Free e-book

To celebrate the release of the latest novel by Simon Haynes, the guy who developed yWriter (in all its versions), his publisher Fremantle Press is giving away free e-copies of the first book in the seires.

I've never read any of his books, but it's always nice to support authors. (Especially when it doesn't cost me anything more than a little storage space on my computer.)

Here.

Writing software

Due to an entry on shay_writes about using Microsoft's program OneNote, I followed a link to a NaNo discussion on novel software. (That would be software to use while writing novels.) They've listed some applications that aid the writing process. And they're freeware. (Overly simplified definition: they're free!)

In alphabetical order:
Rough Draft: A "word processor for creative writers." Found here.
Q10: A very awesome-looking program. It says it will automatically count/display your words, provide an arrangeable format, time your writing sessions with an alarm, and wash your dishes at the same time. Sadly, it's only available in a Windows format.
yWriter4: "It's a word processor which breaks your novel into chapters and scenes." Available here. This one allows you to storyboard (!!) and re-order scenes and renumbers chapters automatically.


I'm still looking at things that will work on Ubuntu. It'd be nice to be able to switch between Windows and Linux without having do to a stupid dance. I'll let you know. (Other program suggestions are welcome.)

Why you should vote for who you want

The United States is merely a handful of weeks away from a big election. As Americans we have the right to vote for officials who will effect our daily lives for years to come - taxes, personal rights, the economy, traffic laws, growth of the area we live in, etc.

It has been impressed upon us that we should be American and vote. Punch that card, click that button, mark that ballot for one of those people on that preapproved list.

Yet many people are disenchanted with the system. "Why should I vote when it won't make a difference?" When most people say this, I believe they are referring to the presidential election. The way that the system works with the electoral college means that often your one vote doesn't really affect the outcome. If you didn't vote, would Harry Potter really have lost the presidency to Draco Malfoy? If you were really the only one who did not vote, probably not. However, when the "you"s out there multiply, it adds up.

There's a saying that if voting really changed things, there would be a law against it.

We can change this. We have other options than the ones spelled out for us on the ballot. Don't just vote for whoever is on that list. Vote for who you want. Write their name in. If everyone actually voted for who the thought would do the best job, the politicians would begin to notice. Sure, it may take a few elections, but eventually we could have more than two political parties. We could have candidates that truly represented us. We wouldn't have to pick the lesser of two evils. There would be other options.

So, be as American as you can be. Vote for whoever you want.