yWriter

Since I’m writing a piece that’s longer than a short story, I’ve had problems organizing all of my ideas. My usual process of creating a skeletal outline and then filling it in until a full story emerged, just isn’t working.

So, I’ve decided to try yWriter. It’s described as novel writing software, but it’s more like an organizer/database. (Be nice if a program could instantly write out coherently whatever popped into your mind–but then we’d be going into Tommyknockers territory.)

It’s nice seeing all of my notes assembled in one place and being able to move scenes/ideas around with ease. yWriter also gives you the option of setting target dates for writing/revision of specific chapters and scenes.

Hopefully, 2010 will me backing away from procrastination (darn internet–and Netflix) and writing a bit more.

One of the things I got for Christmas…

is a food processor. Not just any old food processor–a Cuisinart 14 cup can chop/puree/grind anything (mind your fingers!) food processor.

Between this, my subscription to Cooks Illustrated, and my copy of the Joy Of Cooking–2010 should be full of culinary experiments. 🙂

221B Baker Street

Sherlock Holmes was great – lots of action, good interplay between Holmes / Watson and Holmes / Adler.  Villain was so-so.

Traditionally, Holmes has been portrayed as a brilliant mind but very reserved–he would never just be in a boxing match for the hell of it. The new Holmes is brillant but a little more vulnerable. He has to deal with his emotions (“losing” a friend to marriage, the reappearance of the only woman who stimulates his, ahem, mind) and is more human than logic machine.

He can solve a riddle before your tongue finishes telling the tale and he can smack the taste out of your mouth before you’d ever see it coming.