Playing Favourites

Technology is a wonderful thing. It's been finely honed to give the world the iPad, and a bunch of apps to put on it. These are some of the apps I use for my writing.

For the record, I don't know what other platforms have these apps, but I know that you can get them for your iPad, and maybe even your other iProducts.

Also be well aware that all of these are free. I'm a total cheapskate, and I'd imagine that I'm not alone in that. Relish this news.

The funny bit is that all of the screenshots are from the iPhone. I don't even have an iPhone.

A Novel Idea

This is a great story structure app. There are various different places to flesh out ideas and characters and everything. It's incredibly simple and allows you to connect ideas. It's sort of like a series of questionnaires, and I love that. The character section, for example, asks for stuff like height (eight feet), hair colour (N/A), and external conflict. Cool, no?

I'm not impressed with the sudden bout of ads suddenly filling up the screen, but, hey, it's free.

Moleskine Journal

This one's just a lot of fun to play with. I've got a million notebooks going right now, and one is devoted to my current project. It's pretty user-friendly, and allows you to draw and write and put in pictures all over the place. It's a great place to compile your inspiration.

It's still kind of glitchy, but honestly, it's worth it. It is really cool.

Pearltrees

This one's great. I use it on my iPad and my computer, though I vastly prefer organising on my iPad. It's so much easier. It's perfect for collecting and organising inspiration and things you find in your research. I also use it as a sort of makeshift YouTube playlist, but that is not the point. Here's my writing Pearltree, feel free to peruse technical information and inspiration all at the same time!

Evernote

This is one of those catch-all apps. Most of my favourites are, actually. Whatever, I like having lots of places to jot down ideas at three in the morning. I like to write full scenes in this one, actually. Unlike the Moleskine app, it uses your iThing's autocorrect, so you can at least be marginally coherent when you write. It's simple to use, and that's how I roll, yo.

Dictionary.com Dictionary and Thesaurus

If you think you don't need a dictionary and/or thesaurus, you are wrong. So very, very wrong. I mean, where else are you gonna look up words like Tarmac or wiles at three in the morning? Google?

Okay, yeah, probably.

Bookworms

My first reader has completed their mission. That is, reading and telling me things as they do so.
I am pleased.

Alina

Music is one of the most important pieces of my writing process. Certainly more than Tetris. As such, I compile playlists every time I start a new project, because I know how much of an impact music has on my writing. It offers inspiration when the well runs dry, helps me to properly envision the scene, and is a good way to waste time while still telling people, "Leave me alone, I'm busy doing writer things."

I've already talked about two of the songs on my Willow playlist, but here's another. It's a slow, haunting melody that really worked well for the more emotional aspects of the story, of which there were many.

Seriously, guys, I'm an emotional wreck.

Worth it, though.

The Trouble with Names

Location names and surnames are hard, guys.
I just use name sites for first names. I'm not even sorry.

First Tendrils of Fear

Yet another attempted summary for Willow. I'm not sure if I dislike it more or less than previous attempts. It feels like less. Have I found a decent one?

Callie was born and bred to be special, though never very important. When she quite unexpectedly finds herself the queen of a country at war, she quickly finds that no head is heavier than the one that wears the crown.

While I like that this kind of captures the general feel for my novel, there's not much about the plot. Like, at all. What. So. Ever.

I can do a little four-word tagline fairly well (Queens must never falter (it's okay)), but an actual summary? That's terrifying, yo.

Writing a proper synopsis isn't quite as frightening, as the point of that is to sum up the whole thing, beginning to end. No need to make people wonder Oh, gosh, what happens next? But a summary has to hook you, grab you in and hold you tight and never, ever let you go.

Well, not quite, but you know what I mean.

Callie is a young duchess who marries a prince. She leaves her peaceful home for court life, making her own home among the nobility. When she finds herself quite unexpectedly as the queen of a nation at war, however, she discovers that not all battles are fought with soldiers. Callie must suffer personal tragedies while ruling her nation and waging war. How can she lead her people to victory when she can barely keep herself together?

I think the best summary, however is this: A story of loss and unknown strength, The Willow Queen will hopefully leave you an emotional wreck just like the author.

Just tellin' it like it is. 

Tools of the Trade

These are some of my chosen writing tools. We've got three different notebooks, a sketchbook, several different colours of pens, and a pencil. Though you can see that, actually. I write on a computer, but I like to compile my thoughts and inspirations in notebooks.

I mostly use the black notebook, and it's slowly starting to fill with absurd notes like, reminders to pay my application fee for CSUCI, bits of dialogue ("I rather think I have a better grasp on English than you do."), and chunks of snark like "He is a middle-school girl, okay?" 

The big one is strictly for my current project. So far, I have notes on the species I've created (also a drawing), decisions on how to feel about certain characters, and quotes that act as inspiration. This is where the different colours come in handy. Each has a different purpose, though, truth be told, I haven't totally figured out what yet. Still useful.

Seriously, though, I am literally never without something to write with and on. When I went to the Renaissance Faire and couldn't find the little circle notebook, I made one out of sketchbook paper. I'm clever like that. My iPad works in a pinch as well. At the end of the day, I just collect relevant things into the black notebook, and one of these days, I'll do the same with my big notebook.

Finally: a sketch of a character and some really messy writing. It's all good, yo.

Ever the Professional

Truth be told, most of my writing process includes playing Tetris. I can't even say it aids in inspiring me or whatever, it's just fun.
Maybe I'm a Tetris addict.
Can't stop, won't stop.