We originally started the LitCentral Founder's Blog to bring our readers the latest and greatest technology as it relates to writers.  Over the past 12 months LitCentral has evolved and now has vested interests in multiple vertical markets relating to analytics and analysis. To better represent the interests of LitCentral, we are changing the focus of our blog to – Technology, entrepreneurship and everything in between.  Over the years we have learned a lot about both topics and are anxious to share the knowledge with our readers.

Stay tuned…

“Remembering that you are

going to die is the best

way I know to avoid the

trap of thinking you have

something to lose.”

                       – Steve Jobs

We told you about the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment (AFE) first ever writing contest back in October. The results are in and  Megan Angelo, a journalist and aspiring screenwriter, took home the winning prize of $5,000 plus the opportunity to be mentored by TV icon John Wells for her script, O’Connell for Congress.

O’Connell for Congress features Tim O’Connell, a self-described “high school screw up" turned failed businessman. Still, he has a party emporium millionaire wife, two rambunctious teenage sons, a child detective daughter and a new plan: to run for public office. But when Tim attracts the sudden interest of some powerful political strategists with their own motives, the O’Connell family is thrown into a world that they are not prepared to handle.

Angelo honed her skill by writing stories for publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Glamour, Business Insider, Philadelphia Magazine and BRIDES. Megan has been writing scripts for several years, entering contests regularly looking for her first break.

Congrats!

$24 – Write drunk; edit sober. Digital illustration 13" x 19"

Obvious State – Original Illustrations by Etsy man Evan Robertson
 

In 2012, the lack of outlets in a Barnes & Noble is a criminal act against humanity.  In fact, in this age of technology, the lack of outlets to power our devices is just plain immoral.

Mophie hears our pain and is making the world a better place for smartphones and tablets needing juice to survive.  Juice Pack is a slim, sleek extended battery pack that easily slips in your bag or pocket, but packs a hefty 4000mAh of battery power.  In short, the Juice Pack offers quadruple the battery power of an iPhone. Yes, it works with BlackBerry and Android devices as well.

Boarding a flight from LA to NY?  Three-day camping trip in the near future?  Road trip to Vegas?  Half your life spent in book stores or coffee shops?   Bring your Juice Pack along for the ride and you'll be able to use your iPhone or iPad up to 4X longer.

If you prefer to tote just one gadget and don't care for the external Juice Pack, Mophie has also created an extended battery that envelopes your iPhone called the Juice Pack Air.  It also doubles as a shock resistant carrying case.  Depending on how much juice you want,  you can get the whole kit and kaboodle for $79 or $99.  The latter offers an additional 8 hours talk time. This is a really great deal considering you're likely to spend $30 on a decent shock resistant case, the extended battery life is just $50 – $80 more respectively.

Juice Plus Air

Update:

One of our dedicated readers sent us an image of her newly purchased Mophie Juice Pack – small package, lots of power. Perfect.

All stock images courtesy of Mophie.com

Check out our new website and have a stunning New Year!

A few months ago Blue Ant Studio's blog dedicated a weekly area to shine the spotlight on creative spaces. Some photos are of famous folk, some not. Check it out – the collection is growing and inspiring.

1.iPad 2 - Whether they use it for writing or not, writers will figure out how to embrace this gadget and include it in their daily lives.

2. Other tablets – I would consider the Kindle Fire or the Nook simply because unlike other tablet makers (HP, Motorola, etc.), these two brands will be around for a long time and offer solid support.  Droid tablet makers that have the ability to offer content will be the victors of the "tablet wars" because they can sell their products and make the money on the back-end while offering the device at an ultra low price.

3. iTunes gift card – The iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone are fairly useless without the apps that make them great.  An iTunes card gives writers the chance to fill their gadgets to the brim with geekd'm.

4. Macbook Air is simply one of the best, if not THE BEST laptop for writers. It has all the power a writer will ever need, a responsive keyboard, ultra portability and decent screen real estate.  Did I mention the portability factor? Writers can carry this on their person and have absolutely no excuse for not having time to write.

5. Lenovo Thinkpad X220 must include the OneNote software. Click here for a thorough review.

6. Extended monitor – Give the gift of tech real estate (i.e. extended monitor).  Remember extended monitors aren't really about making one application REALLY BIG, it's about viewing multiple apps at the same time.  Therefore, I would advise a minimum of 24".  Dell makes a great product and leads the market by keeping costs down.

7. Noise cancelling headset is the greatest gift you can give a writer – silence – or at least the ability to tone down the white noise. Bose's QuietComfort have been around forever but Studio Beats by Dr. Dre have become one of the top rated noise canceling headsets on the market. Top 10 Reviews click here.

8. Etsy sells unique handcrafted jewelry and trinkets tailored to writers:

• HauteKeys
  
• Lettershop
  
• Risky Beads
  
• QA Create

9. Etsy's handcrafted Journals and Pen Holders

• Lapapeire
  
• Bound by Hand
  
• jodysvetegerard
  
• leatherExpressions
  

10. Vintage Games by Restoration Hardware -   There's something wonderfully warm and comforting found in Restoration Hardware's Vintage Game Collection. And what writer doesn't appreciate a good old fashioned game of Scrabble?

Creativity flows through us in many different ways. For some it is writing, for others it is music and for me it is photography.  I acquired my love for photography as a child, following in the footsteps of my dad.

My parents divorced when I was 10 years old.  Twice a month (with overnight bags in tow) my sister and I would head to dad's. Weekends with dad included four-wheeling in his jeep, camping at Bolsa Chica State Beach (in “Old Betsy” – a very old, rusted, copper colored camper) and photography.  Lots and lots of photography.

My sister and I would spend countless hours posing alongside rocks, logs, water, plants… you name it, we stood by it, and dad would “shoot” away.  It wasn’t long before I was asking to stand behind the camera instead of in front of it… and that is where my love for photography began.

I actively pursued photography as a young adult, working jobs from portrait studios to Little League to owning a mobile studio to my favorite photographic role of “mom”.  However, several years ago I put still pictures at bay and moved towards moving pictures with my entrepreneurial venture of LitCentral.

Over the past few years I have followed many photographer’s blogs and viewed umpteen websites, anxiously awaiting the next great image.  There are many whose work I love (and admire) and here are just a few….

***

 Alison Turner , who travels the country with her tent, dog Max and camera, renders photographs on the scale of Norman Rockwell.  Alison focuses on everyday life here in the US – and her work is raw, realistic and sometimes deliciously raunchy (as seen in her Last Self Portrait). 

Alison’s Bingo Culture was recently featured on Aline Smithson's blog, Lenscratch.  She has also been featured on Salon.com – "My Brilliant Second Career". Here Alison shares her brave move of leaving a six-figure salary in pursuit of finding her “Creative Soul”.  I LOVE her work. Check out her gallery, I'm certain you will quickly become a fan.

***

Sharon Montrose has some of the cutest, sweetest, cuddliest subjects of all!  I (joyously) stumbled upon her website and I adore her work. Look at her new Little Darlings  collection and tell me you don’t want to own a few of these prints for your wall!  Simply perfect for a baby's room or a brightly painted morning room – where you can enjoy these images with your favorite cup of coffee.  Too cute for words!

***

Heather Waraksa’s work is beautifully artistic and is full of magic.  My favorite aspect of her photography is the storytelling in her wedding galleries.  From capturing the couple snuggling in bed the morning of the big day, to the flower girls waiting to be dressed, to that quiet moment at the end of the celebration, Heather is sure the memory for each couple is complete.

***

Lindsay McCrum's new photo book Chicks With Guns is a work of art.  Statistics derived from polling research and gun-sale statistics estimate 15 to 20 million women in the United States own and use firearms. Who knew? This collection is bold and sexy.  A must have for the coffee table!  "Pull!"

  ***

Every photographer has a story to tell with their images.  Perhaps some of these brilliant photographer’s work will inspire YOUR writing.  Whether it be an idea for your next script (Alison Turner’s Bingo Culture), an inspiring character (Lindsay McCrum’s Chicks with Guns) or a timeless love story (Heather Waraksa’s story tale weddings), the art of photography can be intertwined and interpreted into rich, creative writing.

As for me, I am once again venturing back behind the camera.  Stay tuned…

~Michelle

Ever try to personalize a letter written on a computer by choosing Lucida or some other hokey script font? And did the letter look hokey?  I thought so. 

It's a simple seven-step process to be able to type letters and documents using your very own handwriting. Fontifier will first present you with an ABC template.  Fill it out in caps and lowercase, then scan, save and upload.  Fontifier will use your handwriting to then create a font that can be downloaded and installed in the font folder on your computer.  Once installed, your handwriting will be as accessible in Office or iWork as Times New Roman.  Frontier points out this is also a great way to preserve your child's handwriting.

If you prefer to create an international font (non English), they have templates for that too.  One of the best features of Fontifier is their new digital signature. Program it (signature) to insert into documents by stroking a simple key from A to Z.

Cost?  Brace yourself… It's a whopping $9. Maybe I should reconsider the $300 House Industries fonts.

  Option 1

If your lap currently serves as your main desk area due to the size of your current digs,  the concept of the Clino Retractable Wall Table may be a better option.  I emphasize "concept" because the Clino price tag of $980 (currently on sale for $699) seems a bit excessive. The Clino is a great space saver, allowing you to maximize floor space.   Of course you can't pile much more than a laptop atop the 27" x 43" space, but with all the organization apps available to writers these days can we not just PUT DOWN THE STICKY NOTES AND STAPLER ALREADY!

Price $699

Option 2

The FD25 by Office Star Products is another option for makeshift writing space.  Just like the Clino, but for a lot less, you can collapse the FD25 and stow away when not in use.  One of the nice features is the pullout drawer for keyboard and mouse.

Price $139.99

Option 3

Options 2 and 3 allow for a little mobility.  If you have a small balcony or rooftop to escape to the AP-09 Apollo Folding Workstation can be carted just about anywhere and serves as a functional desk space if you're using a laptop.  The teeny tiny shelf will lend itself to speakers, iPod, , but it is perfect for speakers or an iPod and the overall dimensions of 34.5" W x 24" D x 34.75" are fairly generous.

Price $103.95

Option 4

The K Workstation is a beautiful example of a sustainable, multifunctional, efficient workspace.  Made from bamboo laminated plywood, the design allows for books, storage and a desktop area.  MisoSoupDesign is overseeing the design of the K Workstation in Sweeden and has yet to reach production.

Price $TBA

Instructions:

Replace "distance runner" with "writer"

Replace "distance runner" with "entrepreneur"

Replace "distance runner" with "activist"

Replace "distance runner" with "musician"

Replace "distance runner" with "student"

Replace "distance runner" with "athlete"

Regardless of who you are…PRESS ON

You've just received a writing assignment to create a feature-length drama centered around the milieu of the current Occupy Wall Street Movement.  You're excited about the opportunity, it's a brilliant topic dealing with current events, you'll eat for the next nine months, and oh yeah…there's just one problem, you know NOTHING about financial markets, banking, or even Wall Street for that matter.  This predicament reminds me of advice given by one of my old LMU professors – writers write what they know and research the rest. Great.  Except, grasping the financial markets, banking, micro this and macro that all goes well beyond a day or two at the library. 

What's a writer to do?

I'll start by giving you a little PPB (personal private business). Friends and family often tease me because I have the dreadful habit of starting a new book without finishing the last.  At any given moment I have at least three – four books on my person (digital and paperbound) along with a 4" stack of tech and design magazines. And because 90% of what I read is non-fiction, I'll often traverse a book in no sequential order from middle to back, back to front and upside down, looking for specific information.  Did I mention this haphazard approach to reading means it takes me forever to finish a book cover to cover?  I'm willing to look into meds to rectify the situation because it may very well be a peculiar form of A.D.D.

Ok, I digress…

There's a growing business service offered online that revolves around the fact that C-level execs like myself only have so many hours in the day to focus on their business.  Yet, the landscape is constantly changing and it's important to stay current on ideologies, trends, concepts etc.  I thought about this services with regard to writers and decided I would at least suggest it as an option.  They are called book summary services with several web companies offering a host of subscription models. Essentially, business book summary services offer subscribers concentrated knowledge of best selling business books ranging from law, to finance, to economics, banking and beyond. 

Unlike fiction where you might miss something really important if you don't read sequentially from cover to cover, many good business books offer key points and heaping doses of "filler".  Who cares about example two, three and four – get to the point. If you're willing to invest a little overhead in your craft, there's actually several online options.

I just want to introduce the concept in this blog article, not recommend a service provider.  Refer to this article by Business Book Summaries outlining the pros and cons of each abstract service. In addition, I would not suggest this method for all business authors.  Books using the "mini chapter" method like Rework by 37Signals do not fair well under the summary concept.  In addition, Michael Lewis, Macolm Gladwell and possibly Seth Godlin are (in my opinion) examples of cover to cover writers.  Hell, Gladwell's book Outliers should be a mandatory cover to cover read for every HR department in the country for the SIMPLE REASON EMPLOYERS SHOULD CONSIDER EXPERIENCE OVER DEGREES FOR THE SAKE OF LOGIC!!!!!

Once again, I digress…

And back to my center of peace…

With some of the services providing PDF and audio files, you can even workout while you're feeding your brain.  Prices range from as much as $299 a year unlimited to piecemeal options like $5 a book. Caveot emptor – you get what you pay for. Not all great books are covered.  The fact that none of the services have an abstract for The Sages is a small travesty. I would suggest due diligence be done before delving in, but abstracts may indeed prove to be a sweet shortcut to a wealth of knowledge.

Image courtesy of Graphics Fuel

Kristin at the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment thought the below message would be of interest to the LitCentral Founders' Blog readers:

'I’m reaching out to you on behalf of the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment (AFE) to let you know about a new national writing contest to find the next great story featuring the modern family. From October 5th – 28th, aspiring writers can submit an original half-hour comedy format script into the Search for America’s Newest Comedy Writer Contest for the opportunity to win $5,000.00 and receive creative guidance and direct input from American film and television producer, John Wells, best known for his role as executive producer of the television series ER, Third Watch and The West Wing among others. Who knows – with a little guidance the script may even be ready for a big pitch!

The AFE is a group of leading national advertisers whose goal is to provide consumers with entertainment options the entire family can watch. In the past, the AFE has put their support behind shows such as Gilmore Girls, Everybody Hates Chris, and Friday Night Lights, and awarded more than 50 scholarships to young screenwriters at leading universities across the country.

Learn more at Comedy Writer Contest

Hit the sociable below  is you know writers who might be interested.

If you are new to the Founders' Blog you might notice there's a rich theme driving most of the articles – a focus on EVOLUTION by way of technology.  More and more we are seeing companies move beyond the bullpen maze of cubicles and fluorescent lights to embrace a employee-friendly environment with a lighter eco-footprint.  Tech companies are predominantly leading the charge so it was a nice surprise to come across a PR release of BP's new sustainable headquarters in the Netherlands.

The project was constructed by Group A and proves unequivocally there's nothing more important nor beautiful than eco-friendly design.  The new building is constructed inside of an artificial dune topped with grass.  The design purpose is twofold – drawing natural energy from the earth and protecting BP employees from the looming threat of a catastrophic explosion coming from the oil refinery located directly behind the headquarters.

Read more at BP RR Rotterdam, NL

Some writers write and some writers illustrate what they write. If by chance you fall into the latter category, there's a new tech tool you might want to consider. Yes, tablet PCs and pen input devices like the Cintiq have been available for many years.  However, some folks have never been able to accept the feel of inking directly on glass because it's just different in a slippery sort of way – with fingerprints to boot.  Wacom has recently introduced the Inkling for those artists/writers who need to be in the digital world but have not been able to make the leap from birch to binary. The Inkling allows you to sketch directly on paper, and transfer the imagery to popular graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

The video shows off the capabilities quite nicely, but I think the ability to create layers takes it to a new level (no pun intended). The pens are pressure sensitive and best of all the Inkling DOES NOT REQUIRE SPECIAL PAPER!  Priced competitively for today's market at $200 the Inkling is a viable option for sketchers considering the lowest priced Cintiq starts at $1,000.

Screenplay proofreading can be a cumbersome chore. Your eyes get tired, or you read the lines over and over until they blur. Finally, when you've gone over the text for the billionth time, you still find errors. The following are ten ways to help improve your screenplay proofreading:

1. If you're proofreading an electronic copy, use a spell-checker. This may seem fairly obvious, but spell-checkers on most word processors are quite accurate. However, as you go through this procedure, be sure to read each entry that it picks up, and make the change manually to ensure that context and grammar are preserved.
2. Retype the screenplay. This may be burdensome, but if you retype it from a hard copy, it will be easier to find grammar and spelling errors.
3. Proofread the screenplay in reverse. Reading sentences backward forces your brain and eyes to see things differently. This is a great way to catch spelling errors.
4. Use a coversheet. Take a piece of blank paper and line it up under each line. Then, read the line. This forces you to concentrate solely on the line you're looking at without being distracted by the body of the text.
5. Let the screenplay sit in a drawer for a few weeks before proofreading. When you pull the screenplay back out, you'll be looking at it with fresh eyes.
6. Have a friend read your screenplay out loud to you. Proofreading in this manner allows you to hear how sentences sound. It also allows you to get a feel for the structure of the sentences and overall flow of the text.
7. Circle the punctuation marks. Go through each page of your screenplay and circle every single punctuation mark in each sentence. After this, read through the screenplay to see if the punctuation makes sense.
8. Set a goal for how many pages you'll read each day. If you split the proofreading task into manageable portions, it will be much easier.
9. Proofread more than once. We're human; we make mistakes. Proofreading your screenplay more than once will help you catch those errors you may have missed the first time.
10. Rest. Never proofread for more than a couple of hours at a time without taking a 15-minute break to rest your eyes and your brain. Exercise or stretch while you rest. You'll be amazed by the results.

Screenplay proofreading is not an easy process. However, following these ten simple suggestions will help save your sanity.

About the author: Randall Davidson is the lead project manager at ProofreadingServices.Us, a proofreading company that offers online proofreading. Randall enjoys discussing writing tips and best practices with anyone and everyone.

Photo credit – Yellow Icon

I came across this brilliantly insightful article during my daily walk about the world wide web.  Like everything else, technology is having its way with the publishing industry.  Remain archaic if you must, but if you are a burgeoning writer and you're not riding the wave of technology you'll soon find yourself beneath it.  Check out the article: Three authors, three hopes for the future of publishing by Cindy Aleo.

—————————————————

While at the recent Comic-Con convention, I attended a number of panels featuring a wide range of authors — some whose books aren’t even out yet, and some who have been part of the publishing industry for decades. The one theme that came up on virtually every panel was how much things are changing in the industry, but each author seemed to have a unique take on the effect of those changes. Three authors took the time to speak with me and share their views on the changing face of publishing; all three are writing in the young-adult genre, aimed at readers between the ages of 13 and 19. In the first part of this feature, they spoke with me about self-publishing and how they connect with readers. In this second part, they discuss how they use social media for promoting books and where they think the publishing industry is heading.

Article written by: Cindy Aleo

Read complete article at GIGAOM.com

Kyle Bean is a UK artist specializing in hand crafted models, set design and art direction.  He created these pencil shaving portraits for the cover of Wallpaper* Magazine.  And to think of what might have become of all the pencil shavings you've discarded over the years. More pics after the click.

In his 1991 interview with Wolfe, George Plimpton says, “It wouldn’t be a Paris Review interview unless we asked you about your work habits.” Wolfe replies, “I use a typewriter. I set myself a quota — ten pages a day, triple-spaced, which means about eighteen hundred words. If I can finish that in three hours, then I’m through for the day. I just close up the lunch box and go home — that’s the way I think of it anyway. If it takes me twelve hours, that’s too bad, I’ve got to do it.” He then mentions that Thomas Clayton Wolfe, the early 20th Century novelist, wrote while leaning over a refrigerator because he was so tall.

Read the complete article at Flavorwire