WSW: Writer Software

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My current project is a bit more complicated than any of the others that I have undertaken. It is being told in three unique points of view, filled with music and movement, multiple timelines, tons of research, and a historical piece of Brazilian folklore. It is becoming clear that I need to be super organized to make sense of it all.

In all of my other projects, I have just used a single folder on my hard drive to store all of my files for that particular writing project. In it, I had the first draft, scenes without a home, character notes, and a document that had any pictures needed. Easy peazy.  I knew where each scene would go in the long run, at least the general order of things.

This project is all over the place. Scenes are popping up in no particular order. There is backstory that will need to be intertwined, one character that doesn't play on the same time schedule as the others, and dealing with the same scenes being told in multiple points of view. I know that until I have all the puzzle pieces pulled out of the box, I can't even begin to figure out how to place them together. And this isn't just a hundred piece level one puzzle. We are talking about a box of a thousand tiny pieces.

I say all of this to say that I am considering using writer software.

So, what about you? How do you stay organized when you are writing?Have you tried any writing software? If so, which ones? If not, have you been tempted to? Are you a pro at one of the many available, or have you only used basic word processor files? 

Whatcha Say Wednesdays are for you. It's a chance to voice your opinion, share your knowledge, and interact with one another. Answer what speaks to you, and ignore the rest. But do tell—I’m quite curious.

Pick and Pull: Recycling for a New Story

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Back in 2010, I talked about a story that started off as a project that I loved but was yet terrified of trying to write, and later was sent to the Scrap Pile. I couldn't pull the story together. As much as I love those characters, I just could not make that story work. In the above mentioned post, I said that I was sending it the scrap pile. "I will leave it in tact like a car in the junkyard to be sold for parts when needed. Who knows, maybe Jared and Caitlin will find happiness in another story that is more my style. They deserve it after all I’ve put them through."

Well, guess what. Exactly what I said would happen, happened. They are no longer Jared and Caitlin, and are now Amanda and Nate. Her backstory is almost exactly the same. His has changed a great deal. The deep connection between them is the same, well, actually stronger. They are no longer facing the end of the world, but were brought together by a wish that could mean death for one of them. But someone is pulling the strings and bringing these two together.

The stakes are high, the love is deep, and the characters are full of dimension. I am currently calling the story The Wish, but that will probably change. It's already changed once from Local Lore, I had picked that name, because of it's connection to Brazilian folklore. I felt the name was too weak, and didn't connect the reader to the story properly.

I say all this to say--it can happen. Those discarded darlings can be revived. It takes time. I had to step away from the project for two years, discover a new culture, and experience life from a new perspective.

I cannot use all of the 10K words that I dedicated to Touch of Light, but I have found a home for a love story that needed proper attention. Maybe you have a few stories in the scrap pile that feel abandoned. Sometimes that is where they stay. But, sometimes, they will see the light again. We just have to give them time to breathe.


Have you ever saved a story from the scrap pile? Do you still miss some of your discarded darlings? Do you try to revive them, or do you accept their new home in the junkyard? 

WSW: Titles

I am in the midst of trying to pick a better working title for my newest WIP.  Local Lore was a quick place holder, but the deeper into the project I go -- I see that it doesn't quite fit the story. I hate not having a title for something that I am working on, but knowing it doesn't work, well, I'm not a fan of that either.

I named Iron Thirst right away, however, it was originally Iron Obsession. It's sequel, Craving Copper, had it's name before I had even written the first 1,000 words. For me, I just want to lend credit to the project, and what better way to do that than to give it a name.

So, for this week's Whatcha Say Wednesday, tell me about your title selections. Do you name something right away, or do you wait until the perfect title comes along? Do you change titles frequently, or do you pick one and stick with it? 

How do you select your title? Is it based on a line within the book, or based on popular trends? Do you like short one word titles, or something with more depth? Is there a secret code in the name, or is it something that describes the book?

Whatcha Say Wednesdays are for you. It's a chance to voice your opinion, share your knowledge, and interact with one another. Answer what speaks to you, and ignore the rest. But do tell—I’m quite curious.

Recycled: Designed for a Second Reading

 (This video can still make me cry laughing)

I am one of those people who only reads books or watches movies once. (With the exception, of course, of TV repeats such as Breakfast Club.) I hardly ever buy DVDs, and could live with only my library card – but my need for “now” and my future dream employment leads me to still buy my books. (Karma thing)

But there are a few books and movies that are specifically designed for a second reading/viewing. I’m going to focus on movies for this post, because it’s more likely that we have all seen my examples rather than books that I might mention.

Two great examples of movies designed for a second viewing are “Fight Club” and “Sixth Sense”. Movies where the ending left you screaming, “Oh. My. God” -- “No Way!” –or-- “Shut the front door!” If you are like me, you started the dang thing over to catch all the clues sprinkled throughout the movie that you couldn’t see before. Clues that were so subtle you wouldn’t have caught them, but now it’s right there like a neon sign.

All of these examples include a big flip. Big Flip = Change that switches the perceived reality of the situation. I love this style, and to be honest – it’s what I want to be when I grow up. If you’ve read my short stories, they have this in common. Iron Thirst, yep – you guessed it, falls right in line.

The trick is wording and subtlety. The clues must be there, but they need to be invisible and only seen when your readers go through the book the second time. As if by finishing the book, they are handed a special decoder pen that unlocks all the hidden secrets you have tucked inside. An example of where this is not done well is “Hancock”. There are no clues leading up to the big flip. It’s just there. Like the writer said, “Ooo, this would be cool”. You have to appreciate and respect your audience. People will pick your work apart looking for holes and inconsistencies. The entire novel/movie must support the big flip.

But you can’t be too obvious. If people see it coming like a giant flying booger then the effect is lost. It will plop on the page, and your readers will be very disappointed. Superman Returns is a great example of this. The big flip of the boy being his son. My reaction - Duh! That movie is a great representation of plot holes and inconsistencies. You want a lesson on what not to do – watch this movie with a critical eye. Seriously. Sorry, rambling…

I was very fortunate to have the same person read my manuscript twice to help prevent this. (Thank you, Beej! You’re still the best.) The first time she read it, I wanted to know when and if she figured things out or if she had guesses as to what was coming next. My favorite answer was on one particular surprise, “Not until you revealed it in the book.” (Giggle, giggle, girl dance.) Then for round two, I wanted her to see where I put the clues – and she got ‘em. It was awesome to see her draw a big red smiley face by one in particular. (Woohoo! Success.) Sorry that was vague, but I hope that one day you will all read it – and I won’t be my own spoiler.

Have you used this style in any of your work? What’s one of your biggest flips? What’s the worst you’ve ever seen? (Be vague; we don’t want to be spoilers.)

Freestyle Friday: Getting out of a Musical Rut

Exploring new music is one of my favorite past times. I hate to get stuck in a musical rut. If the only new music you are exposed to is what is dished out by your local radio station, it is quite easy to do. We all know the drill. They introduce one new song, and then play it to death. Or until you are ready to strangle it to death.

Back when I was growing up, it was much harder to explore new music. Pretty much your only option was to hit up the local record store. I still love to do this, even though these days they are much harder to find.

Technology has made it simple to find new tunes. I have a few websites and apps that I use to keep the music playing. The logos are clickable links.



Pandora is one of the most commonly used internet radio sources. You can plug in a band or song, and it will use it's special music genome project to spit out similar bands and songs. You can build up to 100 radio stations. The free version does include commercials, but you can upgrade to Pandora|One for $3.99 per month for zero interruptions. The fee is billed through your iTunes account. There is a great app for the iPhone and other mobile devices.

I love to take musical journeys by starting with one song that I like, and then keep building new stations until I find myself in uncharted territory. It doesn't just play the Top 40 or radio versions. It plays songs that are on the CD that you may never have heard before, live performances, or unique covers. And you can train it by giving thumbs up or down to songs.





 
Have you ever been walking through a store and heard the coolest song and thought, wow, what is this awesome song? Shazam is an app that is available for your mobile device that will kindly answer that question for you. You can just click Shazam and it will listen for about 10 seconds, tell you the name of the song and band, allow you to share it with friends on Facebook or Twitter, and download it from iTunes. I like to also use it to bookmark songs for later purchase. It also provides instant lyrics so you can stop screwing up your favorite songs.


This is my new favorite toy. It works like a music concierge. Music experts build top notch playlists. There are two main ways to use it. One is to just browse through the playlists available based on popularity, genre, or by a song. There is a wide range of options to choose from and it is all based off of your mood. This option requires you to be a bit more specific in your searching.

The second way, the way that I use the most often is the Musical Concierge. It's easier to just show you. You start with the screen below, which is different based on the day of the week and the time of the day.

 

 So, let's say I want to choose --Eating Dinner. Now I have a new set of options. 

Now, I select "Cool New Music", and it goes even further...

Click on any and the playlist will entertain. Not feeling it--go back and try again.  The thumbs up, thumbs down, and skip functions work just like that in Pandora.  Biggest difference--free and zero commercials.  

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There are other great music players out there such as Spotify and Grooveshark, but these are my favorite for finding new music at the moment.

But don't forget, if you find yourself in a musical rut - ask your friends what they are listening to. I found a whole genre of music just by asking a friend what he was listening to. Post the question on Facebook, and you will be surprised by the response. But whatever you do -- keep exploring. Life is too short to spend it in a rut.

So, what are you listening to these days? Have you used these sites? What are your favorite apps or websites for exploring new music?