For any writers out there aspiring to track their wordcount, this is a new tool by a bloke I see on Mastodon. He’s been working hard on it, so for those of you who don’t want to use monster spreadsheets, this might be a good option for you!
Writing
Just begun: Fashion Frenchies #2: Salute a Pooch!
WritingDove in today and busted out 1,300 words on a sequel to my first Magic Fashion Frenchies novella. Kinda excited, but I hope this one finishes up faster than the first one!
A quote on tense, plus horror fiction news!
Writing“Books let you know what tense they want to be written in.” — David Mitchell, from Make it now: the rise of the present tense in fiction
As a writer working on a fantasy story (the greatest Nosferatu love story of all time) that for some reason is first-person, present tense, I found that quote to be hugely reassuring.
In other news, I am preparing a new horror novelette to go out to a proofreader. If you’ve ever had a cat bring you gifts, you will probably like it.
Magic Fashion Frenchies #1: COMPLETE
WritingFinished (read: abandoned) my first draft of Magic Fashion Frenchies #1 and have sent it off to my proofreader!
This novella took so long to write that while I was working on it, I came up with three other ideas for the characters, so I guess this will be my first series!
How long did it take me to write? Well, its working title was My Frenchie Valentine.
Holy Grail Achieved! Finally found my replacement for the TUL MARKER PEN!!!
Writing
My new favorite pens
If you miss the now-discontinued TUL Marker Pens, I may have found you a replacement.
SO GLAD I FOUND THESE!
I’m an author who writes by hand A LOT. I can fill 100 pages of a Leuchtturm Notebook (Leuchtturm Master Ruled Notebook A4 Plus, Black) in a month. So I need a long-lasting, smooth-writing pen that can keep up with the speed of my story-brain.
In the past, I relied upon my beloved TUL MARKER PENS, but when OfficeMax suddenly Disapparated them off shelves a few years back, I was lost. I couldn’t go back to mere ballpoint pens or even gel pens; the marker tips had a way of making my handwriting look *fantastic*.
So I went on a hunt.
I previously bought and reviewed the following: Pilot Razor Point Marker Stick Pens, Ultra Fine Point, Black Ink, Dozen Box (11001) (nib wore down too fast), BIC Z4+ Roller Pens, Fine Point, 2 Pens (Z4CP21) (no soft marker tip, a little pricey, but nice for art), and Pilot Extra Fine Point Permanent Markers, Black Ink, Dozen Box (44102) (perfect for slick surfaces and baggies, but terrible bleedthrough on paper).
I was a little hesitant when I bought a box of these–“razor point” “extra fine”? My writing’s never looked good in needle-sharp lines. But the reviews were strong and I felt like I was running out of marker-tipped options.
To my utter delight, I found these pens to be the perfect replacement for the TULs. The nibs outlast the ink. They’re smooth on the Leuchtturm paper. There’s no bleedthrough interfering with my using both sides of the paper. And while they’re not waterproof (sometimes I spill my water bottle, what can I say?), after I daubed up the excess water, the writing was still legible which is all I ask for.
But the factor that makes these pens a match in office supply heaven for me is there is a LOT of ink in these things. I received my first box at the beginning of 2017. It’s the end of July, 2017. I *might* have just used up all 12 of them (though I’m not sure not sure because I bought two more boxes and sourced a couple out of there). Again, I’m writing some 200 pages, front and back, every two months, so that’s a LOT OF mileage.
Could a few things be improved? Sure. I think the barrel could feel more comfortable. And I miss the bright yellow tip available in the Pilot Razor Point Marker Stick Pens–not just stylish, but helpful in finding a pen in the dark of one’s purse.
But this price point and durability render those arguments moot. If you, too, are missing the feel of the TUL Marker Pens, grab a box of these. I think you’ll find what you’ve been missing.
(Originally reviewed at Amazon)
Free Writing Tracker tool
WritingI wrote about the writing tracker(s) I use in a previous post. But then I saw this and thought other writers might find it helpful! The basic spreadsheet is free!
Just sent supernovel part 1 to print formatter
Indie Publishing Friends, WritingEverything is fine. It’s not like that virtually sets the first 120 pages in stone or anything.
Yup, nothing to see here.
(Also I finished the ebook formatting for that sect. 120 pages down. That’s cool.)
Also, my print formatter is a peach, I love her, we have nothing but good times when we email.
ALSO HOGOSH 4 MORE PARTS TO GO
Just released! Horror-Satire “THE BUREAUCRAT”
Art, Writing
A story for anyone who has ever wanted to burn down a call center.
Libby Frower loves crushing veterans’ hopes and dreams.
Libby Frower works at the VA pharmacy. She decides whether former soldiers get their prescriptions…or not.
But Libby Frower had better watch out.
Tonight, she’s going to get a taste of her own medicine.
Short story, 6,800 words. PG-13.
The Heroes of Houndsmouth: An Unofficial Armello Novella: Armello Novella: The Heroes of Houndsmouth, Chapter 1
Writing
1
Night had fallen over the kingdom of Armello.
In the great white castle in the center of the kingdom, the king was still awake, brooding and muttering. The lion had not been sleeping lately.
In rat clan’s shantytowns, couples were dressing up in their finery, hoping to sneak their way into the parties held in the mansions of the upper crust.
In the grand warren of the rabbit clan, the rabbits slept beneath their caverns of earth, stone, and gold.
In the northern mountains, wolf clan cubs pestered their packmates to spar with them on the snowy ground.
In the forests, bear clan sages slept in their caves and dugouts, trusting the Wyld to keep them safe while they dozed.
But scattered between these grand places of the kingdom are towns, villages, and hamlets, all homes for the creatures making their way through life in Armello.
In the town of Stag’s Landing, pine marten cheesesmiths had finished flipping their last cheese wheels for the night and were starting home. In the hamlet of Greenguard, the badger leatherworker and his apprentice had finished setting up their work benches for the next day’s orders.
And in the the settlement of Southbank, almost everyone had locked themselves in their homes.
20K hit on Nosferatu Novel
WritingI’ve got more to type on it, but I don’t feel like working on it this second.
I bought another Leuchtturm Master Ruled Notebook from Amazon (233 pages). But the seller sent me a Leuchtturm SLIM, which only has 120 pages! I can write 100 page in under a month.
So I just sent them a complaint. I’ve already written in it–but I wouldn’ta bought it if I’d known it was a SLIM.
Pretty annoyed, too, paying a full-size notebook price and only getting half the pages. Grr! (Guess that’s another way they could make it up to me–send me another SLIM for free.)