Sometimes there are things you know you should do but forget. Then you are drowning and someone points it out.
In this case, Isabel Swift came up with a practical solution to my problem of naming two characters the same. Keep a master list using a contacts programme. It can be simple or complex but can include little details like birthdays etc. Because after all to me, they are real people.
When Isabel makes a suggestion, I listen. After all the woman is one of the legendary editors. And in this case the suggestion is spot on. And I thank her very much.
It is even more appropriate because the ms waiting for my editor's thoughts is linked to CMM and so there are overlapping characters. In fact, the second book takes place about the time the first book is ending.
Then my current work in progress is the first of three books. I really want to write the last one, but in order for it to make sense, the other two have to be properly done. And I am going to Istanbul at the end of October in order to do research for the last book!
Anyway, the One Note feature on Microsoft Office is the perfect place to do this contacts list. It is a bit like having a series of notebooks. You can also create tables etc. So master lists here I come.
It would have helped if I had thought of it before...And yes, I know Anne McAllister, about the spread sheet of ultimate power...but I had avoided doing it.
But I suspect that this is why I am an author and not an editor. Editors are far more organised than authors (and if they are not, I want to keep my illusions!)
In small domestic difficulties:
We have new ducklings. They have a white mother duck and have gone into the apex. The black mother duck and her bigger ducklings are now occupying the oldest duck house. This season's original white mother duck and her remaining duckling who has fledged are in the middle duck house or possibly the apex. What I don't want is mother duck wars as I am now convinced that the several ducklings were lost because of fighting mother ducks!
And finally there are certain aspects of motherhood I loathe -- early morning vomit ranking up there. I deal with it but do not like it. Sigh. There are reasons why I never took up nursing. I think it is food poisoning and thus am going with BRTY -- Banana, rice, tea and yogurt to soothe the stomach.
4 comments:
Oh YUCK. Hugs to whichever offspring is under the weather.
Post your new cover! That will make you feel better.
Spreadsheet? What spreadsheet? I have a WordPerfect doc with + and - signs for all the years, and different color ink for each book's characters and events. It's primitive, but it works. I am not good enough with spreadsheets to make them work for me. It takes thought aforethought, as it were, and that is somehow beyond me.
Anyway, let me know how the contacts list works. And One Note. I was an early devotee of Evernote, but then they made it complicated, and don't support the version I love, anymore. So I've moved on. Will consider One Note if you think it's worth it. One thing about having 22 interlinked books is, I need something to keep them sorted!!!
Hugs on the sick child, and good luck with One Note.
I have a "names" spreadsheet (on Excel) so I can sort it quickly by first or last name. Medicals mean extra characters (patients and staff) so I have those in, too. Very helpful when I set something in the same fictional hospital but in a different department...
Now Anne you are shattering my illusions. I thought it was magnificient spread sheet. Word works as well. It is the thought aforethought.
One Note came with my Microsoft Office. Apparently there is a way to export notes straight to word.
The table function appears very easy to use. YOu can also easily create new notebooks and pages as well as capturing pages.
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