As an author, we have our go-to routine to get our final project to the readers. For writing my novels, I keep it simple. First, hot tea…IT IS A MUST…to calm my spirit, clear my mind, and spread warmth throughout my body. Then I turn on Spotify. It allows me to create a playlist for each of my stories. At the end of the process, sometimes I will share that playlist with my readers. My hope is that while reading the story they will have the music playing in the background or even add some of their own songs to enhance the experience.
Once that is accomplished, it’s my iMac. Yes, I am an Apple girl. I do have a PC that I use at night if I’m not in my office. However, my MAC is my world. To get started writing, I pull up Scrivener. I love this software. It organizes my work, gives me a place to store my research, organizes the development of my characters, and keeps me on deadline goals with a daily word or page count tools. The statistics it gives me on my writing helps with the planning for future novels or projects. The best function, as if the above mention tools are not enough, when I finish my document, my editors have touched it with their magic, Scrivener will compile it into a Kindle book, eBook, PDF, or Word document. My book is ready to publish.
If I’m working on a script, I use Scrivener to organize and Celtx to format. Allow me to explain. As stated before, Scrivener’s time management tool helps with my production goals. It tracks my daily writing to keep me on track to complete my project on time. If I am writing a script for myself or without deadlines, I use Celtx. Celtx formats my scripts with no headache at all. This is my cruise through a script tool. If I am writing a script for another author, will use Scrivener to keep me on deadline to ensure I get the final script back to the author within the agreed timeframe. Next, I drop that script into Scenechronize, which breaks that script down into all the departments I or the author need for production.
Spotify is my mood setter. When I began a project I put together a playlist to fit the characters and storyline. More songs are added while writing the story, then at the end, I will share the playlist with my readers, giving them the chance to add songs also.
One last tool…and I am going to ask that you reframe from laughing. I have a giant coloring book with crayons and a coloring app. Here’s what it does for me. Coloring frees my mind. It allows me to think through the plot of my story, or to discover a flaw in one of my characters, or develop their family dynamics.
These are my basic tools to produce stories that will entice your mind. Ues the all, or a combination of some, but find what works for you.
Until the next time,
Iris