Get Unstuck with Bubbl.us

Every writer has been there: That horrible place where their book has gone from the I-can’t-type-it-fast-enough mode to the I’m-completely-tapped-out crash. Then of course, there’s the I-want-to-write –a-book-but-I-don’t-know-where-to-begin phase. That’s where a website like Bubbl.us can come in handy. This website is free to use and is your basic Brainstorming site…with a few bonuses. For instance, with Bubbl.us you can:

• Create a “Mind Map”/Brainstorm, which is basically a visual image of how your plots, characters, storyline (or whatever else you could possibly imagine) link together.
• Share your work with your friends, mentors, and other writers. Just let your writing buddies know your ID (just like in MySpace or Facebook) and they can log into your account as a guest and make recommendations, add their own ideas, or move things around.
• Embed your “Mind Map” into a blog or a website. Just copy and paste the code like you would do on YouTube to show your fans what you are up too without giving them the option of changing things.
• Email and print your “Mind Map”: Whether you want just one branch of your “Mind Map” or a picture of the whole thing, you can easily zoom in and take only what you need.

Pros:

• It’s very easy to create: You simply hit enter to give one idea “a child” and hit tab to give it a “sibling.” Then type and hit enter/tab again. You can also add extra lines between different bubbles to show how they are related.
• It’s easy to move around: Just grab and drag a whole branch of ideas to wherever you would like it to be, and continue on.
• It saves the environment (and your office) from too many discarded papers. Admittedly, most writers would probably do a brainstorm with a pen and piece of paper. Yet if you consider how easy it is to lose that brainstorm, or to have so many pages you can no longer find your original ideas, going digital seems like the obvious choice (as well as saving a few trees).
• If you don’t want to save the environment, it’s easy to print. In fact, you can zoom into one branch of your brainstorm and print only that if desired, or zoom out and print everything.
• You can easily organize each story idea into digital files. The file links are to the left of the screen, so it is very easy to navigate seamlessly through your “Mind Maps”.

Cons:

Although I do not think there are too many cons about this website in general, I will admit that it can be a little too simplistic. It is not fancy or showy, but it does get the job done well. So, if your goal is to turn your brainstorm sessions into digital files that are easy to save, access and use, then Bubbl.us is the website for you.

The AlphaSmart – A “Must” for the Travelling Writer

Whenever I travel somewhere, whether near home or abroad, for business or pleasure, I am always left with one simple dilemma. To take the laptop…or not? As a writer, I will admit to feeling absolutely naked without my laptop. Yet at the same time, I cannot help but fear the potential consequences of always having my laptop with me: What if it gets broken, lost, or stolen? What if the energy source causes a malfunction and I lose all my files? What if it gets wet and never works again? As the Queen of “What-ifs”, I could go on all day.

Yet, my biggest problem on my last trip was not whether some natural disaster would occur, but “How long will my battery last on the plane?” With my battery down to four hours per charge, an eleven hour flight will soon leave me with nothing to do but read through the Airline’s Shopping Magazine…a huge dilemma for a shopaholic such as myself. What’s a writer to do?

Simple. Leave the laptop at home and bring along the much cheaper, just as easy to use, and much longer-lasting alternative: The AlphaSmart. This handy little word processor works on three little AA batteries that can be purchased anywhere…even in some far-off drug store. Those three batteries can power an AlphaSmart for as long as 700 hours. Throw in rechargeable AA batteries (approximately $20 at any Target store), and you never have to worry about your AlphaSmart dying on a long trip again.

Here are the main Pros and Cons of owning an AlphaSmart:

Pros:

1. They are much less expensive than a laptop. You can often pick up older or used AlphaSmart on eBay for as little as $25. If you hate the idea of buying something used, go to the AlphaSmart homepage and buy it brand new for between $200 to $300 depending on the model.

2. It weighs less than two pounds (much less than most laptops) and comes in a “nearly indestructible” package, which means taking it along is relatively painless and worry-free.

3. Whatever you type can easily be downloaded into any Microsoft Word document. Simply plug in a USB cord and hit the “Send” key, and instantly your file will be transferred to a fresh file, or a Work in Progress.

4. The AlphaSmart is incredibly easy to use. You can save a total of eight files at a time, so that you are never stuck working on just one project. Simply press the “File #” you are working on, and you are there in an instant.

5. It comes with Palm Desktop Software.

6. The AlphaSmart saves as you go along. You never have to worry that you will lose your file if you hit the wrong key or accidentally power off.

7. The AlphaSmart can be turned on in an instant. It does not need time to load. Just press the power key and go.

8. This is a word processor, so even without another computer to transfer your work to, you can still print your work with any printer.

9. The newer “Wireless” models offer Wi-Fi, so you can connect to the internet anywhere Wi-Fi is available.

10.  It is compatible with both a Mac and a PC.

Cons:

1. The screen is very small, which can make editing difficult.

2. There are no easy shortcuts to move throughout your work, so most revisions will need to be done when your work is transferred to your computer and moving around or deleting means hitting one key over and over again.

3. Because the AlphaSmart is so efficient at saving power, the screen comes in “black and white” (or grey and black, if you want to get technical) with no backlight, which means it can be an eyestrain to read your work if you are in a dark room.

4. The Wireless feature can be tricky to manage, especially with newer model computers.

All in all, because of the weight and battery life, the AlphaSmart is a great travel tool for any writer who is constantly on the go. My recommendation would be to shop at eBay and get the newest model you possibly can. That way, if you decide you hate it, you won’t have invested a fortune.

How BigString.com Can Save Your MS When Submitting

Have you ever sent an Editor a Query Letter about “Your Newest Trilogy” only to find out you should never mention the word “Series” when submitting your first book? Have you ever sent an Agent your Full MS only to hear that the Agent-in-Question’s name was “Black-Listed” due to “Questionable Tactics”? Have you ever gotten so drunk, you emailed an Ex to declare your “undying love” and immediately regretted it when the hangover hit? (Just me? Figures.)

Well there is a solution for all of these problems, and it is called BigString.com, the “virtual email shredder.” This company offers email accounts unlike any other due to the simple fact that you can destroy email already sent with a mere click of a mouse button. Imagine: A free “Do Over” for any email you send, and the chance to make things right when it seems like everything has gone horribly wrong. And, although the company offers free email accounts with many of the following features, it is an excellent idea to pony up the $29.95 for a year of their product in order to get all of their wonderful “Upgrades.” Why? Because you get an automatic guarantee that you will NEVER regret an email again.

Curious? Check out a few of these great features and benefits to you, the Future National Bestseller.

• Self-Destructing Email: After you have sent an email, you can have that email self-destruct after a certain number of views, at an exact time, or as quickly as fifteen seconds after being opened. That’s right…You too can be Austin Powers and have all your correspondence remain Top Secret. (“It wasn’t me, Baby. It wasn’t me.”)
• Recallable/Erasable Email: After sending an email, even if it has been read by the recipient, BigString gives you the option to delete said email at any time. This includes any attachments, and you don’t even have to tell the recipient you are doing it. The message will simply be gone the next time they open it.
• Non-Forwardable Email: Have you ever written a nasty email about your boss only to have it end up in your boss’s hands because of a “Brown-Nosing Co-Worker”? Now, you can make all of your email Non-Forwardable and never have that happen again.
• Non-Printable/Savable Email: With this feature, your MS cannot be printed or saved to anyone’s desk. It can only be opened and read, and only as long as you allow it. Think about it. No more worries that some unscrupulous person will steal the Novel you spent a decade pounding out…and no more Non-Disclosure forms necessary.
• Advanced Email Tracking: Have you ever wondered if your email was ever read? Now you can know with Email Tracking. Once that email has been opened on the other end, you automatically receive notice. No longer can someone lie to you about “not getting your work” because you will know exactly when they got it.
• Masquerading: When you go for the free BigString Account, your email becomes “your_username@bigstring.com”, but this doesn’t mean you can’t “send something from your email.” By “Upgrading” your account, you are able to use the Masquerading feature, which creates the illusion that you are sending these special emails from your personal email. As a result, no one will ever know the power you wield over your email.

Plus a lot more. Can’t you just see the possibilities? What are you waiting for? Go to www.BigString.com today, and stop fearing what you email.