Kirk McElhearn

Stratford-upon-Avon

Senior Contributor at Macworld

Freelance Writer at Freelance

Writer, podcaster, photographer, lazy zennist, cat whisperer. Lapsed New Yorker in Shakespeare's home town. Host of Write Now with Scrivener podcast.

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Articles

Write Now with Scrivener, Episode no. 51: Lisa Yee, Author of Books for Children and Young Adults

3 days ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

Lisa Yee is a prolific author of books for children and young adults. Her latest series is The Misfits. Show notes:Lisa YeeThe MisfitsMiranda July: On All FoursLearn more about Scrivener, and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener. If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener. Some writers are night owls. I connected with Lisa Yee at midnight.
6 Tweaks You Can Enable in Scrivener's Appearance Settings

1 week ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

Scrivener has many settings you can tweak to make the app work the way you want, and many that change its appearance in subtle ways. When working on a long-form writing project in Scrivener, you spend hundreds of hours in the app. It’s best to work with an interface as comfortable as possible. Scrivener offers many options. You can use themes to alter the overall appearance of the app, or you can hide many of Scrivener’s interface elements to create a distraction-free writing environment.
How to Use Scrivener's Navigate Menu to Access Elements of Your Projects

2 weeks ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

Scrivener’s Navigate menu lets you move around in your projects even if elements like the Binder and Inspector are hidden. Many people use Scrivener in its default layout, where the two sidebars – the Binder at the left and the Inspector at the right – are visible on either side of the Editor, the pane where you type text.
10 Things You Can Do with Synopses in Your Scrivener Projects

3 weeks ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

The Synopsis section of Scrivener’s Inspector is a great place to write an overview of the file you’re working on. But you can use it for much more. Here are 10 things you can do with the Synopsis field. The Synopsis field is at the top of the Scrivener Inspector when you are viewing the Editor. Below the Synopsis field in the Inspector is the Notes field.
Write Now with Scrivener, Episode no. 50: Michael Jamin, TV and Comedy Writer

1 month ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

Michael Jamin has been writing for TV for decades, and has just published his first book of humorous short stories, A Paper Orchestra. Show notes:Michael JaminA Paper OrchestraLearn more about Scrivener, and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener. If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener.
How to Freewrite with Scrivener to Unearth Ideas from Your Subconscious

1 month ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

Freewriting, or writing for a period of time without correcting, editing, or judging, can be a good way to generate ideas. Here’s how you can use Scrivener for freewriting. There are lots of ways you can help your subconscious mind generate new ideas. You can take naps, go for a walk, or daydream. Another way to bring ideas from the depths of your mind is through freewriting. This is a technique where you write for a set period of time without judging what you write.
Unlocking Creativity: How Changing Your Environment Fuels Writing Inspiration

1 month ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

Creativity and inspiration are elusive. But there are many ways you can change your writing habits and environment to boost your creativity. Some writers can find inspiration anywhere. In a grimy city, in a relaxing countryside cottage, or on a train or bus. Many writers go to coffee shops for inspiration, and others isolate themselves in cork-lined rooms.
Setting Up Your Home Recording Studio on a Budget

1 month ago | blog.fireside.fm | Kirk McElhearn

— 4 min read Podcasts start with an idea and some inspiration, but you also need some hardware and software to record and edit your episodes. If you're starting up a podcast, you don't need to spend a lot of money to equip a home recording studio. Even the term "recording studio" is just a fancy word for the room you record in. However, if you record podcasts regularly, you need to set up a room you can use easily, which has your gear, and has decent sound.
How the Pomodoro Technique Can Boost Creativity

1 month ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management technique that breaks workdays down into small periods of work and rest. For many people, it can boost creativity and productivity. You know that feeling you get when you’ve been writing for an hour or two, and you’re starting to lose focus? The words aren’t coming as quickly as you wish, yet you want to push ahead and finish that scene or chapter.
How to Nurture Your Unconscious Mind and Enhance Your Creativity

1 month ago | literatureandlatte.com | Kirk McElhearn

Creative writing taps into your unconscious mind. You can nurture your unconscious to be more creative. When you write a novel, you’re alone. Or are you? There’s you, the writer, but there’s also your subconscious, the part of your mind that churns away when you’re walking, cooking, or sleeping. When writing a novel, much of what you write is spontaneous; you generally don’t think out each sentence you write.