General
It's funny what weather can do to you. Sometimes it rains and it's perfect for writing. Tonight it was so perfect I couldn't write a word. I got into such a relaxed state the actual physical act of typing became impossible for a long time. Anyone ever have that happen? It's weird, and means no new update tonight, more tomorrow.
Google Maps vs. Apple Maps
Way back in January I posted about Google Maps, the descriptive writer's secret weapon. I'd planned on doing a similar post after the launch of Apple's eagerly-awaited iOS 6 update and their new maps app with the fancy 3D flyover technology, but ... well, if you have been watching the news or trying to use the app yourself, you may already be aware that it's not exactly getting rave reviews.
Reports of the widespread inaccuracies and idiosyncrasies of the app are speading like wildfire. Now granted, Google Maps has been around for a LONG time, and this is Apple's first attempt at a map service, but we had Google Maps on all of our iOS devices up until now, and suddenly they're replaced by this ... rough replacement, to be generous. Apple Maps will undoubtedly be improved over time, assuming anyone continues to use it.
Google apparently has a new Google Maps app awaiting approval from Apple, but it's unknown at this time if Apple will approve it or not. They haven't been as quick lately to decline apps that duplicate essential iOS functionality, and Google has many fantastic apps for iOS, so maybe this is a temporary setback for users. In the meantime, you can still use Google Maps via Safari or 3rd party browsers like Google Chrome.
As far as us writers, well, I personally plan to stick to Google Maps for my writing inspiration. Streetview is a gift for visualizing settings I've never been to. But you never know. I might give it a shot, if I ever feel the sudden desperate need to write a new sequel to the Wrong Turn franchise.
Steampunk doesn't have a huge presence on TV just now, but one of my favorite examples that we do have is Warehouse 13. Here, the cast and crew discuss the steampunk aesthetics that occur throughout the show and highlight their favorite parts.
Here's a short update for tonight. I wrote more than this, but a good chunk of it was from an upcoming chapter I'm not ready to post just yet.
I've figured out what bothers me about a lot of my own writing, and that's that I usually jump right into stories without a clear picture in my head of what the story actually is.
Sometimes this approach works pretty well; I'm happy with how The Ship of the Unforgotten turned out, for instance. Sometimes stories just drag on forever though. That's starting to happen more and more with The Price of Entanglement, so today I sat down and put some pressure on the vague ideas I've got to crystallize them into something I can really focus on.
“A misguided attempt at bridging the gap between two people’s consciousnesses unearths knowledge long lost over time. Dolesham’s history is the key to saving both Jo’s future—and her past.”
I may end up refining and improving that as I go, but that feels like a pretty solid and interesting core to me. Tomorrow I should be able to move on with that at the center of my efforts.
