yWriter5 Writing Software Review

I decided to start the year out by trying to be more organized in my writing. I have a system, but it consists of individual files for things like character summaries, plot outline, and chapter summaries. Knowing that there is software out there for writers, I decided to search and see what I could find.

After reviewing a long list of possibilities, I focused in on yWriter5. I watched the video demo and I was sold. It is feature rich, very light-weight, and FREE! And as an unpublished writer, I am a big fan of free.

I formatted my latest writing project in rtf format with chapter headings as required by yWriter5, and was able to import my whole project and have it automatically create the chapter division files.

You have options to add characters with character details, locations, items, and scenes which make up your chapters. Because of the "scene" approach, it is easy to drag scenes between chapters or rearrange them as your story fleshes out.

The reports are helpful, and you can even do a word-count report to help you stick to your writing goals.

I am really amazed at how much this free program offers, and from what I have seen so far, you are getting a top quality program.

Check it out at http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter5.html

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com

How To Handle a Character's Thoughts

I recently received the following email question from one of the blog readers. Below is our exchange in case anyone else has the same question. As always, this is just my amateur opinion.

Hugh,
How do you show what a character is thinking in a novel? I don't want to write (he or she thought) every time. Can I place a character's thoughts in single quotation marks, and then place a character's words in the traditional double quotation marks?
Thanks

My first reply:

Joe,
All I can give you is my perspective. I think the best way is to shift seamlessly into the character's thoughts without attribution. In other words, allow the perspective to simply become closer to the character, reflecting thoughts as they happen. This can be tricky but it seems to be the best method of keeping the reader engaged. If you require a directly quoted thought, I would recommend italics followed by "he thought." I think that most often the simple method is best, just as "he said" is better than "he shouted." Writing "he thought" does not take the reader out
of the reading flow, which is the real goal. You want it to be invisible. Hope that helps some. Best of luck.
Hugh

Joe Responded:

So if a character is thinking, write their thoughts in italics?

I Replied:

Here are two examples. First is one where you are communicating thoughts without attribution.

Jake walked into the room slowly, guarded. The single bulb cast shadows across the table. The smell was strong and rancid. A dead animal? Or... no, probably just an animal.

He continued through the room.

The second one uses attribution.

Jake walked into the room slowly, guarded. The single bulb cast shadows across the table. The smell was strong and rancid.

A dead animal? Jake thought. Or... no, probably just an animal.

He continued through the room.

In my opinion, the version without attribution is better. As you read the passage, you more directly get the thoughts of the character without really noticing the deepening perspective. I am not saying that I really know how to do this well, but I definitely think it is the right approach when it is done well.

I see it as creeping perspective. You may start out with simple observations, more narrative description than written from a specific perspective. Then slowly, as the emotion needs to ramp up, you make it more clear that the perspective is from the character, maybe drawing in life experiences as part of the context for the current events. Finally, you begin to slip into the thought process, the emotions, and even some specific thoughts of the character. When done properly, the reader never realizes the shift is taking place, the reading flow is not broken, and at the same time the reader is becoming more emotionally connected to the events taking place, and to the character.

Hope this helps those of you struggling with this issue. If you have other opinions, please share them will us all in the comments.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

www.jhughthomas.com
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