paper graffiti

On Saturday night I upgraded my trusty eeePC to the newest version of Ubuntu, Hardy Heron. I had managed to mess up my installation of Gutsy Gibbon due to a software update gone awry (long story), so I decided to take the plunge and do a clean install of the new OS. I can’t have the eeePC not performing its best due to my manufactured software problems if I’m going to use it to write!

I have to say, the people behind Ubuntu Linux really know what they’re doing. They make installing the operating system as easy as possible. One thing I really appreciate is the redesign of the dialog windows during installation of Hardy Heron, because they are now able to fit perfectly on the tiny eeePC screen. When I installed Gutsy Gibbon, they were too large and I could not easily view some settings, which made installation a bit of a pain. It may seem like a little thing, but the fact that the windows were resized made me really happy.

Once I got it installed, I had to follow some tweaks on the eeeuser wiki to get the wireless and a few other features on the eeePC to work properly under Ubuntu. I had to do this for my install of Gutsy Gibbon as well, and the instructions laid out on the wiki are very easy to follow. I was nervous the first time around, but making the tweaks for this second install was a piece of cake.

Finally, I got to what I think is the exciting part–once everything was reinstalled and configured, I started my uninstall/install/tweaking process. For some reason I find it fun to start with a clean slate and get everything tweaked just the way I liked it. I uninstalled some stock things like Evolution (mail/calendar), a CD ripper, and a CD/DVD burner–I’m not going to use the CD/DVD programs, and I prefer Thunderbird for my email. Then I installed my personal essentials for writing and beyond that aren’t included with Ubuntu–Mail Notification, Writer’s Tools, Thunderbird, VLC, Gnome-Do, BasKet Note Pads, Java, the Flash plugin, and a bunch of Firefox extensions like Tiny Menu, del.icio.us, Adblock Plus, and Colorzilla.

I find that Hardy Heron is very snappy and responsive on the eeePC. Even though my eeePC only has a 900Mhz Celeron processor (clocked down to 630Mhz for battery longevity) and a modestly beefy 2GB of RAM installed, Ubuntu does not lock up on me or cause problems when I am using it for the basics–writing, research, web surfing, email. I am sure I could tax it out and freeze it up doing things like tons of graphic work, programming, etc., but that’s not really what it’s meant for.

I love having Ubuntu practically in my pocket with this ultra-portable sub-notebook. I sound like an eee(PC)vangelist, but I can’t help it! This is the best machine for me to carry around and use for writing. I know many writers live and die by their Alphasmarts, but give me the eeePC any day! Thanks for another great release, Ubuntu, I’m hooked!

Word Counts - Today: 200 | May: 4,473 | 2008: 4,473

I posted earlier this week about the great extension for OpenOffice that I am using, Writer’s Tools. It is a great swiss army knife for any writer. But I know there are a lot more great tools and sites out there, so I thought I’d share some of my recent bookmarks and favorites with you.

1. StorYBook is an open source software program for creative writers that helps keep track of chronology, plot points, and more. It looks a little bit like a mashup between Scrivener and SuperNotecard to me, but I’ll know more after I check it out. Sadly I did not bring my eeePC with me this morning, so I will have to test it when I get home tonight.

2. Evernote is quickly becoming one of the most useful tools in my arsenal. It is a notetaking and organizing program that allows you to create “notebooks” of information that become a part of your larger database. I love how easy it is to clip entire web pages to Evernote! I have a bookmarklet for the web app and an “Add to Evernote” button for the desktop app. It has a very powerful search function that can even search within photographs–Evernote features some robust OCR under the hood that can translate your handwriting, a whiteboard drawing, or even a wine label to searchable text. There are desktop applications for both Windows and Mac, a web application accessible via any browser, and a mobile application that I use on my Windows Mobile phone. It has been especially nice when something on a story occurs to me just before I’m going to sleep. I fire up Evernote on my phone, jot down the details, and sync it with my Evernote account. It is currently in Beta, and I have some Beta invites if anyone is interested in checking it out.

3. Gnomebox is the home of two WordPress plugins that I am really enjoying: Writing Projects and Daily Word Count. The author of the plugins has just recently installed WP 2.5 so he can continue developing the plugins even more. I use Daily Word Count to input my counts for the day (and display them for accountability purposes!) and I use Writing Projects to input the information on my novels and display the progress meters in my sidebar. The plugins are very flexible and even work together–anything you enter into Daily Word Count can update the related project in Writing Projects! I’m hoping they’ll get widgetized in future releases for even easier integration into my blog.

4. Aviary is an up and coming suite of web-based applications specifically targeted at creative people. It features a wide range of apps all named after different birds. It appeals to all sorts of artists with things like an image editor, pattern maker, font editor, creative writing word processor, audio editing and recording, and even a video editor. Some of the apps will also be able to be downloaded to your desktop and run via Adobe AIR. It’s in closed beta right now, but I was lucky enough to receive an invite from a friend last night.

5. Six Sentences is a unique literary blog that features stories written with one caveat–they must be only six sentences long. It’s really interesting to see how differently people write with a set number of sentences–some are truly brief, and others seem to stretch on for half a page. It really pushes the boundaries of creativity and ingenuity, much like Twitter does with the 140 character limit. I just submitted my first entry, so here’s hoping they like it. Robert McEvily, the man behind SS, also just published 6S - Volume 1, a collection of six sentence flash fiction. Check out the site–and the book–for a good dose of inspiration!

Word Counts - Today: 0 | May: 4,173 | 2008: 4,173

I’ve got another post up at the awesome site CultureFeast! This time I’m rambling about my favorite boys on ice, the incredibly talented Dallas Stars. They’re set to kick off the Conference Finals tonight against the Red Wings in Detroit, so tune in at 6:30 PM on Versus to cheer them on, and check out my blog post!

I Believe in the Dallas Stars on CultureFeast

Word Counts - Today: 542 | May: 4,173 | 2008: 4,173

Today feels really good–not only did I make and exceed a goal of 2000 words written on my novel tonight, but I also cranked out a 650 guest blog for a site I contribute to and worked on some of my own blogs.

I love watching my word count go up and the percentage complete rise on my progress graph! This project may end up way over 50,000 words, but that’s my target wordcount. I can’t wait to write more tomorrow!

Word Counts - Today: 2,026 | May: 3,631 | 2008: 3,631

When I first got my eeePC, I wanted to get it all set up with the proper software so that I could use it as my portable writing workhorse. After I installed Ubuntu, I set about getting my GMail IMAP set up in Thunderbird and then started saving all my works in progress from Google Docs to the 8GB SDHC card I use in the eeePC for storage. Then, the real work began.

On the Mac platform, I have become fond of a few different utilities that I use when I’m writing. I have a handful of timer programs that I use for keeping myself on track (I like Minuteur the most, because it’s simple), and most often I use Scrivener on the Mac to write because I absolutely love the way it is set up.  Well, there really isn’t a full answer to Scrivener on Linux, so I decided to look for a few programs to compliment Open Office.

I decided to search the Technology forum on the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) forums, because people are always posting about what they’re using to write.  In my search, I discovered an extension for Open Office called Writer’s Tools, created and maintained by Dmitri Popov.  I was pretty excited–I hadn’t even realized that Open Office had extensions, much like Firefox or Thunderbird.  The more I read about the tool, the more excited I got.  I suspected it would be the perfect tool for me, and I was right.

Writer’s Tools adds a great feature set to Open Office.  When you install it, it adds a context menu along the top of your Open Office window–it feels totally seamless.  It features things like a lookup tool, translation tool, mapping tool, multiple backup options, writing and word games to make you think when you get stuck, a timer, an internal wiki, a database for your project, a to-do list, an app launcher, a document converter, and more!  It really is like a Swiss Army knife for writers.

The feature set I love the most has to be the powerful set of backup choices.  Over the years, I have learned the hard way that technology is not as infallible as I want it to be.  I still remember the sick feeling of dread when my college laptop ate my big bibliography project off the hard drive, corrupted my 3.5″ floppy backup, and screwed me into getting a C on the project.  Multiple backups are KEY.  I utilize the backup features in Writer’s Tools every single day when I write.

I use the Remote Backup to send a copy straight to a folder on my personal FTP.  When you select Remote Backup from the Writer’s Tools menu, you can either type the FTP information in manually every time, or you can edit the Macro for Writer’s Tools to automatically populate your FTP information.  Then, you just have to click OK and wait for the completion message.

I use the Email Backup to send a copy straight to my GMail account.  I have a filter set up for items sent to myemailaddress+writing@gmail.com.  When items like that hit my Inbox, they are automatically starred, archived in All Mail as read, and labeled with “writing” in GMail.  I can easily access all previously uploaded drafts simply by going to that label.  It is especially nice on the eeePC, because my labels become folders in Thunderbird–all my drafts are accessible via IMAP in the “writing” folder.  It is quite slick, and I feel safe knowing that I have backups of my projects in multiple places.

I also love the timer feature in Writer’s Tools.  One thing that NaNoWriMo advocates are writing sprints, where you write as much as humanly possible in a certain length of time.  It also calls to mind one of the productivity tenants used by Merlin Mann: the 10+2*5 scenario.  Work for 10 minutes, break for 2 minutes, and repeat 5 times–suddenly you’ve worked for an hour, and you’ve been incredibly productive.  When I’m having trouble focusing, I will turn the timer on and start a sprint, or get myself in the groove of 10+2*5.  It works like a charm every time, and having the timer built right into Open Office is very convenient.

I haven’t even tapped into the full power of Writer’s Tools–yet.  It is becoming more and more a part of my regular writing routine, and I hope to start using more of the tools as I get deeper into my projects.  Thanks for such an amazing toolbox, Dmitri!

Word Counts - Today: 1,605 | May: 1,605 | 2008: 1,605