One day I will love using Scrivener

I heard the learning curve was steep and yes, it is! I’ve read the manuals and watched a lot of how-to videos on youtube and still can’t get it to compile my ms the way I want it as an ebook. What I’m trying to do is add the acknowledgements as a separate page, run the rest of the chapters together in one long doc separated by chapter headings, AND have the chapters listed on the TOC page. I can do one or two, but not all three.

I’m probably missing an obvious tweak in the compile options.

The other thing that’s driving me nuts is an unformatted line break that randomly occurs in blocks of text when I compile as an ebook. It’s not in my original doc & rtf files and doesn’t appear when I compile as a paperback.

I need help.

Letting go is hard

Gah! I have to change the name of a key character in Anthra’s Moon. Her name is Alys. In the possessive, it’s Alys’s. I don’t like the look of it on the page and stumble over it when I read it out loud.

I’m fiddling with a list of names to replace Alys: Ava, Aviana, Lira, Lyra, Lara, Larra? Once I change it another name might be affected, so I’ll have to consider changing that name, too. This could go on forever.

I’m fiddling because letting go is hard. My story soon will be out in the world, all alone without me to protect it. I think that’s why the advice to start the next project right away is valuable. We need something to do while our progeny is out there, flying sightless into the arms of strangers. Who we hope will be kind.

Scrivener, my preciousss

Scrivener not only looks like a great app for composing and organizing any writing project, but also will compile a manuscript into whatever format is required for an ebook, a paperback, screenplay, etc. An essential tool for self-publishing.

I’ve watched a few videos on youtube and think the hardest part of using this program will be learning to write without the clunky workarounds I’ve created using my current writing software.

On mute

Somehow between yesterday and last night, I contracted laryngitis. I woke up several times in the night because it hurt too much to swallow.

Today, my whisper is stronger than my speaking voice. My voice sounds faint, like a tiny moth caught in velvet curtains. I squeal when I ask a question, like Minnie Mouse on helium.

This is not a bad thing. I’m watching instead of talking through every moment. I see the small kindnesses my husband continually makes, I understand that the yelp from our new puppy is an excited question instead of a demand. He’s never been on a road trip before and doesn’t understand why his crate is being put into the back of the car.