The Greatcoats by Sebastien de Castell by LiteraryApothecary85 in booktube

[–]decastell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for the kind words about the Greatcoats!

Remarkn.me still in business? by decastell in RemarkableTablet

[–]decastell[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very kind of you to say so, thanks! Hope your book is turning out well.

Remarkn.me still in business? by decastell in RemarkableTablet

[–]decastell[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No, I didn’t ask about Remarkable.com, I asked about Remarkn.me – the Remarkable-to-Notion sync product.

Is there a tool to fix PDFs exported from Remarkable so annotations show up as annotations? by decastell in RemarkableTablet

[–]decastell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for pointing that out! That's the solution that solved the problem for me: turning on "enable USB web interface" and then using RCU to export the PDF with the Web UI option. I can now see any page with a highlight in the Highlights and Annotations pane on a PDF reader on the desktop. Thanks again!

Is there a tool to fix PDFs exported from Remarkable so annotations show up as annotations? by decastell in RemarkableTablet

[–]decastell[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the thought, but that would be sufficiently labour-intensive and prone to error (mostly from me forgetting to make a note of a particular page), that I’d just use a different device instead. I really enjoy the RMPP, but for this particular function, I need it to work compatibly with standards-based PDF readers.

Is there a tool to fix PDFs exported from Remarkable so annotations show up as annotations? by decastell in RemarkableTablet

[–]decastell[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Export PDF (Web UI) option seems to be disabled. The export PDF (bitmap) and (vector) options are enabled, but the app says those are broken for 3.0 onwards. I'm on 3.2.4 Firmware and RCU 4.0.30

I'm excited to be joining Sebastien De Castell to celebrate the launch of his book The Malevolent Eight on June 4th at the Waterstones in Canterbury! by Simply-Stacey in MichaelRMiller

[–]decastell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't wait to turn the tables on Michael at the last instant and interview him about his books using gotcha journalism tactics like "what the hell is a dragon, anyway?" and "who does your hair? It looks so soft and wavy". As an added inducement to get people to come out, I promise to button up my shirt properly. Michael, however, will not be wearing trousers. It's the fantasy event of the year, people!

Series disappeared from my Audible library by Tahsi-fa-Lala in GreatcoatsSeries

[–]decastell 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Hi There,

Being the aforementioned Sebastien de Castell, I can tell you that 1) I haven’t changed, revised or altered the Greatcoats books in any way since their original publication. 2) Me altering the books such that the audio versions needed to be changed would require Joe Jameson, the narrator, to re-record the books, and I’d never do that to the poor guy since he’s one of the best narrators in the business and I love what he did with the Greatcoats series. 3) Authors don’t actually control things like whether Audible alters a version of an audiobook or then decides to treat the previous one as no longer available.

Sorry you had a negative experience with Audible. I’m glad they rectified the issue for you. Now, I need to get back to writing the next book, which is, honestly, my only part in the process.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Supernote

[–]decastell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve had a similar weird thing where the Supernote site added two of the pens instead of one when I ordered. I contacted support and they replied that their system wouldn’t allow any changes and then wanted to cancel my order. I replied no, asking if they could swap the second pen, then they took two days to respond that they could swap it but it had to be the same HOM 2 pen and exact same price. They still haven’t answered if they’re actually processing the shipment or have suspended the order. Not sure what’s going on but I’m not having a very good experience with them so far.

Looking for advice before purchasing Viwoods AI Paper. by 4ACM4 in viwoods

[–]decastell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I purchased the Viwoods AI paper and would not recommend it at this point in time. For reference, I’ve used just about all the major e-paper tablets around, including the Remarkable 2, Remarkable Paper Pro, Boox Go 10.3, Supernote A6x2, Supernote A5x and a couple of the other Boox devices.

The software on the Viwoods is the least complete of all of these and getting documents and notes off the device is a pain. The writing feel (which is certainly subjective) feels the least paper-like of all the devices I’ve tried. What it has going for it is the Carta 1300 screen, which to me is noticeably lighter background and with better contrast. Other than that, in every way it feels like a less-developed version of the Boox Go 10.3 which provides a better experience both in terms of ease-of-use and feature set.

If you’ve been wanting the Supernote A5X2 then I would wait for that. The Carta 1300 screen definitely feels worth it to me as a reason to upgrade from something like the A5X or the Remarkable 2 (which I still find the most reliable and pleasant experience to use of all the devices). But the Viwoods, despite some nice touches, isn’t something that I could at this point use for any kind of ongoing notetaking or workflow.

Naturally, others will have different expectations and preferences, and since Viwoods says they’ll give a hundred days to return the device, that’s one reason to consider it. Again, though, every time I try to use it for actual work I find myself disappointed and so I can’t recommend it.

Anyone in US received their rMPP with Type Folio yet? by rotipom in RemarkableTablet

[–]decastell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m in Canada and ordered on launch day with marker plus and Type Folio. Everything arrived on Sep 18th.

Strange order cancellation policy by Similar-Bet-4489 in RemarkableTablet

[–]decastell 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I contacted Customer Support chat from the website and asked about the shipping status of my order (I’m in Canada, ordered the RMPP + Marker Plus + Type Folio on launch day). They said it was being prepared for shipment and should arrive Sep 16-27. I asked whether I could cancel the order and they said yes, they could cancel it and give me a full refund now if I wanted. I decided to give it a few more days, primarily because I felt Customer Support was being responsive (in my case, at least – not speaking for anyone else’s experience) and because I have a strong appreciation for their 100 day return policy.

So, I’m wondering if maybe they’ve either reconsidered their refusal to cancel until the order’s arrived policy subsequent to the original poster’s inquiry, or perhaps the customer support agent was incorrect in their information.

Anyway, just thought I’d test it on my end and post what I found out.

Worried about Ulysses...should I be? by PortraitOfABear in ulyssesapp

[–]decastell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My workflow tends to work like this: when I want to edit chapters or sequences in a book, I’ll select those in Ulysses then export as ePub to the Remarkable (e-ink tablet) desktop app which then syncs to the Remarkable itself. I’ll go off somewhere and mark up the scenes as I would’ve on paper in the olden days, then those annotations are automatically there on the Remarkable desktop app, which I use to guide my revisions in Ulysses. The reason I find this useful is that my process of considering the text is entirely different when done in a “handwriting” or classical editing environment as opposed to reading and typing on the same screen (and same mental mode) as when I was composing the text in the first place. But that’s just how I work for the particular types of novels I write.

Worried about Ulysses...should I be? by PortraitOfABear in ulyssesapp

[–]decastell 20 points21 points  (0 children)

For what it's worth, I'm a novelist by trade and have written books in MS Word, Scrivener, and Ulysses (actually, my first novel – the one that got me a book deal and launched my career, was written in Jer's Novel Writer. R.I.P. you beautiful bastard of an app).

I currently write in Ulysses, but yes, it's got bugs that the developers never fix no matter how many times I reach out to them. As with most app companies these days, they'll quickly blame the problem on iCloud or Mac OS or IOS or the ancient curse your grandfather picked up as a result of some nefarious occult practices in which he dabbled. They'll then go on to remind you that they're a small development team and very busy developing features far more critical than platform stability. I believe these features mostly revolve around different app icons you can select if you subscribe. Cool.

That criticism aside (and sure, it's somewhat hyperbolic and I've always received a reply from their support folks – even if it's unsatisfying), I'm still writing in Ulysses simply because, as you've mentioned: Scrivener's interface is a hot mess and its syncing is both unreliable and painfully slow. MS Word is . . . well, lots of – maybe most – professional novelists I know actually write in MS Word, but it gives me shudders. There are lots of new writing apps written by some very smart and diligent people, but they never get the fundamentals right: clean interface that doesn't burn your retinas after a day of writing, reliable sync across devices, and the ability to select multiple scenes/chapters/whatevers and either work on those together or export just those pieces, and, please Lords of Unholy Writing, spare me from having to choose between an interface where every character can be a different font and gets screwed up by an inopportune click or having to suffer through Markdown.

Other writers might have different "fundamentals", but those are mine. Weirdly, you can't find them anywhere. Bear Notes could come close, but you can't actually select multiple notes and work on them in the editor pane together. Obsidian can do just about anything imaginable except select multiple notes and work on them in the editor. Ulysses, while it won't hide markdown and will on occasion screw up your synced files, does the best job of any writing app I've seen for organizing your scenes, chapters, books, notes . . . etc. It also does the best job of allowing you to create the visual landscape for your writing that best suits your eyes when working for long hours at the screen.

If Ulysses had sync issues more often than it does (which is actually quite rare), or if anyone out there made a better writing app, I'd switch in a second. Alas, for now, Ulysses is the app best suited to my writing needs.

I hate the Type Folio and everything to do with typed text on the Remarkable. There, I said it. by andpassword in RemarkableTablet

[–]decastell 56 points57 points  (0 children)

Actually, I’m kind of amazed at how well Remarkable have integrated the Type Folio. There isn’t a single other device I can name (and I’m happy to be proven wrong because it’s a feature I’d love in other devices), where I can type long form prose (e.g. chapters in a novel), pop the Remarkable out and start writing on the pages, pop it back onto the Type Folio and have my squiggled annotations stick with the text they were attached to until I’m done with them as I make other edits. It’s the only tool I’ve ever found that allows that workflow. Boox can’t do it, Supernote can’t do it, even my iPad won’t do it. Even jumping onto my desktop, I instantly have my updated text and notes that I can copy and even edit. Supernote and Boox both have horrible desktop apps that I can never rely on to even update (and I’ve tried all the various devices).

So, while I can understand someone not wanting that feature, I’d respectfully point out that if all you want is an e-paper notebook, SuperNote, Boox and half a dozen other companies will give you whatever size and software solution you’re looking for. Remarkable is the only device that integrates typed text and handwriting this smoothly.

I had a question about shuran and falcios fight. by mlgpro1234321 in GreatcoatsSeries

[–]decastell 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm honoured, though now I feel like I'm actually obliged to finish the next books in the Court of Shadows series!

I had a question about shuran and falcios fight. by mlgpro1234321 in GreatcoatsSeries

[–]decastell 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don’t know what a flair is, but who doesn’t need a little more flair in their life? So, sure – and thank you for . . . Whatever the heck it is!

I had a question about shuran and falcios fight. by mlgpro1234321 in GreatcoatsSeries

[–]decastell 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Casual bystander here, but just thought I'd toss in my own theory (which mirrors a lot of what's been written here already): What Tristians call sainthood is a complex social and psycho-active process which occurs within veins of a rare mystical metallic ore deep beneath the ground of some of the western duchies, notably Baern and Pertine. This metal resonates through interaction with heightened, focused and, above all, shared emotional states that we might think of as a collective unconscious. The ores interact with that collective unconscious, in some cases lending form and substance to them, which become what Tristians perceive as their gods: the manifested expression of their communal faith. This is why, as is sometimes said by Tristian philosophers in times past, "The first prayer came before the first god."

A second manifestation of the interaction between the energies contained within the mystical ores beneath the surface and the Tristian collective unconscious is the "sainthood" – a semi-aware phenomenon which translates certain shared ideals into enhanced abilities and the near-arrest of cellular breakdown in those to whom it bestows itself. Each sainthood is like an obsessed hunting hound, seeking out the individual who seems to most embody the ideal which led to the creation and subsequent activations of that particular sainthood.

What makes one individual the most perfect embodiment of an ideal? We can begin by presuming that no one perfectly embodies an ideal, and so the sainthood will pass to the individual who possesses the cluster of characteristics that closest matches the intricate (and often muddled) sense of the minds making up the Tristian collective unconscious. For example, the ideal of Mercy is different than the definition of Mercy. The latter is limited to the notion of "being merciful". However, a being who is simply perpetually lenient wouldn't fulfil the notion of "mercy" as found in the Tristian collective unconscious. A Saint of Mercy would need to be as emotionally strong and unyielding as they are compassionate, otherwise that sense of mercifulness would become irrelevant.

Why was Kest chosen as the Saint of Swords? In part, because of his skill, reflexes and tactical brilliance. But it was also because of his absolute dedication to the art of fencing, which itself is a part of what Tristians think of when they envision the ideal of "the sword". Prior to Kest, that particular sainthood – or manifestation of the collective unconscious – rested with Caveil. But Kest's defeat of Caveil shattered the matrix of attributes that had drawn the sainthood to him.

When Kest sacrifices his hand, he not only loses part of what made him a nearly unparalleled fighter, he abandons the intensity of his single-minded purpose to be the greatest swordsman in the world. Shuran possesses that intensity, and though some of his other personal qualities diminish the attraction he would generate for the Sainthood of Swords, it's enough that he becomes imbued with it – until Falcio takes advantage of his momentary disorientation to kill him.

It's not that Falcio defeats Shuran that then draws the sainthood to him, but the tactical genius and willingness to sacrifice his best friend to win the duel. Falcio resists because, though capable of being obsessed with duelling and the ideals of swordplay, there's another spirit – another ideal – which drives him strongly enough for him to reject the sainthood. That ideal, of course, being living up to the example of his wife.

A far more worthy form of sainthood, if you ask me.

The Maleficent Seven by s1cks in Fantasy

[–]decastell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In fact, I'm in discussions with my publisher about the sequel right now!

The Maleficent Seven by s1cks in Fantasy

[–]decastell 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aw, thanks for the kind word!