July 8, 2005

So...
Richard loaded MS Office on my computer and updated all my old software...sigh. In the process, my Publisher program disappeared and so did my photo editor. He promises to reload them properly when we get a chance. He wrote a beautiful little writer tool to my specifications in Access. I wanted an outline program that was set up to give me an organized way to answer specific questions about my books. There are certain things all books require that make them books - characterization, plot points, goals, motivations and conflicts. There are many "outline" type articles on the internet and I basically homogenized them all into something that works for me. I can now do a chapter by chapter synopsis in an easy format, a character chart I can click-through to refresh details as I write, and use my synopsis and summary charts to "fill-in" details as I go. I know it sounds like a lot of work but the way he laid it out for me, it is simply organized better. I like it, anyway. Pa has been working hard on our driveway. He's pulled stumps, smoothed the "road" part and it looks GREAT. We were amazed he did so much work. The driveway is wide and spacious without losing that private secluded look. I didn't think it was possible, which only goes to show how much I cannot visualize a completed project! Richard teased about putting in a centerline like on a road, but really - we love it. The neighbor down the road has one of those dinky dirt tracks into his property. Richard and I expected that's what ours would look like...but it doesn't. It slopes up gently and is wide enough for two cars to pass and Pa even made it "loop" like I wanted! I've always wanted that sweeping grand driveway that made a loop in front of the house so one wouldn't have to back up the car to turn around...well, Pa made that for me! Yippee! I really wish we were there to help. I'm not sure how much I could actually help, since I know virtually nothing about building roads or houses, but I still wish I was there. If nothing else, I could be the "step 'n fetch" person. Sigh. In other news, I have my book cover! My publisher sent a thumbnail of it because the dpi was too large to go through her server. It’s very tiny but its really pretty! I love it. When I get a larger size I'll post it. Off to write!