April 2018: Writing Software
~ Zenobia Renquist ~

CTR asked:
Which writing software do you use (something other than MS Word, like Jutoh and Scrivener)? What’s your favorite feature(s), and why?

Zenobia Renquist said:
The first thing you need to know about me is I’m a pantser. I don’t outline. Tried it. Didn’t work. I’m the type of person who gets lost and calls it going the scenic route, and my writing is the same way. While I will write out plot notes, that’s just a rough idea that will probably change once I start writing. Those notes are just a way to get an idea out of my head so I can concentrate on my current work-in-progress.

Up until I discovered Scrivener, my rough idea notes would be in a text file. If I wrote scenes to go along with those rough idea notes, then that went into a DOC file with large chunks of white space between scenes, keeping them separate until I was ready to put everything together. And then if I found models who fit the characters I had in my mind, that would be 2+ JPG files.

That’s a lot to keep track of and a lot of files to open and sift through when all I want to do is write. That’s where Scrivener comes in fantastically. All of the above is in ONE file. I open it up and everything is right there. Notes, research, written scenes, character images and profiles, and whatever else I care to have and need to get the book written.

For the character profile sheets alone, Scrivener is completely worth the price tag. It’s a sheet that prompts you (the author) to not only describe the character’s appearance (and you can put in an image), but it also asks you about the character’s purpose in the story, their background, their occupation, their habits and mannerisms, internal and external conflict, and so on. You can put in as much or as little information as you want. Just filling out the character sheets informs the majority of my story, which is largely character driven.

In a series situation, of which I have many planned, those character sheets are huge time savers. I can drag-and-drop them from one book file to the other. Or I can house an entire series in a single Scrivener file, which allows me to sift through earlier books in the series without having to open more files in case I need to refresh myself on a scene.

While Scrivener is definitely a program with a steep learning curve, it is an amazing writing tool that I can’t do without. If the makers added in Track Changes capability (I have to use MS Word when I do edits), then it would be perfect.

– Website – http://zenobiarenquist.com
– Twitter – @ZenobiaRenquist

Alien Mate Experiment

[ Alien Abduction Romance ]

Semeera needs a plan for starting her life over. After divorcing a controlling husband, she’s ready to enjoy freedom at last. Too bad she gets abducted by aliens before she can decide her next move.

Captain Kader is an alien warrior trapped in a dead-end assignment where he will never see battle again. There are no more challenges to his life, no chances for glory. And then a dangerous experiment brings him an unexpected visitor who changes everything.

They are as different from each other as night and day, but those differences only entice Semeera and Kader into finding out just how physically compatible they are. What should have been a little fun causes the resurgence of a disease long thought extinguished.

If Semeera triggered it in Kader, will others succumb? And will the scientists be able to get past Kader to find out? Most importantly, can a beautiful black woman really love an alien male with scales, claws, and a tail?

Available in Ebook:

– Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077LPKYL4/
– Nook – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alien-mate-experiment-zenobia-renquist/1127501439?ean=2940154961919
– Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/ebook/alien-mate-experiment
– Google – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Zenobia_Renquist_Alien_Mate_Experiment?id=LUw_DwAAQBAJ
– iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/book/alien-mate-experiment/id1315391760
– Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/760098

More Authors Dish about their writing software of choice.

Read them all: https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/authors-dish-april-writing-software/