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Posted on 4 June 2018
In Scrivener

Show no one the first draft! So, I have a first draft and once the initial writing process is complete and I've looked at the structure of my novel, and I'm relatively happy with what's there, then the editing starts for real. But, where do I start? Here's my strategy. It might work for you. (Obviously, I'm applying my RedPen cycle, and this is Step 4: Study the content.) Reading the first draft aloud Working through,...

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Posted on 28 May 2018
In Scrivener

Seeing balance through colour patterns I've used colour for the icons of my documents (my scenes) so that I can see the pattern of locations - my chosen metadata use of the Label field - within each chapter. This is the pattern of locations within my Chapter 1. How to include the Location (Label field) in the Outliner view Just below the Folder title, the column headings appear. Right-click anywhere in the column headings area and a...

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Posted on 25 May 2018
In Scrivener

Welcome, Susan Jagannath! My guest today is Susan Jagannath, a fellow student at the Self Publishing School, who is passionate about writing about her passion: trekking. Susan self-published her first book The Camino Ingles in August 2016 and her second, Chasing Himalayan Dreams was launched on 13 May 2018. Both are available on Amazon in the UK and in the USA, and her new book is free on 28/29 May: next Monday and...

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Posted on 21 May 2018
In Scrivener

Step 7: Structure and Balance I've reached the stage where I've done enough scene splitting, allocating titles, writing scene synopses, and assigning metadata for Label and Status, that I am itching to start creating chapters so that I can address step 7 of the RedPen Editing cycle: Structure and balance. Creating chapters already? What happened to steps 5 and 6? Well spotted! In a previous post, I reached step 4 (Study the content) and that...

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Posted on 18 May 2018
In Guest blogpost, Scrivener

My guest today is Lauren Lee Merewether A fellow student at the Self Publishing School and an avid participant in its sister school, Self-Publishing School - Fundamentals of Fiction. On 22 May, Lauren is launching her latest historical fiction book Salvation in the Sun, the first book in the series, The Lost Pharaoh Chronicles. It's on sale at Amazon US for $1.34 and at Amazon UK for 99p. However, it is free for two days:...

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Posted on 7 May 2018
In Scrivener

Status field to the rescue In the past fortnight, I've continued to work through my NaNo novel, Aide Memoire, completing the tasks I set myself (and you!) in the post published on 16 April: Scrivener: The Editor's tool. I've had to break several longer documents into separate scenes and, in doing so, I've spotted scenes (already!) that I need to write, to fill gaps or expand on an event. Knowing which documents need working on...

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Posted on 30 April 2018
In Scrivener

Location, location, location It's up to you what data you assign to the Label field. I quite often use it for POV (point of view). With my 2012 NaNo novel Aide Memoire, though, there is only one POV so I'm using the Label field for the location of each scene. Setting up the Label field When you start a new project, the default settings for the Label field are Idea, Notes, Character Notes, Chapter, and...

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Posted on 23 April 2018
In Scrivener

Metadata: Data about data A novel is a complex structure, not just a series of chapters broken into scenes, but a carefully woven plait of events and conversations, with interconnected themes, plots subplotslots, enacted by a cast of characters each of whom changes over time. Scrivener scores 10 out of 10 in providing metadata features that can simultaneously track the separate strands of the tale,  measure progress and allow the writer to...

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Posted on 16 April 2018
In RedPen, Scrivener

Are you ready to edit? It's over four months since NaNoWriMo 2017 ended and I'm now feeling I have enough distance from that month of frenzied creative output to start editing. To put down my pen and pick up my editor's tool. Of course, whenever I embark on an editing challenge, I apply the techniques of EDITING The RedPen Way, and I already can tick off steps 1, 2 and 3 for...

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