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Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.

African proverb (via fyp-philosophy)

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Oakland Tribune, California, April 28, 1935

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Connections between unconnected things are the unreal reality of poetry.

Susan Howe, from My Emily Dickinson (North Atlantic Books, 1985)

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You Aren’t Boring I Just Suck At Conversations I’m Sorry: a novel by me

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Writer’s Toolbox

This week in a conversation with my fellow MA students about the upcoming hellmonth of term papers and preliminary dissertation research I realized that a lot of the apps and tools and Chrome extensions I use for writing, research, and productivity aren’t necessarily common knowledge. So here, for anyone who wants it, is a collection of writer tools. Feel free to reblog and add your own.

Productivity

Momentum: Chrome extension that helps organize your daily goals

Strict Workflow: Chrome extension based on the Pomodoro Technique; blocks social media to keep you focused when working online

Pacemaker: highly customizable tool which helps you form a plan of attack for various drafts, projects, rewriters, etc.

f.lux: freeware which gradually adjusts the colors on your computer screen to make working after dark easier on the eyes

Coffitivity: app and website which provides ambient background noise to fake that coffee-shop feeling and keep you focused

WriteChain: app which reminds/motivates you to write every day

Outlining & Word Processing

iMindMap: mind-mapping software

Scrivener: word processor designed for writers (who also happen to be Mac users; seriously if you’re on a PC don’t bother)

Evernote: online workspace which can be synced to your laptop and smartphone 

Final Draft: script and screenwriting software that does the formatting for you

Celtx: the free version of Final Draft

LitLift: online outlinging tool and way to keep track of all your projects

Names & World-Building

AutoRealm: free mapmaking software; there’s a learning curve but it’s not rocket science

SketchUp: 3D modeling software that helps you create imaginary buildings and keep them consistent

Google Earth: great for working in real-world locations

Stellarium: lets you get a real-time look at the night sky in any location on Earth

Ambient Mixer: free tool for creating custom soundscapes; or you can listen to soundscapes other people have already made

City and Town Name Generator: a lot of great resources here for fantasy/RPG writes but this provides examples of real-world place names based on geographic data

Ever-Changing Book of Names: freeware which creates random names, also based on geographic data; geared toward fantasy but extra sets can be downloaded individually

Names by Decade: US census data of popular baby names by decade

Lit Agents & Query Letters

QueryShark: blog run by ruthless lit agent Janet Reid who will teach you how to write a query letter, and how not to

QueryTracker: online directory of lit agents and agencies

Writer’s Marketplace: the paper version of QueryTracker

#mswishlist: agents open to queries and what they’re looking for

MSWL: a more organized website which keeps track of the above hashtag

Other

Calibre: free software which lets you create your own ebooks; a great way to read later drafts and look for errors on the go

Mendeley: a great way to organize research and resources if you don’t want to pay for Scrivener

timeanddate.com: calendars for any book you might be writing that takes place in recent history; also provides solar/lunar info

Dropbox: document storage so you don’t literally lose your shit

This is a very short list and I will probably expand it as other tools and tricks I use on a regular basis occur to me. But in the meantime, I hope this is useful to other writers (and grad students) out there. 

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Almost every woman I have ever met has a secret belief that she is just on the edge of madness, that there is some deep, crazy part within her, that she must be on guard constantly against ‘losing control’ — of her temper, of her appetite, of her sexuality, of her feelings, of her ambition, of her secret fantasies, of her mind.

Elana Dykewomon, “Notes for a Magazine,” Sinister Wisdom #36 (Winter 1988/89)

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Because when something happens, she’s the person I want to tell. The most basic indicator of love.

David Levithan, Every Day (via bookmania)

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drag race meme - eight outfits

7/8 - Violet’s season 8′s coronation look

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by  afadingsummer

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