How to add Linux Ubuntu on Chromebook, to run Scrivener

Because this keeps coming up and I keep needing to redo it, and none of the online tutorials give all these steps in a single place!  And this will likely help other people in the same boat.

My purpose here is to run my wonderful beautiful writing program, Scrivener, on my Chromebook so I can write wherever I am.  Chromebooks run on the Chrome OS (operating system), but Scrivener doesn't come in that format at all, so I need something that can work with that.

Scrivener in novel-writing mode ^  It's really really helpful for organizing things, keeping scenes individual, working with outlines, etc.  It's the best.  I NEED IT!  Anyway.  haha.  That's the whole point of this, making it so I can work with that program on this inexpensive machine.

To do this, it's 5 (maybe 6) step process.  Be sure to back up anything that's existing on your chromebook before you begin, on an outside source.  Doing this will totally wipe out your Chromebook and reset it.  Be careful!!  You've been warned.


Step 1: 
Put the chromebook in developer mode:

ESC+Refresh+ tap the power button 

(opens recovery screen)

Once there, CTRL+D, then agree to the prompt- will open into developer mode
How to Geek's guide I followed for this step.

Step 2:
Download and install:

Follow link to download file: This downloads the file you need for Ubuntu with Crouton, as directed by the How to Geek link above.  This is the version that allows you to run Chrome OS on one side of a partition, and Linux (via Ubuntu) on the other side.  You can toggle back and forth without having to restart, using this one.  

I found out about it here:  Article giving tools to take a Chromebook further.  Some of the details were out of date and I had to find workarounds for some steps.  These steps I'm giving you now worked as of May 14, 2018, on an Intel Processor Acer Chromebook.  

Once it's downloaded, to install, you need to open the crosh terminal on the Chrome side.

CTRL+ALT+T 

(opens crosh terminal in Chrome OS- It will open like a new tab in your browser)

This will ask you for a UNIX password here, almost like you have one in place.  You're actually creating it here, and will need it later, so write it down if you need to!  Think of this as the head admin password for the Linux program.





Type "shell" and enter (will always be the first step when you open the crosh!!).  This takes you 1 step down in the program code-  You do not want to try messing with the core program!!  Also, how fun is their message in case the crosh wasn’t intentionally opened?

Then you type in what you want to do.  For this step, we need to download the operating system for Linux, and it’s companion interfaces.

sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -e -t xfce

(any time you use “sudo” it’s the admin approval option and will likely need a password [created above!] to proceed)  

This download takes about 30 minutes. Follow prompts, be sure to save any passwords, or pass phrases created here! To run, once downloaded:

sudo startxfce4

This will open the Linux side. To go back and forth between them, hold down the following keys together: 

CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+Forward/Backward 

(arrow keys on the top row of the keyboard)  

I believe it has you set up a user name (admin) and password as well as a pass phrase during this install.  You need these for installations of programs, so write down if you need to.

You can see how it does a whole bunch of stuff on the crosh, if you go back to Chrome’s side, shown above.   Leave it alone now.  If you need to do anything more, work in the terminal on the Linux side.

Step 3: 
 update in the terminal on Linux side:
(The little computer screen icon along the bottom, 2nd from the left will open your terminal)

 Sudo apt-get update 

(let it run, enter any passwords it requests)

*This is the first time using this step, so it gets its own step here.  In the future, assume you always need to update after an install of a new program via apt-get.  I'll remind below each one we do here, but it will be included with the steps for the download.

How apt-get works, if you want more info and options for it.    You can use it to install games like minesweeper and solitaire on the Linux side, etc.  "apt-cache search games" will list out the games you have access to, and then "sudo apt-get install gamename" will install it.  The upper left of the Ubuntu screen is like your start menu on Windows, and you can find your directory for the computer's files in there, and is where your games will be shown. 

Anyway!  For now we will stick to the programs we need for Scrivener, in specifics.




Step 4: 
 Install Wine (windows translation program, allows windows programs to run)
In terminal on Linux side:

sudo apt-get install wine 

(follow all prompts, enter passwords as requested) 

This part is TRICKY!!!!! 
 When the screen on the terminal changes and you need to answer yes/no questions!!!!

Hitting Tab will highlight the options. < & > (arrow keys) will let you go back and forth to select yes/no, etc. Just hit enter when the right option is selected, to say yes, approve it, and let it finish! I got stuck on this step for far too long ^^ on my early attempts to do this.  It's an old DOS command I'd forgotten and needed to look up.

 sudo apt-get update (as always)

Step 5: 
Install Scrivener
Hop back over to the Chrome OS side.  (CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+forward/back)
Download the file for Scrivener on Windows from there: Scrivener Download 

Keep it in the downloads folder.  You can access anything in this folder on both sides of the partition, so keep this in mind if you need to move programs or images, etc, back and forth.  See how they look different but have the same files inside?



Chrome side ^



Linux side^

Once downloaded, hop over to the Linux side (CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+forward/backward), open the downloads folder, click on the icon, and install. Follow all prompts.

How to access the files on the Ubuntu Linux OS-  start in the file folder icon^

This should complete the process, if all went well.  Scrivener should pop up as a logo on your Linux screen, and allow access.  If you've purchased the program already, enter your license key, and you're good to go!  Just remember to save your Scrivener files in the Downloads area so you can access them on the Chrome side, to send them to yourself via email or export to a flash or hard drive to save copies, etc.

Now, if after all that, it won't load the Scrivener program, you may need to install 32 bit architecture.  On this try, though, it seems it was added to the Wine update.  If you need it, in Linux terminal, try this:

sudo dpkg -- add-architecture i386 

Other references, for understanding how Linux Ubuntu works a bit better, and going deeper if you'd like:

• Installing Software on Linux, for beginners
• Complete Beginner's Guide to Ubuntu
• Complete Guide to the Ubuntu Software Center

Hope this helps you Scrivener lovers, and Linux beginners like me!  Happy writing!!  If anything isn't clear, holler at me in the comments and I'll try to explain better!

Chromebooks and Assumptions

Hey guys!  Long time no see, I've been holed up working on a book or seven, forever distracted by real life.  The dogs are good, the cat is getting old and grumpy but is doing well, and the kids are firmly in the tween/teen zone.  Life is busy!

The teen at my house earned the money to purchase a Chromebook for writing (apple, tree), and we got it all set up yesterday.  And I liked how it worked, overall, but I'm deeply in love with my writing program, Scrivener, and we cannot be parted.  So if I'm going to really use one of these things myself, it needs to be able to handle Scrivener so I can work away from my desk.

Looking it up, I discovered several things that will make the Chromebook super useful with a little extra work.  I started off on DOS programs at school, I've learned some basic HTML for funsies, and definitely feel up to the task, I ain't skurred!  So I grabbed an on-coupon version at Costco that comes with a wireless mouse and runs $259.99 through end of day Saturday!  I love a good deal!  Anyway...

So I'm standing in line to buy my Shiny Chromebook and some delicious salt and pepper pistachios, behind a gentleman who asked if I was getting the computer for the kids.  I said no, this one will be for me to use as a writing tool, assuming I can get it to work like I want.  Another gentleman got in line behind me and chuckled at my purchase, offering to give me his old computer.  I chuckled, haha, yeah, it's a really basic machine.  It will do what I need, it's fine.

The cashier chimed in as the first man ran his card, and asked if it was for my kids, not having heard the earlier waiting-in-line Midwestern chatter.  I answered her honestly, "I'm planning on either stripping off the Operating System and using Linux instead, or trying to use both together.  I need it to access some of the programs I need, especially my writing one."

Both of the guys just shut up.  Ah, silly young thing, buying the crap computer.  Oh, shit, sorry, you're going to hack it?  I'll leave you to it.  *LOL*

Now to make this machine do its thing!  Having another writing tool will hopefully help me get things done and ready to go faster!

Adventures in Dog Treats!

Hi guys!  It's been a while!  But I had a really funny thing happen yesterday, and I really needed to tell someone.  A lot of someones.  And you are one of those someones.  Woo!

I've been MIA for a while, working on my latest book (it's almost there!!), and in the time it's been since I last posted, we got 2 dogs! Amy is our sweet 70lb tan mama dog, who was sad and missed her puppies someone allowed her to have before we took her in.  We tried lots of things to help with that, but nothing we tried seemed to help, so we decided maybe she needed a friend. So 6 months after we adopted her, we got her a little 30lb chocolate-colored buddy, Edwin. The two of them are silly and inseparable, and keep us all busy.

 They, like all dogs, love their treats, and need good chew toys, so when I was getting them more food last night, I caved and grabbed the big bag of cadet sticks that I'd been debating for a few weeks. The bag says they last a long time, and while they're more expensive than the rawhides I usually grab for them, I figured if they last longer, it might be worth it. So, this new brand of treats came home with me.

The dogs were super excited when they saw me opening a package and smelled what was inside. The texture on these new treats was... let's just call it disturbingly smooth, and they smelled nasty. I thought it was weird, but got the pups to do a few tricks for me, and handed them off.

Amy refused to put hers down, and sat next to me with that thing clamped in her teeth.  She wouldn't follow Eddie up the stairs. Eddie likes to steal her treats and eat them if he can, so she is smart about where she eats them, and she apparently wanted my back up on the matter! So I told my husband what she was doing, and we had a good chuckle over it while I went to close the bag up for later.



 Amy's strange reaction to the treats is what got me looking at the package, wondering what the deal was. And why were they so soft? So stinky? The package said they had one ingredient, but I couldn't find the ingredient list. Until I started looking at the package really really closely.

 And then, there it was, plain as day, "Bull pizzle." And I knew. Oh god. I just stared. They wouldn't give something a cute name like that unless it's gross. And what could "pizzle" mean, if it wasn't penis? But no, no, Penis is exactly what it was. Of course. Fuck! I bought my dogs Bull Penises for treats, totally unaware of what I was doing. Rawhides are bad enough, but this is somehow soooo much worse.

 And then I realized I TOUCHED THEM, and the disgust was real. And I realized I would have to touch them again if I wanted them to last longer than one day! Horror slowly crept in. And nausea. And I realized, I'm a horrible vegetarian for buying these. But I still couldn't stop laughing, because it was such a ridiculous reaction to buying them something so nasty. There the dogs were, guarding their precious penis treats, breath stinking up with the nasty smell they give off. They wouldn't come upstairs when it was bedtime.

 

They wanted to hide downstairs and chew those fuckers up, all night long. And now that I knew what they were, I didn't want to fight them on it, not really. But maybe my husband would save me! So I ran upstairs to tell him what I'd done, and he just laughed and laughed, and said he wasn't going to touch them either!

Eventually, I worked up the courage and made myself take the penises away, and sent the dogs to bed.  They cried and cried, begging to get them back!  It was so horrible and so fucking funny, my stomach hurts from laughing about it, today.

But seriously, look at this shit. They clearly don't want you to know what these things are. They write all these distracting positive messages all over the package.  Natural!  Healthy! No fillers or artificial ingredients! Grain-free!  Gluten-free!  Okay!



And there, lurking in the small print on the back of the label, is the truth.



Single ingredient.  Shhhh, don't ask what it is!  No fillers or preservatives.  Now you're just repeating yourself.  Wholesome tasty long lasting chew!  Hooray!  Maybe they'll be worth the extra $10.

Remember to watch your dogs when they have a treat, blah blah, give them water, blah blah, it's not a meal-replacement, yeah yeah.  And there it is.  The truth in all its pizzley glory.

So, PSA.  Cadet Sticks are Penises from Bulls.  If that grosses you out (LIKE A RATIONAL HUMAN BEING!), then you probably don't want to spring for these.  They don't last any longer than a rawhide (which, let's face it, is gross enough!), so it's not worth it anyway!  Unless they really are healthier, in which case, ugh.

Check out the bottom left hand corner of that fine print label!  Not only are they bull penises, they're EXOTIC bull penises, from faraway lands.



In case you wonder what a bull penis tastes like, sadly, they're NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.  Don't have to tell me twice!

Editing... the endless uphill climb

7 Falls, in Colorado, looking down the first flight

The uphill editing climb seems to go forever and ever.  When you get to the top of the stairs, you look down, and are amazed at how far you've come, but you don't want to turn the other way, because you know there is still a lot more to do.  It can be maddening, frustrating, and feel like it's taking absolutely forever.

7 Falls, same platform, looking up flight #2.  It never ends.

So, my work schedule has given me time every other week to work during the day, before I have to go to my day job.  My opposite weeks are crazy, I'm at work all morning, often stay late, and am just worn out and don't want to bother with the book edit when I get home, even if it's early.  

But!  I think this is actually a good thing.  I'm getting lots of work done on my closing weeks, I get a whole week away from the work, and I come back every other week, fully refreshed and ready to press on.  It gives me just enough space from my current project to look at it as a reader again, and I can do a quick review of the work from the previous week before starting again.

I don't feel like I'm beating my head against a wall this way.  I feel like I'm actually making progress, and getting somewhere with it.  It keeps me excited about it.

So!  If you are able to work in chunks and take breaks, then come back, I'd highly recommend trying it.  It may or may not work for you, but it's worth a try!  Maybe alternate writing one project and editing another every other week?  Or just take one week off every other week.  Find a way to give yourself natural breaks from it, and see if that helps you keep working on it.

I know how easy it is to just get frustrated and want to give up, because it's never going to be ready at this rate.  I know how tempting it is to walk away and put this book on a shelf next to the other unfinished projects.

My suggestion, really, is to try and find a way to STAY excited about your project.  If you're excited about it, you won't want to put it down and walk away.  It's hard, and it's taken me a while to see it in that light, but it is a writing/editing epiphany for me.  Stay excited, and you will keep on going.  See if you can achieve that, and see how you feel about it!  :)

Micro Edits Don't Have to Take Forever

my view as I edit, today

When you are editing, and you're making little changes here and there, pushing your timeline back some, moving these details over here...  how do you make sure you get everything?

I'm changing a lot of tiny details about my current work in progress, from correcting disease and parasite names to their proper spelling and capitalization to changing when and where certain things start cropping up/being noticed by the characters.  Moving this over here, and that over there, adding in the cat who seemed to be forgotten after the first few chapters, etc.

And as I go back, I realize a lot of little comments were made that now need to be changed or removed, or moved somewhere else.  But how to find them all?

I've started making changes (like moving detail X back a few chapters, because it makes more sense to introduce it here, rather than there), and going back to the earlier chapters to double check the details and be sure it's all in the right order.  The Control + F finder option has been a huge help.  I look for keywords and find the areas I forgot to change, and fix them.  Depending on how pervasive the issue was, it can take a while...  but I know for sure I got each and every one of them.

It's faster than re-reading the entire document, which I will do later, just in case, and helps me get the micro edits done.  Control F, or look in the program's "find" feature.  It's usually located under the Edit subheader.

Take your time, get it done right.  It takes forever.  But it's worth it.  Do your research, and be sure your changes are done properly.  You will be glad of it later, and so will your readers.

Now, back to the editing table!  Happy Sunday!

Research! Research! Research!!

Unless you are making your whole world from scratch, you must research.  If you don't, your readers will hate you for it.  They will read over a section, and those in the field you're pretending to understand will sit there and cringe.

I don't know how many times I've read over something and just sat there shaking my head.  It wouldn't take that much work to find out the details and make it correct.  One little web search.  One little trip to the library.

If you are writing about imaginary things, you get to make it up, to a point.  A fictional disease can have whatever rules you want.  It can take 2 weeks to incubate, then kill in 2 days.  Whatever, no big deal.  But if you're writing a REAL disease, please, for the love of Pete, learn it inside and out.  Make sure your timeline fits the real disease.  Make sure your symptoms match.  Confuse the doctors by having something extra going on if you must, but make it fit!!

Even if you are making your world from scratch, you must know the details that rule that universe.  Write them down.  Keep them on hand for reference.

I say this as I edit my current book, and am tediously going over the details of a certain issue that happens.  It needs to happen, and I need the timeline to be right.  If I mess it up, I won't be able to forgive myself.  Because as a reader, that kind of thing would drive me crazy!  And I'm hardly alone in this.

It's ok to put place holders in as you write and research later.  (x number of days) or (symptoms) etc in the place where the real info goes.  Trust me, it makes those things easier to find and fix, later, upon editing.  Having a general knowledge before you write is helpful, but use the parentheses to help with the tiny details you might forget.  It's a good thing to double check later, at the very least.

Anyway!  Carry on.  But please, please, research.  The more knowledgeable you are about something, the better you will be able to get it across to people.  And that, my friends, makes for a good read.

pic:  my kiddos, hanging out with books before school.  "Put your books down, it's time for school!" is a phrase I never thought I'd say.  But there it is.  ;)

Kill your darlings!

I say "kill your darlings," but what does that mean, exactly?  I'm in editing on a fun project, and I had a moment where I wasn't sure if something WAS a darling, and therefore wasn't sure if it needed to die, after all.  So here I am, fleshing it out, like I always do.

The phrase came from William Faulkner, as writing advice, as I understand it.  The official quote, the way I've seen it is, “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.”  If it's something you threw in just because it's cute and clever and you just love it?  It probably doesn't belong.

That cute little blip you threw in about not cleaning counters and chairs with the same rag?  Probably not relevant.  If it doesn't move the plot forward or give you insight into the character's mindset?  Probably doesn't belong.

I'm keeping my cute little thing for right now, because I think it DOES still fit, but I marked it for later review.  I'm not sure, which means it might just be something that needs to go away.  It's so hard to see these things yourself, as the writer, because you love them.  But when editing, we need to put on our reader hats, and see if it reads well.  As the reader, not the writer.  And if not?  It needs to die.  

For now, I'm working on re-arranging some information that's important to the plot, so it reads smoother and is less info-dump-y...  and editing some decisions I made for some characters, because it's really not "in character" for them, etc.  My hard copy is rather marked up at the moment, and it's mostly in need to rearranging and rewriting, with a few added scenes.  But it's coming together nicely!  And I can look at that paragraph later, to decide what needs to happen to it.

Happy editing, or writing, or researching, wherever you are right now!  :)  Be strong, my friends.  The darlings are lovely.  But they all need to die.  I promise, the story will be better for it.  Even if it hurts.

Using Your Dreams for Inspiration

We all dream.  I'm not talking about wanting to be a published author with a great following, or anything like that.  I'm talking about when you are asleep and your subconscious is working for you.  Most of our dreams, we don't remember, and that's just the nature of them, but the ones we do remember?  They can be our inspiration for great things.

If you don't already do so, consider journaling them.  Or write them down in a note file on your phone or in your computer.  Jot down what you can remember, and file it away for later.  You might not think anything of it right now, but it might turn into something big later.  If it evoked feelings, write that down too.

The same thing goes with daydreams or random ideas that come to you during the day.  If you don't write them down, you are likely to forget them, which is sad.

The novel I'm working on editing today was inspired by a dream, which is why I bring it up.  It was the kind of dream that would terrify most people, and yes, I was scared.  But when I woke up, the first thought in my mind was, "I can USE this!!" and I wrote it down.  It was the beginning of my zombie creatures, different than any other zombie creatures I've read/seen before (not to say it hasn't been done, but I haven't seen it myself!).

I got a feel for how they moved, ate, operated in a group, and lived.  I understood why they were nocturnal, and got a feeling for how the unchanged humans might feel if their loved ones had changed and disappeared.  And I have used all of that.  The details in my book and in my dream are different, but the feeling is what I'm running with, and it inspired me to use that world as a setting for another story I'd wanted to do for a long time.

It's working out beautifully, and I just wanted to share that little tip!  Dreams.  Write them down.  You never know when they might be useful!

Happy writing!  And if you missed it, a few days ago, I posted the Prologue for this work in progress!  It's rather a fun read, and is a unique way to show the zombies for the first time.  It was a lot of fun to write!  

Flash Fiction Challenges are back! Snow Frosted

Welcome back to our challenges!  I hope to have these weekly again, as I am able, and am excited to see what you have for us!

As a prize, I can offer a copy of one of my published works (can be found, linked, on the left), or if you already have them, editing services for a piece of work, 5 pages or shorter.

OR (while offers last)!!!  You can steal one of my winner prizes from me!  I will GIVE you my coupon code if you prefer, to one of the winner things over on NaNo.

With this in mind, we can pick a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, and allow the first place person to choose first, second second, and so on.  :)

http://www.nanowrimo.org/offers  (I only withhold the Dragon Naturally Speaking code.  This one's for my dad, who wants to get back into writing, but cannot always manage the keyboard for long periods of time.)

This week's challenge, Snow Frosted, needs to be to me by the end of the day Thursday, 12-13-2012.  We'll aim for 1500 words this time, anything less than that is okay.  We have been NaNo-ing it up, and 1500 is a good amount to get in a good word count, get in a good story, and not go overboard.

Remember the rules:

• Edit your work for grammar and spelling as best as you can.  
• Post it on your own blog and LINK it here in the comments.
• Stay UNDER the word count for the week
• Have it to be by Midnight, Mountain Standard Time, on the day listed above.
• You must use the photo as inspiration for your story, in some way.
• The work in question needs to be written FOR this challenge.  Otherwise, it is cheating!  And the point of this is to improve our skills, not win.
• Have FUN!  :)  

See you at the finish line!!!!!!  Good luck!!!

Peering back 15 years...

Found this old picture of me tonight.  It was from back when I lived in Chicago, had my hair spiky, wore huge jeans that didn't fit me, a chain wallet, and this flannel jacket which I surely stole from someone...  

I moved out there to go to college at Colombia College.  Was all of 17 when they accepted me into the fiction writing program there.  I didn't really know what that meant, at the time.  I didn't end up going, because of transcript issues, but did live there, and spent most of my time writing.

I hated having a roommate, and trying to learn how to navigate a new place.  Being on my own, being truly responsible for the first time ever.  Being distant from all my really good friends, and being alone.  Really alone, for the first time in my young life.  

Yeah, I had a roommate, but we were mostly just living companions, and while I am grateful to have had her, at the time I would have said something different, I'm sure.  We drove each other crazy, fought a lot, and tried to rule each other's lives, all things told.  And when I ended up moving home for various reasons, I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Looking back, I wouldn't trade the time for anything.  I miss the city.  I miss walking by the lake at night, even the part where I almost was arrested for being near people I wasn't actually WITH.  I miss the time to just sit and work without interruption.  Riding the EL, even working at Target.  Heck, I saw David Bowie on the street one night, and that was pretty awesome, even though all I could remember of him at the time was his role in Labyrinth.

They were my first months away from home, away from everything close and safe, and I was tossed in the deep end, left to flounder.  Left to find my own way.  And I did.  I made friends and had a blast, ate lots of great vegetarian food, and learned some valuable life lessons.  Like, if you get the power shut off when you don't live there anymore and there was milk in the fridge?  It will stink.  Yep.  Good to know.

But most of all, in my time there in the windy city where my doors were snowed shut once or twice, I learned I can stand on my own two feet.  I can go places by myself.  I don't need someone else's permission to do what feels 'right'.  And I learned I really can sit down and write something.  Every single day.

I still have my old Brother World Processor.  I actually do have plans to copy over the work I did while I lived there.  There was a good story started.  I didn't know where it was going yet, but it has the feel of something real, and these older wiser hands would love to have a crack at it.

Anyway, don't discount your younger years.  Your first years starting out.  Even if, in the moment, you hate it?  You will look back fondly.  I would give anything to go back there and have a second chance.  To go to school at Colombia.  To learn how wonderful it is to write in a group setting.  To stand on my own feet, and drink too much coffee, and get lost on the trains again.

In the end, all the moments we have, the good, the bad, the ugly and terrible...  they are what grow us into the people we are to become.  I'm not saying be happy about it...  but allow yourself to feed from it.  Grow, learn, discover.  And see just what it is you really are capable of.

You might just surprise yourself.

Now that it's all over...

Now that NaNo is all over...  what are you finding to do with your time?  Are you back to your normal old life?  Does that seem strange?  Not writing every day?

Or are you keeping at it?  Using your month of daily writing to help establish good habits, and working on, without the word count ticker?

There are several places you can go, year round, if you miss the ticker, or the challenge.

www.writeordie.com has a fun self-challenge thing.  Worst case, your words will be EATEN BEFORE YOUR EYES if you stop working.  That's just mean!!  But there are nicer levels on there, and it is worth looking into.

www.writtenkitten.net is very silly, giving you kitten rewards for meeting your word counts.  Awww, another kitteh!!!  SO CUTE!!!!!!

There are various versions of this, now, too.

Puppy:  http://writtenkitten.net/?search=puppy
Dog:  http://writtenkitten.net/?search=dog
Chihuahua: http://writtenkitten.net/?search=chihuahua

Are we sensing a theme?  Put whatever word you want in the search area and VOILA!
You can put ANY word in there and it will try to find you motivational images.  Whatever those might be, to float your boat.  *ahem*  Some may only be adult-friendly.  Play with your new toy responsibly, please!

Really, it just takes any search for images and makes the answers random.  It's kinda clever, but is all based on some search engine somewhere.  But, if it motivates you?  Great!

There's always www.750words.com too.  It's a private thing, and can be used to journal, but it tries to make you write at least 750 words per day.  Tracks your moods through the words you choose, kind of cool.

In any case, DO NOT let people suggest you only are allowed to write during November.

If you want to write?  WRITE.  End of story.

So, what are you still sitting here for?  Go!  Get to it!  There are stories that want to be told!

PS:  The weekly-ish flash fiction challenges will begin again this Thursday night.  Check back for details, or look at the Flash Fiction stuff from previous challenges for ideas of how it will look!

<<<<< Over there, word bubble or search feature!  :)

Whelp, it's all over, or has it really only just begun!?

So, NaNoWriMo 2012 is over and done with.  Whether you made it or not, you gave is a go, right?  That is huge!  Don't discount that.  Take pride in what you accomplished!  Whatever that happens to be.

The start of something new?  The first full draft on a working novel?  The first draft of a book that belongs in a series?

This, my friends, is more than  you would have done in November, without NaNoWriMo, right?  Right.  So, if you are able, you really should consider donating to the wonderful non-profit organization who helped us all get there.  Even if it's only $10, it goes a long way.  If everyone who participated donated just $10, the organization's yearly budget would be covered.

If you'd rather get something awesome WHILE helping them (buying something counts too!), there's lots of awesome stuff to pick out.  I'm loving my thermos and blue polo!

Anyway!  Let me take the time to tell you, no matter how far you got, WELL DONE!!!!!!!!  I applaud you. It isn't easy to take the time to really work on a project.

But the question is, what now?  Where do you go from here?

Is your first draft complete?  If not, get it there.

If it is complete?  Give it at least one or two reads over, preferably aloud to see how it reads...  then maybe let someone else who loves to read take a look at it.  Having people who enjoy reading and can give you useful feedback is wonderful!  Does this scene evoke emotion?  Should I leave the details in this scene or remove them?  Are there plot holes, things you might know but forgot to add in?  Are the characters relatable?  Likable?  Deliciously terrible?

If this is as far as you want to take it, or you just want to keep this for yourself, consider printing a copy at least just for yourself.  Your local office store should be able to help with printing services.  This is just for you, if for nobody else, and you should have at least one hard copy, even if it's just 11x9" bound with a plastic edger.  :)  You earned that much.

And if not, if you want to take it farther, how does one proceed?  You can consider the self publishing, small indie publisher, and large publishing houses debate widely.  Honestly, what is best for one book will not be best for another.  Some stories just don't fit into one genre well enough to get anywhere in a large house.  You might be better off with a smaller one or self publishing with certain stories.  There is no right answer for this, it really depends on the book itself.  But if you are considering publishing traditionally, I would suggest to start by sending work out to agents who help writers IN YOUR GENRE, and see if you can get someone to help you.  Finding someone who represents your writing and what you want it to be is the hard part, especially if you cross lines and do multiple genres in a single book.

I can't tell you where to go, that is something you need to figure out for yourself.  Google it.  Look for agents who help publish Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult (whatever genre), etc.  Look at what they want you to send to them.  And then send that.  Do NOT send the same thing to everyone.  They will not all want the same thing, and by ignoring their instructions up front, you will probably be brushed off as someone who would be difficult to work with.  Follow instructions, send out what they want, and then sit back and wait.  But please, please, for the love of all that is holy, be sure YOU edit your work yourself at least one or two times, FULLY read through it before you send it to anyone.

This is your baby, and you are proud of it.  Yes, that is GREAT!!!  But most works require a lot of work beyond the first draft.  You need to brush up the dialogue so it is not awkwardly hanging out there.  Make sure you're not missing big parts of the plot.  Be sure you have your grammar and spelling the best you can make it.  Sending work that has never been looked at?  Shame on you!  You should know better.  If you don't, I'm telling you now.

Take PRIDE in your work.  Take it seriously.  And when it's ready, others will too.

Best of luck!!!

107,576 Words later, Draft #1 is done.

107,576 words in 30 days.  171 pages, single spaced.  Prologue, 24 chapters, and an Epilogue... 

Start to finish, an original first draft of a new book is born.

*Deep Breaths*  It has a lot of growing up to do, but there you have it.

Proud Mama moment!  :)

Carry on!

End of the Line

It's the end of the line.  You can see it ahead of you, as can I.  The flashing red lights screaming for you to stop.  The wheels beneath you, complaining of exhaustion.

It's been a long road.  Track.  Whatever.  What are you going to do when you get to the end?  To the place where the tracks just...  stop?

Is your story going to be done?  Are you going to burn it?  Are you going to perfect and send it off for publishing, or perfect and format and self publish?  What is YOUR plan?

And if you met your personal goals, NaNo or no NaNo, how do you plan to reward yourself?  This was hard work.  Don't fool yourself or let anyone else tell you otherwise.  You DESERVE a reward.  For giving it a shot.  For doing your best.  For giving it everything you had to give, and then some.

I say we build on.  Keep on creating.  Put one rail in front of the next and keep on moving.  This may be the end of this draft.  But there's still work to be done.  I certainly am not done, myself!  Are you up for the task?  Are you with me?

Just a few days left until we're there.  Let's get there, and show NaNo we don't have to write ONLY in November.  Let's thank November for its time, and keep right on going.

We are writers.  Let's deafen the world with our roar!

Happy Validation Day!!!

*ahem*  If you have passed your 50,000 word mark on your program (I recommend going over by at least 1-2,000 words, because the NaNo Validator is usually different from your program's word count), you can go to your "Update Novel Information" page.  Under the Update Word Count thing on THAT page, there will be a link to validate your novel.  Click that, copy/paste your work (or your work that has been garbled, if you worry about it being stolen) and validate!

It is not in the most obvious place.  Here's where it is on my screen.  :)

Today is the first day you can get your winner prizes, the first day you can validate.  You get a cool purple bar that says WINNER! instead of your word count ticker, a fun "Congratulations!" video to watch, and good stuff for doing awesome work.

You can get your links to freebies and promotions, though many of the options are available to participants, even if you don't make it.  You just get a different % off, for most of the offers.  Some are winners only, though!

The OFFERS page shows what you can get as a winner.  And the winner shirt will be up soon.  The page link was broken last I checked.  But this is the link, just in case it is working now.

And if you are not yet ready to validate, KEEP GOING!!!  You have 5 whole days left.  You can do it!!!

Good Luck!!

Over the hump

We're more than half way there, NaNobots.  Take a deep breath, revel in your word count, and be PROUD of what you have done so far.  I don't really even care if you're nowhere near the word goal for today.  You know why?  Because you did SOMETHING, and that is better than the nothing you would have done before, yes?  That is a good thing.

If you are ahead, or even have passed the 50,000 word mark, what is your goal now?  Are you trying to hit a different count by the end of the month?  Finish your story?  If you did "win" and your story is not done yet, you really should make yourself another goal!  Challenge yourself all month, whatever that means.

For me, I am aiming to write a decent amount every day, finish my story, and I assume it will be at or over 100,000 by the time it's done.  I'm trying to wake up right now, and will spend my day sprinting to try and get ahead.

If you are behind, keep at it!  Every word counts.  Get yourself a good cup of coffee, or tea, or cocoa, and relax.  This is only a competition between you and what you have done before.  Don't let the huge word count club discourage you.  They have been where you are now.  They had to figure out how to press on, too.

Now!  Are you finding yourself a little stuck?  That tends to happen about now.  The beginning is over and the middle slows things down some, and you can't see how to get it to the end, right?  If you know what your end IS, that helps a lot.  What are some basic steps to get you from middle to end?  Or beginning to middle, if you are still getting started?  Think it out.  Take your time, because taking a morning to think it out will save you days of writing funk, later.  And if you still have no idea?  Just keep it going!  You will figure it out as you write.  These stories tell themselves.

We're just along for the ride.  And that, my friends, is the magic of writing.  So sit back, enjoy your hot beverage, and get back to work!  :)  We'll see you in a few thousand words!

I write, therefore I am. Or something.

The other day I was on my way back from a write-in.  I'd been there 12 hours or so, and my husband was a little irritated at how long I'd been gone.  He said, "Well, the good news is, you'll win soon, and then you can stop."

Uh, why would I stop?  Stop what?  Stop writing this book?  It won't be DONE at 50,000 words.  It might be around the halfway mark, but will likely be longer.  Or, stop writing?  Good luck with that one, buddy, you married the wrong girl.

I did, in fact, end up hitting 50,000 last night.  I'm SHOCKED at how fast it came, how easy it was for me this time, and how well I like the story.  It just flows, writes itself, surprising even me at the turns it chooses to take.  My new love interest that I was setting up in my head?  Totally not who the MC went for.  Interesting!

I have a feeling this story will be in the 110,000 range, and that's perfect for it.  I do need to start getting down and dirty with it, make things happen, change the face of the world.  Once I finish my current scene I think I will go that direction.

But yeah, dude, if you want me to stop being so obsessive about it, I get that.  But writing is an element to me.  Like water.  Or oxygen.  Or chocolate.  It won't just go away.  I write, therefore I am.  Or something.

Anyway.  Happy graph time!!  YAY!!

Now!  No whining because you're not this far or never could manage it.  I scraped by my first try.  Second, I failed.  Third, I figured out my plan ahead of time and worked toward it, and did managed to pretty well.  But this year, the story is POURING out of me, demands to be told, and is terribly fun.  :)

My daughter said the other day, "It can't be easy for my characters, because if everything is easy for them, the book will be boring."  That is so true, as well.  I had to make things happen.  Lots of things needed to happen.  So, that's what I do.  I make them happen.  

And you can too.  You can do this.  One word in front of the other, and you will get there.

Write-ins, fun and games, yessir

(not our local group, another NaNo write in group, hard at work)

I've been a little distracted from posting a blog post for the last few days because... well, I discovered my local NaNoWriMo region group and how much fun write-ins can be!!

There is this awesome local bookstore that is also connected to its own publishing house, and they are hosting write ins all month.  Most days between 1 and 6pm, someone will be there, for sure, and people can come write as much as they want.  There is a little snack bar if you get hungry, you can get coffee or tea if that sounds good, and there's almost always another writer in the room working alongside you.  Someone to bounce ideas off if you need to make a choice.  Someone to word war with.

There's a giant blackboard wall to write word counts on as you go, for NaNo, or quotes from things you're reading otherwise, which is fun.  You can see other people's counts even if you can't make it for a day or they aren't there, so you have a little in person way to keep track with the people you're working alongside.

We cheer each other along as we reach our goals, for the day, for the overall goal, for random milestones.  We help the girl who has never been drinking better understand what a hangover feels like, explain the ambiance in a bar, or better yet, drag her down the end of the strip mall to take her inside a little dive bar for a few minutes while one of us (me) has a drink to calm down after killing off a beloved character.

We cry as we write, fight for the best word count, and let the children of the writers play quietly in the other room while we work.  We bring each other's word counts up as we all trudge along, and together, we make each day's goals and then some.

This is just my little local group, and there are others who prefer to meet at Panera and write there.  I would be too distracted.  This is a perfect fit for me.

BUT, the point, I guess, is to get involved in your local group if you're not yet.  Start one if there isn't one.  There's NOTHING better than writing with other writers.  Writers understand.  :)

Now, get back to work!!

Past, Present, Future, 1st, 3rd... What's the best? It all depends!

There are long drawn out conversations on the merits of Third Person Past point of view, or First Person Present, First Person Past....  You rarely see future tense unless it's in dialogue, and I have wondered on occasion if there is a reason for that.

I think Third Person, and Past are probably the most common tenses on their own.  But that would be a guess based on what I have read.

First person is more intimate and less common, but it really works for certain stories.

Really, rather than trying to fit a mold, I personally think it is best if you find the voice of the STORY you are telling.  Maybe it needs to be told in past tense with a future person looking back, because it is the story of that character's childhood or something, and you flash forward to their adult life and what they learned "that summer by the lake" or whatever.  Or maybe it's like the Hunger Games, told first person present, so you FEEL her pain and hear her thoughts.  It is a compelling point of view, and I know it affected me deeply, reading her emotional moments, and knowing how she was trying to hide them.

But that isn't for every story either.

There is no "one best" point of view.  If you want to know the most common point of view for the genre you are working on, google is your very best friend.  There are all kinds of studies out there showing what works for that genre and why.

So, don't worry so much.  Just write your story the way it wants to be written.  If you decide you hate it later, you can change it later in editing.  But write it the way it flows the best to YOU.  You are the master and controller of the universe.  Put it under your control!

Writer = Crazy. But that's okay.

There are moments, when writing, that make you seem like a completely crazy person.

You find yourself talking about your characters like they are real, and they ARE, at least to you. You grow attached to them, don't want bad things to happen to them, and are sad when their lives are not going well.

You might have your coworkers looking at you like you need to be medicated (Like I was for a while today, myself...). You might have to defend your obsession with word count, or find yourself talking about the book too much. Or lament things you have to do to your characters, like I was doing today.

Why lament?  Well, I have to do a terrible thing today, and most people do not understand. I'm 23,000 words into my current book, and I am struggling with moving from beginning to middle. The character I was trying to push over the edge just wouldn't *break*.

Last night, it hit me. I know what I need to do. But I don't want to. It's horrible. And sad. But I have to do it. The father needs to break, emotionally, and leave his family. Depression isn't doing it. So...

I have to kill his 5 year old girl. She is sweet, and kind, has bad dreams about monsters. She still mispronounces marshmallows, loves snuggling on the couch to read books, and carrying the cat around like a baby. And she has to die, or he will never leave. And the story will not work unless he leaves.

*steels self to head out for a writing gathering (a NaNoWriMo local write in) at a small bookstore, and kill off a lovable character while crying in public*

But it's okay. We writers understand. These feelings are valid, and it's difficult to do these things.

Just remind yourself. If you are this attached to the characters, if you cry while you write the horrible things in their lives, if you bleed on the page, it will come through in the writing. Your readers, later, will thank you for it. Because it will be real. It will make them feel something too. And that, my friends, is the mark of a great book.

Be strong!!