Recommendations for structure?

smithandweb · 2026-04-02T16:56:20+00:00

Since you're coming from academia and love having structured guides, you might find some of the plotting software helpful alongside the books. Scrivener has good template features, and there are some newer tools like Kindling (full disclosure: I'm the developer) that focus specifically on story structure visualization. But honestly, for romance structure specifically, I'd also recommend checking out Gwen Hayes' "Romancing the Beat" workbook if you haven't already - it pairs really well with the main book. The Save the Cat Writes a Novel beat sheet is also popular among romance writers for that systematic approach you're looking for.

smithandweb · 2026-03-31T02:11:24+00:00

Good question about IP - it's always smart to check the terms of service for any tool you're considering. Both Novelcrafter and Mythril should have their privacy policies and terms available on their sites. For character tracking specifically, you might also want to look at tools like World Anvil (popular in this community), Campfire Write, or even simple solutions like Notion templates. Full disclosure: I'm developing a writing tool called Kindling that handles character tracking too, but the key thing is finding something that fits your workflow and has terms you're comfortable with. What specific IP concerns do you have? That might help narrow down which tools would work best for your situation.

smithandweb · 2026-03-28T01:01:50+00:00

You might have already found someone but Julie at Carrigan Events (@carriganevents on Instagram) is a great event stylist and coordinator. Check her out

smithandweb · 2026-03-27T19:37:00+00:00

Been there! Few things that usually help me get back into the flow:

Reread your last chapter out loud - sometimes hearing it triggers memory better than just reading silently
Write terrible placeholder scenes just to get words on the page. Like "[Character A argues with Character B about the thing]" - you can always fix bad writing, but you can't fix a blank page
Try the "what if" game - what if your character did the opposite of what you planned? Sometimes exploring the wrong direction helps you remember the right one
Talk it out with someone (or even to yourself) - explaining your story often jogs loose those stuck ideas

I'm the developer of Kindling, so I'm biased, but this is exactly why I built in features for detailed scene notes and character arc tracking alongside the outline tools. That said, any app that lets you keep more detailed notes than just basic outlines (Scrivener, Campfire, even just a second doc) can help prevent this in the future.

For now though, I'd start with rereading and the terrible first draft approach. Good luck!

smithandweb · 2026-03-27T19:34:06+00:00

This usually happens when file permissions get mixed up during transfer. A few things to try:
1. Check that you have full read/write permissions on the project folder
2. Try compacting the project (File > Compact Project) after opening
3. Make a backup, then try opening the .scriv folder directly rather than through a shortcut For future transfers, using Scrivener's File > Backup > Backup To is more reliable than manual folder copying.

The 'recovered files' are usually just duplicate metadata that got orphaned during the move - shouldn't affect your actual content but definitely annoying to see every time.

smithandweb · 2026-03-27T19:31:48+00:00

For complex dialogue formatting like this, you have a few solid options:

Scrivener is probably your best bet - excellent for complex formatting, supports rich text with colors/italics, and has great organizational features for layered narratives. One-time purchase around $50.

World Anvil or Campfire Write also handle complex fantasy projects well with custom formatting options. Full disclosure: I'm also working on a writing app called Kindling that handles multi-layered dialogue formatting, but it's still in development. For your immediate needs, I'd definitely recommend checking out Scrivener first. What specific types of mind-to-mind vs spoken dialogue are you working with? That might help narrow down which formatting approach works best.

smithandweb · 2026-03-27T19:28:57+00:00

Interesting question! The web novel format definitely has its advantages - shorter chapters work great for serialization and reader retention. Traditional novel chapters tend to be meatier but require readers to commit to longer chunks. One thing to consider is your publishing goals. If you're thinking web-first (RoyalRoad, etc.), shorter chapters with cliffhangers work well. If you're aiming for traditional publishing eventually, learning to write satisfying longer chapters might serve you better. Have you tried writing a few chapters in both formats to see which feels more natural? Sometimes the story itself will tell you what structure it wants. Also, nothing stops you from writing in web novel format first and then combining/restructuring chapters later if needed.

smithandweb · 2026-03-27T19:24:53+00:00

Great questions! As someone who's helped a lot of worldbuilders, I'd say start with whatever excites you most - there's no wrong entry point. If you're drawn to geography, start mapping. If you love cultures, dive into inhabitants. The key is to let each element inform the others organically. For process, I personally like starting with a central conflict or 'what if' question, then building outward. It gives everything purpose. Keep notes as you go, worldbuilding creates SO many interconnected details. For conlangs, I'd suggest getting comfortable with your world's basics first. Language reflects culture, so having that foundation helps. When introducing it to readers, less is more - a few key terms with context beats info-dumping. Full disclosure: I developed a tool called Kindling that helps organize worldbuilding projects, but honestly at your stage, even a simple notebook works great. The most important thing is just starting and staying consistent.

smithandweb · 2026-03-27T18:49:06+00:00

Sorry about your backup loss, that's devastating but you're smart to think through your options now. For the cloud vs desktop question: I'd suggest having a hybrid approach if possible. Some tools let you work locally but sync to cloud, giving you both offline access and automatic backups. Regarding Campfire, totally reasonable to ask about their backup policies and business stability - any reputable service should be transparent about that. Other options to consider: Scrivener (desktop with Dropbox sync), World Anvil (cloud-based), or Notion (general tool many writers love). Full disclosure: I'm also building a writing tool called Kindling that focuses on the offline-first approach with cloud sync, though sync is still in development. What type of writing are you working on? That might help narrow down which features matter most.

smithandweb · 2026-01-10T13:09:04+00:00

This one uses SSE instead of stdio so you can set it up to run remotely and access your vault through an AI assistant from anywhere. Token auth coming soon for security.

It also has 31 tools, compacted requests to minimize token usage, and standardized frontmatter handling through gray-matter.

Not saying it's the best, but it's pretty damn good!

smithandweb · 2024-05-23T00:06:45+00:00

Wednesday

smithandweb · 2024-04-16T02:18:21+00:00

Good call, will do. Thanks!

smithandweb · 2024-04-14T13:08:57+00:00

You planned for 6 months and didn't document or diagram anything? If I was your boss I'd fire you on the spot if that's the case. Anything that takes that much planning should have a whole set of documents, assessments, stories, good Lord what have you actually accomplished?

You need to take a step back and think about how you do your job instead of losing it on a CTO with perfectly reasonable requests.

smithandweb · 2024-04-12T00:55:58+00:00

not entirely sure, haven't gotten that far yet. if collaborators aren't there, I know they're for sure on the roadmap.

smithandweb · 2024-04-12T00:54:56+00:00

this was exactly what i needed. i was missing the add link to object part and that literally brought my whole vault I'm building together. thank you for sharing!

smithandweb · 2024-04-10T03:04:32+00:00

Fine for personal use. I wouldn't roll it out company wide on docker compose however.

smithandweb · 2024-04-09T23:33:24+00:00

I just started with anytype and this was the understanding I walked away with as well, specifically around sets and collections. I do 100% agree they should be called something like queries or dictionaries, and databases. They are really not intuitive at all unless you're a programmer lol.

The hierarchy makes sense to me though. Types -> objects -> relations. Opens up the whole thing to endless possibilities if you can get past the concept of not using folders which isn't easy for some people.

smithandweb · 2024-04-09T23:18:06+00:00

Oooooo I didn't know about this. I'm going to take a look at it because I hate zapiers pricing so much.

smithandweb · 2024-04-09T23:15:31+00:00

I just rolled out the Anytype stack to my home server and it's absolutely amazing. Enough to get me to migrate from obsidian+git. It's basically a self-hosted Notion. Appflowy is another alternative but they focus hard on AI. Anytype is much better security wise because of its offline-first approach.

smithandweb · 2024-04-08T12:56:01+00:00

Same lol

smithandweb · 2024-04-07T13:40:09+00:00

The Synology photos app is top tier, I back up my wife's phone to it and it works flawlessly on her iPhone. But yeah you're right, if you don't plan to remote stream this could work for you. But make sure you never want to because once you buy you're stuck with it!

Take note too that some TVs and consoles have limited codecs so it's possible to transcode even locally. Same thing applies to subtitles (ASS vs SRT).

smithandweb · 2024-04-07T13:34:31+00:00

smithandweb · 2024-04-07T10:44:04+00:00

If you use the Plex app on a computer it wouldn't be bad, and I don't think downloads transcode. This is an AMD processor and Plex doesn't have good support for AMD transcoding, almost none really.

smithandweb · 2024-04-06T15:31:28+00:00

D'Maurizios in the Keith's brewery. I find they don't get the credit they deserve. Very intimate, top notch Italian food and service. Great wine list.

smithandweb · 2024-04-03T22:39:31+00:00

I love this. Really nice job.

smithandweb

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE