NaNoWrimo - BUST ... Prioritizing and Support

    Well, I started out with the best of intentions, but November was just that; NO-vember. This was actually the first year that I have participated in NaNoWriMo where I did not reach my goal. A lot got done this month, yet nothing at all and very, very little actual writing. Most of the month was taken up by the one-turned-three week project that was the forced re-carpeting of our condo. Followed promptly by several separate invasions of 6 legged critters of the black ant persuasion - which in the 18 years of being in this house has only happened 6 times before and on much smaller scale, which has eaten up most of the days in-between. (We still haven't figured out why they decided, now that the place is the best it's looked in the last 6 years, that NOW was the time. No rain, not terribly cold or hot. No logical reason.) Still what writing (and writing related tasks) that did get done had significant impact and I feel that if priority had been given to NaNoWriMo (as in the past) and had I had the support to make that happen there was the potential for this to be the most productive NaNoWriMo EVER for me. But that did not happen and thus the subject of this post. So why?

NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month

Hi all!

    Again I apologize for my absence but that little thing called life keeps getting in my way. Like the fact that our incredibly full house is being re-carpeted, painted outside, getting a new garage door, and a few other things. Timing couldn't be WORSE, the hubby's job is giving him grief for some personal illness issues, my work comp issue is flaring and I'm playing a game of hurry up and wait with the company and lawyers. But the timing though isn't ours to call - ah the joys of renting. But I can tell you that I am working on 20 new articles as I attempt to accomplish some of my personal goals. And speaking of personal goals, this month is National Novel Writing Month - 30 days, 50,000 words; sponsored by NaNoWriMo Organization. Which I have participated in (officially or non-officially for the last 6 years) and I will be participating again this year.

Away a Spell

    My dear readers, I do not wish you to think that I have forgotten this blog or you. I just have been otherwise 'employed.' Over the last few weeks I have  been doing a bit of print and web design for a friend's start-up business while doing research and working on my timeline.

    The timeline itself has taken a lot of work to find a viable solution - the trials of which I have been putting into an article I hope to have published soon. There are so many ways of doing what you want and need in this day that extensive exploration becomes necessity. My hope as always that in cataloging my explorations that I will help save you some of the time that I've spent and help speed along your process.

    Through my dabbling with the design work I have been downloading new programs that are part of the Adobe Cloud service that my husband and I have, and I found a program that has little to do with art design in these resources. I will be exploring this new piece of software in a upcoming post, as soon as I'm done familiarizing myself with it.

    With that I must get back to these projects.

Base Repository Complete; the Crossroads - and Projects Update

Accomplished - Since 07/04/12

• Base Repository Completed

Well it's not as clean as I wanted it to be but it is done. I was down to my last two story series files, the corner stones if you will of the master series - yes I'm one of those sick David-Eddings-type people who not only writes within a "universe" but series within series, sometimes within series - and I realized that to whittle down those files any further it would mean me starting the writing process. So here I am standing on the threshold of where I've wanted to be for the last 4 years. I have so many directions I can go now. Where do I go now?

Projects - Accomplishments and Goals 06.13.12

Accomplished - Since 06/08/12

• Setup Starter Base Repository

Goals - 06/13/12


This next phase is where the true editor will kick in and will take some fair piece of time. When my laptop had that mishap in the hands of the Best Buy Geek Squad I was in the process of setting up files in for a base repository, so essentially I'm finally back to where I was 2 years ago when this started. Well, truth be told I'm a little farther ahead since I've actually achieved Base Repository. "What is the purpose of having a base repository?" you may ask. I wanted to set up a base repository because some of my stories I have been working on for over a decade, and with so many changes to the underlying plot I want to make sure not to back track story concepts that have already landed me at dead ends. Also if there are concepts that I've cut that might now work I'd like to resurrect them if they're good. Lord knows that there have been plenty of things I've cut that I didn't want to but did because it didn't gel with the current plot line, so we'll see if there's anything to salvage.

• Working on Base Repository
• Looking into types of Visual Version Control for file naming

Projects - Progress and Goals 06.08.12

Accomplished - Since 05/12/12

• Setting up files for Base Repository
• Posts:
• Back It Up! Part Two - a tale of almost woe.
• The Birth of a Book - Blog post share
• The wand which weaves; My Favorite Pen
• Started learning Git

Goals - 06/08/12

• Setting up Base Repository
• Looking into Visual Version Control

The wand which weaves; My Favorite Pen

"Art thou a pen, Whose task shall be

To drown in ink What writer's think?

Oh, wisely write, That pages white

Be not the worse for ink and thee."

~ Ethel Lynn Beers~

    For centuries writers have put pen to paper - or parchment - weaving their "webs of words" to enchant their audiences. I cannot speak for anyone else, but every once-in-a-while I have to get away from the computers, the tablets, the phones and put pen to paper; to let the ink flow. When it's easier to paint pictures with words with the feel of my favorite "brush" in hand whispering softly across my writer's canvas instead of the clack-clack of the keys beneath my fingertips. There is something about the journey an idea takes from knocking around in my head, down my arm and into my fingertips - whether the words flow in a gentle cursive or burst forth in a flurry of print and shorthand - and in that moment an idea can become a tangible thing. It is at those times that I find myself so completely immersed in the experience that the words and pages disappear. Almost as if the pen cradled between my fingers were but a vessel for an entity entirely of its own, the story reveals itself. I treasure those moments.

    Throughout time there has been much praise and homage paid to the virtues of the pen. One of the most familiar quotes being "The Pen is mightier than the Sword" coined around the year 1839, by English writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton. The quote comes from Act II, Scene II of his play Richelieu (liberally based on Cardinal Richelieu);

"True, This - Beneath the rule of men entirely great,
The pen is mightier than the sword. Behold
The arch-enchanter's wand! - itself a nothing! -
But taking sorcery from the master-hand
To paralyse the Ceasars, and to strike
The loud earth breathless! - Take away the sword -
States can be saved without it."

Famous playwrite William Shakespeare wrote in a similar vein in reference to the tool of the scribe in Act II, Scene II of his classic tragedy Hamlet:

"... many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequils."

But it is not only classic writers who have commented on the worthiness of the hand written word and it's instrument. Even in these modern times Irish author and journalist, Clare Boylan, noted this:

"Some writers have a personal love affair with particular pens. Others do not give a blot what comes to hand so long as it is stick-shaped, silent, and able to make its mark. I was surprised to discover about 70 percent of writers still write full manuscripts by hand." - Clare Boylan

And it is in the spirit of this assertion that we continue on. Now, I happen to be one of those former writers that Clare Boylan mentions, and over the years my writing tool has changed. In this article I'm going to cover several tools that I have used over the years and why. Maybe it will help you find a favorite writing utensil, or maybe it will simply entertain you that a writer can be surprisingly neurotic about something so seemingly trivial.

The Birth of a Book - Blog post share

    I was doing some reading online and found this; Birth of a Book. I thought it was worth sharing and rather funny. Funny but true. Don't get discouraged, just know that it can be a tough road ahead getting from idea to finished product.

Back It Up! Part Two - a tale of almost woe.

This is a Perfect example of why you must not only backup, and back up often, but if at all possible have a third copy (a hard copy or digital - or both) of any important files.

Pixar nearly lost all of Toy Story 2 during production!

Projects - Progress and Goals 05.12.12

Accomplished - 05/11/12

• Completed file comparison of the Merger folder. 
• 82,571 files (30GB) down to 8,006 files (1.07GB)

Goals - 05/12/12

• Organization of the Merger folder.
• Starting Version Control and GIT post and setup.

Projects - Progress and Goals 05.10.12 *BIG ANNOUNCEMENT*

    IT'S DONE!!   I finished the Main folder! I have 3,113 files in the Secondary folder that need sorting but that actually can't be done until I get the Main folder reorganized. But I'm actually at the point where I can organize the main folder. When done with that I can create a new files set and actually start on the creative process again.


Accomplished - 05/10/12

• Main folder file comparison COMPLETE!
• Main and Secondary folders merged.
• Folder organization started.

Today's Goals - 05/11/12

• Organization and file comparison of the Merger folder. 7,043 files total. Whoo!!

Projects - Progress 05.10.12

Accomplished - 05/09/12

• From 1,435 down to 635 files left in the most important folder (singular) to sort.

Projects - Progress and Goals 05.09.12

    Omg it's been almost TWO MONTHS since I have actually sat down in front of my computer for more than a few seconds. Today should see some progress as I am working from the hubby's office today. I had, posted optimistically in April thinking that we were much closer to being done than we were with the housing situation. Was I wrong. We're still not done. But bodies, children and moms can only take so much for so long. So today I take a break from the physical and work on the digital.


Today's Goals - 05/13/12

• Resuming whittling away at the 1,435 files left in the most important folders to sort. There's light at the end of this tunnel, can I reach it today?

"Return of the Pixie" - or "Life Happens"

    It has been weeks since my last post. Unfortunately I have been unable to post because I've been spending my waking hours cleaning out the garage of 17years of accumulated crap of my own and my family's as well as prepping for a pending move closer to the coast; so my few free moments have gone to my daughter.

    One big bonus has come out of this though, in the process of all this cleaning I have found the majority of my had written notes and manuscripts for my projects; including art and diagrams, several dozen notebooks, and possibly thousands of loose papers. This has greatly inspired my creative juices and I'm very much looking forward to getting back to work. There is still some work left to do around here so things will still be limited until that is done but I'm hoping to get back to work on this before May.

    My short term goals are to finish the file sorting, take down my notes for the story ideas I've had over the last few weeks, catalog and subsequently archive the on paper works I've found.

    Future post plans include Office Supplies, Getting in the Groove techniques, My Writing Tools, to list a few. I'm very excited to share this next part of this journey with you.

Least productive week ever ...

This past week had not been productive in the writing area but that's kind of par for the course when the hubby losses his job and spring cleaning starts as result. Even if cleaning hadn't happened, the family out of sorts doesn't make for much productivity. But laying in bed listening to the gentle drone of snoring drifting on the fan driven air, I feel the urge to write. In fact I've caught myself taking my mini note pad and favorite pen to bed several nights. (I still like to write by hand at times as it gives me time to think about what I'm jotting down.) But what to write about? So many things cross my mind in the dark hours of the night. And I realized that where I haven't gotten a lot of writing done, I've had the opportunity to mull things over, plots, character development, things of that nature - all have had time to simmer in the back of my mind. So maybe productive can be thought of as a relative term.

Projects - Progress and Goals 3.14.12

Accomplished - 03/02/12

• Got Welcome/Under Construction pages up for my websites.

Today's Goals - 03/14/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 1,435 files left in the most important folders to sort, OMG ALMOST done with the main folder ... light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Projects - Progress and Goals 3.2.12

Accomplished Yesterday - 03/01/12

• Began setting up a website for my writing tools

Today's Goals - 03/02/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 1,435 files left in the most important folders to sort, OMG ALMOST done with the main folder ... light at the end of the tunnel!!!
• Work more on website

Projects - Progress and Goals 3.1.12

Accomplished Yesterday - 02/29/12

• Completed my "File Comparison tools" post.
• Sorted 1217 files

Today's Goals - 03/01/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 1,435 files left in the most important folders to sort, OMG ALMOST done with the main folder ... light at the end of the tunnel!!!

File Comparison Tools

    So I'm taking a break from comparing files to talk blog about File Comparison tools. I've been using Compare It! for the last year. But in the interest of keeping current I have done some research into what is currently out there in the world of file comparison tools.

    First let's talk about why you would need a file comparison tool. Well one is if you fall into a situation like mine where you have dozens (or more) copies of files with the same name, some could be corrupt, some could be altogether different, and some could just simply be duplicate. But how do you know? There are several visual cues you could try to judge on without even opening the file; the number that's been attached to the file by your computer, the creation or modification dates, the file size. Still not any one of those can be a guarantee that the files are the same or different though they increase the chances the more things that you compare. The more important the contents of that file more sure you will want to be.

    Okay, so how can you be even more sure? Well if you use Microsoft Office you can do side by side comparisons and scroll through the files and HOPE that your eyes catch any minor differences. Like when in your third pass though you finally noticed that the line that you wrote in the first draft still had your heroine's eyes listed as green when her eyes being blue turned out to be imperative or where you'd dropped a letter in a word completely changing the meaning of that line; this mistake was hard enough to spot the first time but do you even remember making it so that you know to look for it now. If you are comparing files by size a change this small might not even change the BITES of the file let alone register at the KB level (which is what that column usually shows), you could compare the modified/created date but if your files have been "recovered" that data could be changed. You could do what I did prior to finding file comparison tools; print out the files and go word by word - or if you have those kind of friends, recruit people to help. It does work, I have several friends who can attest to it. We found such mistakes in two seemingly identical files of a script I wrote. But if it's more than a couple of files you're going to spend a lot of money on wasting paper, ink and time. So believe me when I say; finding a file comparison tool that's right for you is VITAL!

    I have played with several and I even have different programs to sort through image files and music files (my Doc folder wasn't the only victim of the Geek Squad screw up). One thing I encourage is if you can go free - do so, especially when trying out software. You also need to learn what works for you. A lot of the reason why there are so many programs that do the same thing out there has a lot to do with ascetics, as well as the little things. I personally am partial to a clean simple look when it comes to this kind of software. I also don't want to have to look at the comparison data myself to determine if they are identical - that's why I have the software right? The basics that you are looking for in a File comparison program are as follows:

• Compares several kinds of files (e.g. .doc, .xls, .html, .pdf)
• Compares the source and file names
• Compares the file size
• and most importantly Compares CONTENT! This can be your most useful tool down the line for many reasons including version control. (Which we will discuss in a different post)

    So let's look at what's out there.

• Compare It! 4.2

As I said before I use Compare It! this program has has a free trial version that works just fine, but you can also pay for the full version. I like because when it does find differences it shows them in a side by side view and highlights what and where the changes are. If the files are the same it says so in a nifty little box message at the completion of the comparison - so easy so you can just move forward. And after playing with several other

• WinMerge 2.12.4

This only works with Windows. It has the old Windows 95 look and feel. I'm holding out to try their WinMerge 3 which promises to be a significant improvement. But Apple/Mac users you're out of luck here. It seems to have a similar system as Compare It! (The OS X answer to this is FileMerge, I don't use Apple/Mac PCs so I can't comment on that program.)

• ExamDiff 1.9

This program is like Compare It! in that it has a free trial download and a Pro (paid) version. I downloaded the freeware version and it looks nice. What they don't tell you right off is that after a little bit the program will bug you every 15 minutes to upgrade to Pro this alone turns me off to the program. But if you don't mind the interruption this could be a good option for you. That being said the pro version looks very complete, if you are thinking of paying for your compare app this is a good contender along side Compare It!

• WinDiff

From what I've read about it; Don't Bother! But if you want to test it that's up to you.

• DiffDoc

The specs look great. And again it has the free trial and paid versions. Though I couldn't find the paid version to save my life. One of the bonuses to this program is that you can compare portions of files and customize what you do and don't want to ignore in searches. This tool looks to be really useful in helping with version control. It's not my favorite for plowing through large numbers of files though.

• CompareMyFiles.com

If you don't want to download a file comparison tool and you only have a few files to compare this online "service" seems to be your best bet.


    All the other programs I looked into were either 30 day trials or paid software. You are more than welcome to look into those if you wish. But then again you can also pay someone else to compare your files for you as well.

    If you want to do your own research on File comparison tools I suggest looking at this Wikipedia article and doing a Google or Bing Search. I also found this article but for most writers this is a little over the head.

    Good luck!

Projects - Progress and Goals 2.29.12

Today is leap-day. Tradition states do something you wouldn't normally do. Take a leap of faith. I think this year I'm just going to try to make it productive.


Accomplished Yesterday - 02/28/12

• Sorted through 809 files.
• Worked on File Comparison tools post.
• Worked on my Creative Writer's tools post.
• Updated some mistakes in the dates of posts.

Today's Goals - 02/29/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 2,652 files left in the most important folders to sort.

Projects - Goals 2.28.12

I have been so busy I have accomplished little the last few days but hopefully I will make up for it today.

Today's Goals - 02/28/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 3,461 files left in the most important folders to sort.
• Work on File Comparison tools post
• Work on my Creative Writer's tools post

Projects - Progress and Goals 2.24.12

Accomplished Yesterday - 02/23/12

• Completed my updated "About the Author" page.
• Worked on the File Comparison post - still not quite ready to publish it.
• Passed the halfway mark! Went through 315 files.

Today's Goals - 02/24/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 3,461 files left in the most important folders to sort.

Projects - Progress and Goals 2.23.12

Accomplished Yesterday - 02/22/12

• Worked on Pages for blogs.

Today's Goals - 02/23/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 3,776 files left in the most important folders to sort.
• Work on Pages for blogs. 

Projects - Progress and Goals 2.22.12

Accomplished Yesterday - 02/21/12

• Sorted 3,457 files! (160 files to reach halfway done!)
• Started on the Facebook page and setup email for Siren Society (Entertainment) which will be published once our act is together ... quite literally.
• Researched domain names for several projects.
• Finished Blog Page "Every Writer's Greatest Resource"
• Sorted 4,715 files into smaller folders for easier sorting.

Today's Goals - 02/22/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 3,776 files left in the most important folders to sort.
• Finish Post for "Spirit of the Moment"
• Work on Pages for blogs.

Projects - Progress and Goals 2.21.12

Accomplished Last week - 02/17-19/12

• Setup and began 6 future posts for "A Novelist Idea!" 
• Setup several pages for "A Novelist Idea!" will be publishing then at a later date as they are also articles.
• Set up templates for certain posts.

Today's Goals - 02/21/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 7,233 files in the most important folders to sort.
• Working on "[North] Pacific Siren Society" character back stories.
• Finish Post for "Spirit of the Moment"

Projects - Progress and Goals 2.17.12

Accomplished Yesterday - 02/16/12

• 3 blog post for "A Novelist Idea!"
• "Getting into the Groove"
• "Projects - Goals 2/16/12"
• And the first Process post; "Back It Up!"
• Finished the set up for my "Just So You Know" blog; though I got nothing published for it yet.
• Set up the mobile versions of this blog, "Just So You Know," "Spirit of the Moment," and my retired poetry blog - though that one was mostly for my own benefit.
• Updating Facebook Page - Personally I'm loving the new Timeline features.

Today's Goals - 02/17/12

• Continuing to whittle away at the 7,233 files in the most important folders to sort.
• Possible brainstorming for Time and Tides series.

Back It Up! **UPDATED** 2013, Nov 22nd

    This will be my first post about "Process." My friend Mary Wine, a talented romance author, made a comment on my Welcome post that got me thinking that this might make a very good subject to open the Process section of the blog.

"A backup drive is a must! It's amazing how often I need to go back to a book or submission I thought was way past dead"

    And she is thoroughly RIGHT! Today's technology makes it easier than it has ever been before for writers to keep track of all of their files; there is no excuse for not backing those files up, and regularly at that.

Projects - Goals 2.16.12

Today's Goals

• Finishing setting up my other new blog: "Just So You Know"
• Updating Facebook stuff as a way to help focus - Loving the new Timeline features. People really need to give it a try.
• Whittling away at the 7,233 files in the most important folders to sort.

 ~ Claire

Getting into the Groove

I spent several days thinking about what I wanted for this blog. I've decided that there will be several kinds of posts for this blog.

• Goal Posts - These are pretty much self explanatory. Goals for daily, weekly, short term, log term goals.
• Progress Posts - These post will most likely be fairly short and filled with technical details, mostly about editing or work progress statuses.
• Character Posts - Mostly for character ideas or epiphanies regarding characters or character development.
• Story Posts - Similar to the Character Posts but regarding Story ideas, Plots, Series ideas, or titles.
• Overview or Summary Posts - I will attempt to post one each month or at the completion of major projects.
• Process Posts - These posts will relate to the process of writing. More specifically my process, what works for me what doesn't as well as what I find works for others on a consistent basis.
• Random - Writing related but general in nature.

Hopefully this will foster a creative structure that is both informative and entertaining.

 ~ Claire

An Enchanted Welcome

    Welcome to my novel ideas blog.

    I started this blog to help track and share the progress of my novel writing. Also to help me get out of the editor mode and back into the creative and writing process.

    For almost the last year my writing efforts have been thwarted by the screw up of all of my files, thanks to the Geek Squad's incompetence in servicing my computer. The file sorting and clean up process is almost complete so hopefully I will be able to get back on track soon. 

    Currently my novel list has over 90 titles, with several minor series and two master series and several hundred characters. I will be talking about many of them in this blog. Good luck and I hope you enjoy sharing in my insanity.

          ~ Claire