#document drafting software

[pdqdocs]

Revolutionizing Workflow: Innovative Desktop Software for Document Generation

In today’s fast-paced business environment, efficiency, consistency, and accuracy are key to success. One of the ways organizations can streamline their operations is by adopting innovative desktop software for document generation. These powerful tools allow businesses to automate the creation of various documents, ranging from contracts and reports to invoices and proposals, all while reducing the chances of human error.

 Automating Document Creation for Efficiency

The introduction of innovative desktop software for document generation has drastically simplified the process of creating business documents. Instead of manually inputting data into templates or starting from scratch, these software solutions enable users to generate accurate, pre-filled documents with just a few clicks. This automation not only saves time but also reduces the need for repetitive tasks, allowing businesses to focus on more strategic aspects of their operations.

For instance, many of these tools come equipped with customizable templates, where users can input key details and let the software handle the rest. This means that businesses no longer need to create documents manually, freeing up valuable resources. In industries where documents are crucial, such as legal, finance, or sales, the ability to quickly generate a variety of documents has become a key benefit.

 Reducing Errors and Enhancing Accuracy

Manual document creation is prone to errors, especially when dealing with large amounts of data or repetitive tasks. Even small mistakes can result in costly consequences, whether it’s missing a client’s information in a contract or incorrectly listing an amount in a financial report. Innovative desktop software for document generation can eliminate these risks by automatically populating fields and ensuring consistent formatting.

Most of these software tools are equipped with data validation features, which help to catch common mistakes before they become problems. By reducing human intervention, the chances of errors are minimized, leading to a more accurate and reliable document generation process. For businesses dealing with sensitive information, the added layer of accuracy provided by these tools can be invaluable.

 Collaboration and Sharing Capabilities

In a business environment, collaboration is key, and innovative desktop software for document generation often includes features that enhance teamwork. Many of these tools allow multiple users to collaborate on the same document, ensuring that team members can contribute and review content in real time. Whether it’s making edits, adding comments, or approving documents, these collaborative features help speed up the review process and improve communication across departments.

 Conclusion

Innovative desktop software for document generation is transforming the way businesses approach document creation. By automating repetitive tasks, reducing errors, offering customization, and facilitating collaboration, these tools are providing companies with the means to improve their productivity and accuracy. As organizations continue to embrace digital solutions, adopting advanced document generation software can make a significant difference in streamlining operations and enhancing overall business efficiency. With the right tool, businesses can ensure they are always one step ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape.

[casefoxinc]

CaseFox Adds AI Document Generation & Analysis to Streamline Legal Drafting for Law Firms

CaseFox, a leading legal billing and case management software provider, has introduced powerful new AI capabilities to enhance how law firms and legal professionals handle document drafting. With the new Legal AI Document Generation and Analysis feature, users can effortlessly create essential legal documents—like NDAs—based on simple prompts, reducing time spent on repetitive tasks and ensuring consistency.

Beyond generation, CaseFox’s AI also analyzes legal documents to highlight key clauses, identify potential risks, and offer suggestions for improvement. This dual functionality enables lawyers to draft and review documents with greater speed and accuracy—without sacrificing quality.

These features are designed specifically for the legal industry, integrating seamlessly into CaseFox’s user-friendly platform. Whether you're a solo attorney or part of a large firm, the AI tools provide smart automation to boost productivity, improve compliance, and streamline workflow.

This update reflects CaseFox’s continued commitment to delivering cutting-edge, affordable, and easy-to-use legal tech. By embracing AI, CaseFox empowers legal professionals to focus more on strategy and client service—while the software handles the heavy lifting in legal drafting and analysis.

[prototechsolutionsblog]

The Best 5 Architectural Drafting Software Solutions for Professionals

In the fast-paced world of architecture, having the right tools is crucial for precision and efficiency. Professional architects and drafters rely on sophisticated software to create detailed blueprints, floor plans, and 3D models. Whether you are an independent architect, a large firm, or a provider of architectural drafting services, selecting the best drafting software can significantly impact project quality and turnaround time. In this blog, we will explore the top five architectural drafting software programs that can help professionals streamline their design workflow and enhance productivity.

1. AutoCAD

AutoCAD is one of the most well-known and widely used drafting software programs in the architecture industry. Developed by Autodesk, AutoCAD provides robust tools for 2D and 3D drafting, making it a staple for professionals worldwide.

Key Features:

Precise 2D drafting and annotation tools

3D modeling and visualization capabilities

Extensive library of templates and objects

Compatibility with multiple file formats, including DWG and DXF

Cloud storage integration for collaborative work

Why Choose AutoCAD? AutoCAD’s precision, extensive toolset, and industry dominance make it a preferred choice for architects, engineers, and designers. Its frequent updates ensure that professionals stay ahead with the latest drafting innovations.

2. Revit

Another powerful offering from Autodesk, Revit is a Building Information Modeling (BIM) software that takes architectural drafting to the next level. Unlike traditional drafting software, Revit enables professionals to design buildings and structures with intelligent, parametric components.

Key Features:

Comprehensive BIM capabilities for enhanced collaboration

3D modeling and rendering tools

Automated updates for design modifications

Cloud-based storage and multi-user access

Integration with other Autodesk products

Why Choose Revit? Revit is ideal for architects and firms looking to streamline workflows through BIM. It facilitates better coordination between various disciplines, such as structural and MEP engineering, enhancing overall project efficiency.

3. SketchUp

SketchUp is a user-friendly yet powerful architectural drafting and modeling software. It is widely popular among architects, interior designers, and urban planners due to its intuitive interface and efficient modeling tools.

Key Features:

Easy-to-use 3D modeling interface

Extensive library of pre-designed components

Real-time collaboration with cloud-based storage

Compatibility with third-party plugins and extensions

Ability to export to various formats, including DWG, DXF, and STL

Why Choose SketchUp? SketchUp’s simplicity and flexibility make it a great option for professionals who need quick conceptual models and detailed 3D visualizations. It is particularly useful for presenting architectural designs to clients in an engaging and interactive way.

4. ArchiCAD

ArchiCAD, developed by Graphisoft, is another excellent BIM software that is widely used by architects and designers for efficient drafting and modeling. It allows users to create comprehensive 3D models while maintaining precise control over 2D drafting components.

Key Features:

Integrated BIM and CAD functionality

Parametric design tools for enhanced precision

Real-time collaboration for multiple users

Photorealistic rendering and visualization

Compatibility with Open BIM standards

Why Choose ArchiCAD? ArchiCAD’s seamless combination of 2D drafting and 3D modeling makes it a strong competitor to Revit. It is especially beneficial for architects who work on large-scale projects requiring detailed modeling and collaboration.

5. Chief Architect

Chief Architect is a specialized architectural drafting software that caters to residential designers, home builders, and remodelers. It provides advanced tools for creating detailed home plans, interior designs, and 3D visualizations.

Key Features:

User-friendly interface for quick design execution

Automatic generation of construction documents

3D visualization and walkthrough features

Extensive material and object library

Integration with various CAD and BIM file formats

Why Choose Chief Architect? For professionals focused on residential projects, Chief Architect offers an intuitive and efficient drafting solution that simplifies the design and planning process. Its automation tools save time while ensuring accuracy in construction documents.

Choosing the Right Architectural Drafting Software

Selecting the best architectural drafting software depends on factors such as project type, budget, collaboration needs, and preferred workflow. AutoCAD and Revit are industry standards for large-scale architectural projects, while SketchUp and Chief Architect are excellent choices for residential and interior design. ArchiCAD, with its comprehensive BIM capabilities, is ideal for architects handling complex structures.

By leveraging these top architectural drafting software programs, professionals can enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and deliver high-quality designs. Whether you are looking for traditional CAD drafting or advanced BIM solutions, investing in the right software is crucial for staying competitive in the architecture industry. If you require professional architectural drafting services, these tools ensure precision, efficiency, and high-quality design execution for your projects.

[docdraft1]

Effective Legal Document Drafting Services and Software Solution

Whether it's for personal, corporate, or real estate concerns, each legal process depends critically on the preparation of legal documents. A well written legal document guarantees legally binding, unambiguous terms and conditions that are enforceable. From agreements and contracts to wills and legal notices, one cannot stress the need for precision. Legal professionals who provide legal document drafting services guarantee that all the required legal terminology is incorporated, therefore lowering the possibility of mistakes that can result in expensive legal conflicts downstream. Their knowledge guarantees that the paperwork defends their client's interests and passes in court.

Advantages of applying legal document preparation tools

Technological developments have made legal document preparation software considerably more simplified. The way legal documents are produced and handled has been transformed by legal document preparation applications. These systems reduce human mistakes by including built-in validation, automatic updating for legal changes, and templates. The capacity of the program to create accurate and orderly documents quickly helps both companies and attorneys. It saves time and lowers the expenses related to conventional drafting techniques. Though it still guarantees a degree of legal accuracy, the program is also useful for those who must prepare basic legal documents without the help of a lawyer.

How do Services for Legal Document Drafting Help Your Company?

For companies, the value of legal document drafting services is indispensable. Whether launching a new firm, negotiating a contract, or handling employment conflicts, precise legal documentation may either make or destroy the viability of a corporation. Legal professionals guarantee that other important records, terms and conditions, and commercial agreements satisfy all legal criteria and safeguard your company's interests. Particularly in sectors with tight rules, the services also enable companies to remain law-compliant. Legal documents in order let companies concentrate more on their operations free from legal consequences or possible obligations.

Legal Document Drafting Speed and Efficiency Using Technology

Combining technology with legal document creation has mostly benefits in terms of speed and efficiency it provides. Legal experts no longer have to labor hours creating original, from-start documents. Rather, they might use advanced drafting instruments to expedite the process. Customizing depending on the particular demands of the customer made possible by legal document preparation tools guarantees a unique approach. Moreover, these tools may have cooperative features that let several people collaborate on a document at once. Faster turnaround times so let customers proceed with their legal or business affairs free from needless delays.

Legal Document Drafting Services: How? Guaranteed Compliance

Any document preparation requires legal compliance. Whether it's a contract, lease, or will, making sure you follow pertinent regulations is absolutely vital. Legal document drafting services use seasoned experts with legal knowledge who keep current with changes in regulations. Especially in sectors where regulations change quickly, they ensure that all records follow the most recent legal requirements. These services provide piece of mind to people and companies both, therefore reducing their chances of non-compliance. Turning the work to professionals guarantees that your records are not just accurate but also legally sound.

Conclusion

For companies and people looking for consistent legal paperwork, the mix of legal document drafting services and legal document preparation tools provides a potent answer. Professionals offer the knowledge and accuracy required for challenging legal cases; software improves speed and lowers expenses. Using these technologies is a good way for anyone trying to guarantee compliance and simplify their legal procedures. Platforms like docdraft.ai provide creative ways to assist you in easily reaching your objectives if you want to streamline the preparation of your legal documents.

[fixyourwritinghabits]

AI, Plagiarism, and CYA

Shout-out for all the students gearing up to go back to school in increasingly frustrated times when dealing with all this AI bullshit. As you've probably noticed, lots of institutions have adapted anti-plagiarism software that incorporates AI detectors that - surprise - aren't that great. Many students are catching flack for getting dinged on work that isn't AI generated, and schools are struggling to catch up to craft policies that uphold academic rigor. It sucks for everyone involved!

As a student, it can really feel like you're in a bind, especially if you didn't do anything wrong. Your instructor isn't like to be as tech-savvy as some, and frankly, you might not be as tech-savvy as you think either. The best thing to do, no matter how your school is handling things, is to Cover Your Ass.

Pay attention to the academic policy. Look, I know you probably skimmed the syllabus. Primus knows I did too, but the policy there is the policy the instructor must stick with. If the policy sets down a strong 'don't touch ChatGPT with a ten-foot pole' standard, stick to it. If you get flagged for something you thought was okay because you didn't read the policy carefully, you don't have ground to stand on if you get called out.

Turn off Autosave and save multiple (named) drafts. If you're using Microsoft Word because your school gives you a free license, the handy Autosave feature may be shooting you in the foot when it comes to proving you did the work. I know this seems counter-intuitive, but I've seen this bite enough people in the ass to recommend students go old-school. Keep those "draft 1234" in a file just in case.

Maintaining timestamped, clearly different drafts of a paper can really help you in the long-run. GoogleDocs also goes a much better job of tracking changes to a document, and may be something to consider, however, with all this AI shit, I'm hesitant to recommend Google. Your best bet, overall, is to keep multiple distinctive drafts that prove how your paragraphs evolved from first to final.

Avoid Grammarly, ProWiritingAid, etc. All that handy 'writing tools' software that claims to help shore up your writing aren't doing you any favors. Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and other software throw up immediate flags in AI-detection software. You may have only used it to clean up the grammar and punctuation, but if the AI-detection software says otherwise, you might be screwed. They're not worth using over a basic spell and grammar check in both Word and GoogleDocs can already do.

Cite all citations and save your sources! This is basic paper-writing, but people using ChatGPT for research often neglect to check to make sure it isn't making shit up, and that made up shit is starting to appear on other parts of the internet. Be sure to click through and confirm what you're using for your paper is true. Get your sources and research material from somewhere other than a generative language model, which are known for making shit up. Yes, Wikipedia is a fine place to start and has rigorously maintained sources.

Work with the support your school has available. My biggest mistake in college was not reaching out when I felt like I was drowning, and I know how easy it is to get in you head and not know where to turn when you need more help. But I've since met a great deal of awesome librarians, tutors, and student aid staff that love nothing more to devote their time to student success. Don't wait at the last moment until they're swamped - you can and will succeed if you reach out early and often.

I, frankly, can't wait for all this AI bullshit to melt down in a catastrophic collapse, but in the meantime, take steps to protect yourself.

[xyywrites]

What I Thought Writing Would Be vs. What Writing Actually Is

When you first decide to become a writer, the world seems full of promise. You imagine yourself effortlessly creating masterpieces while sipping coffee at a cozy café, maybe a montage of you typing furiously as dramatic music plays in the background. Then reality hits, and... well, here’s a look at how it actually plays out.

Expectation 1: The Inspiration Strikes Like Lightning

I’ll be struck by a brilliant idea out of nowhere! It will flow through me like a river of creativity, and I’ll write the next great novel in a matter of days.

Reality:

Stares at a blinking cursor for hours, wondering why the idea you thought was “genius” now sounds like something your dog might’ve written after stepping on the keyboard.

Expectation 2: Writing Will Be a Flowing, Effortless Experience

I’ll sit down, and the words will pour out of me. I’ll type 5,000 words in one sitting. I’m basically a machine.

Reality:

Three hours later, you’ve written 100 words. The 101st word you tried to type came out as “dog.” Your back hurts. Your fingers are cramping. You think you might actually be dying.

Expectation 3: The First Draft Will Be Perfect

I’ll write the first draft and it will be polished, like it just came out of an editing software for the gods.

Reality:

It's the worst. Period.

Expectation 4: Editing Will Be Fun and Quick

Once I’ve finished writing the first draft, the real fun begins! I’ll go through and clean it up in a few hours. It'll be smooth sailing.

Reality:

Editing takes FOREVER. You’re reading the same paragraph for the third time in a row, and your brain has melted into a puddle of mush. Every time you think it’s done, you spot a new typo, a plot hole the size of a small country, or a character suddenly turning into a completely different person for no apparent reason.

Expectation 5: Writing Will Bring Fame, Fortune, and Glory

I’ll write one book, and it will become a bestseller. Movie deals will follow. I’ll be swimming in royalties.

Reality:

You’re lucky if your cat reads your work, and even then, she probably falls asleep halfway through. You’re too busy Googling “How to make a living as a writer” to care about anything else.

Expectation 6: I’ll Have All the Time in the World to Write

I’ll have an entire day to just write and create. It’s going to be glorious.

Reality:

You work full time, have a social life, and your laundry pile is reaching new, terrifying heights. You end up writing in ten-minute intervals while waiting for the microwave to finish.

Expectation 7: I’ll Never Run Out of Ideas

I’ll never hit a creative block. Ideas will always come to me, and I’ll never suffer from a lack of inspiration.

Reality:

You hit a wall. You stare at the screen. Your brain is a blank void. You have a million ideas, but none of them seem to work, and you think you’ve just invented a new type of writer’s block that has never been documented before.

Expectation 8: Writing Will Be Rewarding and Fulfilling

I’ll write because I love it. I’ll feel fulfilled, like a true artist.

Reality:

You write because you love it, but also because you’re obsessed and slightly delusional. There are moments of joy, yes, but also lots of moments where you question your sanity and whether this whole writing thing was a mistake.

[alexanderwales]

One of the software concepts that I found useful to bring over to writing is the concept of technical debt.

Technical debt is the additional work that gets created when you choose a fast option over a good option. It's "debt" because there's a very good chance that at some point you're going to have to repay it: you hardcode in some variables, deciding that you'll figure out the proper way to do it later, and eventually, surprise! It's later. You have to implement the solution you were putting off. And because you've been using the kludge for so long, sometimes that kludge has become load-bearing, and you have to spend quite a bit of time unraveling and refactoring. One of the reasons it's called debt is because you have to pay interest on it.

And the thing is, it's not always wrong to accrue technical debt. Sometimes it helps you get to working on the important thing, and can clarify design details or implementation concerns, and sometimes you can just ship without ever having to do it the "right" way. Sometimes you can wriggle out from under that debt and never suffer any consequences from it, even if there were theoretical consequences when you made the decision to do it the fast way.

The way that this applies to writing is mostly in terms of worldbuilding, character building, and plotting. You can sit down and map a whole novel out without writing a single word, whipping up character bibles and setting details and everything that you might possibly need, all before you write a single word.

... or you can accrue some debt and just gun it, writing as you go, making things up, adding them to some kind of tracking document or just not even doing that.

And as with code, there will come times you have to pay that debt back with interest.

Sometimes you skimp on a character's backstory, and then a few chapters down the road you need to make a decision about it, and suddenly there's a bunch of editorial work as you have to make sure that everything you just decided on matches up with what you've already written. A more extreme example would be writing a mystery novel where you haven't decided on what the answer to the mystery will be until very very late: it would either produce a bad mystery or require tons of rewriting.

As with code, the difficulty is knowing when you're incurring technical debt for a good reason and when you're shooting your future self in the foot.

Here are my rules of thumb for writing, in terms of what's acceptable technical debt:

Plot stuff should not wait. You should have a resolution for your story within the first few chapters of writing that story, and ideally, before you even start.

Everyone (and everything) gets a name the first time it appears. You cannot say "the gardener" a dozen times because you don't want to think of a name for the gardener.

All magic systems and superpowers and whatnot should be rigidly defined before they come onscreen. This doesn't need to be known to the characters, and "soft" magic has less of a requirement, but having rules be thought up midway through a fight scene is essentially the definition of generating technical debt.

Descriptions take little effort to bring into alignment, so can be skipped on first draft, so long as there is a description there. Having descriptions written afterward can help to understand mood and requirements of the scene.

Backstory is really variable, depending on how relevant to the plot it is. If it's going to be driving conflict, it needs to be worked out ahead of time. If it's flavor, it can be winged.

I am, of course, not the best follower of my own advice, and sometimes for very long webfic it's impossible to plan that much in advance. And of course I never go into every work having had every idea I'm going to have, and some of those ideas are good enough to include even if they disrupt a plan and require some refactoring.

[ernmark]

I just stumbled across somebody saying how editing their own novel was too exhausting, and next time they'll run it through Grammerly instead.

For the love of writing, please do not trust AI to edit your work.

Listen. I get it. I am a writer, and I have worked as a professional editor. Writing is hard and editing is harder. There's a reason I did it for pay. Consequently, I also get that professional editors can be dearly expensive, and things like dyslexia can make it difficult to edit your own stuff.

Algorithms are not the solution to that.

Pay a newbie human editor. Trade favors with a friend. Beg an early birthday present from a sibling. I cannot stress enough how important it is that one of the editors be yourself, and at least one be somebody else.

Yourself, because you know what you intended to put on the page, and what is obviously counter to your intention.

The other person, because they're going to see the things that you can't notice. When you're reading your own writing, it's colored by what you expect to be on the page, and so your brain will frequently fill in missing words or make sense of things that don't actually parse well. They're also more likely to point out things that are outside your scope of knowledge.

Trust me, human editors are absolutely necessary for publishing.

If you convince yourself that you positively must run your work through an algorithm before submitting to an agent/publisher/self-pub site, do yourself and your readers a massive favor: get at least two sets of human eyeballs on your writing after the algorithm has done its work.

Because here's the thing:

AI draws from whatever data sets it's trained on, and those data sets famously aren't curated.

You cannot trust it to know whether that's an actual word or just a really common misspelling.

People break conventions of grammar to create a certain effect in the reader all the time. AI cannot be relied upon to know the difference between James Joyce and a bredlik and an actual coherent sentence, or which one is appropriate at any given part of the book.

AI picks up on patterns in its training data sets and imitates and magnifies those patterns-- especially bigotry, and particularly racism.

AI has also been known to lift entire passages wholesale. Listen to me: Plagiarism will end your career. And here's the awful thing-- if it's plagiarizing a source you aren't familiar with, there's a very good chance you wouldn't even know it's been done. This is another reason for other humans than yourself-- more people means a broader pool of knowledge and experience to draw from.

I know a writer who used this kind of software to help them find spelling mistakes, didn't realize that a setting had been turned on during an update, and had their entire work be turned into word salad-- and only found out when the editor at their publishing house called them on the phone and asked what the hell had happened to their latest book. And when I say 'their entire work', I'm not talking about their novel-- I'm talking about every single draft and document that the software had access to.

[twosides--samecoin]

hey! i appreciate you offering me some advice!

i’m workin on my first ever fic (and creative writing for that matter lmao) and i keep running into the same issue

i’m really struggling to come up with plot/story. if i have like key moments or anything i have no issue writing it. i have a few pivotal moments that i want to happen but filling in the moments between them is super hard for me. is there any way to get over this?

Most people have a few key scenes they want to see when they think of writing a story, and it's normal not to know how to link them together. My longfic was my first try at creative fiction. Here's some of the thought process behind how I took my fic from an idea to a story arc!

Planning a story arc is about developing the journey. How did your main character get from Point A to B?

There's so much that goes into this answer, so here's a table of contents for this post:

Writer mental health: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Process

Planning Documents

Question Everything

Study [Part 1] Themes & Motivation

Study [Part 2] The Source Material & Your Inspirations

Study [Part 3] Storycraft

Sidequest: Questions, themes, motivation & storycraft for a story about nothing

🧠Writer mental health: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Process: I've written a post or two about perfectionism and writer mental health. Stories are sort of like plants; writers are like gardeners. No plant or story is fully formed from the jump. If your idea is a plant, then it grows from a seed. If a writer is a gardener, then they're tending a plant that grows over time. Allow yourself to make changes. Be willing to draft the story, edit, then sleep on it for a day or two and edit again before you post it online. You can always press the edit button after publication. I'm starting with this because the sooner you develop a growth mindset, the more likely you will avoid common writer mental health pratfalls. Treat writing like an oil painting in a museum: it began from a sketch and wasn't done all in one go. This point might not feel relevant until you have a bad day as a writer.

📝Planning documents: Take notes on anything and everything. Most writing software will have an outline/table of contents feature to help you organize. One document could be character notes, another might be a timeline of events. One could be scene ideas. Don't feel pressured to explain yourself too much. Treat these documents as scrap paper where you can write down quick ideas and move on; use a bullet point format. As my fic grew, my documents and the contents changed. Mine are now quite messy, and I don't feel the need to use them every chapter. I've outgrown them to a degree, but I still have them for my own reference.

I encourage you to avoid deleting large sections, even if you retcon an idea. Instead, move them to a cutting room floor document. You never know what you're going to need, and though it's in your head right now, you never know what you might forget.

❓Question Everything: While you know who your characters and what some big pivotal scenes are, you need to ask Who, What, When, Where, Why & How about these people and events. If you're from an analytical background such as law or journalism, you were trained to think this way when you learned issue spotting.

Asking these questions about the pivotal scenes and characters will spawn further questions you need to answer, which will then help you figure out what to write in-between the big scenes. If your pivotal scene is a fight between the Hero and a Big Bad, or the Love Interest proposing to the main character, you should ask questions about how the characters got there. What is the conflict between the Hero and the Big Bad? How did the MC and Love Interest meet? What challenges did they have along the way?

The genesis of my fic began with these questions. I thought:

"[What] would I do to fix the canon Fallout 4 [Who] RJ MacCready story?" I was then granted a vision of RJ hiking in the snowy mountains of [Where] Banff National Park. The [Why] was "Med-Tek didn't work out". That partly answered the [When] (North America in the post-apocalypse, over two hundred years since the bombs dropped; at the end of RJ's canon story). [How] did they figure out he needs to go to Banff?

After this idea took hold of my brain, I kept asking questions. As I answered them, I kept notes.

[What] happened at Med-Tek? [How] does RJ get from Boston to Banff? If this fic begins at the end of his canon story, [Who] is the Sole Survivor who helped him through it? [Where] are the key locations in Banff RJ should go and [Why]?

Some questions are more pertinent to explain than others. For example, travel was a big question I had to solve given my story is set in a post-apocalyptic version of our world. Distance travel- unless you're a caravan or the Brotherhood of Steel- is a luxury for your average Wastelander. So I looked up the closest real world equivalent to a vertibird (a tiltrotor aircraft such as the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey), spent time researching forums and roughly figured out how much fuel and how many stops a vertibird would need between Boston and Banff.

Another writer in the Fallout fandom might not find that pertinent or put in the same research. I value being able to point at something and say, "Oh, I figured that out" to help me better inform my writing.

📗Study [Part 1] Themes & Motivation: Ok, so you're thinking about how the Hero got involved with the Big Bad and the conflict between them; you started with the proposal and marriage between your MC and Love Interest and are now thinking of how they met and how their families react to their partnership.

What are your character's goals and objectives?

What is their background? What makes them think or feel a certain way? Keep in mind that people are complex. A traumatized person isn't always "acting" traumatized to the other characters or the audience.

What are some activities you've observed in real life relationships?

What do your characters like to do when they aren't working?

Who are your characters outside of the events of the story? Who are they before the story? Who are they after? If the story events didn't happen, who would they be instead?

What does one character observe in a room that another will not notice? If one character turns their nose up at a concept or idea, why or why not?

How does your character react under pressure?

What classic literary tropes apply to your character/story? Can you mix and match, or subvert a classic trope?

A love story is rarely ever just a love story. A superhero movie is rarely ever just about superpowers and fighting. What themes, concepts or ideas do you want to explore? Do you have any intellectual curiosities or side hobbies you want to bring to your writing? I really love studying philosophy and enjoy hiking. I am a big fan of works that examine the relationships humans have with nature and each other, as well as the nature of power. These are two things that make my fanfiction different: my characters react to their environments. They observe differences between Banff/Boston and remark upon what happened to Earth when the bombs fell. One of the best compliments I ever had on my fic was from a reader from Alaska who saw their childhood home reflected in Banff's boreal forest; who almost felt as though they could smell the environment by reading the story. My wife @edaworks is a multihyphenate and autodidact- statistician, sociologist, attorney, hobby archaeologist and cosplayer among many other things. In her fic, she brings completely different ideas to Fallout than I do.

📙Study [Part 2] The Source Material & Your Inspirations:

If you struggle to think of ideas relating to the central conflict, you can always return to the source material.

Are there details you notice that you have questions about?

Is there a character interaction that intrigues you?

Is there something you feel the original creator didn't explain? (For me, I wanted to figure out how resource-intensive travel like flight is possible in Fallout.)

Outside of the original text, think about works by other people that inspire you to make your own work. What intrigues you about what they do? How does your fave author or director handle the moments in between the pivotal scenes?

What literature outside of fanfiction do you enjoy? (Some of my fave books are House of Leaves, Infinite Jest, Walden, Le Petit Prince, The Catcher in the Rye, The Road, Ulysses, Blood Meridian and The Lord of the Rings.)

Do you enjoy comedy? Do you have a particular sense of humour because your parents raised you on Laugh-In and Richard Pryor? How can you infuse your story with jokes?

What movies or TV shows had an impact on you as a kid? Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill is a love letter to the stories he was inspired by. In turn, Kill Bill inspired my own story. I'm also influenced by stories about courageous kids navigating a corrupt adult world as well as industrialization vs nature, such as in Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Akira, Princess Mononoke. A lot of what I like is hyperdetailed in some way, be it via dense themes, immaculate cinematography or intricate set design.

What music do you listen do? Are there musicians who explore themes that resonate with the story you're writing?

📚 Study [Part 3] Storycraft: Learn about story structures and basic plot types to help you figure out how to build the overall story arc. Get to know your genre.

Note that you're not required to choose a story structure/plot type/genre. Approach to story delivery depends on cultural tradition, genre and the means with which the story is told. An awareness of them will help you understand how you can build your story.

A radio play, college graduation speech and a bedtime story are all part of the oral tradition. Despite being different stories intended for different audiences, all three could be told with a variety of story structures, or the same one. This chart from r/screenplay compares different approaches to story structure. There's even an entry for the Scientific Method.

If your story falls somewhere in the action/adventure genre, a story structure that might help is Joseph Campbell's monomyth; a three-act structure that watches a hero move from a known to unknown world and back again. Published in 1949, The Hero with a Thousand Faces posited that many heroic works can be boiled down to a similar story structure. You might know it as The Hero's Journey. A good movie for examining The Hero's Journey is Hercules (1997).

(The above image is from Bookfox. <- The linked page has similar graphics & explanations for other structures.)

After acquainting ourselves with the Ordinary World of Ancient Greece and Hades' meddling, Weirdo Freak Whom Do Be Too Strong Hercules visits the Temple of Zeus, who tells Herc he can earn his godhood- the Call Of Adventure. Hercules now wants to go the distance and find where he belongs. Zeus sends him to Meet The Mentor, Phil. After a training montage, Hercules and Phil go to Thebes and cross The First Threshold into the Unknown World. Herc wants something, encounters trials & a massive ordeal, then returns to the Known World a changed man.

Let's say one of your pivotal scenes is a huge fight between the Hero and the Big Bad. You could place that almost anywhere on the right side of the wheel. The Call to Adventure could be the first fight. The fights and conflict could get worse until a major fight happens at The Ordeal. Whatever you do, the audience needs to see the pivotal scene contextualized in some way. Whether you begin the story with a fight or are leading up to one, we want to see why it happened. You want to lay the groundwork and context for the pivotal events.

The pivotal events don't mean anything without context to support them, and the audience will not root for your characters if we don't see them struggle and/or aren't given reasons to care or get to know them.

Keep in mind it's not all about drama. Ideally, The Hero's Journey helps an author deliver layers of information that ranges from telling us about the characters' journey/everyday lives to showing the audience details that leads toward the central conflict. Maybe your characters are having a casual lunch and they see people running and screaming down the street. It's out of context in the moment, but it tells the audience, "Something's going on in this story that isn't right". Setup, payoff: the audience learns the reason why things aren't right when you contextualize them through supporting evidence.

These videos [1] [2] by Extra Credits explain the monomyth through an analysis of the video game Journey.

"But Tumblr User twosides--samecoin," you ask, "I'm not writing a heroic journey. What if I want to write a story about people just hanging out?"

👕Sidequest: Questions, themes, motivation & storycraft for a story about nothing

While your Hero doesn't need to slay monsters, some degree of conflict is necessary in most stories. Even the slicest of stories in the slice of life genre like Lucky Star have at least an episode or arc that has some problem to solve.

Seinfeld is known as being "a show about nothing", except that's not quite true. It's a slice of life comedy series that explores the misadventures of a friend group. Many episodes are predicated on telling a certain joke, gag, or are about seeing how the characters act in absurd situations. It's never about nothing. When the show was pitched to NBC, Seinfeld said: "We want to show how a comedian gets his material". The show is about mundane/everyday situations and turning people's worst tendencies into comedy gold.

Example: Seinfeld, season 5 episode 2: The Puffy Shirt

Who: is Jerry Seinfeld? Jerry is the titular character and a comedian. Also-ran are Elaine and George, as well as Kraemer and his new girlfriend, Leslie.

What: the fuck is that garment? The puffy shirt in question is considered a MacGuffin.

When/Where: Early/mid 90's NYC. Jerry's apartment, a photo studio, a restaurant, The Today Show.

Why: It's funny to see a grown-ass man act a fool about a bad fashion choice because of a miscommunication. He has to go on The Today Show and the host mocks the shirt, leading Jerry to snap about it, which then offends Leslie.

How: Jerry mishears Leslie, who has a very quiet speaking voice. In an effort to be polite, he accidentally agrees to wear the puffy shirt on The Today Show while pretending to understand her.

Themes: Miscommunication, humiliation, consequences arising from false politeness, awkward situations

Motivation: Jerry was motivated to be nice in an effort to accommodate Leslie's low talking volume in order to move the conversation along. He didn't realize he was agreeing to something he didn't want to do. This episode is not just about the humiliation Jerry suffers in the A plot- there are also B and C plots containing their own jokes that add to the tension of the episode, which all fall apart when Jerry snaps. Several plots and character arcs create pacing that feels like a boiling pot by the end of the episode: It's layers of mini jokes that support the main joke, which doesn't get a full punchline until the end. It's still one of the funniest 30 minutes of television ever produced, over three decades later.

Hope something in this ramble helps! Thanks for the ask, @publikoccurrences :)

All of my consultation, beta editing and screenshot commissions are free, but if you find what I share helpful: Consider reblogging, buying me a Ko-Fi, or check out my writing on AO3! You can send me an ask about any writing topic and I'll be glad to answer.

[briechyne]

Weirdly Motivated to Write

Well, I did say that I have a new keyboard—to correct my posture and not look like a pretzel while I work remotely. Small victories, right?

Now, let’s talk about motivation. Because for some reason, I am absolutely buzzing with it today. Is it because of my keyboard? Most likely. Is that weird? Probably. But hey, I never claimed to be normal.

See, besides being a full-time student, I also have a job. And that job? Writing. Creating. Capturing life in words, pictures, and fleeting moments of inspiration. Filming, writing, photography—these are the things that make me absolutely happy. And honestly? Life is just too beautiful not to share.

There’s something about having the right tools that makes everything feel different. You could give me the exact same blank document yesterday, and I wouldn’t have been nearly as eager to write as I am today. But now? With my new keyboard? I feel like I could churn out a whole novel, rewrite history, or at the very least, write an unnecessarily long blog post about why I feel like writing.

Maybe it’s the clickity-clackity. (Yes, that’s a technical term.) There’s just something deeply satisfying about hearing each keystroke, like a tiny round of applause with every word I type. It’s hypnotizing. Encouraging. Addictive, even. Without it, I don’t think I’d be half as motivated to write.

And that brings me to a very important question:

Could this mean my iPad will replace my laptop?

Ha! Not a chance. Never. Not in a million years.

As much as I love this setup, there are things my iPad just cannot do. And honestly, those things make a huge difference in my daily workflow. Don’t get me wrong—iPads are fantastic. They’re lightweight, portable, and perfect for quick notes, reading, or sketching. But when it comes to serious work? My Windows laptop remains irreplaceable.

Why My Windows Laptop Wins Every Time

Multitasking Like a Pro iPads have some multitasking capabilities, but let's be real—nothing beats having multiple windows open, side by side, without limitations. On my laptop, I can have a research paper in one window, my notes in another, a video playing on the side, and Spotify running in the background. Try doing that on an iPad without constantly swiping between apps. It’s just not the same.

File Management That Actually Makes Sense The Windows file system is superior. Hands down. Drag-and-drop functionality, proper file explorer, external drive support—it’s just easier. iPads, on the other hand, have a clunky file system that often makes me want to scream into the void. Copying files? Moving them? Finding them again? It takes way longer than it should.

Software Compatibility & Heavy-Duty Programs This one’s a dealbreaker. There are so many professional-grade applications that just don’t run on iPads. Things like:

Adobe Premiere Pro for serious video editing (iPad versions are limited)

Photoshop & Illustrator (yes, they have mobile versions, but they’re nowhere near as powerful)

Microsoft Excel with Macros (because let's be honest, the iPad version is lacking)

Programming software & full IDEs (if I ever decide to code, my iPad will just sit there, useless)

Mouse & Keyboard Freedom Yes, iPads can connect to a mouse and keyboard, but do they truly function like a laptop? Nope. There are still weird limitations. Right-clicking? Custom shortcuts? The precision of a real trackpad or external mouse? Windows just does it better. Period.

Downloading Anything Without Jumping Through Hoops iPads don’t let you download everything you want, especially if it’s outside the App Store. Need a program that isn’t on Apple’s list of approved software? Too bad. Meanwhile, on Windows? I can download whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want. No restrictions.

Serious Writing & Formatting Writing on an iPad is fine for quick drafts, but when it comes to formatting long documents, citations, and exporting files in different formats? My laptop is my best friend. Whether it's proper PDF editing, running reference managers like Zotero, or managing multiple Word documents with complex layouts, iPads just don’t cut it.

Gaming & Emulation Okay, maybe not work-related, but still important! iPads have mobile games, sure. But do they run full-fledged PC games? Nope. Can I use them for game modding? Nope. Can I play older games with emulators? Again, nope. My Windows laptop, on the other hand? Unlimited possibilities.

The Verdict?

As much as I love the convenience of my iPad + keyboard combo, it will never replace my laptop. Ever. My laptop is where the real magic happens—the deep work, the serious projects, the things that actually require a proper computer.

But will I still use my iPad for writing on the go? Absolutely. Because nothing beats the clickity-clackity joy of my new keyboard. And if that keeps me weirdly motivated to write, then hey—I’ll take it.

So if you ever see me typing away somewhere, looking ridiculously focused, just know—it’s not me. It’s the keyboard.

[pdqdocs]

Optimizing Legal Workflows with PDQ Docs: Document Automation Software for Law Firms

In the fast-paced legal world, law firms need to maintain efficiency and accuracy while managing large volumes of documents. Legal professionals are often faced with repetitive tasks that consume valuable time, such as drafting contracts, creating client forms, and generating legal documents. This is where document automation software for law firms, like PDQ Docs, comes into play. By automating these tasks, law firms can save time, reduce human error, and improve overall workflow efficiency.

How PDQ Docs Enhances Legal Workflows

One of the primary ways PDQ Docs enhances legal workflows is by automating the creation of legal documents. With PDQ Docs, law firms can create custom templates for various types of documents, such as contracts, wills, agreements, and more. The software then automatically populates these templates with client-specific information, eliminating the need for repetitive data entry.

The Benefits of PDQ Docs for Law Firms

The use of document automation software for law firms offers numerous advantages, and PDQ Docs is no exception. One of the main benefits is the significant time savings. By automating repetitive tasks like document creation, law firms can reduce the amount of time spent on administrative work. This allows attorneys and legal staff to focus more on higher-value tasks, such as client consultations, strategy development, and case analysis.

Another key benefit is improved accuracy. Human error is inevitable, especially when handling a high volume of documents. PDQ Docs minimizes errors by ensuring that all documents are consistent and follow the firm’s specific templates and guidelines. This not only improves the quality of work but also reduces the risk of costly mistakes.

Moreover, PDQ Docs helps law firms improve client service. Since the software speeds up document creation and retrieval, law firms can respond to clients more quickly and efficiently. Clients benefit from faster turnaround times, and law firms enhance their reputation by providing timely, professional services.

Why PDQ Docs is the Ideal Document Automation Software for Law Firms

When choosing document automation software for law firms, PDQ Docs stands out for its user-friendly interface and powerful features. The software is intuitive, making it easy for law firm staff to learn and implement quickly. PDQ Docs is also highly customizable, allowing law firms to tailor the software to meet their unique needs and processes.

Conclusion

In the competitive and fast-paced world of law, law firms need to adopt solutions that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and client service. Document automation software for law firms, such as PDQ Docs, offers a powerful tool to streamline document creation and management, reduce administrative overhead, and improve the overall quality of legal work. With its user-friendly design, customizable templates, and strong security features, PDQ Docs is the ideal solution for any law firm looking to optimize their document management processes. By integrating PDQ Docs into your practice, you can boost productivity, minimize errors, and deliver superior service to your clients.

[thatstormygeek]

To be extremely blunt: Microsoft is asking its employees to draft their performance reviews based on the outputs of generative AI models — the same ones underpinning ChatGPT — that are prone to hallucination.  Microsoft is also — as I learned from an internal document I’ve reviewed — instructing managers to use it to summarize "their direct report's Connects, Perspectives and other feedback collected throughout the fiscal year as a basis to draft Rewards/promotion justifications in the Manage Rewards Tool (MRI)," which in plain English means "use a generative AI to read performance reviews that may or may not be written by generative AI, with the potential for hallucinations at every single step."

I find this whole situation utterly disgusting. The Growth Mindset is a poorly-defined and unscientific concept that Microsoft has adopted as gospel, sold through Satya Nadella's book and reams of internal training material, and it's a disgraceful thing to build an entire company upon, let alone one as important as Microsoft. Yet to actively encourage the company-wide dilution of performance reviews — and by extension the lives of Microsoft employees — by introducing generative AI is reprehensible. It shows that, at its core, Microsoft doesn't actually want to evaluate people's performance, but see how well it can hit the buttons that make managers and the Senior Leadership Team feel good, a masturbatory and specious culture built by a man — Satya Nadella — that doesn't know a fucking thing about the work being done at his company. This is the inevitable future of large companies that have simply given up on managing their people, sacrificing their culture — and ultimately their businesses — to as much automation as is possible, to the point that the people themselves are judged based on the whims of managers that don't do the actual work and the machines that they've found to do what little is required of them. Google now claims that 25% of its code is written by AI, and I anticipate Microsoft isn't far behind.

[imaginaryanon]

Hi! Regarding your writing software questions: Ellipsus lets you have a main document and one or more drafts based on that document, that you can change independently. And then there's an option that lets you compare side by side both versions, which highlight any changes (be it that you changed one word for another, or added/removed sentences) in different colours (there's a neat visual in their product tour, but I don't want to send the link in case tumblr eats it). Based on your request, I think that could be what you're looking for? I don't use that specific feature, but I'm overall happy with the program, and it's what I currently use to write. They also state in their page that they won't implement generative AI in their software.

Have a nice day! I hope you find what you need.

that... sounds like EXACTLY what i'm looking for, holy shit? thank you SO much for telling me about this program, i'm definitely going to look into it when i try to get back into writing!

[novella-november]

Saw your post about dictating your novel instead of writing and wanted to ask more about your process if that's okay!

Do you find that when you dictate, most revisions you make are mostly grammar-related, etc? Or are you also doing line-level revisions?

My hesitation with dictation is that I'm a far more eloquent writer when I type. When I dictate my story, the quality of my writing takes a massive nosedive, and I rewrite most of it. I'm unsure if this improves with more practice or if it simply indicates that diction isn't for me.

I'd love your thoughts on this!

Most of the errors I am seeing with the dictation method is the lack of "quotation marks" around dialogue, excessive or inadequate punctuation, and a few words being misheard by the voice recognition and coming out as an incorrect word or name.

Especially while I am dictating I am making sure to include dialogue tags so it'll be easier to go back and edit for proper punctuation and word choice later on, most of the words coming out incorrectly are easy to sound-out, or I'll fix them as I spot them.

For me, the hard part is writing it down to begin with, so even if I do rewrite an entire paragraph later that was originally written with voice to text, that's still a lot easier for me than never having written it in the first place :)

Before I even consider beta readers my entire first draft is going to be very heavily edited and proofread, so a few errors now that are easy to fix later are worth being able to write so much so consistently in my free time!

As for eloquence of typing vs dictation, it is probably simply a matter of practice, perhaps using a software that is able to learn from your voice (just make sure you check any privacy policy to make sure its something your comfortable with using!) and of course, nothing has to come out perfect the first time, and its perfectly fine (and normal!) to rewrite scenes and entire sections of your story, practice makes perfect!

Your preferences will really boil down to "Write a lot faster in a span of time with slightly more editing time down the line" vs "write at a slower pace but needs less revision later"; if you're not sure, I recommend just opening a blank document, and reading aloud some text you've already written, and see how well the dictation works to capture it and if you're satisfried with the speed.

My current method of using it is having my bluetooth headphones paired with my desktop, and turning on voice to text using the windows+H key as needed for dictation.

[max-of-progress]

AAHAHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCCCHHH

I would LOVE some tips OML my dad is a scriptwriter but I have absolutely NO clue on how to format it😭 I've written things before but this time I want to actually send it to Riot and see what comes of it I would be so so so grateful for anything at all!!

Thank you SOOOOO much

Of course!!

And omg that's so cool that your dad is a scriptwriter too! He probably can give you better tips, lol, but there's a good amount of stuff online in terms of learning how to format a screenplay.

Studiobinder is a great website that I frequently reference for help with writing, formatting rules, reading published scripts, or just anything dealing with screenwriting in general. It also has a screenwriting software that you can use to write and manage your scripts! I used it at the beginning of college (it was the only software I was aware of) but I don't really use it anymore.

Another free software I used is WriterDuet! It's pretty good, all things considered, and it's got pretty much all you'll need to write a script! I wrote a pilot episode for a TV show and like 80% of a feature film on it with no problem. The only thing is that the free trial only lets you have like 3 documents 😭so I could only write so much.

The software I use right now is Final Draft! It's industry standard so it's got everything. It's pricey though, but you can get a free trial! I was able to get one through my school, but I think you can sign up for one. Right now, it seems like it's 30 days but I somehow managed to get like a year-round one?? I'm not actually sure how I did that-

As for formatting tips, there's a super quick like,, lesson (?) underneath the cut! And I hope you don't mind, but I translated what you had written into the format to help you see how the formatting would work!

Also I wasn't sure if by formatting you meant like screenplay format or story format or something else, but I went with the former. So if it's anything else, let me know and my apologies if so!

Hopefully it's helpful! And if you ever have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask! I wish you luck with your writing and sending it to Riot! Can't wait to see what becomes of it and those two bozos (affectionate). 🩵

Sluglines:

- Introduce your scene and are in all caps - FORMULA: [EXT/INT]. (SETTING) - (TIME) - EXT. = Exterior settings // INT. = Interior Settings - TIME is typically either "DAY" or "NIGHT" but sometimes you can get into specifics like "MORNING"/"AFTERNOON"/"EVENING" and so on - Additionally, if a scene is happening right after the other, you could put "CONTINUOUS" instead of writing "DAY" again - When you have a scene that takes place somewhere with multiple rooms (EX: An apartment), you can specify the room by adding it between (SETTING) & (TIME) - For Example: INT. APARTMENT SPACE - BEDROOM - DAY

Action Lines:

- Action lines are where all the action, descriptions, blocking, set dressing, etc happen - Traditionally, action lines are written in the present tense with active verbs. - In the action lines sometimes writers will capitalize SOUNDS or important PROPS to emphasize or draw attention to them - this is a writing style choice (I personally love to capitalize sounds) - Try to avoid having big chunks of action lines - they're typically no longer than four or five sentences - The general rule is that every time you picture the camera shot changes, you create a new paragraph (aka line breaks) - Additionally, I've been taught not to put things in the action lines such as "we see" or state something about the camera doing something (zooming in, panning out, cutting to, etc...) - SHOW don't TELL basically - You will also introduce your CHARACTERS in the action lines as well

Character Intros:

- As mentioned before, character intros happen in the action lines - The first time a character is introduced, their NAMES are capitalized and followed by their age (typically in parenthesis) and/or a little description about them (could be physical but I've been told to lean more into personality because having a set physical description messes with casting, but that's not an issue for this particular project) - For Example: SILCO (40s), lanky in stature and sharp in his face and mind, rolls his eyes and scoffs. - After you initially capitalize their name, you don't have to do so anymore in other action lines - Additionally, you want to make sure you introduce a character in the action line BEFORE they have a speaking line - this is just for the production team's sake to know who's present in the scene - Even BACKGROUND people's names/groups are capitalized (so like: CROWD, PATRONS, TOWNSFOLK and so on would be capitalized in your action lines) - If we're seeing someone for the first time, their name is capitalized

Dialogue:

- My favorite part of the script! - The writing software will make this bit of formatting easy, but it's always indented as shown in the screenshots, and the names are always capitalized (again, something a writing software will do for you) - Sometimes additional text will follow the character name in parentheses such as: - (V.O) = "voice over" <- this is typically for narration - (O.S) = "off-screen" <- this is for when a character is in a scene but isn't in frame - (CONT'D) = "continued" <- typically the software will add this for you if a character speaks again after an action line - You can also use parentheticals (softwares will have a way for you to add them properly) for when you need an actor to do something specific with the line delivery or other - For Example: (sarcastically), (shouting), (between sobs), (shrugging) - Use them sparingly though - sometimes you can put it in an action line prior to the dialogue, you can use italics to emphasize words, or you can put the dialogue in all caps if the character is shouting or other

Other Tips:

MONTAGES - there are several different ways to do these (the way I did it in the script example is my own personal way of doing them), but typically you make note of having a montage in the action lines TITLE CARDS - also are different ways of superimposing text on the screen that you can find online (I personally don't use this a lot so I don't honestly know the "right" way to do it, tbh) BEATS/PAUSES - again, try to show and not tell, but you can definitely just have "a beat" in your action line if you need to either describe a silence or break up some dialogue. However, I've been instructed by professors to put some kind of action instead (For Example: "Vander shifts uncomfortably and glances away" instead of "A beat."). Helps you seem like a better writer, I guess, but it also gives the actors/characters something to do - Read other scripts to see how they format things! For this one specifically, see how Arcane writes its scripts! Try and find PDFs or anything online that might showcase how they go about their formats because different shows will have different formats (For example: Bob's Burgers double spaces all their text for some reason). If you're writing in hopes of sending it to Riot, copying their formatting will definitely benefit you. - But for the most part, the rules for formatting are pretty much the same across the board (Slugline formula, capitalizing character intros, indenting dialogue, having action lines, etc..) it's just depending on either the writer or the show, they might have a different style

ALSO!

I'm so sorry, I'm realizing this now as I'm writing this, but this is a TV SCRIPT so it'll have ACT BREAKS.

Most of the time, TV Shows will specify the beginning and end of an act with "ACT [#]"/"END OF ACT [#]" and there will be a way to do this on a screenwriting software.

They're typically just in the middle of the page, in all caps, bold, and underlined.

Additionally, TV shows also either have a TEASER at the beginning or a COLD OPEN.

This particular script seems like it has a teaser, with what seems to be a flashback, so you would make note of that the same way you'd make note of the acts (of which a TV show usually has four/five of).

I was formatting it like a film, my bad-

But that's about it!

Sorry this took so long to answer and that it's a lot, but hopefully some of it is helpful! And again, if you have any other questions, let me know! I've got a lot of resources and whatnot, so if you need anything my inbox and dms are open!

Good luck with your project! 🩵 Already it looks promising!

[isbahstudio]

Hey! I’m starting my education in the paralegal field this fall, any tips or advice? Your blog is gorgeous! Hope you’re having a good day :)

Hi! Thank you! I do have a few tips I often like to give:

1) Be a self motivated learner! Alot of the law is researching and learning on the way. You will not know every statute or every filing software. You just google and learn along the way.

2) Legal writing is very different from normal writing, even different from academic writing. Legal writing is very cut, dry, and to the point. It usually follows the IRAC format. Issue, Ruling, Analysis, Conclusion. Basically, state the relevant laws and explain the case.

3) Keep a notebook solely for paralegal tasks! I have a leather diary designated for this. I write down all the little things I learn, like steps for filing motions, steps for serving discovery, jot down important deadlines, jot down legal jargon and commonly used statutes, jot down examples of legal citations to refer to, etc. This really comes in handy!

4) Understand your attorney! Eventually, when you do work with an attorney, identify the type of personality and the type of work environment you like. Some people have a bad experience as a paralegal because they're paired to an insufferable attorney. Some people have a great time, because their attorney is chill, collaborative, and a good mentor. Understand how your attorney likes to do things. How they like to organize tasks, organize files, maintain correspondence, etc. Basically, take their work style, improve on it, and make it more efficient.

5) Network! Alot of times lawyers and law firms are not posting jobs on the internet. It's more word of mouth. So try to network and do legal internships to get your foot in the door.

6) Portfolio! I have a digital and physical portfolio of my work with sample legal documents I drafted, sample case briefs, sample indictments, etc. In today's impossible job market, a portfolio can really help you stand out!

Finally, just have an open mind. When you are in your paralegal classes, it can take a second to get a hang of things. You may also find some patches to be dull and boring. But, the law is very diverse and there are many niches you can go into after graduation. If in the future you want to pivot away from being a paralegal, your experience in law firms or legal offices, can help you enter other fields like business, public policy, etc. A paralegal certificate is truly what you make of it. I kind of see it as a DIY degree!

Hope this helps! Good luck!