The Opposite Approach
TTS update on Reader, An ePub Workflow, Favorite Clipboard Manager, Dehancer Update, Chat GPT Apps, Dealing with Writer’s Block and Writing Classes
Hey there, guys! Hope you had a great week! Let’s look at some stuff I found interesting in mine. Hope you’ll find some of this useful.
On Readwise’s Reader
This past week Reader got an exciting update on their TTS (text-to-speech functionality). It now works in different languages and it also works on ePUBs and forwarded email content! This was one of the best news of the week for me. It basically allowed made me to double down on the content I consume.
A few days ago I read someone’s workflow for reading ePUBs. It involved splitting an eBook into chapters and then bringing those into Reader, giving all of them a tag with the name of the book, and making a view of the non-archived chapters to keep track of the progress. The idea with this is that it’s less daunting to go chapter by chapter instead of seeing it all at once, and Ghostreader also works better with shorter texts. While this is something that I haven’t done yet, it’s an idea that I hope to try in the following days. Just thought I’d mention it for anyone interested. You can split your ePubs using Calibre and THIS plugin.
On Apps
Do you have a favorite clipboard manager? I use Pastepal. A lot of clipboard managers focus only on the functionality of having a history of text that is copied and pasted around your system. This, of course, may be the most common use-case scenario but I was always frustrated when I wanted to find the history of files I had copied/pasted as well. Well, Pastepal just had an update this week that makes the clipboard history for files work as expected and as such I have to recommend this app to you. It really is the best clipboard manager I’ve ever tried, it syncs between MacOS and iOS. On iOS it has its own keyboard, it also has Shortcuts integration, and on top of everything is a one-time-only payment. Can’t say enough good things about it.
Dehancer for iOS, my favorite color editing app iOS got a recent update and now offers a one-time payment option. At $399 it is not cheap and it may be one of the highest prices I’ve seen in the App Store in a while, but being about the same price as their Desktop apps and offering about the same functionality (with more flexibility and convenience) it kind-of makes sense. At least I am glad the option is there aside from a subscription. They also fixed a color management issue I had previously mentioned in my review.
Chat GPT finally released their official iOS app! I am still using ChatAI because I find it easier to use Chat GPT with my API and with some templates I’ve created, but the official app has the advantage of syncing between devices (just as the WebApp), and it’s totally free, so it’s also a great option.
One of my favorite developers released another free utility that may be useful to some of you, especially if you come from Windows: Command X. Cut and paste files in a simpler way.
On Learning
I continue to take some online classes that I find useful for fiction writing, so a lot of the content I consumed this past week was related to that. A few things stood out:
This Skillshare class on writing a first draft was really good! Short (18 m.) and to the point. My biggest takeaway has to do with showing vs telling. Seth Fried gives a very practical advice here. How to show, not tell? Increase level of specificity, use verbs and nouns instead of adverbs and adjectives. “Showing” is good for when you want the reader to experience the information emotionally. “Telling” is good for when you want the reader to understand the information, but not necessarily experience it.
If you know Spanish, this Skillshare class on writing fiction from a ‘first person’ perspective was also very good. There are so many takeaways on this one that I won’t be listing them here, but overall I found it VERY good for learning more about this technique as a form of connecting at a personal level with the reader.
I watched this video and its second part on how to deal with writer’s block. There’s some very good tips there but one of my favorites that I’ve been trying out not only while writing but in any creative field is experimenting with the opposite approach.
On Cinema
Zero Fucks Given (2022) . I know it’s quite the title, but regardless of it I really liked it. As someone who knows next to nothing about the lifestyle of flight attendants, it offered me a captivating glimpse into their world, presented from a deeply personal perspective. If you’re a fan of slow-burning atmospheric films, this one’s definitely worth a watch. Synopsis: Cassandre, 26, is a flight attendant for a low-cost airline. Based in Lanzarote, she’s always willing to take on extra hours and carries out her duties with robotic efficiency. On the side, she just goes with the flow and floats between Tinder, parties and lazy days. When she suddenly gets dismissed, she is forced to return home.
Tempestad (2017). I usually prefer observational documentaries over interview-style ones, but this one merged both styles beautifully. Incredible imagery accompanying a very dark and unfortunate story. A woman is recruited to a prison controlled by organized crime while another woman searches for her missing daughter. Through images that submerges us in a journey from north to south Mexico, both testimonies collide and take us to the center of a storm: a country where violence has taken control of our lives, our desires and our dreams.
The Five Devils (2022). Same director as AVA. Synopsis: Vicky lives with her mother Joanne and father Jimmie, a man struggling to find his place. When Vicky’s aunt Julia arrives after being released from prison, her presence brings back the past in a violent, magical way.
Edward Scissorhands (1990) I watched this film again after about two decades and I enjoyed it much more this time around. I could definitely appreciate Burton’s imagination and humor much more now. Synopsis: A small suburban town receives a visit from a castaway unfinished science experiment named Edward.
If you liked this you may also enjoy some content I have up on my YT Channel! I don’t hang around social media a lot, but when I do I’m on IG or Twitter. You can also check out some of my online classes, listen to my music, or in case you haven’t already, subscribe to my weekly newsletter. Thank you for reading!