While adding a completely silly feature (background images for full screen mode), I came across an annoying bug that wouldn’t let you see the menu in full screen mode more than once.
So, fixed the bug, added the silly feature, fixed a couple other theme related issues, and here you are. A new release only one day later with two… TWO new features (you can also align the text area left, center, and right in full screen mode, now).
Here’s the latest update. It fixes quite a few things and adds shortcut keys for typographer quotes (smart quotes) that, if you need them, will help you put the right quote in the right spot. The current best algorithm for SmartQuotes has two flaws (Microsoft Word has them, too) in that it will not get a leading apostrophe correct, nor will it get the left single quote correct if it follows a double quote. ( “‘ )
Use the shortcut key’s to work around those two problems. They will not be replaced on export, so they will always be the right ones. If you do not plan to export with typographer quotes (if you are planning on sending your work to a publisher, for instance) don’t use them.
Also, don’t forget the coupon code for this weekend that will let you have 30% off your purchase!
In honor of my birthday, I’ve decided to provide some coupons for you!
First, Shattered. 30% off. Use the coupon code PF28A at Smashwords where you can get the eBook for just about any device.
Second, StoryBox. 30% off. Use the coupon code HappyBirthdayMark from here.
And, since Sunday is Mother’s Day, you can use either coupon through the 8th of May!
Or, more accurately, a “proposal” for A Wizard’s Work Book Two. What? A proposal?
One of the things I enjoyed about the Marketing Workshop I went to at the end of March was how writing a proposal forced me to consider the whole story. While I don’t need to write proposals for my books, the exercise of writing it allows me to think through the whole thing, and perhaps find a theme, characters, setting, and the major plot points before writing the story.
A proposal will also help me decide if that particular version of the story is worth writing, or if I should “try again” and see what comes out. During the workshop, on a couple days, we had to write different versions of the same proposal. This ended up showing to me the opportunities for creating multiple stories out of the same idea, allowing me to choose the best one to spend months of effort on.
I don’t know if this particular proposal will be the basis of the book, but I’m already sure writing it was a useful exercise.
So the proof arrived today, and I love it. It looks great. I have to read through it and make sure, once again, that I didn’t screw anything up, but on quick looks, I don’t see anything obvious. Days. Only days.
I made some decent progress on Questioner’s Shadow today. It may not really look like much, but I cut a few hundred words before tacking on new ones.
I’ve had a couple issues with making progress on it. First, the workshop interrupted it. I’d hoped to have it done before the workshop, but couldn’t make that happen. Then, when I came back, I had Shattered to get out the door. I’m going to need to do some better planning around the publishing part. I really can’t seem to edit one book and write on another at the same time. Or maybe it was just hangover from the workshop. I have no idea.
Eventually, I realized I’d left it in a spot that would have been difficult to get through if I hadn’t interrupted the work on it. I feared being able to do the scene justice (I still do). But in the absence, that fear had grown debilitating. So last night, while lying in bed, I told myself, “Mark, you are going to write something on QS tomorrow, even if it’s crap.”
So I did. And I think it’s better than crap, which is a bonus.
Now, the current plan is to finish Questioner’s Shadow, and then immediately get to work on Fragments, the second book in A Wizard’s Work.
I am going to make the attempt to edit QS while writing Fragments, but if push comes to shove, the edits will wait until the first draft of Fragments is complete. I’m not going to interrupt a draft in the middle again, if I can help it.