Scrivener – Corkboard Images

 

There are several ways you can keep images (or links to those images) in Scrivener. But here’s an easy way for those who want to have groups of images easily and quickly accessible.

Let’s say you like to have pictures of your characters handy. (This will work for any type of images- characters is just one example.)

If you chose a fiction template when you started, you’ll already have a folder labeled “Characters.” If you don’t, simply create a new folder and label it.

Click on your character folder in the binder and then select “new text” using the add button in the toolbar. This will give you a document within the Character folder. Label it with the character’s name.

Now go over to the right in the Synopsis box and click on the double arrows. Choose the little photo icon.

You’ll get a box that says “Drag an image file.”

Drag the image you want from another file or source right into the box and you’ll see it appear.

Repeat this process for the other characters.

OR you can do this in corkboard view. Make sure your “Characters” folder is still highlighted in the binder and click on the corkboard icon at the top.

When you’re ready to add your next character, make sure the last index card is highlighted and click “new text” like you did in the original example.

Do the same thing as before by clicking the double arrows, choosing the photo icon, and dragging the photo you want.

The end result will look something like this. Fun, right? :)

If you want to refer to the images as you’re writing, you can pull them up on their own or use a split screen view. Remember, you can adjust the index cards so they fit the way you want them to. See corkboard post here. And you can use either the side by side or top/bottom split screen.

You can also click the little blue “i” to the right to close the Inspector Pane and give you more room.

This tool can be used for any collection of images, including settings or research. 

Or even if you need a few pictures to refer to on breaks. You know, something that makes you happy or helps you relax. Be creative!

To learn more about Scrivener, head over to the Tools for Writers page.

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At Your Service by Jen Malone – Sneak Peek and Giveaway!

Jen Malone is a middle grade and young adult author repped by Holly Root at The Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. She lives north of Boston with her husband and three children, teaches at Boston University, and travels the world as a workshop facilitator.

Her debut AT YOUR SERVICE publishes with Simon & Schuster/Aladdin MIx in August 2014 and today we have a special sneak peak of the first chapter just for you! (But that’s not all, scroll down for a giveaway!)

AtYourService Excerpt by Simon & Schuster Excerpts

Now, who wants to win an annotated e-ARC straight from the desk of Jen Malone?! Enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Patrick McDonald of QueryTracker

Instead of simply telling you how wonderful QueryTracker is, I went right to the source. Below is an interview with Patrick McDonald, the creator of QueryTracker. (If you’re querying and don’t know about QT, check it out here. It’s a gold mine!)

 

What can you tell us about the man behind the awesome Query Tracker site?

There’s really not much to say. I’m just a boring guy who spends way too much time in front of a computer. I enjoy reading, writing and programming, and QueryTracker rolls all of that info one nice bundle for me.

Why did you start QueryTracker? What is the QueryTracker story?

Well, like every other writer out there, I learned the hard way that writing the book was the easy part compared to querying. And as I was querying, I couldn’t help thinking there had to be a better way to keep track of all my queries. So I came up with QueryTracker. At first it was just going to be a tool for myself and some other writer friends, but it quickly grew beyond that.

What are the most popular features?

I don’t know if I can pinpoint any that are particularly more popular than any others. But I did find it interesting that some of the features I just kind of threw in as an after-thought became very popular. For instance, the “Quick Links” on an agent’s profile that link to other places around the web where you might find that agent. I was pleasantly surprised when people started to comment on how much they like and use that feature. But in the beginning, it was nothing more than a way to fill an empty spot on the page.
Another one that I never expected to take off was the comments section. I thought people would use it, but not as much as it ended up being used. And that’s good.

What is the benefit to getting a premium membership?

There’s lots of extra features available to premium members. One of the most powerful is probably the “Data Explorer” which lets you see all the query information in the database and sort and filter it however you want. For example, you can see all the recent queries to a particular agent, and then see if any queries sent before or after yours has already been responded to. It’s great, because it can let you know if you’ve been skipped over or not.
Do you have a favorite success story?
All of them, of course. But, in the early days of QueryTracker a small group of authors gathered on the QueryTracker forum and we all became very close friends. So when one of them succeeds it’s especially great.

What advice would you give to querying writers?

Be patient. Publishing is a very slow business.
Authors often mention using (and loving!) Query Tracker in our Query.Sign.Submit. series. Does that kind of positive feedback make its way to you?
I often hear and appreciate the nice things people are saying about QueryTracker. The writing community has been very kind and enthusiastic. I can’t thank them enough. But, and this may sound a bit odd, I’d really like to hear more of the bad things. You see, I’m kind of a perfectionist and if there is anything about QueryTracker that needs fixing I’d really like to know. So, if anyone out there has ever ran into a bug or just think something would work better if done differently, please let me know.

How can users help out QueryTracker?

Keeping track of all the agent’s contact information is a daunting task and so I depend heavily on members informing me of any changes they may find. Simply posting about it in that agent’s comment section will usually get my attention. I’ll then verify the change and update the agent’s profile.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Just to thank you and all the QueryTracker members out there. Without all of you, QueryTracker would be nothing.

Thanks so much, Pat!

Posted May 2014

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NESCBWI14 Conference

Ask a Mentor session run by me & Jen Malone!

There is so much I could say about the New England SCBWI conference last weekend. I could list the amazing authors, agents, and editors who attended. I could mention the helpful sessions, panels, and events. I could go on and on about the inspiring keynote speeches. I could tell you about all the amazing people I met and hung out with or how much fun it was to chat with everyone all day long.

Saturday lunch

But instead I will simply tell you two things.

One, If you get the chance to go to this conference, go. Seriously, get on the mailing list pronto or follow them on Facebook for updates.

Two, to get an idea of the awesomeness of this event, take a look at the tweets I’ve collected with inspiring tidbits. (See slideshow at the top of the post column or click here.)

A BIG thank you to Kris Asselin and her wonderful crew who put it all together!

 From left: Stefanie, Melanie, Monica, Taryn, Ronni, Jen, Me

*HUGS* to all my NESCBWI friends!

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Query.Sign.Submit. with Lori M. Lee

Lori is a YA author and her debut novel, The Gates of Thread and Stone, releases in August from Skyscape! She is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary.

 

 

Connect with and learn more about Lori . . .

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Tumblr

Enter to win a copy!

 

 

 

Now for Lori’s insight on querying, signing with an agent, and going on submission!

QUERY

What are some important things for querying writers to consider when researching agents?

Does the agent have a sales record? If so, are they sales to reputable publishers, i.e. publishers you would want to be published with? If the agent is new and has no sales record yet, then find out whether she’s formed the necessary connections to sell your book. Does she work for a reputable agency? If she’s recently formed her own agency, did she intern with a reputable agency? If the agent has no history of working with agents and/or editors to learn the business, then avoid at all costs.

Other things to consider might be who else the agent represents and whether the agent is editorial.

What resources and websites did you use when querying?

I used agentquery.com, querytracker.net, the absolute write forums, Preditors & Editors, and Literary Rambles agent features. I found them all simply by googling.

How did you keep track of your queries?

I’m a fan of spreadsheets. They’re basically the only way I stay organized. I made a huge list of potential agents, recorded when I queried them and when I received a response, and color coordinated all of it. I’m, uh… kind of obsessed. Hehe.

Had you queried other books before the one that got you your agent?

Yes, I queried another book that garnered a lot of interest but ultimately didn’t work out. Interestingly enough, on that ms, I got the best rejection with lengthy editorial notes from my now agent.

SIGN

What was the week surrounding your offer(s) of representation like for you?

Insanity. I went from dramatically flinging myself onto my bed while crying, “NO ONE WANTS MY BOOK!” to fielding multiple offers. It kind of feels like seeing a punch coming while unable to dodge, only to have the punch pulled at the last second and replaced with sparkles and rainbows.

Did you sign as a client of a career agent or on a book-by-book basis?

My agent made it clear when she offered that she’s interested in cultivating her authors’ careers. I definitely wanted a career agent, so that was great.

Did you have any previous contact with editors that you shared with your agent? For example, from conferences or workshops.

I did have a waiting editor request when I began querying. I’d won a writing contest, and one of the judges was an editor, who wanted to see the full ms when it was ready.

At what point do you share new story ideas with your agent?

When I’ve got an outline ready. She’s usually on board with whatever I want to try. Then I’ll write the first few chapters and send them along for her to read to see if I’m on the right track.

SUBMIT

Do you see the feedback from editors?

I wanted to see the feedback, so yes. But this is something the author should discuss with her agent. Some authors don’t want to see anything unless it’s an offer. Others just want their agent to summarize feedback for them so they don’t have to see the actual rejections themselves.

What is the next step if an editor shows interest?

Really depends on the publisher, but in general, the book is taken to an acquisitions meeting in which the editor will have to convince a bunch of other important people to love the book as well.

What do you suggest a writer does while out on submission?

Write something new. Loving a new story will help take your mind off the one on submission. Plus, having that new book lined up helps to take the sting out of the book on sub not selling.

Did you know there was interest in the book before you got an offer or was it a surprise?

My agent kept me updated every few weeks. Even if there wasn’t any news, she would email to tell me so. So yes, I knew there was interest. It was all very nerve wracking!

Thank you, Lori!

See other Query. Sign. Submit. interviews
Read inspiring stories of writers getting agents
Find out about agent-judged contests

Posted May 2014

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