Cynthia Rayne's Blog, page 3

Is PicMonkey worth it?

Is PicMonkey worth it? Well, let’s break it down. As authors, we have a lot of promotional materials to create (ads, logos, book covers, etc.).  If you are outsourcing all of these to a graphic artist, that can get a little pricey. Particularly, if you’re a new indie author and don’t have a lot of cash on hand. One option is doing some of the graphics yourself. I also enjoy making my own because I’m a bit of a control freak.

Using PicMonkey

First, let me say, I’m not advocating making your own covers, unless you happen to be a graphic artist, or have some serious skills. To make a decent cover, you’d need a more intense software program like Gimp or Canva, anyway.  Unlike that old saying, customers do judge a book by its cover, so you want the most professional design you can afford. The cover will grab a readers interest right away and yours should stand out.

However, for things like Instagram posts or quote ads, PicMonkey is a budget-friendly option. Since I don’t have any training in this area, I devoured lots of YouTube videos on the subject. I’ve used PicMonkey to make graphics for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts. As well as ads for giveaways, new releases, and other materials. In fact, I used the program to make my logo for this site. Branding, which is a whole other topic, is important for an author, and I’ve made my social media accounts match my website.

People are visually oriented and the more eye-catching your posts are, the more response you’ll get. In the beginning, some of my designs were a hot mess. But my skill level has improved as I’ve gotten more familiar with the site. Here’s a tip for you…pay attention to graphics that catch your eye. While I’m out and about on social media, I’ll take note of posts I like and use them for inspiration.

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I like a lot of the features PicMonkey offers.  There are overlays which are very romance-novelist friendly, like lips and hearts, which can be added to your creations. The sheer number of fonts available is impressive.

Using the site is very intuitive. When I opened Gimp for the first time, I was overwhelmed and out of my depth. It had way too many bells and whistles for my needs. And I enjoy playing around with PicMonkey. It’s fun to use and a bit of a stress-reliever. Sometimes, it’ll provide a much-needed break from my current work in progress.

How much is it?

How much will PicMonkey set you back? It’s $3.99 a month billed annually, or $7.99 on a monthly basis for the premium package. The supremium package is $8.33 a month. Please note!There’s a free trial if you want to try out some of the premium options. Personally, I bought the $3.99 a month package and it meets my needs. When you add up the cost of Facebook covers, quote ads, and all the rest, PicMonkey is way less expensive.

The Verdict on PicMonkey?

So, is PicMonkey worth it? Yes, for basic graphic design needs, it’s a cost-effective option. As long as you’re willing to put the time into learning, it’ll save you some cash.

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How Good is Grammarly?

How Good is Grammarly?

How good is Grammarly? We’ll get into that in a moment.

But first, editing is a necessary evil. Readers will leave bad reviews for poor editing and Amazon can even flag your work. These warning signs will scare off potential readers and cut into your sales. So, you must edit your books and I mean with a real living, breathing human editor.

However, I’m a big fan of technology, and I’m willing to try anything to make my life easier. Sometimes, it works out. Other times, er, not so much. However, like Goldilocks, it took some trial and error before I found the grammar software that was just right for me. I have tried Ginger Software and White Smoke but didn’t find them as useful for editing novels.

Grammarly does a much better job at catching mistakes. Like I said above, it won’t catch everything though. After I run my book through Grammarly, I hand it over to a person for edits.

 Grammarly Pros

Grammarly was an instant hit with me. I use the software to do a preliminary check on my work. It weeds out common mistakes before I even do a read through, so it saves me time.

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You can set the program to check different types of writing, such as novels, blog posts, or even casual emails. It checks for Contextual Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Sentence Structure, Style, Vocabulary Enhancement, and Plagiarism (useful in academic settings).

The last category has a repetitive word function, which can help you vary word choices. This is a big plus!  Many writers use pet phrases. The software also offers suggestions, which I appreciate. Whenever I’m in the editing phase, it can be exhausting. I swear, it makes my eyes bleed. I’m not the most detail-oriented person. Can you tell editing isn’t my favorite part of the writer gig?

Also, I’ll do yet another Grammarly check after it’s been through a round or two of editing because new typos inevitably creep into the manuscript. It’s the sad truth. You may do a round of edits, run it through Grammarly, send it to an editor, and read it through once more., and there will still be mother truckin’ typos.

 

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Grammarly Cons

So how much does it cost? Grammarly is a subscription service, which is a drawback. I’d rather just pay outright for the software and keep it, like Microsoft Word or Scrivener. However, that isn’t the way it works, so I pony up the cash every year.

There are also some annoying ticks. For example, it’ll tell me I’m using British spellings/slangs. Why, yes, I am…my character is British! Or my character is Southern, therefore s/he will use grammar, which isn’t technically correct, but it’s colloquial. There’s no setting to weed out all of these “false positives” either, which can be frustrating. T

Another issue I’ve run into is unclear antecedents which is important in academic papers, but I’m not going to refer to my character’s names in every single sentence. There’s no way to shut this function down either. It can be a tad irritating.

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The Details

There’s an annually billed plan, which is $11.66 a month, a monthly $29.95 plan, and a quarterly one for $19.98. I got the annual one to save money. When compared with the cost of a proofreader, this is a bargain. Particularly, when you can use the software with multiple books.

By the way, there’s also a free Chrome extension that will help you with social media, emails, and the like. That alone has been invaluable—I hate misspelling words.

The Verdict

So how good is Grammarly ? Pretty darn. I’ve had it for over a year now and I use it everytime I write a book.

What grammar software do you use?

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Best Books on Writing Romance

What are the best books on writing romance? Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few reference books. And I’ve taken a couple of writing classes, but I don’t have an MFA, so I had a steep learning curve.  Below, are the ones I’ve found the most useful.

2k to 10k

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Aaron’s book focuses on improving writing speed. When I first started out, I could only manage 2,000 words in one session, which sometimes took hours. Now, I can zip through 2,000 words in about an hour or so. All of these tips are useful, but the one I’ve used the most is doing a little “pre-writing” before I begin a scene. It’s amazing how five minutes, can shave off an hour or more. I don’t write the scene twice, I just give myself an outline of what’s going to happen, maybe a bit of dialogue. Then, I can sit down and concentrate on the scene, because I know what I want to say and where its going.

[image error] The Emotion Thesaurus

Ever read through your manuscript and notice your characters are doing the same things? Yeah, me too. Mine shrug a lot. I’ve also got a lot of smirky men. The Emotion Thesaurus offers both internal sensations and external gestures for conveying emotions. A guilty character’s stomach might feel leaden, while an angry one might pound a fist on a table. Writers (me included!) sometimes fall back on pet phrases or movements (shrugging, nodding, smiling) so it’s useful to have a “cheat sheet” when I’m running through my book. This is especially helpful, when I’m doing a final read through, before handing it off to an editor.

Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes

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So how are Sherlock Holmes, The Doctor (from Doctor Who), and Sheldon Cooper alike? Answer: They are all examples of The Professor archetype. All of those characters have traits in common (expertise, intelligence, analytical mind set) yet these qualities are expressed in different ways. Cowden, LaFever, and Viders lay out 16 basic archetypes that provide a template for a character. Whenever I’m stumped on a hero or heroine, I return to this book and settle on a type, which I then flesh out.

Romancing the Beat

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This book focuses strictly on the romance novel plot—it’s short, to the point, easy to follow, and gives you a basic outline. Hayes discusses the 4 phases of falling in love and breaks those down into “beats.” I do a mental rundown of the beats when I’m reading through my draft to make sure I’ve hit all of them.

Screenwriting Tricks for Authors

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I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop given by Sokoloff. To this date, it’s the most practical writing workshop I’ve attended. Sokoloff utilizes screenwriting structure to organize her novels, and I use it for my suspense plots, while I use Romancing the Beat to shape the love story.

One of my favorite concepts is Plants/Payoffs, which is when the author inserts something into the plot (plant), which is revealed (payoff) later. During my last read through, I’ll add these in. A simple example is Indiana Jones’ fear of snakes. Later on, he’s faced with an entire tomb filled with them. Ugh! The audience already knows his aversion, which allows them to empathize with him.

By the way, Sokoloff has a helpful website, where she breaks down movie plots. Whenever I watch a film now, I pick apart the structure.

What do you consider the best books on writing romance?

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Cold Blood

[image error] Cold Blood is coming in November! I can’t wait. I’ve been planning this book for a little over a year now.  If you read the Four Horsemen MC books, you’ll remember Justice from Steele’s book, Shot to Hell. Justice is a former Navy SEAL whose dealing with PTSD and a lot of secrets. I love the dark, angsty books.

Watch this page for updates and snippets.

 

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