This week: Tools of the Trade Edited by: Lilith 🎄 Christmas Cheer  
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"To gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard."
~ Allen Ginsberg
“All readers come to fiction as willing accomplices to your lies.
Such is the basic goodwill contract made the moment we pick up a work of fiction.”
~ Steve Almond
“It ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it.”
~ Jack Kerouac
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
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As writers, we all have our own list of favorite things that aid us in the process of turning letters into words, words into meaningful sentences, and sentences into remarkable stories. I know that I have my preferred items and habits. Thinking about those things sent me on a quest to find out what other writers might rely on and what just might work for me and others.
 Writing Applications
Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing — like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made of reeds or feathers. The act of writing has been a part of human culture from the days of chiseling stories onto the walls of caves and as we have evolved, so have our writing tools. In fact, the number of choices available when deciding which tools to use spoils today’s writers.
 Google Docs, Microsoft Word, etc.
Everyone knows about these and other various word processing programs. So, ‘nuff said about those.
Reedsy Book Editor
I didn’t know about this one until I started researching for this newsletter. Apparently this is a is a free, online word processor that formats your book as you write. It allows you to see your drafts automatically turned into a professional-looking, ready-to-publish manuscript. Who knows, maybe the glimpse of your story in ‘book format’ might inspire you to keep writing!
I haven’t tried it...yet. Therefore, I am unaware of the functionality or any limitations that may exist.
Scrivener
I use this one and I like it a lot! I purchased it a few years ago at a discounted rate through the NaNoWriMo site.I don’t know if it’s offered every year, but you can also find it here: Literature & Latte . It’s available for both Microsoft Windows and Apple.
What I love about this product is the organizational abilities it provides. The ‘corkboard’ function allows the user to pin notes in chronological order and move them around as needed. If you are a writer that enjoys outlining, this is a wonderful option.
I’ve seen Scrivener compared to a similar program called Ulysses. While both applications have similar functionality, Ulysses is good for bloggers, allowing integration with WordPress and Medium. I’ve also heard that Ulysses is simpler to use. Scrivener takes some getting used to; I’ll admit to that.
PS: Scrivener charges a one-time fee to download, while Ulysses charges the user yearly.
 Bookshelf Necessitates
Some people prefer to do everything online, which I agree can be very handy; especially if you are away from your usual writing spot. But, on the shelves above my desk there are a few books I keep on hand because I just enjoy looking stuff up ‘the old-fashioned way’ sometimes.
A good dictionary and thesaurus
You can’t beat a good dictionary or thesaurus. I am one of those people that enjoys browsing through the dictionary looking for unfamiliar words. Call me strange, but I’m sure many have done it at some point.
Miscellaneous Reference Books
The reference books you have on hand may be dictated by the genre you prefer to write in. But there are others that will be handy for most writers as we struggle to master certain aspects of the process. Here are a few that I have on hand:
The Writers Helping Writers Series by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman
Nine books in all and is really helpful. I was introduced to the series by Jim Hall  when I took one of his writing classes; Show, don’t Tell. Book 1: The Emotion Thesaurus is very helpful to those struggling to convey a character’s emotion without just saying, “Frank was scared.” Really, look into these!
Master Lists for Writers by Bryn Donovan
This book is a source of inspiration, I promise! There are lists for facial expressions, body language, plot ideas, character traits and quirks, backstory ideas, occupations, setting, etc. I just can’t list them all.
The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry
Are you a poet, want to be a poet, or just enjoy reading poetry? I highly recommend this book. It’s written in a language we can all understand and gives the aspiring poet the tools and confidence to write and understand poetry.
Grammarly and ProWritingAid
While not necessarily on my bookshelf, I highly recommend Grammarly and/or ProWritingAid. Both will help catch spelling errors and a variety of grammar and punctuation issues. Both have very good free versions.
Miscellaneous Items
Some odds and ends I keep around to fidget with while I thinking.
Magnetic Stones
I don’t know what they are really called, but they are smooth and magnetized. It’s fun to play with them and require nothing of me. While I am thinking about something, I can spin them around, rearrange them, etc. Nothing spectacular, they’re just magnets.
Magnetic Poetry Sets
I have 4 different sets of these, along with a metal board on my desk. If I am stuck and don’t know how to get started on a poem or story, these often inspire me. They help with ideas and are also great fun if you need a break. After my granddaughter’s visit, I often find some of the greatest sentences they leave for me to find.
Pens, Pencils, Paper
Even though I don’t handwrite out my stories or poetry, I always keep on hand my favorite writing utensils. I have a card file on my desk, composition notebook, legal pad, spiral notebook, etc. And that all serve their own unique purpose. Sometimes it’s important to just doodle too. Don’t underestimate the power of doodling!
Music
While I don’t always listen to music when I write, I have a playlist handy for the times I need one to block out other noises; whether those noises are in my head of the other room, lol. I prefer instrumental, classical, or soft jazz for writing. Otherwise, I start singing along and get distracted from writing. But to each their own.
Quotes and Notes
Anyone that knows a little about me knows that I love quotes. I have a wall near my desk with quotes hung as inspiration or that I just love. I also have little notes that my granddaughters have left for me.
There is one particular note that I have hanging, which sparked an interesting conversation with one of the girls a couple of year or so ago. The note is titled “MURDER”. Below that is a breakdown of the difference between writing a crime story and a suspense story. My granddaughter asked, “Mimi, why do you have that?”
I gently reminded her I enjoy writing stories. 
 Do you have favorite things or books that get you through the writing process? Tell me about it below in the "Ask & Answer" Section!
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| |  | Invalid Item
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| | | The Ranch (E)
Dave and Suzanne are expectant parents. Yet, Suzanne can not forget Justin.
#2306031 by tracker |
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#2305688 by Not Available. |
| | | Magic Lies (E)
Cort destroyed the world, Marissa lives in its ruin. Both are determined to restore it.
#2303888 by K. Ray  |
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Comments from my last Drama Newsletter titled: {tel:12247}:
Waltz Invictus  wrote:
An acronym that isn't one anymore is laser. Originally, it stood for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, but now it's a word. The verb form, "to lase," has nothing to do with my preferred downtime activity ("to laze,") and it was back-formed from the noun. The word was created to match the pattern of the earlier maser, where the M stood for microwave.
The primary difference is masers don't make very good cat toys.
QueenOwl ~ A New Day Dawns wrote:
Hi Lilli, Thank you so much for the subject of this newsletter. It is educational, interesting, and an eye-opener. So often we take for granted the meaning of unusual words as they become familiar in the printed pages. Let me tell you, I never knew what “Captcha” meant. It remained a quandary to my mind but I was too lazy to be bothered in finding out what it means. Great subject matter. I learned a thing or two from you today.
Santeven Quokklaus wrote:
Looking at these acronyms, there are a number of words that people claim are acronyms, but are not. The f-word you alluded to is one; it is not an acronym, but a Germanic word from a Latin base. A rule of thumb is if a word was coined before the eighteenth century, it's not an acronym. The religious right claimed the band name Kiss stood for "Knights in Satan's service", not chosen because Gene Simmons' sister liked the word.
You also missed SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). 
H❀pe wrote:
Loved these 'Acroymns disguised as words!'
And I have another to add to the list: Cabal. Meaning a conspiratorial group of plotters or intriguers. The CABAL ministry being a group of famous plotters during the English Restoration period. Namely: Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale, manipulating foreign affairs. |
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Drama: November 29, 2023 Issue [#12297]
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