Playing With Scriptito as a Chromebook Alternative to Scrivener

Wrote some, developed the story some, and looked for ways to organize the story more efficiently. I always get stuck at the organization part. It hinders and even halts my writing process.

I was hoping to just dive in and do some writing, but the story is becoming so multifaceted I didn't know where to jump in. Or how.

This is when I have typically been prone to putting off a story or just starting on a new idea. So investing time into some kind of organization system, while not time spent on the actual story, is time well spent.

The problem is my Chromebook, in a sense.

I have really come to love writing on it. It has become my preferred way for writing in general. I like the ease and simplicity. I can log on fast and get to work. It minimizing distraction for me. I even created a separate account within the Chromebook that is solely focused on writing. No other easily accessible web distractions (well, not AS easily accessible).

 One big drawback is not being able to use Scrivener, which I have only fairly recently discovered. No one can deny the utility. But there is no web version, and I cannot download the software onto the Chromebooks. So I've been looking for and experimenting with alternatives.

I just found what may be the best online alternative yet: Scriptito.

I've been playing around with it some, and I think it may be the tool I have been looking for. Still some kinks to work out.

I am liking it so far, but the jury is still out.

Mind Excavation, Wasted Ideas, Manuscript Goal, and the Writing Curse

Worked on my story some more this morning. No specific word count. I am still working out details, characters, relationship, conflicts, etc., to support and build on the parts of the story I've written so far. This may result in changes to what I've written, but that's why it's called revision.

And, as I work on the world building stuff, spurts of scenes and dialogue continue to emerge. It really is more like excavation than creation. Maybe that really is want the creation process is--mind excavation.

I am not sure how the pieces will fit together. But that, really, is part of the fun.

I was a little pissed off as I started to write this morning. Maybe pissed off is too strong. Miffed? Frustrated?

Anyway, I had a slew of ideas in the middle of the night a few days ago. I was going to jot them down, but I was concerned I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. I have been having troubles with waking up in the middle of the not and not being able to fall asleep, and it's been taking a toll. So I decided to go back to sleep.

The next day: busy. Didn't jot down notes. Next thing I know, it's the weekend, and I have pretty much all but lost those ideas.

I have to record those ideas right away from now on.

I still have not been able to write on a daily basis. I feel I am getting closer to the point of being able to. It's been another pretty hectically, crazy semester. It always is, and there is always something new.

Time to stop making excuses and instead create a plan that will allow me to write every day. EVERY DAY. No exceptions.

I have, at least, committed to this story, regardless of the outcome. My goal is to finish the manuscript by the end of the year. I think that is a reasonable goal.

Maybe not polished by then, but something I will be able to claim as a finished novel manuscript. That seems too far off.

One word at a time.

I would love for someone else to love it and then publish it. But writing really is a labor of love. I do it because I can't not. It's almost a curse.

Writing First Thing in the Morning: Creating More Time...Which is Somehow Never Enough

I wrote today. First thing this morning. 1823 words. That's quite a bit and more than I anticipated.

Once I get going, I can just keep going, as ideas and writing leads to more ideas and writing

I'm in an idea mode right now, working mostly on more background stuff, but also some dialogue interspersed.

I added some new elements, which I believe give more depth and background to the story. And provide ways to branch off and connect with some of my other proto-story ideas...as if they all exist within one universe.

I'm reminded of how Asimov combined his Robot and Foundations series. Stephen King tends to do that as well. It really kinda makes sense. All this stuff lives in our heads, which are, really, our own desperate  little realities we have constructed for ourselves.

I also went back and forth between ideas that had been germinating in another story. I felt it important to record those ideas. I have ideas all the time that I plan to jot down but never do...and then, of course, I loose those ideas.

But I also think they are still there...somewhere, banging around in mind, begging for expression, combining with other ideas.

I'm a very idea-driven person and writer, which has it's pros and cons. I can be too big and global and neglect the local and more nuanced, detail stuff that really makes scenes and characters come alive.

But I also believe I am getting better with the detail...and will continue to do so.

The best part of starting and finish writing so early is that...it's still early. I have a lot of things to do today. I got some things done yesterday, but I also felt it important to take it easy for once. I can't keep going and going.

I sort of wish I could have more time to myself this weekend, to get more things done and perhaps, get ahead for once. Easter...isn't particularly meaningful to me. But I do want it to be special for my boys. And I want them to have time with their cousins. We don't get to see them nearly as often as I would like.

Jim VS. Jim

This was a hell of a busy past two weeks--thank you very much, ex-wife, for your usual lack of help in raising our children.

I mean, I love them like crazy, and I would not under any circumstances have it any other way (in regards to the custody situation, that is), but that pace with no breaks for so long is really...hard (#lamedescription). And those two week stretches aren't exactly uncommon.

Although I am getting better at the whole single parent gig in general.

In some ways I'm even enjoying it. I feel my boys and I have come to a kind of Kramer VS. Kramer place: we've gotten past the trying-to-figure-out-how-to-make-this-divorce-thing-work phase and have progressed to a stable routine that has become...kinda beautiful and special (I couldn't find a video clip for the latter).

I've learned so much about being a dad...and a person. The situation, being solely responsible for two tiny people, forces me to be more conscious of everything I do and how it affects my boys (and others). There is no one else to share the load with. No time when I can take even a little break to collect myself. I am always out there in the open for those boys to see. Completely naked and vulnerable. And they watch, copy, and emulate me constantly. Everything I do is scrutinized.

I've learned trying to impose some kind of uber-self-control is impossible, unrealistic, and simply does not work.

To be more in control, I have to surrender control, surrender part of myself and just be more present and in the moment. Lean to enjoy the moment, regardless of the situation.

And that process also entails continuous, intentional practice. But it works. And through giving so much of myself to them, I have found this awesome part of myself that I did not know was there...that I like. And I think I have not liked myself for a while now.

I teach my boys new things every day. And I take such pleasure in helping them to expand, develop, grow...and watch them accomplish new things. It's so very exciting for all of us.

I, in turn, have also expanded, developed, and grown...so much more than I could have anticipated.

And while I am grateful for a break today, I already miss my boys, and I can't wait to see them tomorrow. We've become very close.

That being said, I still have a lot to learn.

And I'm still having difficulty keeping up with my writing. But I keep striving toward that goal.

And I will continue to do that. I will get there.

Sinuses and Alternate Realities...and Writing

Tired as hell. This cold is really kicking my ass. I hear the alluring call of a nap...and more Kleenex.

On hardcore good drugs. Legal ones. 

Writing has suffered this week. Big shock. 

But there has also been progress: I wrote a good deal on my tablet via my stylus...as if I was writing on notebook paper. Enjoyed it. And it worked well. AND I don't have to transcribe anything. 

I've been dying to get back to this blog...but now I just don't have anything to say.

The cold is sucking all my words into a black hole...filled with mucus. It's like a black hole/mucus cornucopia...if such a thing were possible. 

Maybe the physics from an alternate reality somehow converged in my sinuses. 

World Building: Both Fictional and...Non-Fictional

The plotting, background, and world building continues. Did some this morning. Did a lot yesterday throughout the day wherever I was at, including while waiting for an oil change, thanks to my trusty notebook.

I am feeling a need to write some scenes soon. I have to balance the outline with actual story writing. And the work week is coming, so my output will be limited...probably for a while, as the Easter Holiday season approaches.

But I will fit it what I can. And I do want to post daily blogs, even if they very short. My tablet will be very handy in that regard.

Time to get back to work. More things to get done before I pick up my boys. Been doing a lot to make this place more efficient for them and me.

And some more vitae to get out! Some excellent jobs I'm pretty excited about.

Bringing the Peripheral Back to the Forefront: A New Daily Fiction Writing Goal

I am making a shift in my writing habits. Since I have recommitted--once again--to writing more frequently, I figured I would rather put that time and energy into fiction.

It started a few days ago when, instead of writing a new blog post, I revisited the all but abandoned story I started for NaNoWriMo. I was fun getting back into it, and I liked the stuff I had previously written...love it when that happens.

I credit the Life Line for re-sparking my focus on writing (yet again). Writing begets more writing. And returning to my story got my gears spinning and writing juices flowing. I started carrying around a notebook to jot down ideas. And that night I dove into a book I bought a long time ago but never really cracked open: The 101 Habits of Successful Novelists. It's way better than I anticipated. Excellent advice from writing on a multitude of writing-related issues. It was also inspiring. The anecdotes about single parents who were able to create time to write in particular helped me to feel less woe as me and more I can totally do this!

**Aside: I also found a related PDF: The 25 Habits of Highly Successful Writers--now downloaded and saved (Google Drive win!)**

So far, I've continued with the trend, and I set a daily writing goal of 300 words--totally manageable--that will result in a novel manuscript in a year or less (I will often go well past that minimum, but especially during the busy work week, that achievable goal will allow me to keep in the story and keep at it). Breaking a novle down into achievable chunks is key and way less intimidating.

I also starting addressing where I always get stuck with my stories: structure. I needed an outline. At some point, I just have chunks of stories that become muddled and directionless.

This morning, I sketched the start of an outline, and it was pretty awesome and even kinda powerful. It was not at all and did not hamper the creative process, which accounted for my long held anti-outline stance. For me, it served to facilitate and expand the creative process. It forced me to think much more about characters and settings and scenes. As I dove more into the story outline, bits of scenes and dialogue surfaced, which I jotted down as I went. I worked through some interesting problems and issues too. Story outline win!

I wrote it all by hand. Another new discovery--or rather rediscovery. For me, writing with a pen and  and paper allows for more creativity. More accurately, a different kind of creativity than typing on a keyboard.

Organization is another issue I have struggles with, especially if I am composing on paper. It is all too easy to let your story become scattered. Especially for me. I am inherently disorganized. But I use a lot of tools to compensate for this. Why not apply the same to my stories? I fished out an old three ring binder and viola, instant organization.

Such a hindsight no-brainer. It is, of course, wrong, inaccurate, and unfair to blame my ex for, well, lots of things...and yet, so much at least seems more clear with her out of the picture. Well, less out of the picture anyway. She will probably always be a part of my life.

I also realized I do enjoy writing these blog and just getting my thoughts out there, even if no one reads it. It feels productive. And it's just good writing practice. I can dredge through all the monkey mind crap.

And...I just like writing and writing about writing. I always have. A shame I allowed it to become such a peripheral part of my life for so long.

Navigating Sick Kids, Single-Parenting, and Missing Work

I took yet another sick day today.

One of my boys woke up sick, so I needed to keep him home. At their age, convincing my other non-sick boy to go to day care can be a challenge. But I can deal with that. And it is really important to emphasize persistence and a diligent work ethic. I do not want to foster skipping school willy nilly. I want them to understand that missing a day as a big deal and only allowable when absolutely necessary. I want them to carry that same ethic into their eventual work lives.

One of the more difficult secrets of single-parenting is handling sick days. Day care is basically germ paradise, so sick days will happen. I do a pretty good job of keeping the germs at bay. But even so, I take a good deal--way more than if I didn't have kids. If you were an employer, which worker would you prefer?

With twins, if...when a viral cold strikes, they tend not to get it at the same time--so one will be sick for two to three days and then the other will catch it and be sick for another two to three days. This may translate to me missing a full  week of work. Yes that has happened, and will probably happen again in the future.

I am extremely fortunate to have an understanding boss who also happens to have kids around my age. This year, luck, in terms of the timing of colds--close to the weekend or holidays--also seemed to play a role.

I also have a good relationship with my boss, and I am pretty reliable in all other respects.

But bottom line: there is always the threat of pushing it too far. What if they get a really nasty cold that keeps me home longer?

When my wife and I were together, we had a nanny for this very reason. We were simply missing work too often due to the boys getting colds from day care. After we got the nanny, our boys practically never got sick.

Post-divorce, I can't afford a nanny, and I also felt it important for the boys to get more social interaction, as well as some of the educational benefits of day care.

So what about single parents with less understanding bosses? I would guess many loose jobs for this reason.

I am very luck in many regards. My boys are extremely healthy (knock on wood). I don't have to deal with chronic health or developmental issues. I'm not even sure what I would do if I did.

It's looking like I will have to keep my boy home again tomorrow. I do have some other resources and a social support networks to tap into. They are minimal but there.

Like I said, I am among the more fortunate single parents...

Checking Your Phone in the Middle of the Night = Sleep Deprivation

Woke up entirely too early today. A bad habit of mine: I wake up in the middle of the night for...whatever reason, check the time on my phone, and then I'll sometime check out an email or look up the weather. Something stupid that is not particular pertinent at such an hour. And once you start down the dark...fiddling with your phone path, forever will it dominate your destiny.

Checking things on my phone begets more checking of more things on my phone. I then find myself unable to fall asleep, planning my day, and thinking of all the things I need to get done.

I am even aware of this issue. In the midst of phone fiddling, a part of me is telling myself to stop before it's too late, before I will be unable to fall back asleep. Another part of my is insisting I check my calendar and then read the interesting article linked to a periodical I subscribe too.

And viola, I am awake. I'm tired, exhausted even. But awake.

Thusly and therefore: this habit is incompatible with my productivity goals. It's a habit I need to change. And I need a plan.

The plan will be something like: do not check your phone until the moment you plan to wake up. Sooo...I need a more precise wake up time. While I tend to get up early, the time varies. I need to establish a set morning wake up time and stick to that--and not try to wake up earlier to get stuff done.

Inter-connectivity: my morning plan is inexorably connected to my evening and bed time plan. I need to create a schedule and systematize these things...while also allowing for flexibility.

My night plan is intertwined in my work productivity, which is intertwined with this and that and everything else.

One step at a time. Phone usage at night. I'll start there