04 May 2011
Novels, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Writing, Young Adult 3 Comments Permalink

the scrivening, part 2: some assembly required

05/04/2011 3 Comments

First things first: I had to download and install the latest beta version of Scrivener, 0.2.3. If you visit the site, you’ll note that this version expires on May 30, 2011. This is one of the details that unnerves some Windows users, not so much because of the hassle, but because no one relishes the prospect of upgrading software in the middle of a project. There’s the potential to lose some or all of your work, and who wants to risk that? I’ll say this though: a) it’s great that the developers are constantly fixing bugs, engaging with users directly, and improving this software on a regular basis, and b) if you’re really afraid, I believe you can continue using the older version if you want, though that means accepting all of its flaws for the duration of your project.

I did, in fact, run into some trouble at this early stage. I wasn’t sure if Scrivener would update my existing version when I installed the new one. The answer is no. I had to manually uninstall the last version I had, 1.55, but instead I accidentally uninstalled the wrong one three times. (Granted, this is user error, but in my defense, “1.55” seems newer than “0.2.3”, no? And the older version was only named “Scrivener Beta” in my Program Files while the new one is simply “Scrivener.”) And when I finally got it right, all of the bits didn’t get properly removed. Eventually I cleaned up the mess through Windows Control Panel. When I face the next upgrade, I’ll have to look into the proper steps to make sure I don’t accidentally delete something important. Such are the perils of beta software, though we all know that any program has its quirks and bugs. *cough* Microsoft *cough*


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02 May 2011
Novels, Process, Writing, Young Adult 10 Comments Permalink

the scrivening

05/02/2011 10 Comments

Many of the writers I know are vocal supporters of the writing software Scrivener. Until fairly recently, it was only available for Macs, which was a big deterrent to me because I prefer PCs. (Many of the writers I know are also vocal Apple supporters, but that’s a whole separate matter; I know could adapt to the Mac operating system easily with practice, but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to their keyboards.)

Over the years, I’ve briefly sampled some of the other writing software programs out there that were supposed to mimic Scrivener on PCs, but they were all lacking. So when the Windows beta version of Scrivener was finally released last November, there was much celebration. I was still curious about the program, but suddenly hesitant to try it out. Some fans of Scrivener border on a cultlike devotion, and I didn’t want to become dependent on one piece of software to write my novels. I also needed to make sure that my work is fully compatible between different computers, more or less. At the time, I was primarily drafting on my 7″ Asus Eee PC netbook in Open Office, and writing and editing on my larger laptop at home in Word, so if I were to use Scrivener, it had to run on both Windows and Linux platforms–or I would face the joys of manually syncing up my files with Scrivener every day, which seemed to defeat the point.

However, I was open to change, so I downloaded the beta and installed it on my then-new Windows 7 laptop, and soon discovered that my concerns were moot because… It didn’t work. I tried to create a new Scrivener project and was promptly informed that it was incompatible with the current version. Huh? I tried it with a new install with the same result, and kind of gave up on it after that.

But I kept hearing about other happy Windows users, not to mention Mac users, creating bestselling novels on an hourly basis thanks to Scrivener–and by the way, did you know that it does dishes too?–so I figured it warranted another shot. This is that shot: I plan to use the process of revising my YA novel Quantum Coin as an opportunity to see what Scrivener can do for me and my book, and I’ll blog the results for other people who are thinking of taking the plunge and investing time (and eventually money) in the software.

A teaser for my next post in this series: We’re off to a good start, because this time the program at least works on my computer!

21 Apr 2011
Media, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Short Stories, Television, Writing 5 Comments Permalink

shimmery goodness

04/21/2011 5 Comments

In what’s becoming an annual tradition, a new short story of mine was just published in a small press fantasy magazine, this time Shimmer magazine. I certainly feel lucky that my story “All the Lonely People” is in issue # 13, now available for order (in electronic and print editions). I’ve wanted to be published in Shimmer since I saw the second issue, which gives you an idea of how long I’ve been sending them fiction and the value of persistence.

Some of you may recall that I read “All the Lonely People” at the Altered Fluid reading at NYRSF last June, where people didn’t hate it. Here’s a brief excerpt:

I found the woman in the last train car; her kind is usually drawn to the edges of things, wherever they can be alone, wherever they can go unnoticed. She was reading a poster on the back wall, both hands gripping the seatbacks on either side of the aisle as if they were holding her up. I could see through her to the poster, an ad for classes at some community college.

She was a fader.

That’s what I call them, those caught in that limbo that claims more and more people every day. I don’t know what that makes those of us who can see them. I assume there are others like me, but it’s not like I got a membership card and a list of instructions the day I discovered my ability. No one told me what it’s for.

You should also pick up the magazine to check out great stories by other authors: K.M. Ferebee, Erik T. Johnson, L.L. Hannett, Richard Larson, J.J. Irwin, Georgina Bruce, Stephen Case, Ferrett Steinmetz, and Poor Mojo’s Giant Squid.

And if you want to read something free while you wait for the issue to arrive in your mailbox or inbox, you can always read an interview with me at Shimmer or my shortish essay on my history with Star Trek in today’s series wrap-up at TheViewscreen.com.

06 Apr 2011
Uncategorized 2 Comments Permalink

Happy birthday!

04/06/2011 2 Comments

I haven’t made much time to blog lately, but there’s always time to wish a good friend a happy birthday. So, happy birthday, @trinityvixen! One more year before your warranty runs out and you’re officially old–enjoy it while you can! (Believe it or not, this was the least gross picture I could find; he kind of reminds me of the animated Cryptkeeper.)

01 Apr 2011
Internet, Television, Writing Permalink

the star trek re-re-watch

04/01/2011

Torie and I enjoyed re-watching Star Trek so much, we decided to do it again. So much has changed since we launched the original re-watch last year, we thought it might be in need of a massive update, so we’re remastering every re-watch post, in original publication order. If you missed us the first time around, this is your chance to follow along. And if you did read all the old posts, we promise there’s a lot of added value. We like to think of this as the way the re-watch was always intended to be, if we’d been given free editorial reign and the right resources at the beginning.

Please check out our new look at The Viewscreen: Read more about the exciting new direction of the Remastered Re-Watch, and our first post is already up–only a day late–for the first episode of the series, “The Man Trap.” As Torie puts it, we’ve made it “saltier” and “more vampire-ier!” Here’s a glimpse at some of our enhancements. Please let us know what you think–like the internet, this is a work in progress. And tell your friends!