Notes from the Cheering Section

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A number of books are coming out right now by writers I know and admire. Two of these I gave a glowing blurb, so I'm especially thrilled to see them getting such great reviews. 

Here's a charming one for Mary Sharratt's Daughters of the Witching Hill, from Passages to the Past:

"Don't you love it when you start a book and immediately get sucked in just from the first few sentences? Well, that's what happened when I began to read Daughters of the Witching Hill. This book seriously had me from hello!"

And also this morning, Stephanie Cowell's novel on Monet, Claude & Camille, got this rave in the Boston Globe:

"Stephanie Cowell is nothing short of masterful in writing about Claude Monet’s life and love... Claude & Camille is both a historical novel and a romance, but Cowell’s graceful, moving treatment of Claude and Camille Monet’s turbulent love defies categorization. It’s an enthralling story, beautifully told. ... She writes in language that is simple, elegant, and extraordinarily evocative."

Bravo! 

Check out Mary Sharratt's book trailer and her website: http://www.marysharratt.com

Stephanie Cowell's website is at http://www.stephaniecowell.com. She also has a wonderful book trailer for her novel (click here).

 *****

Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/

Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland 

Tumblr: http://sandragulland.tumblr.com/

Donald Maass on The Elements of Awe

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Agent Donald Maass is always worth reading. These two essays on Writer Unboxed are thought-provoking:

The Elements of Awe ...

"What is the strongest emotion you want your reader to feel? Search and delete that word everywhere it occurs in your manuscript. Now, how will you provoke that emotion through action alone? Got it? Good. Next write down three ways to heighten that action." 

And The Elements of Awe, Part II:

"High story impact does not come from length alone. It occurs when every character in a novel embarks on a profound journey and every plot layer and sub-plot becomes a novel unto itself."

"Literary" is not a four-letter word

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Whenever the word "literary" pops up in a discussion of historical fiction, someone is bound to get ruffled. It's almost not PC, as if there's something exclusive about it, something condescending.

I beg to differ. "Literary historical fiction" is simply a genre. It's a descriptive term for a certain type of writing, and I think it's time to raise the flag and not be apologetic about using the term.

It's the genre I read, and the genre I aspire to write (although I don't feel worthy).

But defining literary historical fiction —or literary fiction in general—is tricky. I know it by the swoon that comes over me when reading. I know it by the lingering afterglow. In literary historical fiction, every sentence is a joy to read, and rarely do things evolve as expected (much less "happily"). There's a profound complexity to the characters and the story. In terms of craft, a work of literary historical fiction takes longer to write than mainstream fiction—usually three to six years.

It's at this point that I begin to imagine hackles rising because there's an implicit sense of "better" and the consequent "not as worthy." But that really is irrelevant. Whatever one enjoys reading is the best for that individual, and whatever one writes, as well.

This is too long a rant for a blog, but I do want to mention the works that inspired it.

First, Coventry by Helen Humphreys. This is a wonderful novel. I love the spare, lyrical quality of Humphreys' prose. She's high on my list of favorite writers of literary historical fiction.

(An intriguing work is mentioned in Coventry: The Nomenclature of Colours. I found a book about it on Google Books and was able to download it. It doesn't have the colour samples, but it does have some of the enchanting decriptions: White: new-fallen snow; Azure Blue: a burning colour.)

Second, a novel I read just recently: The Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. (Do not be misled by the cover and negative reviews.) This writer has a breathtaking style: sultry, haunting!

Third, a novel I  began just last night, and which I know, simply from the craft of the prose, I'm going to enjoy: Curiosity by Joan Thomas. (It's available in bookstores in Canada and in a Kindle edition in the U.S.)

Awesome: podcast interview technology

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I recently had a telephone interview with charming Marjorie of MyInnerFrenchGirl.com, which she recorded as an MP3 file and posted on-line as a podcast.

I've not had a podcast interview before. What's nice is that I can post it, too.

http://bit.ly/SGpodcastinterview

Tra la!

I dare not listen to it myself: too painful!

To-Do-List Disaster

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This is just a quick post to 1) apologize for being so long between posts, and 2) to observe that "write the book" wrecks havoc with a To-Do-List. Everything gets pushed off the list until "after"--and that after can be a Very Long Time.

I'm closing in on the final second draft (officially draft 2.3). Soon I'll send it off to one of the editors I work with—the amazing Dan Smetanka—and then I'll dive into all the other things on my To Do List, which includes: organizing a research trip to France in May, getting my Facebook readers going on the Google Lit Trip project again, and trying to get out a newsletter.

All this in addition to the not-so-minor task of closing up my Mexico office and moving it up north! I've over two weeks, but I'm already suffering book anxiety: which to take back, which to leave behind.

But first: the final, final, final changes to Draft 2.3...

Note: the illustration above is from the New York Public Library, as posted on Of Goose Quills, Gloves, and Writing Booths—"A Succinct Survey of Authors' Accessories and Accoutrements"—on one of my favorite blogs, A Journey Round My Skull.

*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Come on board our Google Lit Trip!

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I've been excited about the Google Lit Trip developing on my Facebook Page for The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. We now have basic instructions and a streadsheet for collecting the data. Once that is done, we'll create a Google Lit Trip map for the book that will be of educational use to students in High School and University classes.

We have a good core team, but we need more hands on deck, so if you are at all interested, or simply curious, please join in. You can take on as much or as little as you please.

Check it out!

Our Google Lit Trip Discussion Groups:
http://www.facebook.com/board.php?uid=6284613175

What's a Google Lit Trip?
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6284613175&topic=13270

Anyone interested, just join in. It's the first time a Lit Trip has been made by a Facebook team, so we're all of us learning as we go. Plus, it's fun. All you need is a copy of The Many Lives & Secret Sorrow of Josephine B.

*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Book cover design in 55 seconds (NOT!)

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Click HERE for a wonderful short video on the process of designing a book cover. (I love the cover!)

On YouTube: http://bit.ly/BookCoverDesign
Blog on the design process: http://bit.ly/BookCoverDesignBlog


*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Street vendor wanted

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A street vendor plays a part in the novel I'm writing, but I haven't settled on what that something might have been in 17th century Paris. A quick Google search reveals street vendors of:

penny ices
blank verses
kindling wood
ink
neckties
yams
straw
oranges
grilled chicken
boot laces

I have yet to find what I'm looking for. I'd like it to be something tasty, so for now I may settle on yams.

Suggestions welcome!

Barbara Kingsolver: Turning on the lights

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I have piles of notes from my weekend at the wonderful San Miguel Writers' Conference. Very briefly, from Barbara Kingsolver's keynote address on how The Lacuna evolved:

1. She first asked: what are the big questions? 
2. She wrote pages and pages on what the novel would be about.
3. As she was doing this, scenes begin to "pop up" and characters appeared.
4. She asked: Who will tell the story? To find the voice, she did a lot of practice-writing.
5. She started, but in bits, not chronologically.
6. Then, when she could see the shape of it, she felt ready to start a proper draft. From this point on (she made it very clear), she was in control — of the story, and of the characters.
7. During all this time she was doing research.

The first draft, she said, was like "hoeing a row of corn." It hurt, like giving birth.

Revision is "where the art happens," making everything fit, "pulling the meaning up." (Again, beautiful.)

Her husband is her first reader, then trusted others.

A problem with early drafts is failing to visualize scenes. She goes through the manuscript, "turning on the lights." (I love this image as well.)

She likes to hold a balance between mystery and revelation —but tends, she confessed, to mystery.

She quoted Chagall: "Great art begins where life leaves off."

I wanted to know more about her work at the sentence level. It is, no doubt, intense. She uses a thesaurus constantly (which interested me).

Right now, I'm reading through the second draft of The Next Novel,  editing it. With each pass, I get closer to the meaning. Soon, I'll be going through the scenes, "turning on the lights."

Rules for writing fiction, from writers and one reader

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The UK Guardian recently asked a number of well-known novelists to give their top tips for writing fiction. The results range from the quirky to the deadly serious. Wonderful!

In response, Laura Miller at Salon.com, posted her list of what she, as a reader, advises writers of fiction. Excellent, and to the point.

Links:
The Guardian survey: http://bit.ly/10rulesforwriting
Laura Miller's article at Salon.com: http://bit.ly/bTKS7J

*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Google Lit Trip: student guides wanted!

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I just found out about Google Lit Trip and suddenly I'm thinking (with a bit of fatigue, I confess) that I could make a "Lit Trip" for each of my books.

I already have a Google map for all the places mentioned in Mistress of the Sun. It probably wouldn't take too much to turn it into a Lit Trip.

My imagination takes off: embedded photos, both old and new. Passages from the novel. Travel notes!

It's meant to be a great tool for educators — and it is, clearly — but I think the general reader would enjoy it as well. 

Sigh! I have a novel to write. I'm hoping perhaps some students will take this on. There are several wonderful student-created Lit Trips on the Google site. One of my young readers created a website for Mistress of the Sun as part of a computer class. Imagine an English or History teacher assigning the creation of a Google Lit Map of a historical novel ... mine, for example. I'd be delighted to help.

Link for Google Lit Trips:
http://www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/Downloads_etc..html

Link for the Google map of Mistress of the Sun:
http://bit.ly/MistressoftheSunMap

*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Writers' conference high

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This is going to be a short post, because I've had a long and very stimulating day at the San Miguel Writers' Conference, and another one tomorrow to come.

Tonight, at Barbara Kingsolver's speech (fantastic!!!), I sat next to a young woman, who told me that she had young children at home in L.A. She was working on a novel, and this was her first time away.

"It's an important step," I told her, remembering the first writers' conference I had gone to in Kingston, Ontario, the kids at home in the care of my hard-working husband. She was making an "investment" (of both time and money) in her desire to be a writer. "You are proclaiming your serious intention to the world."

Kingsolver's speech had us both in awe. When it was over, and everyone was standing, gathering their belongings, the young woman was busy, feverishly writing down Kingsolver's wisdoms. "I am a writer," she explained to the man sitting next to her.

Following her out through the throngs (of over 800 people!), I thought: Yes, and she's going to be a good one.


*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Bookplate fun!

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Readers write asking for signed bookplates, and I've long been meaning to make something special. I'm pleased with this one!

To make it, I scanned an old bookplate image, cleaned it up with Photoshop and printed it out on a 4x6 self-stick label.

For a signed bookmark, readers may email me through the contacts link on my blog:

http://sandragulland.com/contacts/index.html

Charting the writing process

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I love this chart on the writing process, posted by Sarah Eve Kelly on Twitter:

Right now, I'm making the editorial changes I scribbled onto the 1st draft a few weeks ago. It's a tedious mechanical process, but it suits me right now: lots to do, lots coming up, a persistent cold (life!).

Books: Miss you already

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I'm already feeling nostalgic about books, now that the ebook is so fully upon us. When reading, I often pause, and regard the book itself: the lovely ragged edges, the cover, the author photo. I love a book-lined room, love glancing over the books on my shelves, reveling in the memories that the books evoke. I love book clutter. And now I'm loving all this even more, with advance-longing against a time when all this might change.

Consider all the social aspects that have to do with books! When I love a book, I look forward to loaning it to friends. How will I get to know someone if I can't browse the books on their shelves? How will I know what people in lines, on airplanes, beaches, buses and subways are reading, if I can't see the cover? (Yes, I'm a snoop.)

I know, however, that I will love my ebook reader, once I take the plunge.

In defense, I tell myself that the time has come. We can't squander trees endlessly in the production of paper. I tell myself: the book will become more of an art-object, a treasure.

But already, facing a quickly-approaching future, I'm longing for the age that was, the age of books.

Dear Reader: a letter

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I've been organizing my computer files, and in the process found a letter I sent to the two book clubs that critiqued the "final" draft of The Last Great Dance on Earth. I was surprised to learn that I cut 100 pages from Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe after a book club critique.

That's a lot, but it seems to be what I do. I cut so much from The Last Great Dance on Earth I sent it back to my publisher in a larger type size, hoping my editor wouldn't notice. I cut quite a bit from Mistress of the Sun -- an entire chapter and then some -- at the last minute.

Here is the letter, should it be of interest. (Warning: it's long.)

Dear Readers,

First, thank you for doing this. This is the second draft of The Last Great Dance on Earth;  there will be two more before it goes to my publisher, and then it will be edited and revised yet again. What you see here will no doubt change greatly—as many as 100 pages are apt to be cut, as many likely to be added.

The manuscript has not been edited for spelling and punctuation, so expect errors. However, at this stage, the true problems are much, much bigger, and much more difficult to remedy. Let's call it a reluctance to fly, to get off the ground. Let's call it a plane without wings. With each draft, I try to get that plane up in the air more often—and to get it to stay up longer. By the final draft, I want it to be a jet that takes the reader not only to France, but to the 18th century. No crashes!

Symptoms: You look at the clock. You put the book down. You sigh and thumb to the back: how many more pages? Then oh oh, you're up in the air: it could be midnight, but you don't care! The story has swept you away. And then … woops, another crash.

Why? And where? What parts carried you along and what parts were a bit of a trudge? That's what I need to know. What breaks the momentum? Plot structure (or a lack of it)? Characters you either don't believe or don't like (or both)? No narrative drive? ("Where is this going? What's the point?") Lots of things.

Before you begin, I should warn you that I think the opening chapters are not yet right. (And much more, of course—but especially the opening.) I think most novelists spend half their time on those opening chapters and even then, few are successful. Does this opening work, for you? If it did, what did you like? If not, how could it be better? Was it confusing? Is there another place you think the story could open?

Another problem, too, is that often it lacks a sense of place: this is one of the reasons for my research trip to Europe in September. Also, I've not put a great deal of thought into the details that make a story come to life: I want to have the storyline right before I do this.

Some general questions:

Which characters failed to hold your interest? Which ones came to life for you? What actions seemed suspect, unbelievable.

When did the story fail to convince you? When did you stop believing it? And what parts did you believe? Did it make you cry? Laugh? Forget about dinner? Knowing what works is as important to me as knowing what does not.

Again, thank you VERY much.  I want this novel to be wonderful—but before that can "happen," I need to find out its strengths and, most especially, its weaknesses. Be sure to tape your conversation. If you write down your thoughts, I would very much appreciate it. If you mark up the manuscript (please do!), it would be helpful to me to see it. (I could return it to you, if you wish.)

In closing, please don't be concerned if you only have negative things to say about this book. The book club that reviewed Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe hated it. I took out 100 pages, reworked it feverishly, and as a result it was short-listed for the Trillium. Criticism at this stage helps very much. (But a little praise helps too!)

Sincerely, 

Sandra Gulland

*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

On figuring out characters: What's Wig-Girl doing here?!

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My husband and I have been at the beach for a week. Every morning I have been reading and editing the first draft of The Next Novel. Some days I was pleased, other days the verdict was more "Hummm." The last pages, which I read yesterday, made me shed a few tears (always a good sign). All in all, I think it's a good first draft, and I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and dig in.

There is one character (Wig-Girl) who puzzles me, an invented character I haven't figured out yet. (Most of the other characters in the novel are based in history.) She popped into the story early on. I like her, but I'm not sure what she's doing there. While writing the first draft, I kept trying her out in various roles: as a maid to the dying mother, as a romantic interest of the heroine's brother. None of these really worked, and so I'll cut those scenes, but it was amusing (and surprising!) to see her pop up and then disappear, only to pop up yet again in another guise entirely. It's as if I was auditioning her, trying her out.

Today I'll have another look at my character notes, and especially at the notes I took from Christopher Vogler's wonderful book, The Writer's Journey, on the basic characters that are typically part of any story. (I've put my notes on Docs, here — or here, at: http://bit.ly/5uqIA7.)

How does Wig-Girl fit in? What's her role? I've never followed Vogler's template closely, but I do love it, and I find it helps clarify characters and their purpose, their function in the story. It's one of my favorite books on writing.

*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

How to promote your book (without giving up writing)

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Stephanie Cowell, a wonderful novelist (click here to see her titles), wrote to me this morning:

I keep up my website and blog there, keep up my art web site, keep up my Amazon page, twitter, Facebook, reconstructing mailing list (!), answering many lovely e-mails….  What else do you do? I am afraid if I try much more I will not be able to submit my next book for hopefully a contract late winter. I’d appreciate advice. I also have not scheduled many in person signings. This is all so much more complicated than publishing a book several years ago!

This is such a big problem now. Writers have to invest both time and money in self-promotion, which robs time away from what's truly important: writing. 

How does one juggle so many balls? I suggesed to Stephanie that she try to get as much mileage out of what she was already doing (which is a lot). This is what I wrote to her:

Do you use Ping.fm or HootSuite.com? You set these up to automatically post your blogs to Twitter, Amazon and Facebook. (Note: my current favorite is HootSuite.)

Google Alerts are good for finding out whenever your book is mentioned on-line. Then you can leave a personal note, if it seems appropriate. The same for Twitter. Through a TweetDeck search, for example, I know whenever my novels are mentioned, and can respond. 

I’ve been making a point of including my on-line connections whenever I post to a blog or list. (See below. I don’t usually include a picture unless it’s an email — HMTL can be tricky on some sites.)

For answering fan mail, save time by creating a form-letter answer in signatures that’s easy to make personal. (A note on answering fan mail — some authors create an assistant identity to answer their mail. There’s an advantage to this: you can toot your own horn.)

Ultimately, a newsletter is important, so building up a database is crucial.



If you have a Facebook page (“fan page”), you can send out ads really, really cheap. It’s a lot of exposure for very little time and money.

Signings/readings do very little, in fact. So few people come! The main advantage is that it gets promotion. (I used to work this very hard, sending out posters, contacting the local media, etc.) Also, every reading you give is practice for the next one — every writer is an entertainer in training. And face-to-face reader contacts are wonderful, of course (the best).

There’s YouTube, as well — I use a little Flip video to record a reading or interview. These are good to put on your website and blog.

Book clubs are wonderful but hard to get to. I’ve been looking into Skype chats. (I still can’t figure out how best to reach book clubs, however.)

Book trailers are either time-consuming or expensive, but seem to be more and more important. (Are we to become film-makers, as well?)

I'd love to hear from readers of this blog: any other ideas? 

*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Letters from readers

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The New Year has been a bit challenging so far, but my angels must be looking over me because I've been getting some of the most moving emails and comments from readers. I quote snippets from two of the emails here (without names):

 I am 12 years old. When I was 11, I read your Josephine Bonaparte series, and it changed my life.

I devour your writing and I am sad when I finish one of your books. I need more! ... Thank you for sharing your gift.

Humbly, I thank you. So much! A writer works in isolation; it means a lot to hear from readers.


*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland/

Editing sings the blues

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For writers in the throes of revision, this is a wonderful You Tube author video.

(Thanks to the Twitter suggestion of writer Ami McKay.)

On rust and viral attacks, virtual and otherwise

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It's amazing how quickly writing gears rust: over-night! I've been on holiday, sick (for weeks!), dealing with serious computer problems, and now only gradually emerging out of the I-will-never-be-able-to-write-again-despair that so quickly sets in.

I begin by making visible piles: the manuscript to be read, the untouched notebook in which to record daily progress, files of notes, my favorite pencils.

I also begin by getting things fixed: me, first (yet a work in progress). My computer glasses, limping along on one leg, were finally repaired yesterday. My email database program ... well, we might — might — be getting there.

The biggest disadvantage with using Microsoft Entourage is that everything — everything! — is stored in one huge database: all contacts with notes and categories attached, all calendar items, all email, past and present. (A life in letters!) When that database gets damaged, game over. And mine is damaged.

(And, I now discover, wading through impossible-to-understand papers written by techs: twice the size Entourage is prepared to handle. Could the program not have informed me?)

Fortnately, I'm a back-up fanatic: I use TimeMachine, plus an on-line automatic back-up (CrashPlan), plus SuperDuper, a back-up to a separate drive. (Plus, when I'm writing, I email myself the draft I'm working on every day. But that's another story — and possibly one reason the database is fat?)

Sound extreme? Consider this: the TimeMachine back-up of my database is not really any good (why I don't know). CrashPlan's on-line back-up is current, and so its copy of the file I need is of the damaged database. Don't want that, thank you very much! And so, my hopes lie with back-up #3: SuperDuper.

Through Google I found Entourage help on-line. The first issue seems to be an over-crowded hard drive. I used Disk Inventory X to find out what the disk-hogs were, and tossed them out. Right now I'm using iDefrag to defragment the drive. I feel leaner and meaner already. If only I could Defrag my brain.

Jane Austen: "I must keep to my own style"

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This is a charming letter, written by Jane Austen, April 1, 1816:

You are very, very kind in your hints as to the sort of Composition which might recommend me at present, & I am fully sensible than an Historical Romance, founded on the House of Saxe Coburg might be much more to the purpose of Profit or Popularity, than such pictures of domestic Life in Country Villages as I deal in--but I could no more write a Romance than an Epic Poem.--I could not sit seriously down to write a serious Romance under any other motive than to save my Life, & if it were indispensable for me to keep it up & never relax into laughing at myself or other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first Chapter.--No--I must keep to my own style & go on in my own Way ...

Which confirms, to me, that Jane Austen was a comic writer above all else.

(The quote is from Jane Austin Today.)

Renewal

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I've been absent, both on holiday and down with a nasty cold. (Don't feel too sorry for me: I'm in Buenos Aires, after all.) I'm just going to post some blog links.

First, I'm honored that Mistress of the Sun was included in Margaret Donsbach's top historical fiction of 2009 list: click here. Margaret is both a demanding reader and perceptive reviewer.

I've been enjoying reading Margaret Atwood's blog. Her "Fifteen Book Tour Packing Tips" has excellent advice — not surprising considering that she spends most of her life traveling. (How does she do it?) I'll be reviewing her post on "Ten Editing Tips, for Your Fiction Mss." on my return to Normal Life. Early in January, I plan to read/edit the first draft of the novel I finished at the end of October. (Am I nervous? You bet.)

My New Year's resolution for 2010: finish drafts two and three (without going crazy).

Happy New Year, everyone. Twenty-ten has a nice round sound and bodes well.

Distracted by software

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I'm on a Mac (I'm one of the Fervent Faithful) and have been using Microsoft Word forever. I use many of its bells and whistles: comments, hidden text, footnotes, styles. My relationship with Word is conflicted, however: I use Word 2004 because I find Word 2008 impossibly confusing. And lately, Word 2004 has been sluggish and — worse — buggy. Several times in a day it has crashed on me; I've lost work and had to retrace. This is a terrible problem!

So I've been looking into alternatives. OpenOffice.org does seem to be a possibility, but I quickly discovered that I couldn't insert a space above a line (how basic is that?), that zooming and hiding text was cumbersome, and worse, that I can't split the screen. I'm constantly referring back to part of the manuscript I'm working on while working on another part. I need to be able to see both, scroll through.

(What's really nice about OpenOffice — other than the fact that it's free — is that clicking on "full screen" actually does fill the screen.)

I also tested Pages, which has a nice feel. Zooming was a little easier, but I couldn't see how to hide a text selection. But the clincher, for me, yet again, is that it does not allow one to split the screen.

If I could find a comfortable program that had these features, I would consider switching.

I was reading Wen Fu this morning, the ancient text on writing, and nowhere does it deal with the frustrations of a word-processing program.

P.S. "Print out manuscript" is still on the To Do list. Spellcheck took a day!

*****

Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/

Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/3xzbgv

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland

Caroline Leavitt on Butler's "From Where You Dream"

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I'm a collector of books on writing, but few "speak" so clearly as Robert Olen Butler's FROM WHERE YOU DREAM. I've mentioned his book a number of times on this blog. It is within reach of my computer now, so I was pleased to see novelist Caroline Leavitt write about it on her blog today: here.

I've a flurry of things to do today. In addition to family and office matters, here's my writing-related to-do list. It's rather long, considering that I'm not, momentarily, actually writing.

1. Print out manuscript (in preparation for first read-through on return from Christmas holiday): this takes longer than one would think.
   
2. Finish writing newsletter — prepare to send it out soon!
3. Revise biography and send it with photo to San Miguel Writers' Conference for their brochure.
4. Set up character profiles. 

Of all of these, the last is the most important, yet it is the most likely to be pushed aside. Also neglected: research!