A while ago I discussed alternate ways of writing blog posts without having to use the awful WordPress web interface (and the even worse replacement, Gutenberg). I mentioned a word processor called Write! which is able to publish to WordPress. But it has a major drawback – it can’t handle images. My search for the perfect blogging software continues. In Windows, a good option used to be Windows Live Writer but it is no longer supported. If you have Microsoft Word it is worth remembering that it can publish to a blog too, but as always with Word it feels…
Could a computer write?
Now that I use tools like Scrivener and Grammarly for my writing it got me thinking about A.I. In particular, could a computer ever write fiction? After all, we are beginning to see computer-generated art and music. Remember the Turing test, where a computer would be able to hold a conversation with a human without the human realising they were talking to a machine? That is already possible with a simple conversation but it isn’t yet robust enough to cope with anything the human might throw at it. Maybe it never quite will be. There are some major problems, such…
Feel The Wind
Feel the wind, set your sail Venture out to sea Go and find your holy grail Be who you’re meant to be Leave behind the madness That surrounds you in your bubble Fill your heart with gladness Evaporate each trouble Wander over hills alone Abandon all your doubt Turn off your sacred smartphone You may find something out Craig Warhurst Jan 2018
On Writing Haiku
In my younger days I wasn’t a great fan of poetry. I found it hard going, requiring more effort to understand than I was prepared to expend on it. Then I stumbled upon Haiku. I met a Japanese girl at University and she changed the way I thought about a great deal of things. I began looking in to Japanese history and culture. Two books hooked me completely. “The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon” was one. The other was “On Love and Barley: Haiku of Basho”. Basho (1644–94) is considered to be one of the masters of the genre, and…
Scrivener: Changing Backgrounds in Composition Mode
Distraction-free writing. It is something many writers crave, and a ton of apps have appeared on the scene to fill the need. But here’s the thing — it is already built in to Scrivener under the guise of Composition Mode.The problem with some of these apps is that they hang their hat on words like “minimalist” and “simplicity” when what they really mean is their app lacks features and options. Scrivener can look as distraction-free as any of those apps. What they can’t do is offer the mind-blowing content-management and compilation features of Scrivener. Composition Mode You may already know…
Ode To Existence
I stumble through time Chanting my rhyme Embracing each season For a different reason Living my life Laughing at strife I channel the flame Try not to blame I know deep inside The secrets I hide Are better off shared Though nobody cared Do what you must Repay your trust Be who you are Follow your star Enjoy the confusion Life is illusion
Is There a Write! Way to Blog?
I have been looking for alternative ways to post to my web site ever since I discovered WordPress were on the verge of introducing their new post editor, Gutenberg. Gutenberg will appeal to many, but it does not suit how I work at all. Earlier, I posted an article about this directly from my iPad, and I was really pleased with how well it worked. That is definitely an option for me now, writing in Byword on the iPad and posting directly to my site. However, I am always looking for more options and I really wanted a way to…
Blogging by iPad
As someone who has worked as a web developer, I know how time consuming creating and maintaining a web site can be. Which is why WordPress is such a godsend for bloggers. It handles so much of the fiddly, technical stuff without fuss and leaves you free to concentrate on what you want to say. There is only one thing I really don’t like about WordPress. That is the post editor. I don’t like writing in a web browser at all. I use Scrivener for most of my writing, including blog posts. When I am ready to post I copy…
Notes on a Tablet Addiction
It’s around seven years since I bought my first tablet. I didn’t really care what it could do, all I knew was I could hold a Star Trek Next Generation PADD in my hands, for real. The future had arrived! Since that momentous day I’ve had something of a love/hate relationship with these devices. I’ve lost count of how many I have had; more than a dozen I would think. Most have had their good points and their bad points. I’m still looking for the perfect one though, and they are still falling short. The first one I had was…