#Software for Authors

[jolenes-book-journey]

ProWritingAid Versus Grammarly

ProWritingAid vs. Grammarly for Authors: A Published Author’s Take As a fellow published author, I can break down the pros and cons of ProWritingAid and Grammarly to help you decide which is better for your needs. Here’s a comparison focusing on features helpful to writers and cost: Helpfulness for Authors Grammar and Mechanics: Both catch typos, grammatical errors, and offer suggestions for…

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Do you have any tips on how characters react after a heat in the moment first kiss?

Hey there! I'm so glad you reached out about depicting characters' reactions after an unexpected first kiss. This is such an important and tricky moment to get right in any romance story.

I don't talk enough about romance, so I've very excited to write a blog post about this, especially since in almost all my writing projects I utilize a romantic subplot.

Understanding the Emotional Impact

First things first, it's important to recognize just how powerful and transformative that first kiss can be for your characters, even if it's spur-of-the-moment or unplanned. A kiss like that has the power to shift the entire dynamic between two people, unlocking a whole new level of vulnerability, intimacy, and emotional intensity.

Think about it - your characters have probably been building up tension, attraction, and unspoken feelings for each other over time. And then, in one electric moment, all of that comes bubbling to the surface. Suddenly, everything changes. The world seems to slow down, and all that matters is the connection between them.

Whether your characters have been pining for this moment or it takes them completely by surprise, that first touch of their lips is guaranteed to trigger a whirlwind of emotions. Excitement, nervousness, relief, uncertainty - it's a veritable emotional rollercoaster.

And of course, the way each character responds will depend on their individual personality, past experiences, and overall mindset. A shy, cautious character might be utterly flustered and overwhelmed. A bold, adventurous one might be thrilled and eager for more. And someone with trust issues or a painful romantic history might panic and pull away.

The key is to really get inside your characters' heads and hearts, understanding how this monumental moment resonates with them on a deep level. That's what's going to make their reactions feel raw, authentic, and achingly real for your readers.

Crafting Nuanced Reactions

(The examples I use are very cliche, and personally not my writing style, but they're simply for your reference to get a rough idea of what I'm trying to indicate)

Okay, now that we've established the emotional gravity of that first kiss, let's dive into some specific techniques for portraying your characters' reactions. Here are a few ideas:

Focus on the sensations. When a character experiences something as intense as an unexpected first kiss, their physical responses are going to be heightened. Capture the racing heartbeat, the trembling hands, the tingling skin - all those little visceral details that make the moment palpable.

For example (Very cliche but, just for reference): "Her lips were soft and warm against his, sending a shiver down his spine. His heart pounded in his ears, fingers trembling as he cupped her cheek, hardly daring to breathe."

Showcase their inner turmoil. Don't just describe what's happening externally - give us a window into your character's jumbled thoughts and feelings. Are they overjoyed? Confused? Terrified? Let us see the full emotional spectrum unfolding.

Like this: "Panic rose in her chest as his lips met hers, every nerve ending firing at once. What was happening? This couldn't be real - it had to be some kind of dream. But the way her skin tingled, the way her stomach fluttered, told her this was very much reality."

Use body language and subtle reactions. Characters don't always have to respond with grand, over-the-top gestures. Sometimes the most meaningful reactions come through in the little, unconscious movements - a shy glance, a gentle touch, a subtle smile.

For instance: "For a long moment, they simply stared at each other, frozen. Then, slowly, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips, eyes sparkling with a mix of wonder and delight."

Lean into the awkwardness. First kisses, even magical ones, can also be a little clumsy and uncertain. Embrace that sense of fumbling vulnerability - it makes the moment all the more endearing and relatable.

Something like: "Their noses bumped as they leaned in, hearts racing. He hesitated, suddenly unsure, but then her hand slid around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Their lips met in a tentative, exploratory kiss that sent tingles down his spine."

Contrast reactions between characters. If you have two characters with very different personalities or perspectives, lean into that contrast to create compelling dramatic tension. How might a guarded, cynical character react compared to an optimistic romantic?

For example: "She froze, eyes wide with shock. This was the last thing she'd expected - to be kissed by her best friend, of all people. Panic fluttered in her chest, desperate to pull away. But then she saw the vulnerability in his gaze, the slight tremble in his hands, and her heart melted. Slowly, hesitantly, she kissed him back."

The key is to get creative, have fun, and be able to let your characters' unique voices and perspectives shine through.

Additional Resources

And of course, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions! I'm always happy to chat more about anything writing related.

--Rin T.

[inkubuzzz]

I'm sure people already know about it but I just discovered Ellipsus, the writing software, and oh my god its amazing?? It's nice and simple like google docs (Microsoft Word is too complex for what I need) but it also has a lot of features that docs was lacking, like folders and multiple drafts. Def recommend it, esp for fanfic/other creative writing endeavors!!!

Plus its FREE. With all features included and no ads!!

(And you don't need to worry about it selling your data for AI or deleting your docs for 18+ content since google docs does both of those things!!)

[future-journalist-adventures]

list of writing software i use (in order) (they're all free!!)

Reedsy (rough draft writing; editing)

world anvil (organizing information and rough draft posting)

lulu (final draft publishing)

[nausicaaandhermouth]

with google docs new relationship with ai, i've moved to ellipsus for writing and oh man... that "export to ao3" button sold me IMMEDIATELY

[rosenoirwrites]

FREE Scrivener Template for Romance Writers

For romance writers who use Scrivener, I just created a new free template!!

So as a romance writer, l've always wanted to use a Scrivener template that served that particular goal and helped me structure everything! So I created this and integrated the Romance Beat Sheet by Jami Gold (in a singular document file) and added the following templates:

• Scene Card Template

• Character Sketch Template

• Settings Sketch Template (General)

• Settings Sketch Template (Apartment)

• The Romance Beat Sheet by Jami Gold (Plot Outline)

• The 3-Act Structure (Plot Outline Guide)

I made this free so that any writer who writes romance or stories with romance elements, could find it easy to use and create their projects and work on it seamlessly!

Download Here

[millipup-posting]

how do i even explain what i want to do with the hex’s story the game is already a big “god(more of a title here) is evil and it hates you” i’m literally just doing that again but worse

[bam-stroker]

SO exhausting that so many writing software companies are using ai to generate stories

If anyone else was on Reedsy... just a heads up this is the direction they've gone in...

[arainesque]

omega george ohhhhhhhhh he is the sweetest

i love these asks enabling me in my omega george lore. I love him. he is the sweetest!!!! (because i'm not patient enough to write fics intricate to the point where a character has flaws. my omega george can do no wrong. it's my target audience.)

[thekalpar]

This is a Grift and You Shouldn't Fall for It

I want to talk about an article I saw from thebookseller.com that came out Monday which talks about a new AI-powered publishing platform called Spines which wants to disrupt the publishing industry by providing a new platform. I encourage you to read the actual article here, but I want to address how they are, based on my own observation as an independent author, a grift and why you shouldn’t fall for it.

Let’s address the first concern which I and probably a few other people have when presented with Spines’s goal of publishing 8,000 books in 2025 alone. Doing a very quick, unscientific google search, we can find that of the biggest traditional publishers in the United States, only Penguin Random House and Harper Collins publish more than 8,000 books a year, and these are massive global corporations. The next two largest, Hachette Book Group and Simon & Schuster, publish only roughly 2,000 books a year and these are still some of the big boys on the block. So the goal of publishing 8,000 books a year is certainly ambitious for Spines. How is this going to be done?

There are two possibilities and one is that a lot of this is going to be books produced in part or entirely by plagiarism software (“AI”). I want to acknowledge that as a real possibility, but I want to go forward with the good-faith assumption that there will be a significant number of passionate people who have poured their heart and soul into writing a book and are going to be taken advantage of by these techbros. Even before plagiarism software became widely available, self-publishing on Amazon had exploded and we saw millions of books self-published in just an ebook form every year. So I imagine that these people, who are self-publishing on Amazon and other places, are probably the market for Spines.

Now how do I know this is a scam? I do not have a ton of experience is self-publishing because I’ve only published two books at time of writing, but I do have recent hands-on experience which makes me qualified. There isn’t a lot of info in the article on what services Spines is offering but we get an exact number on cost as well as types of services in the article. “Spines costs $1,200 to $5,000 to automate proofreading, cover design, metadata optimisation and limited translation services, starting with Spanish.” Now, this may, on the low end, be cheaper than hiring professionals to do this kind of work, but it’s still going to be a scam because you’re going to get a shoddy product.

Let’s start with proofreading, which is under the umbrella of editing but is one of several types of editing. As Reedsy explains, there are four distinct types of editing, all of which come with specific costs. First there is editorial assessment, which is when you have a very, very rough draft and need some direction on writing it. (I have not yet done editorial assessment because I have been fortunate enough to be plagued with the knowledge of what I’m writing.) This is very broad advice which an AI cannot provide but a human can. Second is developmental editing for a finished manuscript, which is where you have an editor go through, provide specific feedback on areas for improvement and suggestions, and point out any major issues. This is where you get into rewrites and polishing a manuscript to a finished product. Again, and AI cannot do this.

So we finally come to copy editing and proofreading. Now, I’m going to fold them together although they are technically distinct because copy editing includes proofreading as well as making sure capitalization is consistent, tenses remain consistent, you don’t repeat yourself too much, all the little things which help polish the rough edges off of your manuscript. Proofreading is checking for spelling and typos, as well as grammar issues and any formatting issues. AI can do this, as tools like Grammarly exist for this sort of thing for a couple years now. (I wouldn’t recommend using Grammarly, but that’s a separate rant for a separate day.) Plus, you know, spellcheck which has been around since the 1990s. Technically this is a task which AI can do, but it can still make mistakes such as with homophones (the train went threw the tunnel). And with so many free tools available if you’re going to have AI do this task, why pay someone else to do it? AI is not going to give you insightful, meaningful feedback on your manuscript, but it will do spellcheck for you and LibreOffice does that for free anyway. So paying to have AI proofread your manuscripts doesn’t make any financial sense.

Let’s move on to the next area they want to automate, cover design. Again, I have limited experience and I can say very definitively that you can get a good cover for about $750 USD from a professional artist who will produce what you want and will be able to keep things you like but change things you don’t with an incomplete project. Plagiarism software that creates images cannot do that. Unless they’re hiring artists to touch up and improve generated images (which I doubt), all Spines is offering is another service you can get for free or cheaper elsewhere online. I highly advise against generating your cover images, if only for the fact the computer cannot give you exactly what you want. You can feed prompts into it and maybe get something close enough, but if you have a specific image of what you want for your book cover you cannot get that from AI. There are a lot of ethical arguments against plagiarism software as well, but I won’t repeat those here just for brevity’s sake. Again, if you’re willing to use plagiarism software to make your book cover, which is what the guys at Spines are offering, then you can do that cheaper elsewhere.

The final one which I can speak with any authority on is metadata, which I’ve had to enter for my own books before and you can too. For those who don’t know, metadata is information attached to the book’s ISBN and publication info that provides info about the book. This can be basic info such as the intended audience, the genre, and the subject matter, but it can also be more granular like what type of fantasy novel you have (romantasy vs cozy). While it can be an annoying or frustrating task, such as when every word to describe my book flies out of my head when I have to actually describe it, it’s also fairly simple. And I’m going to be honest, I don’t expect the AI to do much more beyond algorithm scraping and suggesting metadata like “for you” and “trending”. (Sort of like those videos that spam every popular tag in the hope of getting traction.) So I seriously doubt that this will be a service worth any sum of money.

Finally I’m going to touch briefly on translation because I haven’t translated a book and I don’t know what goes into translating one either but I can make an educated guess that it’s going to be the equivalent of pasting your manuscript into Google Translate. If you’re willing to accept that level of quality, you can get it for free. If you want a good translation you’re going to have to shell out far more money to get an actual person to do it.

And all of this doesn’t even get to a very important part of publishing, ISBNs. If you’re self-publishing you absolutely want to buy your own ISBNs, and buy multiple because they cost less if you buy them in bulk and you will need separate ISBNs for both the print and digital editions of your books. I don’t know if Spines is offering ISBNs as part of their package, they certainly could, but for independent authors it’s best practice to use your own ISBNs because you can control those opposed to whatever platform you publish on.

So are the AI-powered services that Spines is going to provide be worth it? I highly doubt it. For the amount of money you’ll end up spending you’d be better off actually hiring humans to help you with your book and get it to a finished, polished state. I can’t see this company offering you anything that isn’t already available for free or nearly free elsewhere with the same lackluster quality. If you have something you’re writing, you’re passionate about it, and you want to publish it, I highly encourage you to get real human beings to help you improve it. Reedsy (which this is not an ad for) is the platform I have used to get in contact with editors and artists to help get my books out into the world. But I’m sure plenty of other independent authors can help you find all sorts of other people able and willing to help. Spines is merely charging you for the privilege of receiving substandard work spat out by a computer.

[smokietaylor]

google docs is the best don't listen to the haters

Oh absolutely, it's the only way that I am able to colour code things properly 🤭

[techy-guy]

Enhancing customer experiences with AI - Sachin Dev Duggal

The CX Challenge: From Data Deluge to Personalized Insights

Improving the customer experience has always been concerning for businesses, and the problem comes with harnessing those vast volumes generated through every interaction – web clicks, social network engagements, problem-solving conversations, and others.  Usually, such data deluge is scattered and unstructured making it difficult to extract meaningful insights needed for strategic CX decisions.

This is where AI steps in. AI integrated with Machine Learning (ML) possesses unique strengths in pattern recognition and data analysis; they can sift through mountains of customer data revealing hidden trends and preferences.  Imagine being able to predict customer needs proactively, personalize marketing campaigns in real-time, or identify at-risk customers before they churn. 

There’s no doubt that personalization is one of the areas where AI solutions leave indelible marks. Modern users demand personalized experiences within the realm of CX since they anticipate exclusive responses corresponding to their distinct preferences. By crafting customized interactions across various touchpoints from targeted marketing campaigns to intuitive user interfaces, Builder AI under supervision by Sachin Dev Duggal facilitates tailored customer experience. Through predictive analytics as well as machine learning algorithms, businesses can accurately predict customer needs thereby building deeper relationships leading to brand loyalty.

Symphony of Customer Interactions and Customer Satisfaction

Not all AI solutions are created equal. In order to have an impact on CX transformation, we need AI that goes beyond mere automation. This is where AI comes into its own. Platforms like Sachin Dev Duggal’s Builder AI go above and beyond pre-programmed NLP-powered chatbots or basic analytics by enabling businesses to develop and manage a complete AI ecosystem for CX. Think of it as a conductor, harmonizing customer interactions.

AI is not a passing trend; it's a revolution in the making. By implementing AI, businesses can set a new bar of customer satisfaction, fostering agility, efficiency, and a culture of innovation.

[shivamthakrejr]

Sachin Dev Duggal's Engineer.ai (Now Builder.ai) - Innovating software development with $29.5M investment from SoftBank's Deepcore

News

Being the trailblazer in the Low/No-code software development landscape, Sachin Dev Duggal's Builder.ai established itself using its advanced methodologies. This endeavor was boosted further by investment from SoftBank’s Deepcore, which aimed to bring software development closer to microenterprises and empower them to change their notions into facts.

The strategic investment from Deepcore has been critical for Builder.ai as it expanded globally ‌and added new features to its suite of products. With SoftBank, Builder.ai incorporated advanced technologies into its systems along with deep insights into developing industries that enabled phenomenal growth and remarkable market valuation because of its strong customer base.

Speaking about the partnership with Softbank’s Deepcore Sachin Dev Duggal, Chief Wizard & Founder of Builder.ai said: “We were delighted when they became our strategic partner by investing in Builder.ai. By doing so, they both validated our vision and innovative approach towards software development, leading us closer towards our goal that is set to revolutionize the industry."

Builder.ai's transformational platform, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, streamlined the software development process enabling businesses to bring their ideas to life faster and more cost-effectively than ever before. The Sachin Dev Duggal's Builder.ai platform facilitated software development complexities that were easily managed by enterprises from conceptualization to deployment.

[streetsweepershenanigans]

Hear ye, hear ye!

In a valiant attempt to keep the AI away from my completed fics and WIPs I have henceforth moved from Google docs to Obsidian. Here are a few of the benefits I have found that I like far better than using Google docs:

1. The black page color is very zen.

2. The filing system is great!

3. Very user friendly

4. Note taking function -perfect for studying

Things I'd be interested in learning more about Obsidian:

Is there a bild/italics feature?

Is there some sort of cloud where I can access my WIPs across my devices?

[ronelgomes]

Electric Drive: Igniting Car Entrepreneurship

“Electric Drive: Igniting Car Entrepreneurship,” an all-encompassing PLR ebook designed to empower aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools necessary to enter the booming electric car market and build a successful business around it.

[luke-o-lophus]

this reminds me of the doctor interview about vaccines. He was asked if he can say vaccines will never cause X (forget what exactly it was). He goes on to explain the language of science is not exactly the language of regular conversations.

"There isn't evidence from any study that indicates correlation between vaccine and X" is science language because science CAN'T say "Vaccines will never be related to X".

But in conversation, that sounds like they aren't sure or are trying to hide something.

So this doctor said he now explains it as "There isn't any evidence suggesting a link between vaccine and X, in the same way as there isn't any evidence suggesting I'll sprout wings if I walk off a terrace"

Iconic.

Ok now do NYT columnists