I'm looking forward, and everything is bright, both literally and figuratively. In just one week my amazing Mom will be moving in, and it seems I've been waiting forever for her. I have some fun paid work coming in, and am making real progress on the agent front (no news yet, but stay posted). 

The new story is coming along well. The process of writing it is so different than my first novel, which required intensive research and historical background. Since the setting for the new novel is contemporary, and written in first person,  which frees me to create a first draft with a stream-of-consciousness that was not possible before. It's fun. Don't get me wrong--it's not good yet. But even though I loathe writing first drafts, I'm giving myself permission to play with this story, and it's a blast. I feel my character's voice coming through, and although I know this will go through many rewrites before it becomes what I want, the heart of it is there. 

It's springtime. 

Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave...

Lately, lying has been on my mind. Why and how people lie and the results of those lies is a source of both disappointment and, strangely, inspiration. 

There's an odd intersection in my life right now: I'm starting a new novel that deals with lies and their repercussions, while at the same time in my personal life trying to comprehend how a lie has managed to interfere with the life of a person whom I greatly respect for having high integrity. 

Lies are powerful, dangerous things. They have teeth, metaphorically-speaking. In my work-in-progress, lies have teeth, and not just metaphorically. I'm not talking about the kinds of small side-steps of the truth we tell to get out of going to a family gathering, or when we insist that our friend doesn't look fat in those jeans. 

I'm thinking about the kinds of lies that are aimed at diverting the truth, obscuring what should be and replacing it with the desires of the liar. 

Here are my own definitions of the more destructive sorts of lies. 

Lies with Teeth: 

• Rumor, and her evil twin sister, innuendo
  
• Deception
  
• Exaggeration
  
• Withholding information
  
• Lying to yourself
  

These are just a few of the flavors I'm exploring! Any others to add?