Tag: writing

Pacemaker’s new look!

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We’re excited to roll out Pacemaker‘s new look!

Now the features you use most often are just a click away! Our new collapsible left navigation bar is stacked with bite-sized bits of information so that at a glance, you get a snapshot of your commitments, and easy access to other settings.

Here are some features we hope you’ll find particularly helpful:

  • the day’s date and to-do list so that you know what your day is looking like

  • direct links to your calendar view, full plan list and latest progress for a wider angle view

  • access to all the Challenges you’re hosting or participating in, by simply clicking the ‘Group Challenges’ link

  • account settings so that you can quickly see your user information, and set your preferences for application across the site.

We’ve even made the nav bar collapsible which makes the site a lot less visually overwhelming, so that you see more of what you want when you want it, and less of what you don’t want when you don’t!

Adding the day’s Progress has never been easier than it is now. Simply select your plan in the left nav and click ‘Add Progress’ when it loads. That’s right- no more need to click through 3 or 4 links to get there!

The Team has worked really hard on putting this together based on your feedback, and delivery of this product is part of our commitment to continuing to build a Pacemaker experience for you that you would be proud to use and share with others.

So, if you haven’t already, log in today to play around with it. As always, your feedback drives development and innovation on Pacemaker, so let us know if you have any recommendations for further improvements!

Stay safe out there everyone!

Last chance to buy- Let’s Unpack the Stack!

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With only hours left to get your hands on the Writer’s Craft Super Stack– a collection of over 50 writing resources to help you improve your writing- we wanted to highlight a few items which we think Pacemaker users might find interesting, especially those who are writing with publishing in mind!

Remember, the Stack is worth over $4000, but today is the last day to snag it for just $49! There’s also a 60-day, no questions asked, money-back guarantee. That means you can get instant access to everything in this bundle today, and take the next 60-days to decide if it’s the right fit for you.

Let’s dive in!

Screenwriting Secrets of Netflix from Daniel Calvisi ($99.00 Value)

Thanks to Netflix, binge-watching is the only way to watch TV shows. But how do you create a story that’ll keep readers hooked for the next episode? You learn from a story analyst like Daniel Calvisi who’ll take you behind-the-scenes of Netflix’s most popular series.

Explore how Netflix writers structure stories to keep watchers hitting ‘play’. Learn their world-building model to create locations from scratch and fill them with superstar characters. This amazing webinar will teach you so much about storytelling whether you’re a novelist or a screenwriter.

50% off a Professional Manuscript Review of Your Fiction or Creative Nonfiction ($500.00 value)

How do you know if your book is any good? Sure, you could show your mom and co-workers, but will they give you the feedback you need? No, stick to the professionals, like Andi Cumbo-Floyd. With this discount coupon, you’ll get an in-depth analysis of what’s working – and what isn’t – in your book.

You’ll learn so much about structure, pacing, plotting and characterization from this review. You’ll also get a 1:1 hour-long call with Andi, and unlimited access by email for a whole month.

50% Off Your Next Professionally Designed Cover by Matt Stone ($100.00 value)

Ignore that old saying, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. We all do and your cover can make all the difference to the success of your book. Why not give your book the outstanding cover it deserves for a price you can afford? This discount will get you a completely custom design that stands out from the crowd.

And if you feel like finishing your first book is months away, don’t fret. There’s no expiration on the discount. So you can use it when you need to.

REMEMBER, the Stack includes:

  • 19 Exceptional E-courses and Masterclasses ($2,170.00 value): These courses will teach you everything you need to finish your first novel, develop memorable characters in just seven steps, or create your first picture books.
  • 19 Bestselling Ebooks ($272.73 value): Learn how to use conflict to write a pageturner, master the art of productivity for writers, and jumpstart a stuck novel in just 10 days!
  • 8 Premium Software Resources ($469.94 value): Make technology work for you. These software tools will help you keep track of tricky plot details, devise flexible story outlines, and even land book reviews.
  • 3 Must-Have Publishing Discounts ($800.00 value): Get feedback from a professional editor on your manuscript, enjoy professional ebook formatting, and treat your book to the gorgeous cover it deserves!
  • And tons more!
Learn More!

Halfway through NaNoWriMo… it’s not too late to start!

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So it’s November 16, we’ve officially crossed over the halfway mark in NaNoWriMo 2019. Maybe you didn’t feel you were sufficiently prepared for NaNo when it started, or life happened and you had to put your writing on hold, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start now and still hit 50k by November 30th!

Let’s make a deal, if you can find the time, Pacemaker can show you how!

Here, I’ll prove it to you. Here are (just) 5 ways Pacemaker can get you there (fun fact: there are millions of ways to do it… we’ve done the math).

An Oscillating Plan skipping weekends?

How about Biting the Bullet with more on weekends?

Perhaps a Mountain Hike skipping weekends is more your speed?

Or let’s Mountain Hike with more on the weekends!

And who can resist a soft undulating wave?

We know that actually finding/taking/making the time to write is infinitely more challenging than plotting out a way to get there, but what Pacemaker always strives to do is to show you what’s possible, and then encourage you to make it happen!

If you like any one of the plans above, feel free to save it to your account and use it! Let’s take the second half of NaNoWriMo 2019 by storm!

Tis the Season- NaNoWriMo 2019!

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NaNoWriMo is the highlight of the year for us at Pacemaker! It’s like Pacemaker Christmas! The mood changes, we hear from users we haven’t heard from in a while, we meet new people and exchange kind words and even exchange gifts- you give us the gift of amazing feature requests, and we give you the gift of new features!

We even have our own version of ‘Christmas Decorating’. We spruce up the site, exterminate some pesky old bugs, and deck Pacemaker’s halls with exciting new features!

This NaNo season’s decorating includes a few new ways to help you feel encouraged and productive. We hope you’ll get a burst of happiness and an explosion of joy when you see what we’ve done with the place… I could tell you more but why tell you when I can show you? Just head over to the site, dust off an old plan or create a new one, and update your progress! This is just a small taste of what’s to come over our next few updates, so definitely stay tuned!

Happy NaNoWriMo 2019!

Through the Looking Glass- We Are Outsiders

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My sister and I have been working on Pacemaker for over 4 years now. What started as a very basic way to manage a Masters thesis word count has become so much more!  Over the years, diverse groups of people have discovered the tool and, through their feedback and support, Pacemaker has metamorphosed into what it is today! We’re seeing authors, translators, students, professors, hobbyists, to name a few, using the Pacemaker tool to track everything from their software coding, Duolingo lessons and school assignments, to NaNoWriMo novels, comic strips and even prayers!

However, as much as we fashioned Pacemaker from our own academic experiences, we recognize that we are outsiders to the literary professional world. We couldn’t tell you how to publish a book or how to edit a magazine article. Learning a new language? We’re no experts! We couldn’t even tell you the best way to get from point A to point B in your process. What we can do though, is show you a couple googol ways to get there!

Sometimes it feels very much like peering through the looking glass, and stepping into a fantastical world of creativity that we would never have access to on our own. Lucky for us, the natives in this world have been exceptionally friendly, and have guided us through the creative terrain to help us create a tool which is both proactive and reactive! And we see tangible possibilities for other developments on the horizon- fitness tracking, money tracking etc. We are so grateful that: Pacemaker is being molded by YOUR experience and desires. Click To Tweet

That doesn’t mean we come to the looking glass empty-handed though! Outside perspectives can be healthy, and help shine some light on certain things to which familiarity may have blinded insiders. So don’t worry, we’ll never journey with you empty-handed. We’ll strive to bring the following to the looking glass with us every time:

  • Fresh Eyes – connections with other issues, fields and domains. Together, we have backgrounds in international law, software development, public administration, communications, international relations and more.
  • Willingness to listen – we know we aren’t experts in your craft. We listen carefully and then ask “What if?” and “Why not?”. We don’t know what’s a stupid question yet 🙂 so we’ll ask it anyway.
  • Willingness to spend hours understanding everything you may take for granted in your industry – sprints, timers, publicizing your book, the importance of NaNoWriMo and camp NaNoWriMo, the translation industry, the life of a freelance literary professional etc. These are all new and fascinating to us, and we’re eager to learn more!
  • Critique! – This may make some folks uncomfortable but we hate waste, and when we see it, we’ll call it out nicely 🙂 but we will listen to learn when we are way off.

Thank you for being our looking glass guides over these years! We hope that at the end of each foray, you can say you’ve helped us help you!

Remember, User suggestions drive Pacemaker updates! So, if you see something you'd like added, say something! Click To Tweet If it’s feasible to do so, we’ll implement it right away, other suggestions take more time, and others need a bit more refining before we can commit. But we take every suggestion seriously! E-mail us, get in touch on Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr (we try as much as possible to be where you are on the internet), or contact us directly using any of the options on our Contact bar at the bottom of each Pacemaker page.