Hand of Isis, Jo Graham
Hand of Isis is a riveting historical fantasy story centered around Charmian, one of Cleopatra's handmaids. It begins in the Halls of Amenti, the Egyptian place of the dead where it was believed a soul traveled to when the body died. Charmian stands before Serapis and Isis, to stand for her judgement at the hands of Ma'at. For her failure she begs them to condemn her, but they insist on hearing the tale of her life and so the story begins.
Charmian's mother was a Thracian slave girl who died when Charmian was born. From her mother she gained blue eyes, brown hair and pale skin - a very Greek appearance. She was nursed beside Iras, born to Asetnefer who was a slave born in Elephantine. Iras was Charmian's opposite with dark skin and dark hair looking very much Egyptian, and so the girls grew up together as sisters. At five years old the two girls meet Cleopatra, a fifth daughter and third princess of a queen who had now died and was succeeded by another. As a result, Cleopatra was of no worth except as a suitable exchange for a strategic marriage. That day changes their lives. Asetnefer returns Cleopatra to the Royal Nursery and ends up returning at night. She tells Charmian that her and Iras' father is Pharaoh Ptolemy Auletes (something Charmian has always known because Asetnefer has always told her) which makes Cleopatra their sister as well. And they will now begin lessons together, given to the young princess as companions and belong to her now. The girls get along well and grow up together closer than friends, enjoying lessons and plays together until the realities of the politics invades their lives. Murders for the throne, Auletes bargaining his throne with Rome, and Cleopatra's plans to become Queen of Egypt. It is no easy rise, and even when she succeeds it is to a throne of a now bankrupt kingdom, with Rome knocking at its doors for a promised debt. Charmian documents the journey as seen from the side of Cleopatra and her position of running the Royal House, as well as the trials and tribulations of her own personal life. The stress of events that threaten their safety, love gained, love lost, battles that threaten to steal all she loves, the birth of her daughter and ominous dreams and thoughts that she is leery of trusting in. For Charmian is also an oracle, a gift that has followed her through many lives. It is she who brings Ceasar to Egypt, she who sees the loss of Cleopatra's second child, and the fall of Egypt. Her gift however cannot save the Black Land from its inevitable fate, and the story winds down with her death and that of her sisters'. Again she begs the gods for her punishment, to which there is none for they find her heart worthy of the Peace of Amenti. And she is offered a choice: to remain in Amenti and be healed of the hurts of life, or return and possibly have a chance to save those few of her loved ones that remain in the world. Charmian does not hesitate with her choice.
Why You Should Read this Book:
Jo Graham is a gifted storyteller who never leaves even a small lull in her tale. First person narration is notoriously difficult to write but it is flawlessly done in this book. As a historical it's not heavy in detail, just enough to create the setting for the story takes place. It's very real, focused both on the people as much as the events that affect those peoples' lives. And just enough magic to draw in the avid fantasy reader. If you love fantasy and especially if you love the ancient mythology of Egypt like I do, you have to pick up this book. You're missing out if you don't!
And hey if you want to check out Jo Graham, you can find her here at her Livejournal.
Showing posts with label Review Monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review Monday. Show all posts
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What is it?
Syncplicity is a cloud-based file storage system designed to back up, store and sync your files. Syncplicity LLC has both personal and business solutions with an eye toward security, flexibility and seamless ease.
How it works?
Install Syncplicity onto your computer by signing up on the website and going through the process. When the program is installed it stays active on your computer, and the chosen files will sync between the devices you register on Syncplicity.
The Basics:
For the personal edition there are two editions: free and personal. The Free Edition is actually a pretty good deal with:
The Personal of course is a better deal and well worth the money especially if you've got a lot to store:
The Pros:
Syncplicity is really easy to use and really seamless. It's very easy to switch it to a new computer if you're upgrading, add or subtract a device. The 2GB of space is plenty for backing up writings and Syncplicity automatically re-syncs when a file in the designated folder changes. Once it's installed there really isn't any kind of further user effort to keep your stuff updated or to make sure the program does its' job. It works quite well on its own, it's very seamless.
The Cons:
I can't really think of any cons. The business edition looks pretty customizable, the personal edition looks plentiful enough for the average user, it doesn't even take up much memory in the background. If you have memory issues where you can't have too many programs running in the background at once you may have to manually turn it on and off to back up your files. It's not one of those programs where the free version makes you wish it was a little jucier while not making the paid version worthless.
My Thoughts:
I love it. I love that it's so seamless, I love that I don't have to fuss with it much and I love how easy it is to use. When I got my new computer and had to bring Syncplicity onto my new machine I had no issues. Everything syncs, well seamlessly just like it's supposed to. Plus I like that if it has a hard time connecting to the server or if I go offline and a file changes it keeps the updates and immediately sends the update to the server as soon as connection is re-established. I can't recommend it enough, it's a great addition to your back-up plan.
Syncplicity is a cloud-based file storage system designed to back up, store and sync your files. Syncplicity LLC has both personal and business solutions with an eye toward security, flexibility and seamless ease.
How it works?
Install Syncplicity onto your computer by signing up on the website and going through the process. When the program is installed it stays active on your computer, and the chosen files will sync between the devices you register on Syncplicity.
The Basics:
For the personal edition there are two editions: free and personal. The Free Edition is actually a pretty good deal with:
- 2 GB of storage
- syncs between up to 2 computers and mobile devices
- unlimited files and folders
- works with PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and Google Docs
- community support forums
The Personal of course is a better deal and well worth the money especially if you've got a lot to store:
- $15 per month
- 50 GB of storage
- syncs between up to 5 computers and mobile devices
- unlimited files and folders of any file size
- works with PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and Google Docs
- priority support
The Pros:
Syncplicity is really easy to use and really seamless. It's very easy to switch it to a new computer if you're upgrading, add or subtract a device. The 2GB of space is plenty for backing up writings and Syncplicity automatically re-syncs when a file in the designated folder changes. Once it's installed there really isn't any kind of further user effort to keep your stuff updated or to make sure the program does its' job. It works quite well on its own, it's very seamless.
The Cons:
I can't really think of any cons. The business edition looks pretty customizable, the personal edition looks plentiful enough for the average user, it doesn't even take up much memory in the background. If you have memory issues where you can't have too many programs running in the background at once you may have to manually turn it on and off to back up your files. It's not one of those programs where the free version makes you wish it was a little jucier while not making the paid version worthless.
My Thoughts:
I love it. I love that it's so seamless, I love that I don't have to fuss with it much and I love how easy it is to use. When I got my new computer and had to bring Syncplicity onto my new machine I had no issues. Everything syncs, well seamlessly just like it's supposed to. Plus I like that if it has a hard time connecting to the server or if I go offline and a file changes it keeps the updates and immediately sends the update to the server as soon as connection is re-established. I can't recommend it enough, it's a great addition to your back-up plan.
Review Monday is back! Snow White and the Huntsman
Author: Andunien Posted under:
Movie,
Review Monday
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth
Storyline: Snow White, imprisoned daughter of the late king, escapes just as the Magic Mirror declares her the source of the Evil Queen's immortality. The Queen sends her men, led by a local huntsman, to bring her back. But upon her capture, the huntsman finds he's being played and turns against the Queen's men, saving Snow White in the process. Meanwhile, Snow's childhood friend, William, learns that she is alive and sets off to save her.Written by G.C. Bendixen at IMDB
Pros: This was a great and refreshing take on the Snow White story. It was nice to see that Snow White's beauty was more about her heart than her looks as opposed to other versions. It wasn't poor little princess, prince come save her. She was a fighter in a determined-to-stay-alive but she wasn't that sort of unrealistic fighter. Having the Huntsman as more prominent character was well-balanced; he assisted Snow White without carrying her. And Queen Ravenna was a spectacular evil queen. Scheming, devious, sly and yet not wholly evil. She is a woman who's been shaped by her circumstances but has also given in to the lust for power, who probably would never attempt to redeem herself and yet a small part of you could sympathize with her. The dwarves were not Disney's tribe, and yet they were still able to provide some comic relief without stupid cheesy elements (I'm looking at you Mirror Mirror). And the best part - seeing Snow White take the throne. Without having to marry a prince to do it.
Cons: Prince William was kind of useless. With a little bit of tweaking you could have told the same story without him. Characters like that kind of annoy me. I was kind of disappointed by Kristen's acting. I was really excited for this movie partly because I wanted to see what she was capable of doing outside that Twilight role and she fell kind of flat for me. Some parts of the story felt...lacking in some sense. I can't quite explain it, but it just felt like there should have been more of something.
My Thoughts: it's worth a checking out, especially if you're a Charlize fan because she really doesn't go wrong in this movie. And Chris Hemsworth was okay, and looked really good. Avoid if you were hoping this would be a break-out role for Kristen, because she doesn't quite pull it off. But it's worth seeing at least once.
Storyline: Snow White, imprisoned daughter of the late king, escapes just as the Magic Mirror declares her the source of the Evil Queen's immortality. The Queen sends her men, led by a local huntsman, to bring her back. But upon her capture, the huntsman finds he's being played and turns against the Queen's men, saving Snow White in the process. Meanwhile, Snow's childhood friend, William, learns that she is alive and sets off to save her.Written by G.C. Bendixen at IMDB
Pros: This was a great and refreshing take on the Snow White story. It was nice to see that Snow White's beauty was more about her heart than her looks as opposed to other versions. It wasn't poor little princess, prince come save her. She was a fighter in a determined-to-stay-alive but she wasn't that sort of unrealistic fighter. Having the Huntsman as more prominent character was well-balanced; he assisted Snow White without carrying her. And Queen Ravenna was a spectacular evil queen. Scheming, devious, sly and yet not wholly evil. She is a woman who's been shaped by her circumstances but has also given in to the lust for power, who probably would never attempt to redeem herself and yet a small part of you could sympathize with her. The dwarves were not Disney's tribe, and yet they were still able to provide some comic relief without stupid cheesy elements (I'm looking at you Mirror Mirror). And the best part - seeing Snow White take the throne. Without having to marry a prince to do it.
Cons: Prince William was kind of useless. With a little bit of tweaking you could have told the same story without him. Characters like that kind of annoy me. I was kind of disappointed by Kristen's acting. I was really excited for this movie partly because I wanted to see what she was capable of doing outside that Twilight role and she fell kind of flat for me. Some parts of the story felt...lacking in some sense. I can't quite explain it, but it just felt like there should have been more of something.
My Thoughts: it's worth a checking out, especially if you're a Charlize fan because she really doesn't go wrong in this movie. And Chris Hemsworth was okay, and looked really good. Avoid if you were hoping this would be a break-out role for Kristen, because she doesn't quite pull it off. But it's worth seeing at least once.
Review Monday: Liquid Story Binder XE
Author: Andunien Posted under:
Review Monday,
review: writing program
What is it?
Liquid Story Binder XE is a writing program created by Black Obelisk Software solely for Windows. It's a writing program designed to have the capability of a commercial text editor with a great deal of features and flexibility.
How it works?
Liquid Story Binder XE is software that must be purchased and downloaded. You can download Liquid Story Binder XE for free for 30 days, and have access to all of the program's features. After 30 days the program will stop working, and you have the choice of either uninstalling the program or purchasing a code to continue using the program indefinitely. Both the downloading and code purchase can be done directly from Black Obelisk's site, and the code is $45.95.
The Basics:
As stated above Liquid Story Binder only works on Windows machines. Its interface can be as full or as empty as you like; all the features can be used or left off. The workspace is not only completely customizable, but can be saved as well. This way when you restart the program you don't have to restructure your workspace every time. The menu can show up to 15 different stories, as well the program creates a seperate folder for each. The program has a bunch of great preferences such as 20 second Auto Save, automatic save on close, snap windows and others which allow you to customize the program to suit your use. There are even a list of preset different colour schemes under the Display tab, as well you can also customize a colour scheme of your own. Black Obelisk often updates the program and the updates are downloadable directly from their site.
The Pros:
The program's download is small for a program, which is great. I love that the interface is as customizable as it is and can suit my various needs and desires. I'm often moving my windows around and I like that the program remembers my set up for every story I have a file for. It actually really helps me remember where I was in my mind the last time I wrote, if that makes any sense. Also I'm one of those writers who makes a ton of notes on back story, characters etc. and it's great that I can do it all in the program and have it present or not when it suits me. The master File list is multi-functional in that I can see every file for the story, or I can simply focus on Dossiers, or Chapters, or what have you. Save features are good and you have pretty good protection from losing your work.
The Cons:
It does have a bit of a learning curve. So many features can be a hinderance as well as a blessing. Also my version of the program does not have a retrieve function like Microsoft Word has, where if the computer is suddenly shot off for a reason (i.e. sudden power outage) your work is often restored. If this program doesn't have such a feature, I'd like to see it.
My Thoughts:
All in all I love this program, and use it frequently for my work. If you can get your hands on this and you like having a single place for your work and notes you'll love this program. If you like a simple bare bones kind of workspace you'll still love this program. So download it, give it a try and don't be surprised if you stick to it. It's well worth the price.
Liquid Story Binder XE is a writing program created by Black Obelisk Software solely for Windows. It's a writing program designed to have the capability of a commercial text editor with a great deal of features and flexibility.
How it works?
Liquid Story Binder XE is software that must be purchased and downloaded. You can download Liquid Story Binder XE for free for 30 days, and have access to all of the program's features. After 30 days the program will stop working, and you have the choice of either uninstalling the program or purchasing a code to continue using the program indefinitely. Both the downloading and code purchase can be done directly from Black Obelisk's site, and the code is $45.95.
The Basics:
As stated above Liquid Story Binder only works on Windows machines. Its interface can be as full or as empty as you like; all the features can be used or left off. The workspace is not only completely customizable, but can be saved as well. This way when you restart the program you don't have to restructure your workspace every time. The menu can show up to 15 different stories, as well the program creates a seperate folder for each. The program has a bunch of great preferences such as 20 second Auto Save, automatic save on close, snap windows and others which allow you to customize the program to suit your use. There are even a list of preset different colour schemes under the Display tab, as well you can also customize a colour scheme of your own. Black Obelisk often updates the program and the updates are downloadable directly from their site.
The Pros:
The program's download is small for a program, which is great. I love that the interface is as customizable as it is and can suit my various needs and desires. I'm often moving my windows around and I like that the program remembers my set up for every story I have a file for. It actually really helps me remember where I was in my mind the last time I wrote, if that makes any sense. Also I'm one of those writers who makes a ton of notes on back story, characters etc. and it's great that I can do it all in the program and have it present or not when it suits me. The master File list is multi-functional in that I can see every file for the story, or I can simply focus on Dossiers, or Chapters, or what have you. Save features are good and you have pretty good protection from losing your work.
The Cons:
It does have a bit of a learning curve. So many features can be a hinderance as well as a blessing. Also my version of the program does not have a retrieve function like Microsoft Word has, where if the computer is suddenly shot off for a reason (i.e. sudden power outage) your work is often restored. If this program doesn't have such a feature, I'd like to see it.
My Thoughts:
All in all I love this program, and use it frequently for my work. If you can get your hands on this and you like having a single place for your work and notes you'll love this program. If you like a simple bare bones kind of workspace you'll still love this program. So download it, give it a try and don't be surprised if you stick to it. It's well worth the price.
This was supposed to go up yesterday, my apologies. This week I'm reviewing Yarny, another web-based writing software I've been looking at.
What is it?
According to their website, Yarny is "A simple to use online writing environment for the high-production, creative writer." It's as I said web-based writing software created by Blue Burro, Inc. Blue Burro is a process design and web application company based in Florida.
How It Works?
You have to register for Yarny before you can start using the site. All your writing is done online so you can pretty much write from anywhere, at any time. Everything is saved in the browser automatically so you never have to worry about losing your work.
The Basics:
Yarny only works in Firefox and possibly Chrome (I don't have Chrome so I can't verify this). The Yarny interface is very well-organized and very clean. Upon logging in the screen brings up bubbles explaining each feature of the program. Simply clicking anywhere on the screen makes them disappear and you have your work screen ready to go. If at any time you need them back simply click on the question mark at the top right of the screen, select Quick Help and the bubbles return. Yarny automatically creates versions of your writing and saves them; you can scroll through them by clicking on the clock at the bottom of the central box where you write your story. Beside that is the Tag button, where you can give snippets or chapters tags with which to easily locate them later. Your left side bar is where you can find all your snippets/chapters as well as their individual word counts, a Search box where you can search your tags and create new snippets and groups. On your right side bar, you have sections for notes divided into People, Places and Things. It's a space for notes not part of your story itself, but important for you as the writer. At the bottom you have your word count, and at the top where you enter your title for your work. You can change this title at any time. With their new updates, you can have unlimited titles even with a free account. Premium naturally gives you access to other features.
The Pros:
The saving is very seamless and I like the distraction-free setup. Everything is easily accessible without having to turn things on and off. The ease of being able to access my story on multiple computers as well as all my notes is great, and I love that Yarny gives free members a great deal of features to enjoy. It gives me a little more incentive to upgrade to Premium because for me it shows an appreciation to all users. Yarny is in beta, but it's relatively bug-free and they are constantly improving the software with features. They do listen to their user base and I appreciate that very much. They have a comprehensive Support section which is always a plus in my books. FAQs are an absolute must. And their website is very nice and professional.
The Cons:
I honestly can't really think of any cons to Yarny, except for the fact that it's untested in IE. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of the interface it's fine.
My Thoughts:
Yarny is a really great web-based writing software to use. I don't know of any others, but for me it's right up there with PangurPad and in some features it surpasses PangurPad. The fact that I can have unlimited stories just thrills me to no end.
What is it?
According to their website, Yarny is "A simple to use online writing environment for the high-production, creative writer." It's as I said web-based writing software created by Blue Burro, Inc. Blue Burro is a process design and web application company based in Florida.
How It Works?
You have to register for Yarny before you can start using the site. All your writing is done online so you can pretty much write from anywhere, at any time. Everything is saved in the browser automatically so you never have to worry about losing your work.
The Basics:
Yarny only works in Firefox and possibly Chrome (I don't have Chrome so I can't verify this). The Yarny interface is very well-organized and very clean. Upon logging in the screen brings up bubbles explaining each feature of the program. Simply clicking anywhere on the screen makes them disappear and you have your work screen ready to go. If at any time you need them back simply click on the question mark at the top right of the screen, select Quick Help and the bubbles return. Yarny automatically creates versions of your writing and saves them; you can scroll through them by clicking on the clock at the bottom of the central box where you write your story. Beside that is the Tag button, where you can give snippets or chapters tags with which to easily locate them later. Your left side bar is where you can find all your snippets/chapters as well as their individual word counts, a Search box where you can search your tags and create new snippets and groups. On your right side bar, you have sections for notes divided into People, Places and Things. It's a space for notes not part of your story itself, but important for you as the writer. At the bottom you have your word count, and at the top where you enter your title for your work. You can change this title at any time. With their new updates, you can have unlimited titles even with a free account. Premium naturally gives you access to other features.
The Pros:
The saving is very seamless and I like the distraction-free setup. Everything is easily accessible without having to turn things on and off. The ease of being able to access my story on multiple computers as well as all my notes is great, and I love that Yarny gives free members a great deal of features to enjoy. It gives me a little more incentive to upgrade to Premium because for me it shows an appreciation to all users. Yarny is in beta, but it's relatively bug-free and they are constantly improving the software with features. They do listen to their user base and I appreciate that very much. They have a comprehensive Support section which is always a plus in my books. FAQs are an absolute must. And their website is very nice and professional.
The Cons:
I honestly can't really think of any cons to Yarny, except for the fact that it's untested in IE. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of the interface it's fine.
My Thoughts:
Yarny is a really great web-based writing software to use. I don't know of any others, but for me it's right up there with PangurPad and in some features it surpasses PangurPad. The fact that I can have unlimited stories just thrills me to no end.
I think this will become a regular feature on the blog. I'll review all sorts of stuff, but for now I think I'll start with writing programs. I got the idea a few weeks ago to use NaNo as a time to test drive some new ones I found, and see how they shape up to what I use now (Liquid Story Binder, which I'll also be reviewing). If you have any suggestions for future reviews, feel free to let me know in the comments. So this week, I'll start with PangurPad.
What is it?
PangurPad is web-based writing software created by Pangur Pty, Ltd., so you don't have to download anything to your computer. Built on open source software it's a writing program designed to be sleek and clean with functional tools and an uncluttered interface. But PangurPad isn't just writing software; there is also a large community where you can find writers who share your genre and it also acts as a self-publishing platform.
How It Works?
All your writing is done in the browser. PangurPad backs up all your work on their servers as you write, so you will always have the most current version of your work everytime you log in. There is a feature that allows you to go back through all the versions that have been saved, so if there was something you wrote three days ago, deleted but decided you wanted to bring it back, it's retrievable. There is a word count feature, a timeline feature and a notes feature. The notes have their own subsections for characters, places, things and general. You can also download your work to your computer, and there is an offline mode which allows you to continue writing if for whatever reason you're unable to connect to the internet and PangurPad's servers. At the top right of the interface is a button with an eye on it, and this button hides all the features so all you have is your writing space. Pressing it again brings up all your tools.
The Basics:
It should be noted that PangurPad ONLY works in Firefox or Chrome. It does not work in Internet Explorer whatsoever, so if you're stubborn like me and still use IE as your primary browser you will have to download either of the others. I personally like Firefox. When you sign up you're given a free trial account, with space for 1 work with a 10k word limit. All the features are avaliable to you including the secure online backup. Right now, if you are a NaNoWriMo participant you can sign up and get a trial account with a 1 work, 100k word limit by proving you're a participant. All that really involves is showing them the link to your NaNo profile. The third account is the paid account. This gives you unlimited works and unlimited word count. There are many features and details about Communities, Publishing etc, but that would be pretty lengthy to go through so please visit here to see the rest. The paid account has two options: $20.00AUD yearly subscription or a once off payment of $45.00AUD.
The Pros:
So far I'm really enjoying this site and program. The backup is pretty seamless, it doesn't give my computer any hiccups or issues while saving. I like that since it is online as opposed to a downloaded program I can bounce between computers and just pick up where I left off writing. The word count feature seems quite accurate, only a hundred or so words off from Microsoft Word. The interface is very clean, and I enjoy having the option of having the tools all easily displayed or hidden as I feel the need. It has a very small learning curve, if any, so if you're taking the plunge from Word you'll have little trouble getting accustomed to the format. Anyone who uses different writing programs should have no trouble at all with this. The site itself is very clean, very easy to nagivate and appealing. No crazy animations, nothing to slow the computer down, enough graphics to make it interesting but without the overkill. Nothing puts me off more than a website that looks like it was created in five minutes in a web editor.
The Cons:
There is no FAQ, which I would have liked to see. They're sort of a prerequisite in my books. There's also next to no information on the people behind PangurPad - not that that's a con per se, but it would be nice to at least know something, what brought about the idea. There does seem to be a few bugs, I can't seem to get the word count goals to stay when I log off, but it's unclear whether they're meant to only be present during your session or permanent until they're deleted. Again, a FAQ would have helped here, the small note they give you when you first start with PangurPad is not as informative as I would have liked it to be. I can't seem to get the section break or page break to work properly so I don't use them. With regard to the publishing, there's little info on that as well. You have to actually click on the publishing link beside your story to find anything out with that. It does bother me some that there is no information on the publishing experience of the people behind this format, and as of right now the epublishing option and the print publishing options are not avaliable. You can publish on the web, but it also kind of bothers me how they don't stipulate that should you choose to post most or all of your story this way, you lose your first publish rights. Though this only matters if you plan on going the regular publishing route, but if the idea is to be helpful to writers this info would help. At least those newer writers who may not know this, I know I sure didn't at first.
My Thoughts:
As a writing program, I really enjoy it. Despite the cons this is still a program worth checking out, at the very least. This year they're sponsoring NaNoWriMo and donating part of the proceeds from paid accounts to NaNo. I do like that they give you all of the program features and some of the access to the community, that for me gives me more incentive to want to buy a full account. It's a very fine line you got to walk to offer people enough of a preview to get their interest, but not so much that there's no incentive to upgrade to paid account. I feel PangurPad gives a nice even balance. Even being in beta it's pretty bug-free for the most part, and it's such a huge bonus that you can access your story anywhere you go, on any computer. For someone like me who bounces between two comps, this is fantastic for me.As a publishing platform, I'm undecided. It could show lots of promise, depending on the experience of the folks behind it. It's not the first site I've seen that claims it'll be a place for authors to expose their work to a large scale audience, and as of right now the community is all writers. If the site is promoted well, it could in fact become a good platform. Simply making a website thinking that it'll expose you/its members to the global audience is not one that's panned out so far as I've seen, and I hope PangurPad doesn't fall into that pitfall. Though new it does have potential, only time will tell how it pans out for self-published writers, and it is still in its early development. I'll be watching it.
What is it?
PangurPad is web-based writing software created by Pangur Pty, Ltd., so you don't have to download anything to your computer. Built on open source software it's a writing program designed to be sleek and clean with functional tools and an uncluttered interface. But PangurPad isn't just writing software; there is also a large community where you can find writers who share your genre and it also acts as a self-publishing platform.
How It Works?
All your writing is done in the browser. PangurPad backs up all your work on their servers as you write, so you will always have the most current version of your work everytime you log in. There is a feature that allows you to go back through all the versions that have been saved, so if there was something you wrote three days ago, deleted but decided you wanted to bring it back, it's retrievable. There is a word count feature, a timeline feature and a notes feature. The notes have their own subsections for characters, places, things and general. You can also download your work to your computer, and there is an offline mode which allows you to continue writing if for whatever reason you're unable to connect to the internet and PangurPad's servers. At the top right of the interface is a button with an eye on it, and this button hides all the features so all you have is your writing space. Pressing it again brings up all your tools.
The Basics:
It should be noted that PangurPad ONLY works in Firefox or Chrome. It does not work in Internet Explorer whatsoever, so if you're stubborn like me and still use IE as your primary browser you will have to download either of the others. I personally like Firefox. When you sign up you're given a free trial account, with space for 1 work with a 10k word limit. All the features are avaliable to you including the secure online backup. Right now, if you are a NaNoWriMo participant you can sign up and get a trial account with a 1 work, 100k word limit by proving you're a participant. All that really involves is showing them the link to your NaNo profile. The third account is the paid account. This gives you unlimited works and unlimited word count. There are many features and details about Communities, Publishing etc, but that would be pretty lengthy to go through so please visit here to see the rest. The paid account has two options: $20.00AUD yearly subscription or a once off payment of $45.00AUD.
The Pros:
So far I'm really enjoying this site and program. The backup is pretty seamless, it doesn't give my computer any hiccups or issues while saving. I like that since it is online as opposed to a downloaded program I can bounce between computers and just pick up where I left off writing. The word count feature seems quite accurate, only a hundred or so words off from Microsoft Word. The interface is very clean, and I enjoy having the option of having the tools all easily displayed or hidden as I feel the need. It has a very small learning curve, if any, so if you're taking the plunge from Word you'll have little trouble getting accustomed to the format. Anyone who uses different writing programs should have no trouble at all with this. The site itself is very clean, very easy to nagivate and appealing. No crazy animations, nothing to slow the computer down, enough graphics to make it interesting but without the overkill. Nothing puts me off more than a website that looks like it was created in five minutes in a web editor.
The Cons:
There is no FAQ, which I would have liked to see. They're sort of a prerequisite in my books. There's also next to no information on the people behind PangurPad - not that that's a con per se, but it would be nice to at least know something, what brought about the idea. There does seem to be a few bugs, I can't seem to get the word count goals to stay when I log off, but it's unclear whether they're meant to only be present during your session or permanent until they're deleted. Again, a FAQ would have helped here, the small note they give you when you first start with PangurPad is not as informative as I would have liked it to be. I can't seem to get the section break or page break to work properly so I don't use them. With regard to the publishing, there's little info on that as well. You have to actually click on the publishing link beside your story to find anything out with that. It does bother me some that there is no information on the publishing experience of the people behind this format, and as of right now the epublishing option and the print publishing options are not avaliable. You can publish on the web, but it also kind of bothers me how they don't stipulate that should you choose to post most or all of your story this way, you lose your first publish rights. Though this only matters if you plan on going the regular publishing route, but if the idea is to be helpful to writers this info would help. At least those newer writers who may not know this, I know I sure didn't at first.
My Thoughts:
As a writing program, I really enjoy it. Despite the cons this is still a program worth checking out, at the very least. This year they're sponsoring NaNoWriMo and donating part of the proceeds from paid accounts to NaNo. I do like that they give you all of the program features and some of the access to the community, that for me gives me more incentive to want to buy a full account. It's a very fine line you got to walk to offer people enough of a preview to get their interest, but not so much that there's no incentive to upgrade to paid account. I feel PangurPad gives a nice even balance. Even being in beta it's pretty bug-free for the most part, and it's such a huge bonus that you can access your story anywhere you go, on any computer. For someone like me who bounces between two comps, this is fantastic for me.As a publishing platform, I'm undecided. It could show lots of promise, depending on the experience of the folks behind it. It's not the first site I've seen that claims it'll be a place for authors to expose their work to a large scale audience, and as of right now the community is all writers. If the site is promoted well, it could in fact become a good platform. Simply making a website thinking that it'll expose you/its members to the global audience is not one that's panned out so far as I've seen, and I hope PangurPad doesn't fall into that pitfall. Though new it does have potential, only time will tell how it pans out for self-published writers, and it is still in its early development. I'll be watching it.
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