The New WritePro® from Stein Software Corporation plus Adobe® Audition CS5.5 from Adobe Systems
By Howard Berenbon
The New WritePro® from Stein Software Corporation
You say you want to be a fiction writer and you have an idea for that great American novel that will make you famous. So, you get your creative thoughts in order put them down in an outline and then start writing, but it just isn’t going the way you want. Your story and characters are just not developing, and you’re stuck in the abyss of writer’s block. But, don’t despair because The New WritePro, from Stein Software Company, can help you get that book going, and in the right format that will sell.
A Little History
In 1989, Sol Stein, a well known editor and publisher, who mentored several outstanding writers (including James Baldwin, David Frost, Jack Higgins, and more), created WritePro®, a step-by-step course for creating and enhancing writing. In 1993, Stein was honored with the Distinguished Instructor Award from the University of California, Irvine, for his courses on dialogue and advanced fiction writing.
The New WritePro® is divided into 3 sections: lessons one through four, lessons five through seven and lessons eight through ten. It’s software that guides you step-by-step for creating interesting characters, suspenseful plots, and memorable dialogue, just what the doctor ordered to help get your creative writing work published.
Installation
I installed my copy of The New WritePro® from software I downloaded (also available on CD, in a retail box). After a slight glitch, with an onscreen error that told me I was missing Java, I headed to the WritePro Website (http://www.writepro.com/) for the fix. Then after a quick download of “Java runtime” the program started to whirl, and I was looking at the main menu, with the Start screen in the center. There you can “Resume current work, “Open previously saved work” or “Start from scratch.” You’ll want click Start from scratch to begin. Now enter your file name, and the location in the space below. Since, your documents files should be listed in the Location, you just click on Start to begin.
The first screen you’ll see is THE GUIDELINES with important information for beginners, and helpful for professionals too. Guidelines can be broken, but not before you have some experiences under your belt. Here are two very important guides, or rules for writing. 1. Somebody has to want something badly. 2. That somebody should be your leading character. Once that’s determined, you start by entering the name of your leading character (protagonist), gender and age. Then you’re asked to enter the character’s description: wants, etc. On the next page your description is displayed with questions. You then have the opportunity to revise the information, or you can just leave as is. This technique is forcing some in depth thinking about this character. Next, you need to enter the name of your villian (antagonist), the person that causes conflict in your story. Again, it displays what you've entered promting you to revise your entry with more details, if you'd like.
So, just after 15 or 20 pages into Lesson 1: Introduction to Characterization, Sol Stein has you building characters who your readers will care about, and advises that it's more important to build your characters first, and then work on your plot later.
I won’t be going any further, but as you can see there’s a definite structure in mind and by the end of this first set of lessons, you’ll be on your way to a well structured cast of characters (good, evil and in betwee) with a story under construction that everyone will want to read.
Lessons One through Four
Quickly learn the professional way of making conflict dramatic and add visual tension. Learn how to create suspense that holds the reader’s attention, page after page, with characters who seem fully alive. Also learn how professionals produce action you can see, dialogue you can hear, all directly related to the story you're writing, using self-editing techniques that work.
Lessons Five through Seven
Learn to create provocative dialogue quickly, like the basis of dramatic actions and creating relationships that provoke suspense. You'll also learn to write attainable love scenes that are erotic but not offensive.
Lessons Eight through Ten
Learn the most effective way of outlining your novel, play, or screenplay, and see how advanced characterization can make readers fall in love with your characters. You’ll also find some proven ways to evoke strong emotions from the reader and techniques for holding the reader's attention right to the last page. As you work, you'll have easy access to 189 guidelines that have helped professional writers succeed. And the program will save you months of work with their newest time-saving method of revision.
The New WritePro® with all ten lessons sells for just $399.85, or you can buy just the first four lessons for $149.95. Runs on Windows 7, XP, Mac OS 9.1 or later, OS X and Unix computers with Java runtime installed. If you’re dissatisfied with their tutorial, you have 30 days to request a refund. Visit http://www.writepro.com/ for the details and to order.
Adobe® Audition CS5.5 from Adobe Systems
Adobe® Audition CS5.5 is a must have production tool to help enhance your video and audio projects for the best possible sound. Audition helps you efficiently handle recording, mixing and sound restoration, and it’s faster than ever. And, if you own Adobe Premiere Pro, it easily interfaces.
Audition will help clear those unwanted hums, clicks, pops, and other noises that many be present in your projects (like pops and static from old vinyl records, or unexpected blips in digital clips). Effects include a DeHummer, DeEsser, Speech Volume Leveler and Surround Reverb. And the new Resource Central Panel gets you access to thousands of royalty-free sound effects, loops, music and sound beds you can drag and drop into your projects. If you need a quick course on what you can do with Audition, then check out Adobe’s Audition pro, Scott Fegette (originally with Macromedia) at http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/dialogbox/rookie_video/. His article called “Tips for rookie video producers” will get you going.
What’s New in Audition CS5.5
Native Mac OS support
Record, mix, edit, and master your audio with a powerful cross-platform audio toolset: Adobe Audition CS5.5 runs natively on Mac OS X v10.5 and v10.6 as well as Windows®.
New high-performance audio engine
Experience greater speed throughout the audio production process with the new audio engine in Adobe Audition CS5.5, whether opening and saving files, processing multicore effects, or simultaneously editing multiple sessions.
Roundtrip editing with Adobe Premiere Pro
Easily sweeten audio for video. Pass individual clips and multitrack mixes from Adobe Premiere® Pro CS5.5 software to Adobe Audition for editing, or send Adobe Premiere Pro sequences with a reference video to Adobe Audition for complete soundtrack creation.
Project exchange with third-party NLEs and DAWs
Easily move sessions between Adobe Audition and Avid Pro Tools using built-in OMF import and export functions in Adobe Audition. Share files with other video NLEs via XML interchange.
Native 5.1 multichannel support
Edit multichannel files and mix your projects in 5.1 surround. Adobe Audition CS5.5 includes a Surround Panner in the Mixer View, as well as a new Surround Reverb effect and Amplify, a multichannel gain processor.
Effects workflow enhancements
Edit and play audio while adjusting settings for multiple effects simultaneously in the new modeless effects racks. Experiment with different effect settings while making selections or edits in the Waveform Editor.
Royalty-free content in Resource Central
Use the new Resource Central panel in Adobe Audition to access thousands of royalty-free sound effects, loops, and music beds that you can drag and drop directly into your creative projects.
Native audio effects
Improve performance with native support for audio effects. Effects added in Adobe Audition CS5.5 include a DeHummer, DeEsser, Speech Volume Leveler, and Surround Reverb for working with 5.1 surround projects.
Simplified XMP metadata panel
View and edit XMP metadata using a simplified interface. Support for XMP metadata includes the Broadcast WAV (BWF) schema, enabling automated workflows within Adobe Creative Suite® Production Premium software and other radio and TV production systems.
Auto-saved XML session files
Save your sessions in the robust, flexible, and nondestructive XML format. Undo unwanted changes with the new History panel. Import Adobe Audition 3 sessions and then save them as XML.
History panel
Edit, arrange, and mix with confidence, knowing that you can easily revert to previous states using the new History panel.
Adobe® Audition CS5.5 is available on its own for $350, or you’ll find it bundled with Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.5 Production Premium and Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.5 Master Collection. For more information, or to order, visit Amazon.com.
Software Companies Mentioned
Adobe Systems Incorporated
345 Park Ave
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
URL: www.adobe.com
Phone: 800-833-6687
Stein Software Corporation
277E South Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
URL www.writepro.com
Phone: 914-631-5877
E-mail: sales@writepro.com
