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CluesEtc

A clue is a fact. A clue doesn’t change (doesn’t develop) but the reader’s perception of the fact (and its importance) does.

Tracking down CluesEtc with a word processor

Submitted by Theresa de Valence on Fri, 02/20/2009 - 16:04
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See Tracking down CluesEtc for a discussion of how to prepare data for use in this file.

In a new document, create this text:
CluesEtc Statement
CluesEtcStatus

Mark the Statement with a paragraph type of Heading1 or Header1. Make it bold.
Mark the CluesEtcStatus with a paragraph type of Normal or Body or Text.

Tracking down CluesEtc with a spreadsheet

Submitted by Theresa de Valence on Fri, 02/20/2009 - 14:19
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If you know how to use Excel or you can import an Excel sheet into your spreadsheet program, free downloadable sample spreadsheets are listed at the bottom of this page. You will need to create a "user log in" to see them, this is one of the many privileges of creating a log in! :) See becoming an authenticated user.

What's in a clue?

Submitted by Theresa de Valence on Fri, 02/20/2009 - 12:09
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First, we must concede that I’m probably not as good a writer as I think I am.

Yet.

Second, everybody had to learn how to write once. Recently, an author wrote she had completely rewritten her story 13 times over 9 years before it was published. Ugh.

Did the writer’s skill improve during that time? Yes.

Did the writer feel the story was better at the end? Yes.

Was this the only way for the writer’s skill to improve? No. There are less painful ways to go through the job of tightening up a story. To say nothing of accelerating the learning curve.

Tracking down CluesEtc in your manuscript

Submitted by Theresa de Valence on Fri, 02/20/2009 - 11:59
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Established authors know rules for clues, but some novels annoy readers because of authors’ mismanagement of clues. Is it intentional? Hardly. What author would screw up their manuscript on purpose? However, authors do mismanage clues often, but it can be helped.

Defining CluesEtc

Downloading Excel spreadsheets

Submitted by Theresa de Valence on Fri, 02/20/2009 - 10:54
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Refer to the discussions Tracking down CluesEtc and Tracking CluesEtc with spreadsheet for more information. Post any questions you have about downloading issues by adding a comment to this post.

Failing to wrap up all the clues

Submitted by Theresa de Valence on Tue, 02/03/2009 - 09:29
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How do you feel about an author's failing to wrap up all the clues?

Myself, I don't like it. If the book is otherwise pretty good, I think it's forgivable. If I didn't like the book much, failing to wrap up clues becomes another black mark.

Since we're talking about software written especially for writers, I'll mention that this is a correctable issue.

CluesEtc

Submitted by Theresa de Valence on Tue, 01/27/2009 - 15:21
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A clue is a fact. A clue doesn’t change (doesn’t develop) but the reader’s perception of the fact (and its importance) does.

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