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Thursday, November 19, 2009

yWriter 5

I’ve always written prose in Word, but lately I’ve been having issues with keeping a handle on plot threads and the outlining process, and integrating the whole thing in to an editing process. Really, it has been a real pain in the ass. Because of this I’ve done some searching for some kind of organizational software solution without spending money. Yeah, I know, I’m cheap.

I came across yWriter and, so far, it seems pretty cool. Oh yeah, it’s free.

I, being the simpleton that I am, have not really delved too much in to yWriter as a full on solution, but I have adapted some of its features so that they are very good solutions for me. Basically, yWriter is a program for the novelist. It’s set up for organizing chapters and scenes within chapters. It also allows you to keep character bios and backgrounds. It’s real strength though is when it’s used as an outline tool. Well, that’s for me. It probably has some other strengths, but I just haven’t goofed around with it enough.

For my situation it’s been very handy. Here’s my situation. For the last couple of years I’ve been working on a novel told with short stories. Basically a collection of loosely, and sometimes not so loosely, connected short stories that in their entirety tell a larger story. Yeah, not very original, but it’s a perfect solution for me; being ADHD and all, but that’s a different topic of discussion. What I do with yWriter is treat each story as a chapter. Each chapter is outlined and the characters are fully fleshed out. Throughout this project I’ve taken different scenes within a story (chapter) and moved them to another story. With Word it’s a real pain in the ass. With yWriter it’s simply a matter of dragging and dropping. It automatically updates the outline as well. When it’s all done I’ll be able to export the whole project to Word and then print that puppy out.

Being that I’m by nature a pretty straight forward kind of person I still do almost all of my writing in Word and then import it to yWriter.

So, as I use this little gadget I’ll keep you posted on how it works for me. If I don’t, well, blame the ADHD.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

2012 That Was Close…

In recognition of the Friday opening of 2012 I’ve decided to post this little news blurb:

Although no one noticed at the time, the Earth was almost hit by an asteroid last Friday.

The previously undiscovered asteroid came within 8,700miles of Earth but astronomers noticed it only 15 hours before it made its closest approach.

Its orbit brought it 30 times nearer than the Moon, which is 250,000 miles away.

I must admit that I absolutely love “End Of The World As We Know It” scenarios. It’s a guilty pleasure I suppose. No, I don’t consider zombie stories as part of a EOTWAWKI scenario. I simply consider zombie stories stupid.

But that’s another discussion.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

ACORN Helps Pimps And Their Bitches

Saturday, October 10, 2009

David Mamet

Is no longer a brain-dead liberal.

I began reading not only the economics of Thomas Sowell (our greatest contemporary philosopher) but Milton Friedman, Paul Johnson, and Shelby Steele, and a host of conservative writers, and found that I agreed with them: a free-market understanding of the world meshes more perfectly with my experience than that idealistic vision I called liberalism.

Yeah, yeah, I know this is old. But it is interesting.

Apocalyptic Fiction Round-Up Review

Peter Ingham assesses a clutch of apocalyptic science fiction novels, including The Sign by Raymond Khoury, in which a sphere of light appears over the Antarctic, and Tide of Souls by Simon Bestwick, which contains flesh-eating zombies with green-glowing eyes.

Friday, October 09, 2009

Krav Maga

A little over two years ago I discovered Krav Maga. I’ve since become a full blown addict. For those of you who don’t know what Krav Maga is, it is the official system of self defense employed by the Israeli Defense Forces, Israeli Anti-terrorist Units, and various branches of the Israeli Security Forces. I do my training at Paul Evans Martial Arts. Right now I’m a level 3 practitioner.

The reason I like it so much is that it’s so damn brutal. I know that sounds odd, but it is the only way I can describe it. After each class you really feel a sense of accomplishment. Imagine what it feels like after surviving a four and a half hour level 1 test. If you pass, you walk away feeling pretty damned good about yourself. The level 2 test was even more difficult and the sense of accomplishment was even greater.

Over the last couple of years I’ve had cracked/bruised ribs, numerous bloody noses, various injuries and what not, but I’ve also learned to take a beating and to dish out a pretty damned good beating as well. Plus I’m in better shape at 47 than I was at 30. My 30 year old self would have his ass completely handed to him by my 47 year old self.

A couple of months ago my wife started getting in to it too. It’s great. Last night she was throwing down with the best of them; 5’11” of Ukrainian fury.

If you’re in an area that has a martial arts studio that teaches Krav Maga, I definitely recommend giving it a try. I guarantee after the first half hour you will be asking yourself, “What in God’s name have I gotten myself in to?” But when it’s over you’ll be going, “Holy crap, this is fun.”

Another thing you can be sure of is that, the next day, you’ll be in pain. Don’t worry, it never really goes away, you just get used to it. 

Behind Every Great Writer Is An Editor

Or so I’ve heard.

if Lish edited Carver so heavily, then is what we think of as “Carver-esque” really Lish?

Everyone Loves A Good Metaphor

Communicating without metaphors would be like eating without taste buds. I know, I just used a simile to describe a metaphor ... My head hurts.

Perhaps this will help.

Philosophers have long wondered about the connection between metaphor and thought, in ways that occasionally presaged current-day research. Friedrich Nietzsche scornfully described human understanding as nothing more than a web of expedient metaphors, stitched together from our shallow impressions of the world. In their ignorance, he charged, people mistake these familiar metaphors, deadened from overuse, for truths. “We believe that we know something about the things themselves when we speak of trees, colors, snow, and flowers,” he wrote, “and yet we possess nothing but metaphors for things--metaphors which correspond in no way to the original entities.”

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Under The Weather

Man, I’ve been under the weather something fierce. Last week I got some kind of weird intestinal thing; no fever, lots of body aches. After about three days of that I got better. Then Friday morning my son woke up with a fever and sore throat. We took him to the doc and after a quick glance down the kid’s gullet he proclaimed, “Yeah, strep throat”.

OK, got that taken care of. Saturday morning I came down with ANOTHER case of gamboo. I’ve been wallowing like a wimp for the last few days. Tonight I’m feeling better, though.

Will be back to work tomorrow come hell or high water.

Bitch session over.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Audacity Of Hos

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Your Screenplay Sucks!

I’m currently reading Your Screenplay Sucks!: 100 Ways To Make It Great

I’ve heard enough good things about this book that I broke down and bought it.

To be honest I’m not too high on reading a bunch of screenplay books. I’ve learned the most by simply reading screenplays. That being said, I have read Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting and it has been hugely informative. In fact, I’d almost go so far as to say that this amazing book could rank as a life changer.

Anyway, I’ll be diving into Why Your Screenplay Sucks tonight. I’m hoping for ideas regarding my current third draft. 

God Damn The Shaky Cam

Oh, how I agree.

You’re not using the Almighty’s name in vain when you mean it. So everybody all together now: God Damn the Shaky-Cam.

Seriously, can’t an action film be produced anymore that doesn’t involve spastic camera work throughout the whole damn flick?

Just saying. 

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Loglines From The Headlines

Reading this:

Dr Venter, who has been chasing his goal for a decade, is already working on projects to use synthetic biology to create bacteria that transform coal into cleaner natural gas, and algae that soak up carbon dioxide and turn it into hydrocarbon fuels.

made me go, hmmmm.

I can see it now: The global ecosystem overrun by artificially created carbon dioxide consuming algae, humans must now produce massive amounts of Co2 to save earth.

I posted it on a screenwriting BB. Have at it!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Hollywood’s Self Imposed Bleed Out

One of my favorite web sites points to some articles concerning some of the problems concerning Hollywood. Part 1 is here, and part 2 is here.

Most telling is;

Exacerbating this issue (and with apologies to friends in the industry) is that most development staff historically possesses neither writing nor storytelling experience. What they have, and what they are mandated to exercise, is an ability to anticipate what their superiors desire. The Hollywood hierarchy is thus reactionary, and not driven to just tell a good story.

Mathematics Of Zombies

Proves that we’re all screwed.

A ZOMBIE attack would need to be countered hard and early to give civilisation any hope of surviving, according to a mathematical study.

A Canadian team - which includes an Australian researcher - has done the maths on what would happen should zombies really appear on the streets.

The first thing that comes to my mind is, I hope they didn’t get grant money for this?