P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 269
August 9, 2016
TOP TEN TUESDAY
An interesting top 10 from a fellow fantasy book hoarder – Bookwraiths. Reblogging on Archer’s Aim!
Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where a new top ten list hits the web every week!
This week our topic is …
BOOKS I JUST HAD TO BUY . . . but are still sitting on my bookshelf
10. Lord of the Isles by David DrakeBack in the day (1998), I usually bought any new epic fantasy book which hit the shelves. There just were not enough of them to keep my insatiable appetite satisfied, so when I saw this one, I immediately bought it. I am fairly certain I also purchased the next two installments in the series as well. Guess what? I’ve never read any of them. They are still sitting on the bookshelf somewhere collecting dust. Can’t make myself get rid of them though, because I’m certain I’ll get around to reading them soon.
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8 More Ways Scrivener Aids My Writing
Scrivener
is a powerful writing tool. I write about it weekly with tips and usage ideas. To read more of my posts click the Scrivener tag or category at the end of the page.
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There are so many ways that Scrivener helps me as a writer and it’s hard to narrow down the most important. I’ve already shared 8 ways it improves my writing experience on a daily basis. But since the time I wrote that post I’ve begun using Scrivener more heavily. Here are 8 features of Scrivener that have dramatically impacted my writing.
1. The Binder – it’s an obvious choice but the Binder is so incredibly effective a feature in Scrivener. The ability to re-structure a large project is huge. Just grasping this in other software like Word used to be monumental, if no monolithic. Now I just drag as many folders or document-scenes around to a new location as necessary within a few minutes. Then I only have to do some re-writing to smooth out the changes.
2. The Inspector bar is laden with so many useful tools it’s hard to cover them all in one blog post. The list is long for the all the tasks that can be addressed in this feature. They are all meant to help a writer track, document, reference and enhance the writing process.
3. Snapshots – this is actually part of the Inspector but I single it out as an important way to manage different versions of content. Do a snapshot before you make major changes and you can easily revert back to another version you prefer or need. I recommend using it before making any large-scale change in a project in case you make mistakes or delete something.
4. Collections – I recently wrote a series of posts on this multi-function tool. It has been a useful aspect of Scrivener for making structural changes where I need to write more scenes or edit for style. I can select specific folder or documents to add to the collection, work with it and remove each part as I complete them until I’m done with the mini-project. Very handy, especially when you consider you can use it in other ways – like compiling a manuscript.
5. Document templates – I find this most useful for my year-long blog project. I have different types of posts so I have a different templates to use for each one. I can update each template as changes occur throughout the year and all my new posts will have that without having to add the content by other means (by typing it out or doing a copy paste).
6. Project Templates – I can create a template for projects like short stories, my year-long blogging, a book, book reviews, newsletters, my blog tours and promotions as well as managing my overall writing. Each template is specialized to what the project is and they can be updated as necessary to reflect my changing needs.
7. The Layout Manager – this is really a cool feature to me. I can setup specific layouts for different types of writing tasks based on the stage of my project. If the project is new and in development, then I can have certain features turned on. Once I move to a new stage all I have to do is change to a different layout that I’ve created and transition into the new phase seamlessly where some parts of Scrivener are turned off and others are visible.
8. The Scratchpad – you don’t hear a lot about this feature but I’ve written about it before. It’s found on the Tools menu and lets you write notes and insert the test to other parts of the project within which you are working or even to another project you may have open. For instance, I often have several projects open at a time and I may come up with an idea for another in which I’m not currently working. I can use the Scratchpad to write the note and insert it into a specific folder or document in the same project or another open project. I especially do this while journaling since that’s where I may generate a variety of ideas. I can journal it and then transfer the notion elsewhere using the Scratchpad.
That’s all for this list but I think these cover the bases well. Everything in Scrivener is designed to help writers write intuitively, fluidly and effectively. There’s no wasted effort once you’ve learned the software to any degree. You don’t waste time creating all the environment you need to write – you set it up and then you are able to start writing without worrying about all the details – and that’s the best feature of all.
Just as a reminder – my Scrivener posting schedule is changing to Friday’s to accommodate several writing events during September as well as the release – most of which occur on a Mondays. So I’ll be back next Friday with more Scrivener goodness. Until then, you are welcome to check back on other posts here as well as my writing news.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.
I’ll make an appearance on 8/13 in RRBC’s Book & Blog Block Party. Then I’ll be on The Lost Bow Blog Tour from 8/14-20. I’ll post more news about the tour as it becomes available.
And one final tidbit – for those who might have seen it on my Twitter feed, I’ve been contacted by a teacher about including The Bow of Destiny in her curriculum. I don’t know much at this time other than it’s being considered. If it is, I’ll share more information ASAP. It’s interesting news at this point and another great reason to write!
To find out more about The Bow of Destiny, click over to one of these online retailers:
About the Author
P. H. Solomon lives in the greater Birmingham, AL area where he strongly dislikes yard work and sanding the deck rail. However, he performs these duties to maintain a nice home for his loved ones as well as the family’s German Shepherds. In his spare time, P. H. rides herd as a Computer Whisperer on large computers called servers (harmonica not required). Additionally, he enjoys reading, running, most sports and fantasy football. Having a degree in Anthropology, he also has a wide array of more “serious” interests in addition to working regularly to hone his writing. The Bow of Destiny is his first novel-length title with more soon to come.
Sign-up to receive my free ebooks today.
Filed under: Amazon, Archer's Aim Digest, Author Platform, Barnes & Noble, Blogging, Creativity, Editing, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, iTunes, Kobo, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Reviews, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Tips, Trading Knives, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: blogging, Collections, creativity, Document Templates, Editing, Facebook, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Layout Manger, P. H. Solomon, Project Templates, Scratchpad, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Short Stories, Snapshots, The Binder, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The Inspector, Tips, Trading Knives, Twitter, writing
August 8, 2016
#RRBC Book & Blog Block Party – Quizzing The President
An interview with Nonnie Jules on a RRBC Block Party stop today! Reblogging on Archer’s Aim…
Location: ALL OVER THE WORLD!
# of Giveaways today: 2
(1) FREE Membership or Membership Renewal
(1) $5 Amazon Gift Card
***
Good Morning! My name is Natasha Know-It-All and I’m a reporter with the Raving Reviews News. Today, we have tracked down the extremely busy President & Founder of RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB, Nonnie Jules. We asked if she could spare a few moments for a quick Q&A and surprisingly, to our delight, she said “YES!” Although she has limited this to only a 6 Q&A session, we’re happy to have that! Any little bone she’s willing to throw at us, we’re willing to run after it! Ms. Jules rarely gives interviews so sit back, relax and take it all in! Here is her take on quality vs quantity. #Winning
***
Natasha: Hello, Ms. Jules! Sharing that I’m so excited to be sitting down with you today…
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Strategic Usage of Snapshots in Scrivener
Scrivener is a powerful writing tool. I write about it weekly with tips and usage ideas. To read more of my posts click the Scrivener tag or category at the end of the page.
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I don’t normally write about Scrivener more than once a week so I won’t bore everyone with the same topic. But a situation arose that I thought I should really address.
Yesterday, someone who reads this blog asked for assistance with a Scrivener problem via Twitter. I was very humbled to be asked so I responded with a few suggestions as to what might be the fix (not knowing the precise details). In the end, the issue was resolved on the other end which was great.
However, the problem brought up a subject I had planned on addressing in the near future regarding snapshots. Basically, the snapshot function works as a point in time backup of a document in which you are working. While Scrivener does make backups when you exit (unless you change this setting) and you can make backups whenever you want, a snapshot serves a more immediate purpose – a quick backup of current work to which you can easily rollback if necessary.
So, if you are going to make big changes to a document it might be worth your while to make a snapshot before doing so in order to get back to where you were without much trouble. Likewise, when adding blocks of content or trying to fix a problem it might be wise to make a snapshot to prevent lose of any current work.
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So how does it work? First turn on the Inspector by clicking on View, sliding to Layout and clicking on Inspector in the flyout menu. You can also turn it on via your keyboard with this command: Ctrl + Shift + I. The Inspector will appear on the right side.
There are six buttons on the lower border, click on the second one from the right the get to Snapshots.From there you click on the + button to add a snapshot of the document in which you are working. It will show the snapshot with a date/time stamp. This is important should you make more than one snapshot. Before attempting to fix a problem it 
might be good to take a snapshot. Should the fix work a second snapshot might also be good to have just in case it is needed. In that case you would use the – button to remove the oldest snapshot after highlighting it. Finally, you can use the Rollback button to go back to a previous document version.
So next time you’re about to make major document changes, take a snapshot. Then if something unexpected happens you don’t need to panic, just rollback to the original version.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.
I’ll make an appearance on 8/13 in RRBC’s Book & Blog Block Party. Then I’ll be on The Lost Bow Blog Tour from 8/14-20. I’ll post more news about the tour as it becomes available.
And one final tidbit – for those who might have seen it on my Twitter feed, I’ve been contacted by a teacher about including The Bow of Destiny in her curriculum. I don’t know much at this time other than it’s being considered. If it is, I’ll share more information ASAP. It’s interesting news at this point and another great reason to write!
To find out more about The Bow of Destiny, click over to one of these online retailers:
About the Author
P. H. Solomon lives in the greater Birmingham, AL area where he strongly dislikes yard work and sanding the deck rail. However, he performs these duties to maintain a nice home for his loved ones as well as the family’s German Shepherds. In his spare time, P. H. rides herd as a Computer Whisperer on large computers called servers (harmonica not required). Additionally, he enjoys reading, running, most sports and fantasy football. Having a degree in Anthropology, he also has a wide array of more “serious” interests in addition to working regularly to hone his writing. The Bow of Destiny is his first novel-length title with more soon to come.
Sign-up to receive my free ebooks today.
Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Indie Publishing, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Backup, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, Fixes, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Problems, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Snapshots, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, Usage, writing
August 7, 2016
#RRBC BACK TO SCHOOL 2016 BOOK & BLOG PARTY!!
One of yesterday’s stops with the RRBC month-long block party!
HELLO EVERYBODY!!
Coming to you live from Oak Park, Michigan
The Great Lakes State
Here are my giveaways for today:
$15 Amazon Gift Card
1 Autographed Paperback Copy of Crazy Hot And Living On The Edge
1 Autographed Paperback Copy of Our Lady of Victory The Saga of an African American Catholic Community
(Shipping in the USA only)
Click here for tour lineup & more prizes
Number of winners for this stop: 3
Welcome to my blog
All About Supporting Indie Authors
Take a ride on the 2016 Book & Blog Party tour bus with me today. There are some fabulous prizes just for leaving a comment.
CRAZY! HOT! AND LIVING ON THE EDGE!!
I am offering FREE Amazon Kindle Downloads for a new and improved Crazy Hot and Living On The Edge
TWO DAYS ONLY!! Starting today August 6th through 7th!!
by Shirley Harris-Slaughter
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Configuring Your Document Templates in Scrivener
Scrivener is a powerful writing tool. I write about it weekly with tips and usage ideas. To read more of my posts click the Scrivener tag or category at the end of the page.
I had a question from a new follower to the blog in the comments section about formatting a document template. She wanted to know how to work with the document template to retain formatting. I’ve answered the question but I thought I’d go a little further with it in a post to add more details.
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As for formatting a document template there are any number of ways to accomplish this to suit your needs. You may simply want to add specific content, fonts, spacing, etc. Depending on what your needs are there are several points to discuss.
1. If you desire the font to be formatted consistently this is a straightforward matter. While clicked into the document template (cursor blinking like you’re ready to type), you can change the font settings from the Format Bar that is usually turned on by default. If yours isn’t turned on click on Format and slide down the menu and click on Format Bar. It will appear at the top of the editor. From here you can change what the font is, the size and whether it’s set to Bold, Itlacs or Underline (or any combination of the three). Additionally, you can also set the alignment and any other miscellaneous settings available.
2. If you want specific space formatted you’ll need to access that by clicking on Format, sliding to Text to get the fly-out menu and click on spacing. From the window that appears you can configure spacing for indention, single/double space, etc.
3. If you work with presets (which appear in the left end of the Format Bar), you can choose one of Scrivener’s default ones or create a new one yourself.
4. If you are adding a table or list to your document template you can format these from the Format Bar
5. Explore other settings in the Format menu or the Format Bar – these may not be needed for a document template since many are for changing formatting in existing documents (more on these another day).
6. Add re-usable content such as a common introduction or ending for a blog post to the document template. Remember what you add as content or formatting to your document template will be automatically in any new documents you create using it. With this fact in mind, be aware of what you add and format. Can you add more content? Think about what you click to change whenever you create a new document – that’s what you want to configure in your document template.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.
I’ll make an appearance on 8/13 in RRBC’s Book & Blog Block Party. Then I’ll be on The Lost Bow Blog Tour from 8/14-20. I’ll post more news about the tour as it becomes available.
And one final tidbit – for those who might have seen it on my Twitter feed, I’ve been contacted by a teacher about including The Bow of Destiny in her curriculum. I don’t know much at this time other than it’s being considered. If it is, I’ll share more information ASAP. It’s interesting news at this point and another great reason to write!
To find out more about The Bow of Destiny, click over to one of these online retailers:
About the Author
P. H. Solomon lives in the greater Birmingham, AL area where he strongly dislikes yard work and sanding the deck rail. However, he performs these duties to maintain a nice home for his loved ones as well as the family’s German Shepherds. In his spare time, P. H. rides herd as a Computer Whisperer on large computers called servers (harmonica not required). Additionally, he enjoys reading, running, most sports and fantasy football. Having a degree in Anthropology, he also has a wide array of more “serious” interests in addition to working regularly to hone his writing. The Bow of Destiny is his first novel-length title with more soon to come.
Sign-up to receive my free ebooks today.
Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Non-fiction, Pinterest, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Document Template, Editing, Facebook, Formatting, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, writing
Under Construction – Templates and Scrivener
Like any construction project, your writing is only as good as the foundation. With Scrivener templates can play an important role in creating your next writing project and the ease with which you progress. Templates can be like blueprints for your projects so let’s take a look at them today.
I’ve recently written about uses for Scrivener such as blogging and various email message templates. I received a comment from my most recent post sharing Scrivener templates for blogs, one from AllIndieWriters.com and the other posted at ThaddeusHunt.com. This is excellent information for those interested in blogging with Scrivener.
Templates are easy to make with Scrivener and they provide you a way to design basic projects of various kinds.
But how do you make a template should you want to create one yourself? It’s rather a simple matter. I’ll describe it and provide some links with screenshots.
When you have created a project with all the configuration you want for a basic project click on File => Save As Template. Name it and choose the location to where you want to save it. Now you have your template. Click here for a post with screenshots.
When you want to use the template you must import it. Here’s how:
When you start to create a project by clicking File => New Project the New Project window opens.
In the lower left click options to expand a menu and click Import Template.
Navigate to the template to choose it and you are ready to import your template.
Here’s the link for screenshots showing how to import the template.
Interested in more templates for specific projects? Here’s a list of links for templates to download. Some of these lists have some overlap but I’ve found a few interesting ones I’m going to use.
If you know of any templates please share below in the comments. I’m thinking about a bigger use for Scrivener and a template for it. Check my downloads page for free templates!
I’ll make an appearance on 8/13 in RRBC’s Book & Blog Block Party. Then I’ll be on The Lost Bow Blog Tour from 8/14-20. I’ll post more news about the tour as it becomes available.
And one final tidbit – for those who might have seen it on my Twitter feed, I’ve been contacted by a teacher about including The Bow of Destiny in her curriculum. I don’t know much at this time other than it’s being considered. If it is, I’ll share more information ASAP. It’s interesting news at this point and another great reason to write!
To find out more about The Bow of Destiny, click over to one of these online retailers:
About the Author
P. H. Solomon lives in the greater Birmingham, AL area where he strongly dislikes yard work and sanding the deck rail. However, he performs these duties to maintain a nice home for his loved ones as well as the family’s German Shepherds. In his spare time, P. H. rides herd as a Computer Whisperer on large computers called servers (harmonica not required). Additionally, he enjoys reading, running, most sports and fantasy football. Having a degree in Anthropology, he also has a wide array of more “serious” interests in addition to working regularly to hone his writing. The Bow of Destiny is his first novel-length title with more soon to come.
Sign-up to receive my free ebooks today.
Clip art licensed from Microsoft Office.
Filed under: Blogging, Creativity, Editing, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Planning, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: creativity, Editing, Facebook, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, writing
August 6, 2016
Scrivener Templates and Project Management Pt. 5: Book Reviews
Scrivener has 
been a key component to improving my productivity this year. I’ve recently written about various uses for Scrivener such as blog posts, newsletters and even template email messages. Additionally, I’ve shared about using Scrivener templates including some resources for these. In my last post I shared about managing templates. In Part 4 I released my Author Platform Management template. A few posts pastin this series I indicated how I’ll use Scrivener more in the coming year. In my most recent edition I revealed how I’ll approach my increased usage. Today, I’ll reveal a new template and I’m planning another how-to post next week as well as another addition to the Author Platform Management template.
Screenshot: Book Review Template
I recently had a Twitter conversation with V. Walker who read how I’m using Scrivener more this year. She expressed her interest in the software with a retweet. I noticed that she was, among several things, a reviewer.
What ensued was a short conversation about how she might use Scrivener – as a reviewer. I hadn’t thought of it previously but what another great way to make use of this software. Some people do short reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. But some people review more seriously than others. The Binder is a great way to manage numerous reviews.
Imagine reviewing lots of books but being confused as to what you’ve done already. With Scrivener you could easily track them and schedule your reviews. What an improvement over individual files if you used a single project for each year.
Well that gave me another idea for a template – reviews. It works much like those for newsletters or blogs but I’ve added some specifics that I imagine serious reviewers might need. I’ve include a rudimentary binder organization and a calendar of schedules as well as tracking. Again, it’s free to download. Feel free to make your own suggestions and I’ll be happy to update and share a newer version.
What other ways can you think of using Scrivener?
I’ll make an appearance on 8/13 in RRBC’s Book & Blog Block Party. Then I’ll be on The Lost Bow Blog Tour from 8/14-20. I’ll post more news about the tour as it becomes available.
And one final tidbit – for those who might have seen it on my Twitter feed, I’ve been contacted by a teacher about including The Bow of Destiny in her curriculum. I don’t know much at this time other than it’s being considered. If it is, I’ll share more information ASAP. It’s interesting news at this point and another great reason to write!
To find out more about The Bow of Destiny, click over to one of these online retailers:
About the Author
P. H. Solomon lives in the greater Birmingham, AL area where he strongly dislikes yard work and sanding the deck rail. However, he performs these duties to maintain a nice home for his loved ones as well as the family’s German Shepherds. In his spare time, P. H. rides herd as a Computer Whisperer on large computers called servers (harmonica not required). Additionally, he enjoys reading, running, most sports and fantasy football. Having a degree in Anthropology, he also has a wide array of more “serious” interests in addition to working regularly to hone his writing. The Bow of Destiny is his first novel-length title with more soon to come.
Sign-up to receive my free ebooks today.
Clip art licensed from Microsoft Office.
Also, in no way do I represent Scrivener or sell the product. All questions about the product, its sales, support and licensing for your own computing needs should be referred to the company.
Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Fantasy, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Planning, Reviews, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, Templates, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Announcement, blogging, creativity, Facebook, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Reviews, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Templates, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing
August 5, 2016
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY #RRBC
Another of today’s stops on the RRBC Block Party!
Finder's Keepers - Author Tracey Clark
Howdy y’all… :P I hope everyone is keeping cool and relaxed, ready to win some great prizes… over here in Ashland, Ky it is sweat-palooza… but I am more than ready to party… woo who… so let’s have some fun with Rave Reviews Book Club’s BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY, this is my stop here at Finder’s Keepers – Author Tracey Clark…
My Give-aways!!!
One lucky winner will be chosen to receive either
jewelry *(bracelet or earrings – made by me)
or one of the keychains I’ve been working on… (incase you’re not looking for jewelry)
as well as a personally made bookmark…
all you have to do is leave a commentat the bottom of this post… and you are entered to win… see… super easy… here is a peek at some of the pieces you will have to choose from…
number of winners: 2
while there is only…
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#RRBC Back-To-School Book & Blog Block Party!
One of today’s stops on the RRBC Block Party!
Hello, and “WELCOME” to Rave Reviews Book Club Back-To-School Book and Blog Party!
Coming to you from McKinney, Texas
Here’s what I am giving away today
TWO $5.00 AMAZON GIFT CARDS
TWO eBooks of FLOWERS AND STONE (Book 1 of the series)
NUMBER OF WINNERS FOR THIS STOP: 4
You must “Like” and “Comment” on this post to enter drawing
I’d like to introduce you to my books and am honored that you stopped by to check them out! First and foremost, my books are true stories (a series of four books) about a veteran Texas Musician, a young girl who loved him and the many twists and turns his/her life took including fifteen years of incarceration in Leavenworth prison.
Today, famed TV personality, Ike The Interviewer, will be conducting an interview with the main character in the books, Luke Stone. Ike is tall and balding with kind eyes. He…
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