Could Snowflake Pro be a solution for those looking for a decent novel writing software? Possibly?

It uses Randy Ingermanson’ssnowflake method and basically structures a GUI around it so you can do all the ten stages in one place. It looks handy, especially if you’re starting out on a new project.

I don’t think I’ll use it though. I have developed, partly using the snowflake method, my own process now, which includes a lot of depth on character development, more than perhaps could be handled by the snowflake software. If there was a way of customizing the system to include more fields then I might consider it.

Previous posts about the Snowflake Method.

Medieval Literature

The Court in English Alliterative Poetry – added text of my M.Phil. thesis

November 14, 2009 Mark Leave a comment

As far as I know my thesis, which I completed over 10 years ago at the University of Birmingham, has probably been gathering a lot of dust in the library with no contact with anyone from the outside world.

I thought it might be nice to share the content. As I say it’s over 10 years old so there are no doubt more sources and secondary material now available, and hopefully my writing has improved a bit since then, but I think there’s some half decent scholarship worth reading there as well.

The Court in English Alliterative Poetry, 1350-1450 by Mark Lord

Craft of Writing

Audio Books and E-books available for download

November 10, 2009 Mark Leave a comment

My local library service, Hertfordshire Libraries, has recently begun a service that allows users to download free e-books and audio books. I was quite startled and pleasantly surprised that they are doing this. For audio books it’s great, because these usually cost £2-3 to rent out for three weeks. I’m not as bothered about e-books, but it sounds like a good idea.

However, I do worry about DRM. There must surely be a way to stop lenders from distributing these electronic versions? By the way I really don’t agree with the sentiment of the image displayed, there surely needs to be some controls?

I really support public libraries, I think they do an amazing job. Without them I am sure the amount of books I read would be a lot less and lot less adventurous – after all why spend £7-10 on a book if you don’t know if you’re going to like it or not?

Mark Lord’s Writing

Inside the Blogosphere: Best Book Endings in the Genre

November 3, 2009 Mark Leave a comment

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John Ottinger III asked a group of bloggers to contribute to his Inside the Blogosphere column with their thoughts on the following question:

What are the best endings in science fiction/fantasy novels?

This was my contribution:

“. . . he had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother” from 1984 by George Orwell. The protagonist, Winston Smith, finally capitulates and in a complete reversal accepts the party’s totalitarian faith. I think Orwell has a knack with good endings, he manages to write excellent last sentences that sum up the meaning of the novel and stick in one’s memory. For instance in Animal Farm: “The creatures looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

If we were looking at science fiction outside the novel format, then I would also have to include the last scene of Planet of the Apes, where the protagonist Taylor (played Charlton Heston) on seeing the statue of liberty buried in the shoreline shouts out: “We finally really did it. You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you. God damn you all to hell.”

There was a lot of variety in the different endings given by various bloggers. Although I am Legend by Richard Matheson did get a mention a number of times.