3 Chrome Extensions To Help You Write Better

By | October 15, 2011 | 1 Comment

chrome writing - introWith a show of hands, how many people think they suck at writing? Everyone is insecure about what they write. The truth of it is, you learn as you go. Sure, you can go to school and learn the proper way to write, but it’s like math. Once you know the basics, you will rely on outside help to make you seem like you know what you are doing.

All of the below links are to Google Chrome apps and extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Many applications like MS Word or Open Office have some of these features built in, but not everyone used those apps to write. And if you are using a web-based word processor/ text editor application, you may not have any of them.
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Distraction Free Writing With WriteRoom For Mac

By | September 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

writeroom-for-mac-iconMany of us old enough to remember the widespread adoption of home computing began using Macs due to their superior word processing capabilities, but as our machines have become ever more powerful, they have took on other roles too, for entertainment, music and communication. Our newly connected post-Internet world brings with it unparalleled opportunities to seek knowledge and discuss ideas but at times it can all be a little too much information to take in at once.

Minimalist writing applications such as WriteRoom seek to close off the outside world, at least temporarily, and provide an immersive environment in order to get back to basics and concentrate on one thing – writing. Let’s take a closer look at WriteRoom alongside a couple of similar apps and discuss whether they may complement your workflow.
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XMind: A Cross-platform Mind-mapping Solution

By | March 8, 2010 |

XMind splash screen

The human mind can be a beautiful thing. Great human minds have constructed towering structures, synthesized cures for diseases, and created works of art that inspire millions with hope and compassion. But even the best of minds need a little help, and often times, the more a person has floating around in his/her mind, the more likely it is to become a jumbled mess.

Mind-mapping is a way to organize one’s thoughts before taking action. One excellent free and open source mind-mappoing solution is XMind. Whether you need to brainstorm, create an outline, or even design an organizational chart, XMind is the perfect tool for the job.
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How to Layout a Book with OpenOffice.org: Part 3

By | July 27, 2009 |

Inserting an imageIn this final part of our series on laying out a book with OpenOffice.org, you will learn how to position illustrations in your book, how to use paragraph styles, and how to export in different formats. What you will take away from this is one method that has worked for me and many other people. At the end of this post, I will provide links for further study on the subject.

Illustrations

To insert an image in OpenOffice Writer, simply click “Insert->Picture->From File“.  Then, select the image that you want, and click OK.

By default, the text will wrap around  your picture. If you do not want this or want a different type of wrapping, right click on the picture and choose the appropriate wrap method from the wrap menu.
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How to Layout a Book with OpenOffice.org: Part 2

By | July 20, 2009 |

ooo_writerIn the first part of this series, I explained how to prepare an OpenOffice.org document for book layout. In this second part, I am going to highlight some key points raised by some of our readers and also how to properly align page numbers and format paragraphs.

There are a couple of things you should consider before proceeding:

1. If you are submitting your book to a publisher, they normally do not expect you to format the book or do any typesetting. That is their job. They just want the raw manuscript. In some cases, they may even insist that you use a particular generic font and not change default margins. Make sure you read their submission guidelines.

2. One of our readers mentioned that he usually formats his books after he finishes writing. This is undoubtedly the best method in most cases. What we created in Part 1 was a basic template that you can use without any further formatting needed before you start writing. Furthermore, if you are working for the publisher or are the publisher, the author might be someone else. In that case, you will take his or her text and prepare it.
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How to Layout a Book with OpenOffice.org: Part 1

By | July 13, 2009 |

ooo_writerIt is all in your head: the plot, the characters, the locations, and even the scenes, but for some reason, staring at the blank page and blinking cursor makes you freeze. You like the idea of writing a book but cannot imagine actually completing it. If that feeling sounds familiar, then this might be the right article for you.  Even if you have written a book and have it all ready to go, you may intend to self-publish it, start your own publishing company, send it to an editor, or just layout your book so you can see how it looks.

There is a long list of reasons why you might need to prepare an OpenOffice.org document in book form, and once you have learned how to do it, you will have a useful skill that you or people you know may need in the future. You can use this method for both print publications and e-books.
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