Congrats to all. Take care. Vern
1,276 2015-06-12 22:42:33
Re: Strongest Start 2015 Winners (15 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
1,277 2015-06-08 15:38:25
Re: Site Bugs 2 (342 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
njc wrote:
Mobile doesn't have those links. "READ" is under the menu button, and brings you to a tabbed page. None of the tabs is for contests.
The problem with mobile interfaces is that they often seem to use a different code base entirely, so you can't make any assumptions about how one side works based on the other.
On the Home Depot web sit, if you want the aisle and bay for an item, you need the not-for-mobile website. At Lowes, to get the same info, you need the mobile site.
Houston, we have a problem, lol. Good luck. Take care. Vern
1,278 2015-06-08 15:30:33
Re: Formatting, Ugh! (9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Preacher wrote:
I use word 2010 for my documents. I was fooling around with the paragraph styles and kind of set one up that has the times new roman and 12 pt font size. what about the margins or whatever they call it? is it supposed to be a ceetain number for each side. i currently have it set for justify left, times new roman, 12 pt font with the .5 indent for the first paragraph of each sentence. is there anything else i should include for a normal paragraph style?
That's really all you NEED to do in a draft. If an agent/editor wants anything more or less then you can change it at your leisure to accommodate whatever "demands" they might have. By the time you have finished your book, you will probably be an expert on the use of Word and can give the powers that be whatever they wish. Until then, I would keep it simple and spend the time on finishing the project. Good luck. Take care. Vern
Edited for PS: Most manuscripts are now sent as an attachment so the receiving party can change whatever they wish on their end; all of which means the exact formatting is not as critical as it used to be with a hard copy being sent. However, you still want to follow any explicit guidelines an agent/editor might request.
1,279 2015-06-08 15:18:32
Re: Site Bugs 2 (342 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
njc wrote:
penang wrote:njc wrote:I don't see those links.
Do you see a menu button on the top right? On my ipad, I have a menu button and if I click on that and scroll down there is a link for contests.
But it doesn't show the master contests page, only my entries. There's no way I can find to get to the master Contests page, or to any particular contest.
I can only assume you can get to your Home page from a mobile device since I don't use them. If that assumption is correct, then on your Home page you can click on the READ option at the top between the POST YOUR WRITING and your user name (njc) which are highlighted in dark blue and light blue respectively. Click on the Writing Contests at the bottom of the READ menu and you will get a list of the contests from which you can select all the entries, rules, or whatever (even closed contests). Hope that helps. Take care. Vern
1,280 2015-06-08 14:49:40
Re: Formatting, Ugh! (9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Different agents/editors may want slightly different formats, but generally you can't go too wrong with Times New Roman with 12 pt. Do a search of any agent/editor you wish to query and they will show what format they want if it is important to them. But it really doesn't matter which you use for your draft because you can change the whole thing in Word merely by highlighting parts or all of it (select all) and change the font, etc with a click of the mouse.
To set up your para indents, spacing, etc. just click on "page layout" and select from the top menu whatever you wish to tinker with. If you are within a document and wish to change something in a section, just highlight what you want to change and right click and select from the menu.
If there is anything in Word you don't know how to do, you can do a Google search and more than likely you will find a solution (or several) since it is very widely used. I have never searched for anything without finding a solution. A bit of trial and error playing around is a really good way to get comfortable with the process. Good luck. Take care. Vern
Edited for PS: You could always buy Word for Dummies (real title) which is a very easy to use guide to most anything you want to know.
1,281 2015-06-07 02:39:31
Re: Geneticist required for 4017 A.D. (29 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I've been watching this thread for a while and find it interesting that most folks seem to think you actually need some type technical explanation. Pretty much the exact same scenario happened on an episode of the TV series Stargate. An advanced civilization sterilized an entire planet in order to take over the resources when all the inhabitants finally died out. They were going to do the same thing to Earth until the heroes found out their scheme and stopped it just in time of course.
There was no technical explanation given other than the "gift" would eliminate all disease (which it did also - the carrot for the acceptance of the people - while making them unknowingly sterile) but the effect was clearly shown through the results. By the time the curse was realized, it was too late; the whole population died out and the aliens had a new planet to strip without firing a bullet OR explanation. The non technical aspect didn't detract or diminish the storyline and if you don't have a specific technical cause, you don't have to worry about making future convoluted explanations for any discrepancies, etc. which might arrive. Just a thought. Take care. Vern
1,282 2015-06-03 15:08:45
Re: Has anyone tried Kindle Scout (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Janet Taylor-Perry wrote:
My one worry is the 5 year thing. Not sure I'd like to give up my rights that long. Also, is this 5-year thing only for e-books? How does that affect print books?
You still retain print rights; they acquire ebook and audio. One big caveat though is that most print publishers would probably also want the ebook and audio rights if they were interested in publishing a book. You can get more info by clicking on the link Sol provided and then going through the various options presented. Take care. Vern
1,283 2015-06-02 21:30:59
Re: Sorry! (11 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Sincerest condolences. Family is priority one. Your strength is evident and admired. Take care. Vern
1,284 2015-05-19 02:12:40
Re: draft - where is it? (2 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
On your home page click on in-line reviews (View All) and then select posted in-line reviews and it should be there as a draft. If not, it is probably lost in cyberspace. Good luck. Take care. Vern
1,285 2015-05-15 00:07:32
Re: No feedback AT ALL (9 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
A few things to note: Your saying NOBODY has reviewed you is incorrect; you had at least one in-line review in March (PS: that's when you joined so it hasn't been 4 months as you stated). You might check their comments and your response to see if you could do something different to encourage the continuation of reviews.
Your user name might create some confusion since you haven't posted any poems. I for one would think you were a poet looking at your name and most likely wouldn't look up your profile and/or portfolio to see if anything interested me. I review very few poems and those are generally from folks I've come to know through other genres. Perhaps I'm not the only one.
You have posted very few reviews (and no in-lines) for other writers considering the amount of time you have been a member; reviews beget reviews - good ones at least.
Your timing just might be a little off. You could have come to the forums and asked politely how you might receive more reviews and most likely you would have gotten significant response just as you did from this post which has already precipitated several reviews. Just maybe an earlier request could have lessened your frustration level considerably.
Just a few thoughts to ponder. Good luck. Take care. Vern
Edited for PS in text above.
1,286 2015-05-13 23:08:23
Re: (Newbie peeks around the corner into the Room ...) (11 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
If you never open the door, you'll never know what is on the other side; windows can be so deceiving. Take care. Vern
1,287 2015-05-13 23:03:23
Re: Wishlist Cont. (212 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
whitepaws wrote:
Linda Lee wrote:Also bumping the request to make keeping track of where you left off on novel reviews as easier process. It was tough on the old site, but even tougher on this one. Perhaps a color or highlight of anything you've reviewed in the chapter list drop down? Or leaving the check mark at the last spot you reviewed?
I agree. I'd like to follow some of the authors I've read so it would be great to make this an easier option.
If you use in-line reviews then it is already there; it shows you which chapters you have reviewed when you open the menu of chapters by clicking the little arrow to the right of the chapter number/title of whichever chapter you open. Take care. Vern
1,288 2015-05-12 22:45:33
Re: Strongest Start 2015 Finalists (16 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Congrats to all selected as finalists and to all who won by entering. Take care. Vern
1,289 2015-05-10 16:35:49
Re: Giving and receiving points? (6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Mike Roberson wrote:
Sol, If you read this I have a question. Is there a way to edit your post while you are looking at the X line review. When I see something I want to apply, I would like to apply it while in the review. Maybe its there and I don't know how to use it.
Not Sol here, but you can switch back to the regular in-line and make whatever edits you wish and then switch back again if desired. If you think you will be making edits to numerous comments, it might be simpler to just stay in the regular in-line format. Another good reason not to make the x-line the default imho. Take care. Vern
1,290 2015-05-10 16:22:46
Re: How to make a chapter Inactive? (2 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Open your portfolio and click on the "Action" button to the right of the novel you wish to deactivate a chapter. Then click on the "publishing setup" and when the screen pops up, just click the appropriate chapter where it says "Active" in order to select the deactivate option. Take care. Vern
1,291 2015-05-06 10:30:02
Re: Print added to content pages (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Does it print disabled chapters? The old site had a glitch where it would show disabled chapters by clicking on the little + sign. Take care. Vern
1,292 2015-05-05 02:22:08
Re: Contest Updates (3 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Janet Taylor-Perry wrote:
And where is this post of winners?
It's not tomorrow or next Monday yet. Take care. Vern
1,293 2015-05-04 14:02:49
Re: New Feature: X-lines (36 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
njc wrote:
Am I missing something, or is it not possible to reply to inline items in X-lines format?
If you click on the highlighted area, a comment box opens just as in the regular in-line. Take care. Vern
1,294 2015-04-29 12:32:00
Re: New Feature: X-lines (36 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Norm d'Plume wrote:
X-lines are great, by the way, in case I haven't said that enough.
Dirk
Ahh, yesss, couldn't agree more. And well worth a fleeting mouse click - or two even, lol. Take care. WC Fields/Vern
1,295 2015-04-29 02:15:59
Re: What happened to GP? (27 replies, posted in HodgePodge)
GPyrenees wrote:
Tmi, my dear John. Certain bodily functions are best kept as silent as they are deadly.
When my daughter was young, she would try to gross us out with talk of bodily functions at the dinner table. It didn't work, but we finally laid down the law there would be no discussions of such at the dinner table - she had to find new avenues to test her parents tolerance level, lol. She was fighting a losing battle anyway since I grew up with 18-20 (sometimes more) "disgusting" kids at the dinner table. Take care. Vern
1,296 2015-04-29 02:05:16
Re: New Feature: X-lines (36 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Norm d'Plume wrote:
At the risk of incurring Vern's wrath twice, I was just using the new feature to read reviews given to another author (as opposed to those received by me). In all those cases, the x-line tab should definitely be the default. I can't imagine a reason why someone would want the other view, having to click on each inline. Unless there's an issue with tablets or phones that requires it to be otherwise... It's more than just one mouse click per review; I open the review and begin to scroll down looking for comments, then when I see them, I realize I have to scroll back up to switch to the x-line tab, then scroll back down to continue where I left off.
Besides, if you change the default, I might shut up for a while and go away. :-)
Dirk
Hell hath no wrath like ... well who knows, but not me, lol. Anyway, logically speaking, it is still only one click if you wish to use the x-line; just click it initially. And just to point out one obvious reason for someone not to use it - moi for instance - is that you get more of the context to set the comment in when they aren't all listed in a row. I've looked at several where you have a word or two and no other context because the text is blocked by a dozen comment boxes. Still, as stated it's only one click and I for one still have the stamina to make it in either direction. Now, if I were Sol, and had to change the programming, it might burn a few more calories, but that's his weight loss to ponder not mine. And besides, who else is going to play the devil's advocate in writers' ever expanding desires for saving a mouse click. How on earth did they ever survive the quill and ink well, lol. Take care. Vern
1,297 2015-04-28 02:09:53
Re: New Feature: X-lines (36 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Norm d'Plume wrote:
vern wrote:Seems like a low priority to me; you're talking one click for crying out loud. But hey, if we're trying to alleviate any effort on anyone's part, how about a respirator to breathe for me, and I can probably think of a few more things which could reduce the burning of one-and-a-half calories and save a nanosecond or two. Or maybe just link us all up to a Matrix; don't forget to roll us over so we don't get bedsores, lol. Take care. Vern
LOL. Best single piece of advice I ever received from my business counterpart while I was working in IT was, "Count the mouse clicks." I deployed Customer Relationship Management systems for call centers that have to be very efficient/intuitive/self-teaching. I extended his advice to include scrolling and mouse movements. It's a trivial change and will almost certainly be the preferred default. Besides, there's no harm in asking.
Dirk
Amen, brother, no harm at all. Speaking of counting clicks, do you know how many we've spent on this subject. No, I'm not counting them, lol. Take care. Vern
1,298 2015-04-27 23:06:49
Re: New Feature: X-lines (36 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
SolN wrote:
Default to X-display makes sense.
If enough members tell me they like the X-line view more than we can make it the default.
Seems like a low priority to me; you're talking one click for crying out loud. But hey, if we're trying to alleviate any effort on anyone's part, how about a respirator to breathe for me, and I can probably think of a few more things which could reduce the burning of one-and-a-half calories and save a nanosecond or two. Or maybe just link us all up to a Matrix; don't forget to roll us over so we don't get bedsores, lol. Take care. Vern
1,299 2015-04-25 12:19:35
Re: Interesting article on the future of publishing (17 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
"Progress is never considered progress until it is the norm." - Luke Peters
Take care. Vern
1,300 2015-04-24 23:13:51
Re: Interesting article on the future of publishing (17 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Once upon a time, radio would replace books, then television would replace radio, then computers would replace television, then phones would replace computers, then watches would replace phones .... There is always something to come along which is going to replace the existing something. Things have a way of balancing out and the old will most always have a niche even as the new takes over. And now I'm going to go write a letter with my quill. Take care. Vern
