- An Interface of One’s Own
- Virginia Heffernan covers alternatives to Microsoft Word for writers including Scrivener (my personal favorite), Ulysses, WriteRoom, and Nisus Writer.
- Future of Ajax.NET Professional
- With the release of VS2008 and .NET 3.5 Michael Schwarz is ending development on Ajax.NET Professional (an alternate Ajax toolkit for ASP.NET that predates Microsoft’s own).
- The Secret Lair
- An all new podcast hosted by Chris Miller and Kris Johnson.
- The transformation of a writer with Mur Lafferty
- Wayne Sutton interviews Mur Lafferty about social media (video).
- IE7.js version 2.0 (beta)
- Dean Edwards IE7.js has been updated after a long period of inactivity. The new version is split in two files IE7.js brings IE5+ into the same level of compliance as IE7, while IE8.js contains further standards compliance fixes beyond what IE7 currently
Go Listen: Stories of the Third Wave, Episode 6
The latest episode of Stories of the Third Wave, the companion podcast to Mur Lafferty‘s Playing for Keeps features a segment written by yours truly (performed by my lovely wife and I). It also features another great song from always entertaining Ookla the Mok.
Links of Interest (November 27th 2007 through January 3rd 2008)
- How to rewrite
- A detailed post on rewriting, and how to do it.Tags: [tag]Justine Larbalestier[/tag], [tag]writing[/tag], [tag]howto[/tag], [tag]rewriting[/tag], [tag]editing[/tag],
- Podiobooks.com Community
- Online community based around Podiobooks.com. A place for listeners, authors, producers, etc. to communicate and help improve Podiobooks.comTags: [tag]podiobooks[/tag], [tag]social networks[/tag],
- Issue #1 of Sci Phi is available
- The first issue of Sci Phi (The Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy) is now available. The download version ($7) contains all stories and articles in various ebook formats as well as MP3.Tags: [tag]Sci Phi[/tag], [tag]magazine[/tag], [tag]audiobooks[/tag], [tag]science fiction[/tag], [tag]philosophy[/tag],
- GTD: Free Bundle of GTD Articles Written By David Allen
- Lifehacker has a link to a collection of 17 articles available for free download from the David Allen Company.Tags: [tag]gtd[/tag], [tag]free[/tag], [tag]productivity[/tag], [tag]organization[/tag],
- Infamous IE hasLayout is toast
- This “feature” of the IE rendering engine has caused me more headaches than I care to remember. I’m not at all sorry to see it go.Tags: [tag]WebDesign[/tag], [tag]ie[/tag], [tag]ie8[/tag], [tag]css[/tag], [tag]hasLayout[/tag],
- Kindles in libraries – the importance of ebook standards
- DRM, lack of e-book standards, and related issues are even bigger issues for libraries.Tags: [tag]standards[/tag], [tag]Kindle[/tag], [tag]e-books[/tag], [tag]Tower of eBabel[/tag], [tag].epub[/tag],
- AICN: 12th Episode will air!
- SaveJourneman.net brings word that episode 12 of Journeyman will air. Journeyman is my favorite show of the new season, and I hope it comes back, but at least it will get to finish it’s run.Tags: [tag]NBC[/tag], [tag]Journeyman[/tag],
- Doug Morris, Old Person
- Jonathan Coulton posted this summary of the New York Magazine blog’s summary or Wired’s profile of Doug Morris, CEO of Universal Music Group. I’m not going to further summarize, just read and be enlightened.Tags: [tag]Universal Music Group[/tag] [tag]Doug Morris[/tag] [tag]music[/tag]
Announcing ProgPress 0.1
I’ve finally gotten around to wrapping up the CSS based progress meters I’ve been using on this site into a WordPress Plugin. This is my first plugin for WordPress, and it’s in it’s initial release. If you try it out let me know. I’m open to feature suggestions, etc.
More on the ProgPress page.
NaNoWriMo 2007: I Win (now back to work)
Yesterday I passed the 50,000 word goal necessary to succeed at NaNoWriMo. I didn’t do quite as good as last year, which probably stems from the state of the outline going into November. It still has some holes, but it’s in better shape now then when I started.
I don’t think I learned anything new from the process, but it was great to get back into serious a daily writing ritual (a process I started before November to be sure I was prepared). It’s also great to have 55% of a new novel down in first draft form. The trick will be keeping at it for the next 40,000 words. I can’t keep up this pace, but I plan to not drop below 1,000 words a day. I didn’t intend to take today off from writing, but life had other plans.
I want to thank the folks who cheered me on via twitter. It really was a great motivator (and one I hope to keep using now that NaNoWriMo is over). I’d also like to thank the folks behind The NanoMonkeys podcast, both for the daily advice, and for giving me a chance to try my hand at podcasting ((original post is long gone, but you can snag the replay)) and risking the reputation of their Parsec Award nominated podcast in the process. I hope other writers who listened found my advice useful. And of course, thanks to my family for putting up with the hectic schedule that allowed me to succeed.
Congratulations to everyone else who reached their goal this month. I hope everyone who tried, whether they succeeded or not, came out of the experience with something positive.
Links of Interest (November 23rd 2007 through November 25th 2007)
- A Chat with Kevin Falls, producer of “Journeyman”
- This interview clarifies what’s going on with NBC and Journeyman. Sounds like NBC does plan to air the rest of the season (except, it seems, the finale). It boggles the mind.Tags: [tag]NBC[/tag] [tag]Journeyman[/tag] [tag]TV[/tag]
- In All Fairness … Internet Explorer Still Stinks
- “This is the story of how SitePoint tried to give Internet Explorer a fighting chance … and it lost anyway.” While IE7’s CSS support is certainly improved, it still contains a number of bugs.Tags: [tag]Internet Explorer[/tag] [tag]IE7[/tag] [tag]webdesign[/tag] [tag]standards[/tag] [tag]CSS[/tag]
- Comcast firmware update disables serial control
- I was bit by this, which resulted in shows flagged safe for KidZone really being whatever was on HBO. Switched to IR blaster, which misfired and so we missed the Macy’s Parade (kids are bummed). Thanks Comcast!Tags: [tag]Comcast[/tag] [tag]TiVo[/tag]
- Total HD dual-format discs unlikely to ever see the light of day
- Warner Brother’s attempt to help negate the HD Disc format war fails to get off the ground. If I’m reading the subtext, it’s because retailers wouldn’t know where to shelve them.Tags: [tag]Blu-ray[/tag] [tag]HD DVD[/tag] [tag]Total HD[/tag] [tag]Warner Brothers[/tag]
- NBC Gives Journeyman Two-Week Notice
- More proof (if needed) that NBC is run by morons. If the live Nielsens for Journeyman don’t improve November 26th, then they will yank the show. Watching via TiVo or Online does not count (even though they push watching the show online). *sigh*Tags: [tag]NBC[/tag] [tag]morons[/tag] [tag]Journeyman[/tag] [tag]TV[/tag]
Links of Interest (November 21st 2007)
- OpenDocument Foundation closes up shop after slamming OpenDocument Format
- As someone who hasn’t used word since the 90s, and never intends to go back, I’ve been watching the ODF vs OOXML stuff with interest. This chapter is just strange.
Tags: [tag]ODF[/tag] [tag]CDF[/tag] [tag]OOXML[/tag]
- Benchmarks: Hackintosh vs. Mac Pro vs. MacBook Pro Benchmarks
- Benmarks of the $800 hackintosh vs. some standard Apple offerings. Most of the comments miss the point of this article, which (I think) is not to do an Apples to apples comparison, but to show you what your $800 bucks gets you.
Tags: [tag]macmini[/tag] [tag]hackintosh[/tag] [tag]DIY[/tag] [tag]hardware[/tag] [tag]benchmark[/tag]
- Hack Attack: Build a Hackintosh Mac for Under $800
- Are you interested in trying out Mac OS X Leopard, but not it buying a Mac? Are you used to building your own PCs from parts (I sure am)? This is your best bet.
Tags: [tag]MacOS[/tag] [tag]hackintosh[/tag] [tag]DIY[/tag] [tag]hardware[/tag]
- Stacks Overlays
- If the appearance of the Stacks in your Leopard dock annoys you as much as they do me, these might be for you.
Tags: [tag]Leopard[/tag] [tag]Stacks[/tag] [tag]MacOS[/tag] [tag]icons[/tag]
- How to Size Text in CSS
- An excellent article showing how to get consistent text sizing across numerous browsers using CSS. A great starting point for anyone concerned with the end user experience.
Tags: [tag]design[/tag] [tag]webdesign[/tag] [tag]CSS[/tag] [tag]typography[/tag] [tag]fonts[/tag]
“How to Beat Writers Block” Audio Course
I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, but Holly Lisle has released her first audio course (MP3 and PDF): How to Beat Writers’ Block (and Have FUN Writing From Now On) (which includes a copy of 21 Ways to Get Yourself Writing When Your Life Has Just Exploded).
Hopefully when things quite down for me I’ll post a review.
J.C. Hutchins’ “7th Son” Goes to Print
It’s been a big day for J.C. Hutchins. Earlier today he finished recording the last episode of 7th Son: Destruction, the final book in his 7th Son trilogy. More recently he posted a press release stating that the first book, 7th Son: Descent (previously reviewed) will be available in print from Saint Martin’s Press in 2009.
Congratulations, Hutch!
Go Listen: Lafferty, Sigler, and a Barrel of Monkeys
Mur Lafferty’s Playing for Keeps
Playing for Keeps […] tells the story of Keepsie Branson, a bar owner in the shining metropolis of Seventh City: birthplace of super powers. Keepsie and her friends live among egotistical heroes and manipulative villains, and manage to fall directly in the middle as people with powers, but who just aren’t strong enough to make a difference. Or that’s what they’ve been told. As the city begins to melt down, it’s hard to tell who are the good guys and who are the bad.
Mur Lafferty’s latest podiobook officially launches tomorrow (although you can hear the first chapter right now). If you’ve ever listened to I Should be Writing you’ve probably heard of it (although perhaps under the title Keppsie’s Bar). It looks like Mur is trying out some new things with the Playing for Keeps Experience feed which will feature a host of additional content, including PDFs of the chapters and Stories of the Third Wave, a supplemental podcast.
Listen to the Promo and subscribe.
Scott Sigler’s Nocturnal
Something lives deep beneath the streets of San Francsico. Something that has been there for centuries, something that comes out at night … to feed on the dregs of society. A sub-culture, with its own myths, its own legends of leader named The King that will lead them out of bondage, and their own demon, a hunting shadow known only as Savior.
But the legends of Savior’s brutality have faded, the fear passed into stories told to frighten the young ones. When The King finally appears, just as foretold, the Nocturnals know their time has time — the time to come out from under the streets and hunt humanity in the open.
Scott Sigler’s newest podiobook thriller launches tonight at midnight EST. As usual it sounds like quite the ride. If you’ve heard Scott’s stuff you already know what to expect, if you haven’t you can head on over to Podiobooks.com and grab Earthcore and Ancestor at any time.
The print version of Nocturnal is currently scheduled for 2010, but the podcast launches tonight, so why not listen to the promo and subscribe.
The NanoMonkeys
Hosted by PG Holyfield, Chris Miller, and Kris Johnson, the NanoMonkeys aim to help get you through the madness that is NaNoWriMo.
For those of you, like me, that are participating in NaNoWriMo, and thinking “Gah! Who has time for new podcast novels?”, I’ve got just the thing for you. The NanoMonkeys is a daily podcast (approximately five minutes per episode) that runs throughout November offering writing advice and encouragement. This year the line up features a number of guest authors (including me on November 3rd). I made listening to this part of my daily routine last year, and I recommend you do the same.
This year’s welcome episode is available now. What are you waiting for, subscribe?
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