Best free software for writing: 10 programs to unleash your creativity The best free writing apps don't just let you work on your projects - they also let you organize and manage all your writing. Whether it’s work documents, essays, or your creative stories, free writing apps - like the best free word processors - let you organize your thoughts on the page without breaking the bank. These days they will also make it even easier to save, share, and sync documents online. Some of the best choices offer distraction-free interfaces and gamification-style challenges to keep you in the zone. Our picks cover the best free writing apps and software on the web and across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. To help you find the right tool, we've tested the best free writing app for all types of writers, whether you’re at a desk or writing on the go. We’ve also rounded up the best note-taking apps to make sure you can keep on writing wherever you are. Best free writing apps of 2023 Best distraction-free writing app Specifications Reasons to buy Distraction-free design
Alice.org Using an innovative programming environment to support the creation of 3D animations, the Alice Project provides tools and materials for teaching and learning computational thinking, problem solving, and computer programming across a spectrum of ages and grade levels. Read more... Congratulations Dennis Cosgrove! The chief architect of the Alice Project received the A. Nico Habermann Educational Service Award from Carnegie Mellon University during Commencement Ceremonies on May 17, 2014. Read more Alice 3.x: Emphasis on object-oriented concepts and a full transition to the Java programming language. Alice 2.x: For learning logical and computational thinking skills and fundamental principles of programming. Alice 2.x © 1999-2014, Alice 3.x © 2008-2014, Carnegie Mellon University.
Edgar the storyteller Apprenez à créer avec GIMP 2.8 ! "Apprendre Gimp, c’est trop difficile !" Combien de fois j’ai entendu cette phrase-là ! Beaucoup pensent qu’il est plus difficile d’apprendre Gimp à cause de son interface atypique qu'il a toujours eu et dont les utilisateurs de Windows ne sont pas habitués. Vous voulez apprendre le graphisme 2D, que ce soit pour pouvoir faire de la retouche photo, du webdesign ou des montages ou encore de la peinture numérique ? Et tout ça, à partir de zéro ! Des tutoriels séparés où on apprend un outil ou un truc, c’est bien, mais un cours structuré à jour pour apprendre pas à pas, c’est mieux et d’ailleurs, les besoins pour ce type de cours sont criants. Qu’apprendra-t-on dans ce big-tuto ? Dans l’optique de commencer à partir de zéro, je vais commencer par vous apprendre les bases essentielles à connaître, de la prise en main de l’interface jusqu’aux calques et sélections, en passant par les outils de peinture. Historique
25 Things You Should Know About Plot Previous iterations of the “25 Things” series: 25 Things Every Writer Should Know 25 Things You Should Know About Storytelling 25 Things You Should Know About Character And now… 1. A plot is the sequence of narrative events as witnessed by the audience. 2. Some folks will ask, incorrectly, “What’s the plot?” 3. A plot functions like a skeleton: it is both structural and supportive. 4. The biggest plot crime of them all is a plot that doesn’t make a lick of goddamn sense. 5. The simplest motherfucker of a plot is this: things get worse until they get better. 6. Fiction is driven by characters in conflict, or, put differently, the flame of fiction grows brighter through friction. 7. Of course, the essence of the essential conflict — the one below all that Wo/Man versus stuff — is a character’s wants versus a character’s fears. 8. A plot grows within the story you’re telling. 9. 10. Plot offers the promise of Chekov and his gun, of Hitchcock and his bomb under the table. 11. 12. 13. 13. 14.
Thot Cursus Plot Development: How to write the climax and ending of your novel. by Glen C. Strathy* Plot development is something you should think about after you have written a brief plot outline (Part 3). Many writers, especially pantsers, don't like to think about how their plot develops until they've written most of the first draft, preferring to let the ending evolve organically out of what comes before. I believe, however, that you can save yourself a lot of time and effort in the long run by making a few decisions about how your plot develops and the nature of your story early on. Of course, your ending must make emotional and logical sense. Will Your Novel End Happily, Unhappily, Or Somewhere In Between? You may find this hard to believe, but – without at all becoming formulaic – story endings generally fall into four different categories. To make the first choice, you need to know your Story Goal or Problem, which is the foundation of your novel's plot. If the answer is no, then in classical terms, your novel will be a tragedy. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. (E.g. 2. (E.g.
How to Build Subplots From Multiple Viewpoints Multiple viewpoints provide diversion from, and contrast to, the protagonist’s perspective. They can deepen conflict, enlarge a story’s scope and add to a novel the rich texture of real life. Subplots carry those effects even further. Subplots and multiple points of view are often linked by their very natures. Of course, subplots and multiple points of view make novels longer and more work, but rewards for that effort are there for writer and reader alike—that is, if they are successful. —By Donald Maass, author of The Breakout Novelist Choosing a subplot begins with choosing characters with which to work. If none are to be found, it might be worthwhile to grow some of your secondary characters, depending on the nature of your novel. Subplots will not have the desired magnification effect unless there are connections between them. A second requirement of subplots is that they each affect the outcome of the main plotline. A third quality of successful subplots is that they range.
Plotting Short Fiction Last month at MRA, I listened to Jacqueline Woodson speak about her writing process. It wasn’t the first time I heard her speak and I hope it won’t be my last. She is one of the writers I consider as my personal mentor. Not to be over-dramatic, but listening to her last month changed my writing life. She said, “Plot happens.” One thing I’ve learned about writing fiction is the importance of allowing the characters’ to have free will. Kim Jones invited me into her fourth grade class to lead a fiction unit. Still, as a teacher of young fiction writers, it’s necessary to teach what works for me and what might work for other writers. Yesterday I introduced the story mountain to the fourth grade fiction writers. Then I gave them this planning sheet (click the link for a PDF). About half of the writers in the room used the planning sheet and found it helpful. A few notes: Enemy Pie by D. Like this: Like Loading...
Voice in Writing: Developing a Unique Writing Voice Finding a writing voice can be a struggle, whether you’re writing a novel, short story, flash fiction or a blog post. Some may even wonder, what is voice in writing? A writer’s voice is something uniquely their own. It makes their work pop, plus readers recognize the familiarity. When you find that unique voice, you might not even be able to explain how it came about—let alone describe what it is. “I am looking for authors with a distinctive voice.” What the heck is “voice”? How can you develop your voice? You can facilitate voice by giving yourself the freedom to say things in your own unique way. Science fiction writer Neal Stephenson has a unique voice. The Deliverator’s car has enough potential energy packed into its batteries to fire a pound of bacon into the Asteroid Belt. Oho. That said, it is worth noting that the voice of many bestselling authors is as neutral as a national news anchor’s accent. To set your voice free, set your words free. You might also like:
Past Progressive, Past Continuous - Diagram Past Progressive/Continuous Summary Use Signal words Form of affirmative, negative sentences and questions Spelling Special verbs Diagram Long forms and short forms Exercises - Past Progressive We use the Past Progressive when we talk about something which was happening around a period of time in the past. We use the Past Progressive (blue) together with the Simple Past (pink). Two actions which were in progress in the past do not influence each other. How One Clear Verb Can Take Your Presentations From Blah To Amazing We can learn a lot from actors. Take a look at the work of two of my favorites, Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. I suggest Susan Sarandon in The Client and Sean Penn in Milk. And I suggest Sarandon and Penn together in Dead Man Walking. All four are Oscar-nominated performances, deservedly so. Penn and Sarandon are smart actors. Here’s one thing every actor learns at some point in acting class: You take a scene in a script and you break it into beats. 1.The objective needs to be an action verb. 2.It needs to describe the impact I seek to have on another person. 3.It needs to be visceral for me. Action verbs matter because they unleash forward-moving velocity. So--let’s take this very simple notion and apply it to our everyday relating. Creating Intent in Formal Presentations Not every moment in a professional relationship needs to produce Oscar-worthy fireworks. Three principles will help you to select an intent that works for you. [Image: Flickr user Tom Magliery]
Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies