So I started using Scrivener last week for a new novella I’m working on. I’ve heard from more than a few people about how awesome it is in regards to any type of literary project you’re working on from book manuscripts to film/TV scripts to even short stories. So far, I like it quite a bit. Instead of beginning the story linearly like I do when using Microsoft Word, I started on the second chapter. Yes, I live so dangerously.
If there were any gripes that I have about Scrivener, they would be its lack of an ‘Add to Dictionary’ function and the nonexistent synonyms options when one right-clicks. I use both copiously during my right, particularly the former as my stories usually contain aliens and distant planets with made-up names. So I think that I’ll stick with Microsoft for my larger projects (books and whatnot) while maybe using Scrivener for smaller stuff like novellas. Now if they decide to add the features that I feel are missing, this might be a different conversation. But to anyone else, I would wholeheartedly recommend Scrivener as it had tons of great features, many of which I have yet to utilize. And not sound like a sales rep for them or anything, but its available for both Mac OS and Windows at a ridiculously low price.
You can take a look at Scrivener’s features here.
So the big superhero movie news is that Wonder Woman will be played by Israeli actress Gal Gadot, and will appear in the Batman vs Superman flick. Yay?
Not to sound like sour grapes here, but this doesn’t fill me with confidence for a few reasons.
First and foremost, wouldn’t it make more sense for Wonder Woman to appear in, I don’t know, her own film? She’s one part of DC Comics’s Holy Trinity. As part of that triumvirate and as DC’s most prolific female superhero, she deserves more than a cameo in what’s looking like a very bloated film.
Two, by adding all these heroes to what was supposed to be a Man of Steel sequel, it is becoming alarmingly apparent that DC/Warners is taking an ill-advised shortcut in their road to the Justice League. Which means again that they have no solid long-term plan. Hate to keep harping on the Marvel comparisons, but Marvel has plans within plans. DC does not, and it will bite them in the ass. Clearly they are gun-shy after the Green Lantern debacle and instead of rethinking how they create solo releases for any hero not named Batman or Superman, they are hitching everyone onto that Man of Steel Sequel and hoping for a magical sleigh ride to box office gold. Ugh.
Third, and I could be dead wrong about this, but I’m not sure Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman material. Sure she’s pretty in an exotic way, is tall, has an action film background in the Fast & Furious franchise and spent two years in the Israeli Defense Force. However, she’s a bit too thin in a way that even bulking up in the gym could help. However, maybe she will impress the hell out of everyone. I like being proven wrong in these types of situations.
At the end of the day, I really do want DC/Warners get a kick-ass cinematic universe up in running, not even to compete with Marvel (it really stopped being a competition a while ago). I just feel that two, well-planned cinematic universes by the two titans in comics would be fantastic for fans. And by well-planned, I mean DC/Warners need s to have an actual plan instead of thinking of the dollar signs.
Below are the sci-fi short story and short film for the week!
Short Story: Here’s a wonderful short story by sci-fi master Isaac Asimov called “The Last Question.” Read it a few months back. Definitely recommended.
The Continuum: Seed
“my stories usually contain aliens and distant planets with made-up names”
That made me smile. I once named a character for a flash piece “Glycerin” — it made word nuts when I ran it through spell check. And OF COURSE Wonder Woman should be curvy. She’s an amazon after all.
:0)
Ha! Happy to entertain you Karen.
As for the Wonder Woman thing, I’m willing to be patient. Though that movie is looking more and more like a backdoor Justice League film.