Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Getting "Scrivenerized" and other things...


OK…Lots to do now that the new year is fully underway.  The holiday decorations and lights have been removed and stowed away once more, the college bowl games are finished (I think!), and I have lots of items on my “to do” list that need my attention right away! 

Scrivener (software)
Scrivener (software) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
First off, I’m happy to say that I’m upgrading my skills to become a more productive and effective writer by learning a dynamic writing software program titled Scrivener. I had never heard of it before, but thanks to my involvement in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November, and being a “winner” by achieving the 50,000 word total in writing a novel during that period, I was able to try out and purchase Scrivener for half the $45.00 price.

And I have enrolled in an online course, taught by Gwen Hernandez, a Scrivener expert. The course begins February 19 and should provide me with the lessons and practice which I am hoping will make me a very proficient user of this powerful writing tool.

While the course is proceeding, I will be revising and editing my first draft created in NaNoWriMo using Scrivener. Should be a terrific learning and productive adventure, and by spring I should have book number two ready for publication and marketing.

Meanwhile, I am dedicating myself to being more consistent with my blog posts and staying current with the blogs I read and follow. Readers of this blog should find more frequent posts each week. I look forward to hearing from anyone who should happen upon these writings throughout the new year.

When not at work in Scrivener, I will be tackling the pile of books that patiently await me! Gwen Hernandez’s Scrivener for Dummies will be a continuous source and trusty reference close at hand. I currently am in the early stages of Erik Larson’s Thunderstruck, another non-fiction story of strange pairings and intermingling of storylines. Killing Kennedy—The End of Camelot, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard will follow. Of course, there remains The Book Thief as soon as I can get to it. Needless to say, I’m in need of extra hours added to the normal days and nights to accomplish all of this stuff. It’s good to know, however, that I am not wanting for anything to do!
Cover of "Team of Rivals: The Political G...
Cover via Amazon

On another topic, I finally saw the movie Lincoln on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. Finally finishing Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, on which most of the movie was based, I found the Spielberg film to be all that it was promoted to be. Not seeing many movies, I thrilled to the quality of this one as it was chock full of excellent performances (particularly by Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln) and the sets and costuming were extraordinary! 

Anyone reading this who hasn’t yet seen the movie, please do so at some point. To truly appreciate the movie, it is worthwhile to be tuned in to the historic significance of the struggle that was featured in the film. That struggle, of course, was Lincoln’s efforts to get the 13th Amendment passed. Seeing 19th Century Washington politics at work was wonderful, especially when one realizes that so much toil and sweat and tears went into nearly every effort to accomplish something that would change history. Kind of makes one wonder if the same kinds of commitments are there in the makeup of today’s political folks. We should only hope!

What kind of start has 2013 been for you? I’d love to hear your plans, goals, and hopes. Share them here. Until next time…CortlandWriter

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