P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 295
July 25, 2015
Scrivener Tips Pt. 4: Project Backups
I recently received a Twitter comment from someone regarding Scrivener and help with backups using Windows. I’m not entirely sure what the issue was but I’ll go ahead and address the subject today. Here are the basics with project backups for Scrivener:
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1. Keep Scrivener up to date to minimize any issues with the software. To do this click on Help and then on Update Scrivener.
2. To manage where you backup your projects click on Tool and Choose Options:
3. Once the Options window opens click on Backup at the end of the menu on the left:
4. Once you have the backup settings displayed you can click on the Choose button to change the default location of project backups. If you are not changing it but just want to know where the backups are location it is listed there also and you can click on the Open Backup Folder to view backups immediately.
5. You can also handle an individual backup from the project you have open. Click on File and hover your cursor at Backup to see the fly-out menu. Here you can choose to backup the current project to a specific location. You can force an immediate backup instead of when you close the project. You can also choose to exclude the project from automatic backups.
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Options for Backup Locations
Here are a few thoughts about where to backup your Scrivener projects.
1. On your computer – you can choose to back them up on your computer. However, unless you are backup up the Scrivener backup folder using something else – software or external drive/cloud then you run the risk of losing data should your computer fail in some way.
2. On an external drive – you can backup directly to an external drive but this requires that you have the drive connected whenever you close Scrivener for automatic backups on close or when you manually backup your projects.
3. On the cloud – I have many of my projects located in my Dropbox folder so it is automatically synchronized on the cloud while my automatic backup runs to my computer. I also backup my Dropbox folder to and external drive.
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Project Recovery
To recover a project do the following:
1. Open your backup folder where you will notice that all the project backups are in .zip folders
2. Open the .zip folder for the project and date to which you want to recover.
3. You will see the .scriv folder for the project. Copy the folder to the appropriate work location or a restore folder of your choosing (WARNING: If you overwrite a current folder with a backup folder you may lose changes since the backup). From any location you should be able to open the project by double clicking on the .scriv folder or using Scrivener to browse to and open the project folder.
For more details on Scrivener backups check the manual by clicking on Help and then Scrivener Manual – the subject is at Appendix B – Options, page 322, B9 – Backup.
How do you backup your Scrivener Projects? Are you backing up your writing appropriately? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, for free as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
Scrivener screenshots from my 2015 blog project.
Cover art commission from Christopher Rawlins
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This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Indie Publishing, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Tech Tips, Templates, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Scrivener, Self-publishing, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing
The Bow of Destiny: Official Cover Reveal
Photo from the book trailer for The Bow of Destiny
Today is a wonderful milestone day for The Bow of Destiny. This epic fantasy series was in my creative thoughts as long ago as my early college days in the mid-80’s. I wrote the original manuscript in the ‘90’s and was offered a contract by a small press at the time. The contract was not right for me so I passed and, since it was a time of change and grief for my wife when her mother died, I laid the manuscript aside for several years.
I kept coming back to the work intending to re-write it and get it published but the project never bore much fruit. About four years ago, I began to take writing seriously again when I found that I had a number of ideas for books and stories lurking in my mind. Since I had so much written for this manuscript I began re-writing it around a busy schedule and a death in my own family. Even though there were a number of distractions – as all of us have – I knew the time was right to publish this series with the recent explosion of self-publishing.
Earlier in the year, I came across a piece of artwork by Chris Rawlins entitled “Robin of Loxley” that caught my attention in his gallery. It fit the motif of my book so strikingly I knew I needed to work with Chris. The result is this cover. Here’s Chris’s bio:
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“I have lent my brush to a huge diversity of subject matter and styles. Portrayal of humans, horses, animals, and landscapes, using contemporary and modern techniques have earned admiration, acclaim and a large following. I am passionate about strong compositions, realism, detail, accuracy, dramatic lighting and strong compositions.
My artworks have been used for numerous book covers, albums and magazines, as well as entire books growing a wide audience of authoritative scholars who respect integrity, as well as faithful patrons and enthusiasts who love the action-packed and emotional style.
I have a passion for history and art so to bring history to life through my artworks is a dream come true. My approach is to try and put yourself / the viewer there to bring a true-to-life realism that the books of my childhood lacked. Detail of research for any painting is key if you are attempting a realistic representation. I research many of my artworks in detail and travel abroad to battlefield locations, museums and military archives.”
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Last week, I provided a sneak peek over my email list and received a very positive reaction to the cover which was more than encouraging. Currently, I am completing a revision of the book while I wait on my editor to begin looking at it first structurally and then in more detail. After these upcoming rounds of editing I anticipate the book being ready for publication at which point I should be able to set a target release date.
While the book is away with the editor I plan to finish the rough draft of the second book entitled, An Arrow Against the Wind, and develop the prequel series, “What is Needed”, into a novella to offer for free as a run-up promotion to the release of The Bow of Destiny. Since I know more about what I’m doing developing book for self-publication I hope to have An Arrow Against the Wind ready early in 2016.
Without further delay, here’s the cover for The Bow of Destiny. Look for changes to my social media accounts that incorporate this as a banner. I will also pin it on my Pinterest account so you can check it out in detail there.
Available at Amazon, Smashwords and All Major E-Book Vendors!
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, for free as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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Cover art for The Black Bag licensed from iStockPhoto.com
Archer’s Aim photo licensed via iStockphoto.com
Cover art for The Bow of Destiny licensed from Chris Rawlins on commission
Additionally these prequel titles to The Bow of Destiny are currently available on Wattpad: Trading Knives and What Is Needed:
Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Blog Tour, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Announcement, Coverart, Facebook, Indie Publishing, Launch, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, What is Needed, writing
July 24, 2015
Managing Scrivener Projects & Templates Pt. 2: Newsletters
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.
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As promised last week, I’ve developed a template for use in Scrivener. While I’m still working on a more important template, the one I’ve completed is for Newsletters.
This template has a number of organizational features that can be used throughout the year as a single project. I plan to use this for my own newsletter, The Archer’s Aim Digest.
First of all the binder is organized by months so you can add your own sub-containers for each newsletter edition. No matter how often you publish your newsletter you can add as many containers as needed.
Next I’ve added a Planning folder with several sub-containers. The first contains a table for an organizational calendar to help you schedule your newsletters and describe the topics. Next there’s a container for your ideas where you can place information about your various newsletters. Next you can place artwork in a separate folder. Lastly, there are containers for your header and footer design to include standard information about your newsletter editions like contact information.
Additionally, I’ve included labels to help you track progress on your newsletters.
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You can download this Custom Scrivener Newsletter Template free and import it into your Scrivener software using the instructions included in my last post (Managing Scrivener Projects & Templates). Feel free to contact me with suggestions of your own and I’ll take them into consideration. Also, remember you can transfer your information into your newsletter application several ways including compiling the individual folder or copying and pasting the content.
Are you using Scrivener templates of your own? Have you tried Scrivener yet?Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, for free as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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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.
Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Archer's Aim Digest, Blogging, Cover Reveal, Indie Publishing, Planning, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Announcement, blogging, Indie Publishing, Newsletter, P. H. Solomon, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Template, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, writing
July 23, 2015
Wattpad: How You Can Begin Reaching Your Audience
I’ve been enjoying Wattpad recently. If you haven’t, maybe you should give it a try.
Last week, I wrote about what Wattpad can do for you now and I’m following up today with more information. As mentioned last week, I uploaded a prequel short story to The Bow of Destiny entitled, What Is Needed to my Wattpad. Today, I’ll share some a bit of what I’m doing with it and other content as well as some pointers and ideas from other blog sites and news articles.
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What Is Needed has done well in the last week with a number of reads, several votes and some nice comments. One thing I did during the past week is add it to a fantasy genre club that allows weekly posts of content. When using one of these clubs, keep in mind that there may be rules on posting (how much) as well as how to do so. My experience was very good.
This week I’ve added another story to my Wattpad, Trading Knives. This is another short story prequel to my upcoming book that I’m giving some play on Wattpad before it goes to online retailers for free in a few weeks. Give it a look but remember it’s still being edited so there will be changes, however, comments are helpful. As just a hint, this story is about one of the main antagonists in The Bow of Destiny so enjoy a little darker story.
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As promised, here are some links that may help you figure out how you may want to use Wattpad for your writing:
1. Joanna Penn hosted a guest post by Ashleigh Gardner, head of content with Wattpad. The post details aspects of marketing with Wattpad.
2. Indies Unlimited has also posted a blog entitled, Wattpad for Writers, which is very helpful as well.
3. Suw Charman-Anderson wrote an article for Forbes that discusses serializing your writing on Wattpad to attract an audience.
4. Molly Greene shared on her blog about how to get started on Wattpad – it’s a nice guide to make a quick, effective start.
5. Publisher’s Weekly also weighed-in on how Indie authors can build an audience using Wattpad.
These are all wonderful pieces that can help you puzzle out what you can do on Wattpad with your writing. Remember, Wattpad now has over 40 million readers – yes readers. It’s not just for writers and it’s proving to be just as important a social media outlet as Goodreads, the former being for more direct interaction with your content in progress and the latter more for book reviews.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, for free as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: An Arrow Against the Wind, Barnes & Noble, Blogging, Brain to Books Blog Tour, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, iTunes, Kobo, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Planning, Pre-order, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Tips, Trading Knives, Twitter, Wattpad, What is Needed, Writing, Writing Groups Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Editing, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Launch, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Planning, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Short Stories, Social Media, The, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Trading Knives, Twitter, Wattpad, What is Needed, writing
July 22, 2015
THE BOW OF DESTINY: Upcoming Events!
Hello everyone, just sharing more news regarding The Bow of Destiny this week. As mentioned three weeks ago, the book is now available for pre-release reservations via Barnes & Noble, & iBooks (via the iTunes app). This week I’ve got additional news about upcoming events.
1. On 8/8 at 12PM CST I’ll be interviewed on Beyond the Cover by Beem Weeks. The show is part of the Rave Waves Network (a Rave Reviews Book Club hosted network) on Blog Talk Radio. Just bookmark the links and the date. I’ve also created a Thunderclap for the appearance so please consider sharing your Facebook and/or Twitter account to announce the show on 8/8. During the interview, I expect to discuss the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, future books and what I currently have out.
2. I’m also appearing on the Brain to Books Blog Tour on 8/31, see more about the tour here.
3. On 9/14, I’ll do a live blog interview with Shawn Griffith on his site, Down Home Thoughts
4. I’ll be featured in the Rave Reviews Book Club Book & Blog Block Party during the month of September. My day is expected to be 9/28 – RELEASE DAY! – right here on Archer’s Aim where I’ll have a special post for Fantasy Authors Unplugged!
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I’m sure I’ll have more events and appearances to add in the near future so visit often as I share more of these. I’ll soon have an events page listing all these with links.
Additionally, the prequel story to the book, What Is Needed is still available on Wattpad. I’ll make another announcement tomorrow about another story.
Regarding The Bow of Destiny, I’m still working with my beta readers and expect to have the book ready for final upload during August. However, you can read a sample chapter now available in The Black Bag. Remember that email list subscribers receive a coupon for a free download of The Black Bag.
As a final note for today, I’m just about finished with the rough draft of the second title, An Arrow Against the Wind. I’ll be working on structural editing during August and sharing about some of this process with my Scrivener posts related to Collections.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, for free as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Amazon, An Arrow Against the Wind, Archer's Aim Digest, Author Platform, Barnes & Noble, Blog Tour, Brain to Books Blog Tour, Cover Reveal, Fantasy, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, iTunes, Kobo, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Planning, Pre-order, Rave Review Book Club, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Twitter, Wattpad, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Beyond the Cover, blogging, Books to Brains Blog Tour, Coverart, creativity, Down Home Thoughts, Editing, Facebook, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, iBooks, Indie Publishing, Kobo, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Rave Reviews Book Club, Rave Waves, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Shawn Griffith, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, Wattpad, writing
July 21, 2015
Fantasy Authors Unplugged Featuring Jason Hein
This is continuing feature on Archer’s Aim – Fantasy Authors Unplugged. I hope to frequently share an interview with a fantasy author. If you have authors to suggest and/or questions you’d like to see answered then leave a comment or send me an email. If you are a fantasy author and would like an interview please let me know and we’ll plan one that fits your schedule. Today I’m happy to welcome Jason Hein to Archer’s Aim – let’s see what he has for us!
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Q. Tell us a little about yourself and your book.
A. Well, my name is Jason Hein, and I write medieval fantasy. When I was young I grew up in the country outside of a town that about 90 people in it. There was not much to do and I had very few friends. My imagination was always my retreat. There, I could do anything, be anything, go anywhere. Once I was about seven or so, I started writing a lot of my imaginations down on paper. I have written a lot of different genres. From fantasy or science fiction, to romance, thrillers, and modern day settings. I always drifted back to fantasy, however. It was there that I settled in for my first book series, The Varsian Kingdom Series. In the future I have plans to write a science fiction series but I have a long list of Medieval fantasy waiting to be written first.
Q. Is there any special inspiration you had for the plot?
A. Yes… but I cant tell what it was because it would give away the ending of the book! I actually did a good amount of historical research and several ideas for the book came from that research.
Q. Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
A. Leila, the main character of the book, is a young women who starts out as nothing more than a slave to a cruel king and in the end wins wars, commands troops, and saves the kingdom! Leila has always been a strong young women but that strength lay inside a timid and unsure spirit. When she is called to her task by an angel sent from the Creator, that strength allows her to abandon all she knows for a seemingly foolhardy quest. Through her uncertainties and timidity Leila finds the courage to bring her true strength to the surface. The strength to give her all for what is right.
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Q. What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
A. I have always dreamed of writing professionally. If I could do one thing for a living it would be, without a doubt, writing. I had always written as a hobby but once I grew up, got a full time job, and life took over… my writing stopped. One day I just settled in my mind I was going to give it one long hard try. If nothing else I would self publish and have my paperback books as keepsakes… but one way or another I was determined to get my work onto the public market.
Q. What’s your opinion about Amazon’s recent decision to pay authors in Kindle Prime by the words read?
A. Honestly, I don’t have much of an opinion on it. Kindle versions are not my focus. I know a lot of people like them but I still feel that nothing replaces the feel of a good book in the reader’s hands. Kindle, to me, is just an added convenience. There are other digital formats authors have access to release their books with so those who don’t like the policy can just go to the competition with their work. If enough authors do it, amazon will revise their policy. If not very many authors do… then I guess not very many have much of an issue with it.
Q. What’s your biggest challenge as an author?
A. My biggest challenge, for sure, is simply finding the time to write. I have a wife, two kids, a full time job, and anywhere from 2-3 hours of drive time to and from work each day. With all that and other responsibilities writing often times is hard to squeeze in. Thankfully I am the type of can sit down and write two thousand words in a rather short amount of time and make up for days missed.
Q. How has writing/publishing changed your perspectives about reading?
A. Not at all, to be honest. The truth of the mater is I have never been much of a reader, which is odd for a writer. It is hard for a book to keep my attention and I read slow. I would rather be creating my own story than reading one from someone else anyway! Having been writing as a hobby since before I hardly read any novels at all… I guess my perspective has always kind of been what it is.
Author Bio:
Growing up on a secluded farm in the panhandle of Oklahoma, Jason P. Hein developed a unique point of view and literary sense as a young child. With few friends and little to entertain him, his imagination ran wild! With iconic names such as C.S Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien as literary inspirations, epic tales began to unfold inside the confines of his mind. These stories soon became the backbone for a rich fantasy land, now known as “The Varsian Kingdom.” As years and education expanded his mind, so they expanded the Kingdom of Varsia. With the launch of “The Varsian Kingdom Series” Jason is now offering his world for the exploration of intrigued minds and fantasy readers alike!
Sales Links:
Author Links:
Author Website: http://varsiankingdom.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Jason-P.-Hein/e/B0105GWAN8/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JasonHeinJPH/posts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JasonP.Hein?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasonPHein
Thanks to Jason for sharing Arise To Fall from his series, The Varsian Kingdom, with us today. Please take some time to support this fantasy author. If you’re a fantasy author and would like to be interviewed for “Fantasy Authors Unplugged” just contact me via email or one of my social media channels and we’ll set one up.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. I’ve updated the site with a new landing page starting today but you can still view the News page for announcements. Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Amazon, Arise To Fall, Barnes & Noble, Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Fantasy, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Jason Hein, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Varsian Kingdom, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Amazon, Arise To Fall, blogging, Coverart, creativity, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Jason Hein, Launch, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Varsian Kingdom, Twitter, writing
July 20, 2015
Give Yourself Permission to Listen to Your Gut
Editing for Deep POV
So you’ve got so much to do you don’t know where to start. There’s a pile of writing that needs doing and you’re itching to do it. But, literally, you don’t know where to start.
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Look, you could dither all day and night and it won’t get you anywhere. You need to churn out some content and not sit around nursing indecision. So here’s a thought: give yourself permission to listen to your gut instinct. That’s right! Follow your inclination and start writing! Get your fingers moving on the keyboard and see what happens. Let that momentum grow into a wave and-
What’s that? You don’t know where your gut is leading you? You don’t believe in or have a gut instinct?
You do, in fact, have a gut instinct and it’s what gets you started moving in a direct. The problem is most of us don’t trust it. Honestly, many people have learned to mute their inclination to start for a myriad of reasons. They don’t think they’ll finish what they’ve started. Some of us just don’t believe in ourselves.
That’s a shame, a pity really, because there is potential in all your ideas!
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So, like I wrote above, give yourself permission to listen to your gut. Don’t know how to do that? Try this: make a list of your pile of writing tasks and ideas. It doesn’t matter how long it is but don’t make it too long – otherwise you’re just avoiding the work. Now pick something off the list, something that stands out, something that moves you. Now work on it.
That’s right start with that one thing no matter how inconsequential. Why? That was your gut talking. It understands what’s got prime importance in all those ideas. Once you’ve started pursue it like a cheetah after a gazelle.
Now once your finished, do it again with something off your list. After a while, you’ll learn to start rather than make excuses to be inactive.
One more thing – keep on writing! Honestly, just write. This piece came to me and I wrote it in ten minutes. It just burst forth like a new day in my mind and the words flowed like a gushing stream. Go on! You have permission – from yourself!
Do you have a pile of writing just begging for your attention? What’s stopping you? Why don’t you listen to your gut? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. I’ve updated the site with a new landing page starting today but you can still view the News page for announcements. Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links.
Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Archer's Aim Digest, Author Platform, Blogging, Creativity, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Mailing List, Pinterest, Planning, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, Goodreads, gut instinct, Indie Publishing, motivation, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Short Stories, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, writing
July 19, 2015
Scrivener’s Multi-Function Feature & How You Can Start Using It
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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Multi-Function Tool – photo licensed via iStockPhoto
Introduction
If you do any work around the house with tools you may have used a multi-function one before. These often have small versions of larger tools built into one handy gadget. These often include a few knife blades was well standard and Phillips screwdrivers among the many variations. It’s much like a Swiss Army knife but adapted more toward small fix-it tasks. Scrivener has one such feature that teams with the Binder to help you in any number of ways to organize all of the project content.
Scrivener’s Binder is a fantastic visual tool to organize your project. But suppose you wanted to play around with that organization without changing everything. Or maybe you have other ways you need to group the project content. Let’s say you wanted to change the order of several scenes. You could take snapshots and make the changes so you could revert back. But there’s a more efficient way to handle structural changes within Scrivener.
Collections are a way of re-organizing the binder without actually making changes to the current order in the binder. There are several ways to use collections so I’ll this topic in a series to cover the details well and let this post suffice as an introduction.
Collections
Think of the Binder as the main collection by which your project is organized. But if you need to consider different options for your structure then creating collections can be very useful. Items within a collection are like shortcuts to that in the Binder. What changes you make to the item are made in the Binder too. So be aware of what you are changing and make snapshots if you believe you may need to revert back to an earlier version.
However, a collection is really used for addressing structural issues, searches, saved searches, compiling, scheduling, sorting scenes that need work or even organizing for use with another author. So mainly think in broad terms when working with collections.
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Usage
So let’s take a look at applying the flexibility of collections to a real-life fiction project. I’ll soon begin editing my second novel, An Arrow Against the Wind. The first task that I’ll have is a structural edit. I’ve already identified what scenes and chapters I’ll need to edit. These can be added to a collection so that I can write each one and then remove it from the collection when completed.
Next, I’ll do an edit for deep POV style. For this kind of edit I could use two collections – one for all the chapters that need this stylistic attention, plus one that assigns a schedule for the work (I could also use this for the previous edit as well as subsequent ones).
After these more general edits, I’ll get into a deeper editing where I may need to search the content. For this I can create a collection for searches that cover overused words, searches for names that are misspelled, etc (it’s a fantasy so unique names can be a problem). Likewise, when doing line editing, I can also collect the chapters and scenes involved and use another one for scheduling the work.
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The Basic Interface
As already shown in the screen-shots, you can access the collections manager from the Project menu. You can add or remove tabs for sections of your project and click on the Binder tab to return to the Binder. You can then re-order the tabs for structural purposes or use them in the different ways already described. You’ll notice that you can name the collection and use searches.
Conclusion
If you find that you are using collections regularly with your projects, then you might consider adding your own set of them to your project template. Again, I’ll discuss the many variations over the next several weeks in depth, especially as I’m using them with the book I’m completing. Regardless, collections can be the all-purpose tool that improves your editing process.
How would you use collections? Do you already use them and, if so, how? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events (and there’s some big news this month). Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
Just as a note: I am not affiliated with Scrivener in any official capacity. For support questions, pricing and other concerns please contact the vendor. However, I am working on becoming an affiliate for Scrivener ads since I like the product so much. I’m not required to write about Scrivener to be an affiliate; I just like it that much. For more about my FTC statement see my sidebar.
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This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: An Arrow Against the Wind, Blogging, Creativity, Editing, Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: An Arrow Against the Wind, Collections, Coverart, Editing, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Publishing, Multi-function Tool, P. H. Solomon, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Swiss Army Knife, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, Tips, Twitter, writing
Archer’s Aim: The Week in Review Thru 7/18
Here’s another review of the week for those interested in what’s appeared on the blog this week and what I’ve been reading.
Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list
Monday: What’s Your Favorite Part of Scrivener?
Tuesday: Announcement! The Bow of Destiny Sample Chapter Now Available!
Wednesday: Fantasy Authors Unplugged Featuring Jason Link
Thursday: Building An Author Platform Pt. 10: When to Monetize Your Blog
Friday: What Wattpad Can Do For You Now
Reblogs From The Past Week:
Making Your Own Cover – For Absolute Beginners
Nicholas and Ralph Fitzherbert – a glimpse of the Wars of the Roses.
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I’ve been enjoying Wattpad recently. If you haven’t, maybe you should give it a try.
Posts & Articles I’ve been reading this week:
Want to know what readers want? Here’s a post from Writers Write to let you in on the secret.
Do you know if your dialog is mundane or engaging? Find out if it is with this post from Helping Writers Become Authors.
From Book Viral, here’s a post that assists authors with SEO.
All of us indie authors need a little help pricing our books accurately for the market. Try this post from Writer’s Circle to help you gauge an accurate price-point.
From Between the Beats, here’s a review of I, Ripper by Stephen Hunter
The Week Ahead
This coming week, I’ve got more Scrivener goodness scheduled as well as announcements regarding The Bow of Destiny, another author featured in Fantasy Writer’s Unplugged and more!
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. I’ve updated the site with a new landing page starting today but you can still view the News page for announcements. Want to be listed in The Bow of Destiny credits? Join the Insider Team to share upcoming links. Either way, you’ll be the first to have news about my books, especially some free offers this summer related to the upcoming release of The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. You’ll also receive a free coupon to download my e-book short story, The Black Bag, as well as July’s free e-book: Recommended Reading for Authors!
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Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Author Platform, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fantasy Fiction, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Jason LInk, Mailing List, Marketing, Pinterest, Rave Review Book Club, Reviews, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Smashwords, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, The Bow of Hart Saga, The Legender, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Author Platform, blogging, Fantasy, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fantasy Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Pinterest, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Wattpad, writing
July 18, 2015
Scrivener & Revision Strategies For Projects
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 received my edited manuscript back from my editor a few weeks ago. I’ve been working on the suggested structural changes. But one of the immediate questions I had was how to incorporate this back into my Scrivener project.
Back in January, I wrote about how to compile a manuscript. My purpose in compiling at the time was for my editor and I successfully turned a Word document over to her. But this leads to a slight problem. If the changes are in Word how do I get the content back into Scrivener?
Several options presented themselves when I considered the problem:
1. Create a whole new project and import the edited version into Scrivener.
2. Copy content back into the project one chapter at a time.
3. Within the project, create a whole new folder and import the new revision into it.
I’m using the third option. It keeps the book in one project and allows me to refer to the previous revision easily. I could also import one chapter at a time if I need to do break my changes up more.
Fortunately, Scrivener allows choosing what to include/exclude while compiling so I can include only the newest revision. This is a simple process which is covered in my post about compiling.
Here’s a poll so you can choose your best choice:
What are your thoughts on these choices? How would you address importing edited content for a new revision? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. I’ve updated the site with a new landing page starting today but you can still view the News page for announcements. As part of the changes, new email subscribers will receive my free new guide, Recommended Reading for Authors. Sign-up today! I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.
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Just as a note: I am not affiliated with Scrivener in any official capacity. For support questions, pricing and other concerns please contact the vendor.
Privacy Policy
This blog does not share personal information – including email addresses – with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies (which is a WordPress.com function and not mine).
You can turn off the use of cookies at any time by changing your specific browser settings.
I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission.
This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on July 2nd, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: ph at phsolomon.com (replace the “at” with @, it’s written that way to avoid spammers).
Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Fantasy, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Editing, Facebook, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing
