Dropbox: New Favorite Writing Tool for the Writer on the Move

My writing discovery of the month is a little tool called Dropbox. Dropbox is a tool that automatically syncs files stored in the Dropbox folder (on your computer) with the Dropbox server. It’s not just an online backup tool, though: the magic of Dropbox is that you can access—and edit—these files from numerous computers.

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Challenge Check-In

Holy cow, is it really week 7 of this end-of-year challenge? Even cooler, I discovered that I am not alone in my goal to make changes before the New Year. My friend Yat-Yee writes about her one-month “pre-resolutions” in her blog (yes, I’m a little behind in my blog reading…), and apparently there’s an entire Pre-Resolution movement initiated by The Rejectionist on her blog. I’m so happy (and encouraged) to discover other writers sharing the craziness! Gotta love the Internet :).

I last reported on MY progress at the start of week 3, when I got sidetracked by a nasty cold/bronchitis that knocked me out for a week and a half. Developing an exercise habit, though, seems to be a bit like writing a book: you just keep whittling away at it, and eventually you start to see progress.

So…I won’t bore you with details, but once I’d kicked that cold’s butt, I was able to continue my exercise plan and I’m back to exercising 20+ minutes at least six days a week. I’m also deadlifting 55 pounds, which isn’t nearly as much as my amazing kid sister, but it’s enough to make me feel a bit like superwoman.

Will I be Ms. Fitness by the year’s end? No…but that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to establish the habit, and so far, I’m pretty darned happy with my progress. I’m also happy because when I start to lose rewriting steam, I take a break to exercise, which always recharges me for writing.

Not that I value everything in life by its impact on writing, but it’s a definite perk :).

Hmm…I think maybe I’ll try deadlifting 65 pounds tomorrow. I’m feeling strong!

:) Cheryl

More gifts you can write

This is a continuation of Monday’s post on gifts writers can create. Lest you think huge projects are the only possibilities, here are some less time-consuming endeavors to round out your gift-giving plans.

• Coupon book: Yep, you’ve probably heard this idea before, but oldies can still be goodies…and who better to come up with a collection of interesting coupons than a creative writer? Print or handwrite coupons for hugs, brownies, moonlit meanders, proofreading services, dog sitting, kisses—you’re limited only by your imagination!

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Gifts you can write: picture books

Last week I wrote about giving the gift of words this Christmas—especially to those hard-to-buy-for people in your life. And now, dear readers, it seems you want some specifics. Interested in creating a gift of words for someone special this year? Read on for picture book ideas…other sorts of writing-related gifts later this week.

Picture Books

WAIT! Don’t skip this section! Sure, writing and illustrating a picture book in time for Christmas sounds like a colossal task, but it doesn’t have to be.

Any number of traditional picture book types can be personalized for your particular young reader.

• ABC books
• “About Me” and “About My Family” stories
• Going to bed books
• “I love you more than…” books

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Thursday’s thing to love about being a writer

Have you noticed that as people get older, it becomes more difficult to buy  presents for them? Maybe it’s because, as grown-ups, we have more freedom to go out and obtain the things we really want; or maybe it’s because, as we get older, the things we want become more expensive. Whatever the reason, I find that it’s much more difficult to find the perfect gift for my parents, sister, brother, in-laws, and spouse than it is to find gifts for their kids.

What’s this have to do with being a writer? It’s this: as writers, we have the ability to craft gifts of words, gifts that no one can buy for themselves.

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Editing, editing, editing!

Is it a sign of too much rewriting and editing when you start to look at the whole world that way? Take the hat pictured to the left: normally, I would consider this a fine hat. Beautiful yarn, soft texture, bright colors…. but after weeks of nonstop thinking about character, voice, writing style, and audience, I found myself viewing this finished project with editing-type questions. Does this pattern display the yarn’s colorway to its best effect? Have I created the best texture for the piece? Will the audience love this hat, or would a different color emphasis be better?

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Make Every Character Count

I’ve been re-reading some of my favorite books (my favorite form of writing inspiration) as I rewrite my own, and I’ve been struck by the attention authors give to secondary characters.

For instance, in Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty (a Victorian fantasy about a young woman discovering her dangerous magic ability at boarding school—minor spoiler alert), each of the girls has her own fears and desires that come out in the course of the story.

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