Fraud Alert: Company Masquerading as the Real ContentProz

May 4th, 2012

By , @Writing2Day

Just a quick note to all of my writer friends out there. If you receive an email invitation from someone named Kate Smith claiming to be with ContentProz (a legitimate content company), they are fakes. They have actually copied the real ContentProz website in hopes of getting you to write articles for them. Please share this information, maybe we can stop some fellow writers from being swindled.

After receiving a question asking for more clarification, I have decided to post the emails that I received from this supposed company. The first email definitely seemed a little too good to be true and I went online trying to find a scam or fraud alert. I couldn’t come up with anything negative (usually it doesn’t take very long) and their website looked professional. I decided I would take it a step further and write the article since all I was investing was about an hour of my time.

What I failed to notice in the first email was that the ‘z’ in ContentProz had been changed to an ‘e’. I caught this right away in the second email. The real ContentProz resides at www.contentproz.net, the scam website resides at www.contentproe.com. You can compare the two homepages side by side if you want to. The scammers did a very good job at copying a legitimate website. I did contact the real ContentProz and they are aware of the situation and have their legal department working on it. Apparently, these scammers are using about three different copied sites.

I have looked for work from home positions in the past and each time I am reminded how frustrating this process is. Yes, there are legitimate companies out there with telecommuting positions available. However, if you are looking for one of these positions do your homework and please don’t ever give out personal information to these people until you are 100% sure it is a legitimate job opportunity.

A couple of signs that may indicate the offer is a scam:

  • Asks for personal information up front, such as: social security number, bank account, etc.
  • The employer wants to set up an interview on Yahoo Messenger or other service.
  • Poorly written emails containing spelling errors.
  • Look at the email address. Does is come from a Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail account? Most legitimate companies use their web address in their email. Example: HumanResources@companyname.com
  • Again, look at the email address. Maybe it looks like the legitimate email address above but it has a .su or .jp extention instead of a .com or .net extension. This would be another warning sign.

This emails I received are below. I hope this helps any fellow writers who receive an invitation from this company from falling victim to their scam.

To your writing success!

First Email
This is Kate Smith from ContentProz.
Thank you for sending your CV for a copywriter vacancy.
Please be advised that applicant should be able to do 3..5 articles a day (each article circa 400 – 600 words).
We need a high quality of work and are looking for a long-term partnership.
Your monthly salary will be $2500, provided that you follow instructions and do everything properly.
First of all we would like to make certain of your skills and ask you to do a pilot job (test), i.e. an article with a special key-phrase (kind of a user trial, test of the pen).
The key phrase is: windermere real estate oregon
About key-phrase, please use it 3 to 5 times in your article and mention it in your first sentence right away.
Sharp warning: the key-phrase is indecomposable, you can not use fragments of key-phrase. Once again: key-phrase is indivisible.
About description: after your article is accomplished you have to provide its description. Description should be no more than 160 characters.
It is like a very-very short conspectus, synopsis, the gist of the article.
Don’t forget that description must look engaging, winning and attractive to reader.
Your content should be 90% original. NO plagiary please.
Please take a look at our Groupon Boston article as an example: http://www.contentproe.com/sample/article-sample.html
You must complete the test within 24 hours.
We emphasize that content should be engaging, captivating, relevant and appropriate for the audience.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
———-
Kind regards,
Kate Smith, project manager.

Second Email
Hi, Kendra
Thank you for your article, it looks good enough and we hope for a
fruitful cooperation with you. Just to remind again: please,
diligently focus on quality of the content – we need a real quality
job. Take a look at this link with copywriters’ guidelines. You should
follow them strictly.

http://contentproe.com/sample/article-sample.html

We must repeat afresh: after your article is accomplished you have to provide its description.
Description should be no more than 160 characters.
It is like a very-very short conspectus, synopsis of the article. Don’t forget that description have to look engaging and attractive to reader.

We pay over PayPal weekly: $625 a week (thus $2500 a month). Please provide us with your PayPal account.
You do 3 articles a day and email us your articles daily as soon as you get them done. This is very important.
Your assignment for two days coming consists of 6 key-phrases (one key-phrase per article) and please find them below.

We’d like to remind that key-phrase should be used 3 to 5 times in the article and first sentence of article must contain it.

Sharp warning: the key-phrase is indecomposable, you can not use fragments of key-phrase.
Once again: key-phrase is indivisible.

Key Phrases
cartoon network porn videos
chicken pox vaccine side effects
best beard trimmer
att uverse coupon codes
amazon coupon codes free shipping
cast breaking bad

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Kind regards. Kate.

Posted in Writing Resources | 58 Comments »

The Haunted Bullock Hotel in Deadwood: My First Official Ghost Hunt

April 17th, 2012
Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota

Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota

By , @Writing2Day

Built in 1895 by Seth Bullock, the first sheriff of Deadwood, his ghost is said to still play host to hotel guests and keep the hotel staff on their toes. My first stay at the Bullock Hotel was in 2009. I was actually a little bit leery to stay in a place that claims to be haunted as throughout my life I have had enough experiences with strange happenings to know that I am somewhat open to other worldly beings. At the same time, I must say I definitely had a sense of nervous anticipation that I might actually see an apparition.

The hotel did not disappoint. Every time that my husband and I would stand outside the door to our room, I could very distinctly feel the floor vibrating while my husband felt nothing. On the second night of our stay in room 302, I awoke to the strange feeling that someone was in the room with me and a male voice very clearly said, “Hi, Kendra.” It was strange that although this was definitely pretty freaky, it really didn’t scare me. My husband was still heavily snoring beside me and I got up to use the bathroom. While I was in the bathroom, I could hear the footsteps of someone walking back and forth outside the bathroom door. When I emerged, my husband was still in a deep sleep just as I had left him.

I related my story to our waitress the following morning at breakfast and she got me the book that the hotel keeps with stories from guests who have had experiences in the hotel. I knew that I had definitely had my name called out but could tell that my husband was really wondering if I had gone slightly off my rocker. It was very self-affirming to find that other guests who had stayed in the same room as we did had experienced the exact same thing. It is important to note that I had not seen this book or heard that Seth will sometimes call out a person’s name until after I had experienced it myself.

Forward to 2012. I was perusing Facebook when I saw an ad to come Ghost Hunt the Haunted Bullock Hotel with Chad and Mary Beth of American Ghost Hunter. My daughter and I are avid watchers of Paranormal State and I recognized Chad as the cameraman. Knowing that I had experienced something on my last stay, I immediately called my daughter and booked our tickets.

A wonderful weekend was had hiking in the Black Hills, souvenir shopping, taking old-time photos, singing karaoke and making some awesome new friends. Chad and Mary Beth are very gracious and easy to be around, as was the rest of group of more “experienced” ghost hunters. After having dinner at the Deadwood Social Club above Saloon #10, we all reconvened at the Bullock to head down to Seth’s Cellar and begin our investigation.

All of the lights were off except for some light coming from the exit sign and some light coming from under the doors. The K2 EMF (electromagnetic field) Detector and Tri-axis Detectors were on and waiting to hopefully light up. I must say that my daughter and I totally held hands the whole time! Any spirits were asked to make their presence known and we did get several small noises in response and the meters did light up many times during the hour. Questions were posed during several taped EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) sessions. It is thought that the recorder can pick up voices that the human ear can not detect. We were not disappointed as several instances were recorded of a male voice responding, “Hey.” The group then moved up to Chad and Mary Beth’s room on the third floor of the hotel (supposedly the most haunted floor) but not much new happened up there and it was decided it was time for a toddy and some karaoke.

For me the most notable thing that happened on day one happened in the middle of the afternoon in our hotel room. After a day spent hiking and knowing we would be up late, my daughter and I decided to take a nap around 4:00. We were both wakened suddenly around 5:30 to the sound of hammering above our bed. I told my daughter that they must be hanging a picture above the bed in the room against ours (our headboard was back to back with the headboard in room 302 which I had stayed in previously). We both went back to sleep unfazed as this was a perfectly logical explanation. When we went downstairs I decided to ask the hotel clerk on duty if there had been any maintenance in room 302 that afternoon and related the hammering going on. After asking us what time this happened, she informed us that the guests in that room had not checked in until 7:00 and there had not been any maintenance in the hotel for a few weeks. The room had been totally empty! It is said that Seth does not like it when the hotel staff is idle. Is it possible that he was waking us from our afternoon nap?

A couple of other things that are interesting to note is that everyone on the third floor was complaining about how hot it was. We had the temp set at 50 degrees in our room and it was still showing 75. After leaving Chad and Mary Beth’s room to return to ours, there was a definite chill felt in the hallway outside of our room. Also, my daughter and I both woke up at the same time in the middle of the night. I was thinking I needed to put my foot under the covers so nothing would be able to brush it while I slept and Arielle told me that she couldn’t be sure but she was pretty positive something had just brushed her foot which had been dangling outside the covers.

Before we went to sleep, we had an “evidence” review. Arielle had taken several pictures downstairs in Seth’s cellar. The one that particularly caught our eye was one taken looking at the bar and mirrored wall behind it. There was no one else standing around when she took the picture but in the photo there is very clearly a little boy or girl standing next to her with their hands over there eyes. I said to her, “It looks like they are playing peekaboo with you.” When we went back to Seth’s Cellar the following evening, we made sure there was absolutely nothing in the background that could have appeared in the photo.

This is the original photo taken in Seth’s Cellar at the Bullock Hotel. Do you see the child at my daughter’s elbow

This photo has been enlarged to make it easier to see what appears to be a child playing peek-a-boo with my daughter.

After returning home I did some research on child ghosts in the hotel. At one time, the basement of the hotel was used to house women and children who had smallpox. Apparently a little girl named Sarah lost her mother to the disease in the basement before she herself also was taken. Her ghost is said to still haunt the hotel and lure children into the basement to play with her. Another interesting note is that when we were taken into the tunnels down in the basement, I very clearly thought I heard a child’s voice say, “Mama, mama.”

Night #2 in the cellar began early for us as we decided to forgo dinner to do some extra investigating with ghost hunter Vicki. The lights on the meters went off quite frequently and several small noises were made. During an EVP session, I had asked if the spirit knew my name since it had called it out to me before. On playback you can very definitely hear the “K” sound and a breathiness afterwards that sounds like the rest of my name, but the breathiness could be conjecture on my part. As we were very intently listening to the playback of our EVP session, there was a whole hell of a lot of noise that came from a table about 8 feet from where we were sitting. Enough noise that we all three screamed and ran halfway up the stairs from the basement before we all started giggling at what ninnies we were being! It sounded to me like someone had scooched their chair back from the table and accidentally knock the table as they stood up causing a whole bunch of things to fall at the same time. Let me tell you, I was not sticking around to find out what the heck it was. I was out of there! We did return to the basement but other than the meters lighting up the rest of the session was uneventful.

During the group session that night, Chad reported that the table he was sitting at was vibrating, as well as his chair. Several people saw a shadow that kept reappearing behind the bar and passing in front of the reflection off of the Jagermeister light, totally blocking it out and then the light would reappear. I never did see this happen but several people including my daughter did. It is important to note that no one in the group was walking around. More EVP’s were captured and I’ll be curious to hear what Chad and Mary Beth discover from these. My daughter also got another picture of the mirror and this time there was a different face in it and one I can tell you that does not look very nice. Several people also reported that their cell phones and cameras turned on by themselves.

Do you see the creepy face looking at my daughter?

A zoom of the photo to the left. Interesting to note that even Facebook selected the face and wanted me to tag it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some more toddies and karaoke, Vicki, Arielle and myself decided to head back down to the cellar by ourselves since we had luck that afternoon. When we got there, Jeff and Bob were already there so we joined them. For the next 45 minutes or so there was not much activity. Jeff and Bob decided to call it a night. It is interested to note that within minutes of them leaving, the EVP monitor started flashing. Is it possible that whoever was there with us was intimidated by a larger group? I’ve wondered if since my daughter is only 21, did the child ghost of Sarah feel more comfortable around her?

I really didn’t learn anything new as I already knew that there was something in the hotel. However, there is no doubt in my mind that something made a really big racket down in the basement while we were down there and was hammering on the wall behind our bed. In addition to the faces in the mirror captured on camera, we went all around the hotel taking pictures and have several with orbs in them, most notably an orb down by the floor outside of room 313 which is supposed to be the most haunted room in the hotel. As soon as my daughter gets her pictures uploaded I will add them to  this account. I’m looking forward to ghost hunting again with the crew.
See Related Posts: #BullockHotel #Travel


[amazon_link id=”B008B9GFLA” target=”_blank” locale=”US” container=”” container_class=”” ]Haunted Places In South Dakota (Complete List of Haunted Places & History In South Dakota and How to Ghost Hunt)[/amazon_link]       [amazon_link id=”0976209934″ target=”_blank” locale=”US” container=”” container_class=”” ]The South Dakota Road Guide to Haunted Locations[/amazon_link]

Posted in Travel Articles | 5 Comments »

It’s 6:30 Already? Say It Isn’t So!

March 11th, 2012
By , @Writing2Day

Ah yes, Daylight Savings Time has begun. I am a morning person. I can’t remember the last time I set an alarm to get up in the morning. I just naturally wake up in the wee hours and relish the quiet time to myself before the demands of the rest of the household kick into high gear. I feel cheated if I accidentally sleep in until 6:00 and only have two hours to myself before I have to get ready for work. So this morning when I awoke and the clock read 3:43, I thought to myself, “I better get up. It’s already 4:43.”
It seems a couple of hours have gone by already. I’ve browsed through Facebook, made my moves in Words With Friends and Scrabble, read the latest news headlines on MSN, and now I’m pondering why it is that I haven’t written anything for the past six months. For those of you who are unfamiliar with my story, I started a novel twenty-six years ago. I spent the time leading up to my six month hiatus retyping my work in progress (all 99,911 words) because it was originally created on a word processing typewriter. Now it seems I’ve lost my gumption about this particular work in progress.
I feel strongly that I should finish it. Only a few more chapters to go and the first draft will be complete. After going through the retype, I feel there are definitely areas that shine and many more areas that need some major restructuring. Also, it has occurred to me that the story I was writing when I was twenty does not hold the same enthusiasm for me at forty-six.
So here in lies my conundrum. Do I finish it just for the sake of finishing it? Or, do I scrap it and start on one of the fresh ideas that are floating around in my head? I also have to ask myself if nearing the end of the project is bringing about the fear of rejection, it’s not good enough thoughts, etc. It is quite possible this is playing into my hiatus, as well. I would be curious to know if any fellow writers have found themselves in the same predicament with a work in progress spanning twenty-six years? One other question, “Do any of you work on multiple projects at the same time?”
I love to write, always have. However, it seems I have a major problem committing myself to getting the final project complete. I tend to let everything else in life take over and put my writing on the back burner. Writing for me can be very therapeutic. I was hoping that putting these thoughts to the blogosphere would somehow help me realize which path to take. Alas, I am no closer to figuring it out but at least I have posted a blog entry worth about 500 words. For now that will have to be a step in the “write” direction.

Posted in Novel in Progress | No Comments »

Six Sentence Sunday 10/30/2011

October 30th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

From my work in progress: April’s daughter, Cassie, is pushing the limits with a much older man.

They walked in silence, side by side, through the house to the library. Cassie could feel her stomach tossing about with the anticipation of knowing what was going to happen, yet not knowing when or how. For all of her bravado, Eric was the only man she had been with and she had always felt as if she were the one in control. She stole a glance at the finely chiseled features of the man beside her and knew that he was controlling her, directing everything that was happening. Instinctively, she knew that she was here on his terms, and if she tried to change his agenda this would be the last night she spent with him. So she would play along according to his plans and see what the night would bring.

If you’d like to join in the fun, Twitter #sixsunday or go to the website at Six Sentence Sunday.

Posted in Six Sentence Sunday | 3 Comments »

Need to Make Time to Write

October 20th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

Oy, it seems a couple of weeks have gone by and I haven’t written anything. I just recently purchased Dramatica Pro to help me with the rewrite of my novel. I absolutely love the program but it does take a bit to wrap one’s mind around the theory, etc. Work has been gobbling up my time lately and then I started the Body by Vi 90 Day Health Challenge as a distributor so I’ve been spending time learning as much as I can about the business and the products. I am happy to say that I’ve lost just over five pounds since starting the challenge two weeks ago. Yeah me! Sitting at a computer all day long is doing nothing for my waistline.

So much these days is centered around the computer. I sit in front of a computer almost all day at my job, then there’s email, facebook, checking out the latest headlines on MSN, and writing. The list goes on. I really shudder when I think of the days of my life that have been spent in front of a computer. I think I need to get out more. Actually I think I better schedule time to get out and take a brisk walk. Pretty soon it will be too cold up here in South Dakota to enjoy walking outdoors and I’ll have to resort to the treadmill. I guess the point is that I’m going to have to schedule time to do the things I enjoy or they won’t get done. I’d be curious how my fellow writers combat their expanding computer booties?

To our writing success! – Kendra

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Six Sentence Sunday 9/25/2011

September 25th, 2011
By , @Writing2Day

Being the type of man he was, Drake had learned early in life that almost everyone had some forbidden secret that could be used his advantage. His gut told him that he would find just what he needed in April’s husband. If he didn’t find what he needed there, he would go after his old friend Mitchell. Some friend he had turned out to be, coming to April’s defense so long ago. Yes, Mitchell had it coming to him too, but he could wait. It was just a matter of time before the detective brought him back the information he needed to set his plan in motion.

Posted in Six Sentence Sunday | 4 Comments »

Destination Relaxation: Disney World & The Magic Kingdom

September 24th, 2011
Click to visit the Disney World website for further information on attractions, resorts and reservations.

Children of all ages (and adults, too) will be enchanted, delighted and entertained when they enter the World of Walt Disney. Who among us doesn’t remember the anticipation we felt as a child while waiting for the Wonderful World of Disney movie to begin on many a Sunday evening? Times have changed, but the magic of Disney has not.

With all the different attractions, theme parks, restaurants and resorts, Disney has provided everything you need for a relaxing vacation. There are a wide range of places to stay to fit everyone’s budget and if you stay at a Disney Resort you won’t even need a rental car to visit all of the attractions.

Not Just for Kids!After a day spent at the parks, schedule a spa treatment to help soothe aching muscles and tired feet at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Enjoy a classic Swedish, Sports, customized Aromatherapy Massage or a nurturing Mother To Be Massage. Couples Massage, Reflexology and Shiatsu treatments are also available.Depending on your child’s age, you can hire an in room babysitter or schedule your child to participate in supervised activities while you relax and rejuvenate, or take in the fabulous nightlife and entertainment. Shopping, Entertainment & Fine DiningStep back in time to a 1940’s Atlantic coastal village and spend the day shopping on Disney’s Boardwalk, featuring the best in shopping, fine dining and entertainment.In addition to the fabulous entertainment you’ll find scattered throughout the theme parks, take in the nightlife at Pleasure Island. Spend an evening at the Pleasure Island Jazz Company, Comedy Warehouse or Mannequins Dance Palace, to name a few.
Disney World Theme Parks
With four unique and fascinating theme parks, you’ll want to spend at least a day at each. Below are some helpful tips to help you enjoy your visit. Please click the links above for details about each park and its attractions.The Magic Kingdom (Open 9:00AM-7:00, 8:00 or 9:00PM)Epcot (Open 9:00AM-7:00PM)Hollywood Studios (Open 9:00AM-7:00 or 7:30PM)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Open 9:00 AM-5:00PM)

Park hours can vary. Please check hours before visiting the park.

Helpful Tips for the Parks

  • Allow plenty of time for each park. You can easily spend a day at each, with a dip in the pool back at your resort before/after dinner. Keep in mind you are going to do a lot of walking and standing in line in the warm Florida sunshine. Small children can tire out easily and become cranky. Perhaps you should allow for two shorter days at the Magic Kingdom to keep everybody in a good mood.
  • Before you leave for your trip, purchase a book on the theme parks and familiarize yourself with ride locations, etc. The parks are big and having a general idea where you are going will cut down on wasted walking time.
  • Arriving at the park early and riding some of the main attractions, like Space Mountain, first will greatly reduce your “stand in line” time.
  • If you set aside two days for the Magic Kingdom, watch the parade on the first day and hit the popular rides during the parade on the following day to avoid long lines.
  • If you’re staying at a Disney Resort, take advantage of the Extra Magic Hour when some attractions are open to hotel guests only.
  • FASTPASS – Just pick up your designated ride time at the attraction and you can go enjoy the rest of the Park. When your ride time rolls around, come back to the FASTPASS entrance and have a great time.
Popular Ride Locations
TomorrowlandSpace MountainAstro OrbiterExtraTERRORestrial Alien EncounterFantasyland

Peter Pan’s Flight

Mad Tea Party

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Liberty Square

The Haunted Mansion

The Hall of Presidents

Frontierland

Splash Mountain

Big Thunder Mountain

Country Bear Jamboree

Adventureland

Jungle Cruise

Pirates of the Caribbean

Swiss Family Treehouse

Magic Carpets of Aladdin

 This is just a partial listing of some of the many rides and attractions at the Magic Kingdom. You’ll also want to check out the parade on Main Streeet during the day and the Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks and SpectroMagic Parade at night for a truly fantastic light show.Your favorite Disney characters can be found throughout the park at many different locations.
                  

Where to Stay
Whether you’re looking for a luxurious hotel or a place to park the RV, you’ll find something to suit every budget and preference at the Disney World Resorts. For your convenience, we’ve listed them here according to budget. All resorts have pools, and on site restaurants starting with the Moderately Priced Resorts. Click the links for detailed resort descriptions, pricing and reservation information on the Walt Disney World website.

Value ResortsDisney’s
All-Star Movies ResortDisney’s
All-Star Music ResortDisney’s
All-Star Sports Resort		 Deluxe ResortsDisney’s Animal Kingdom LodgeDisney’s
Beach Club ResortDisney’s BoardWalk Inn

Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Home Away from HomeDisney’s Beach Club VillasThe Villas at Disney’s Wilderness LodgeDisney’s BoardWalk Villas

Disney’s Old Key West Resort

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

 Other Deluxe ResortsWalt Disney World DolphinWalt Disney World Swan

Travel Suggestions

Stay at a Disney Resort and take the monorail or shuttlebus to the various parks. Unless you plan on venturing outside of the theme parks, you’ll save the expense of a rental car.

Enjoy your stay!

See Related Posts: #Travel #DisneyWorld

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Six Sentence Sunday 9/18/2011

September 18th, 2011

By , @Writing2Day
From my work in progress: A stranger sails into the bay who leaves April thoroughly flustered.

April placed Cassie in Mimi’s waiting arms and took off running down the beach. As she neared the wharf, she slowed to a walk, not realizing that the stranger was watching her approach while he worked. She could see him clearly now, his sinewy body glistened with sweat in the remaining sunlight. The ocean winds had long since swept the sun streaked hair away from his face and the stubble from his beard completed the unkempt look. When she reached the dock, he stood up straight and looked at her through eyes of turquoise which were so intensified by his bronzed complexion that she had to stop the gasp of surprise before it left her lips. The hypnotic effect of his eyes left her speechless and she had no idea how long she stood there before his powerful voice broke through her gaze.

If you’d like to join in the fun, Twitter #sixsunday or go to the website at Six Sentence Sunday.

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Taking the Plunge with Dramatica Pro

September 17th, 2011

Writer at Work

By , @Writing2Day

I’m finally done retyping my work in progress, all 99,911 words of it, yeah! I still have about three more chapters to write before it’s time to work on the rewrite. I took out the climatic scene that I wrote while taking a correspondence class only to realize that I had expanded upon one of my earlier scenes for the climax. Since I definitely want to use this, that means I have to go back and rewrite/rework the original scene and maybe a good portion of that chapter.

I actually feel quite lucky that this is the one major mistake that I found along the way. I have definitely spotted other errors and inconsistencies that need to be dealt with. And, there is a chapter or two, lol, that feel pretty weak. Before I go any further in my novel, I need to recreate my outline. For those of you who haven’t been following, my outline was lost years ago. As much as I hate to admit it, it would seem this is an integral piece of information.

Call it karma, but just as I’m dreading having to recreate my outline, I received an email advertising the software program Outline 4D. I did click on it and it looks like a very useful program. But then my mind went back to two programs I wanted years ago, Movie Magic and Dramatica Pro. Since I’m writing a novel, I didn’t even look at Movie Magic (we’ll save that for my screenplay). I did some research on reviews of writing programs. The one that consistently came up towards the top of the reviews was Dramatica Pro – ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

It seems the only drawback I could find was that some people feel it has a steep learning curve. I may not have a huge ego when it comes to my writing talent. I feel it is a raw talent and I definitely have a lot to learn to make it shine. What I do have confidence in is my ability to learn. Everything I have read about Dramatica Pro leads me to believe that, “No, it will not write the book for me.” But, if I go through the process of using the software, I feel I will end up with a better novel than if I just plodded along on my own.

So, I took the plunge and used my birthday money to purchase the downloadable version. I really don’t have the patience to wait for something to arrive in the mail when I’m this excited! I started using the program this morning before work. Started out on Level 3 (no sense bothering with Level 1) so I can dig into everything with the most intensity. I believe Level 1 asks about 50 questions about characters, plot, etc. while Level 3 asks about 300. I’m hoping that with work schedules and life in general, I can get through these questions in about a week. I’m very excited to see what all those reports have to say. Hopefully then I will be able to move forward with a solid outline in hand to finish things up and go back and start the rewrite.

I would really love to hear from others out there who use Dramatica Pro to see if you feel it has benefitted your writing. After I’ve used it for a while, I will post an update as to whether or not I’ve felt it was beneficial. If you don’t use this program, what do you use?

To your writing success!

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Six Sentence Sunday 9/11/2011

September 11th, 2011

By , @Writing2Day
From my work in progress: After years filled with frustration and lack of intimacy, Cory wrestles with the decision to leave his wife.

He could see the moonlight shining though the open door to his study and he went inside without consciously knowing where he was going. A pile of logs were waiting to be lit in the fireplace. He knelt down and struck a match to the kindling and stared absently into the fire, watching the flames flicker amongst the logs, trying to find a foothold. When the fire caught, he raised himself slowly to his feet and walked behind the desk to his favorite leather chair. He slumped into the chair heavily and rested his head in his hands, deep in thought. His mind was miles away wrestling with the decision he had to make when he felt another presence in the room with him.

If you’d like to join in the fun, Twitter #sixsunday or go to the website at Six Sentence Sunday.

Posted in Six Sentence Sunday | 3 Comments »

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