April Dávila
Bio
In addition to being a writer April is a practicing Buddhist, half-hearted gardener, and occasional runner. Her first novel, 142 Ostriches, was published in 2020.
Learn more at http://aprildavila.com
Stories (8/0)
Tracking Your Word Count Goals in Scrivener
Setting daily word count goals is a great way to get that first draft done. It’s basic math. Write 1,000 words a day and you’ll have a totally respectable first draft in just three months. Even if you only write 500 or 200 words a day, doing it consistently will get you to your goals. And so I love Scrivener’s Word Count tracker. With just a few clicks you set writing goals that work with your writing schedule to help you meet your own specific writing goals. Here’s how it works.
By April Dávila3 years ago in Motivation
Color Coding in Scrivener
Color coding Scrivener is one of my favorite little writerly tricks. It’s just so freaking handy. How to Create Labels In the binder of your project simply right-click on any item (or selection of items) and move your mouse down the resulting menu to to “Label.” You can chose one of the existing labels, or click the bottom option there to edit and create your very own labels (for this example, I have created name labels).
By April Dávila3 years ago in Journal
How I Landed A Literary Agent in One Week
Way back when I was still working on my masters degree in writing at USC, I took a class called The Business of Writing. On one of the final days of the class an agent came to listen to our elevator pitches and gave us each a bit of feedback. He said that we were all welcome to come meet with him in his office and that he’d be happy to give more feedback, but that in all the years he had been a guest speaker for that particular class, no one had ever taken him up on the offer. That sounded like a challenge to me.
By April Dávila3 years ago in Lifehack
3 Reasons It's Okay To Stop Reading That Book
I heard an agent once, talking about how she decides whether she’s going to read a manuscript. She said that if she likes a book, she knows she will be taking it to bed with her. Therefore, any book that wants her full attention, has to convince her that it’s worth taking to bed or else she’ll just stop reading.
By April Dávila3 years ago in Geeks
A Super-Quick, Surprisingly Comprehensive Review of Basic Grammar
I created this quick grammar guide to help anyone who needs to express their ideas clearly in writing. Whether you’re a blogger, a CEO, or both, odds are you haven’t had a formal grammar lesson in a long time, and a little review can go a long way.
By April Dávila3 years ago in Lifehack
3 Famous Cocktails That Were Invented by San Francisco Bartenders
Ever since the gold rush, Northern Californians have been inventing new ways to get sauced. Steam Beer During the 19th century, lager was a popular American beer. By definition, the drink required cold fermentation, but in rugged Northern California where miners were thirsty for brew, refrigeration (and therefore cold fermentation) was a rare luxury.
By April Dávila3 years ago in Proof
How to Write Faster
Years ago, when I first started getting up early to write before work, I would be super proud of myself if I got 500 words in before the kids woke up. That took me about an hour. Not terrible. Hey, I was writing. Even 100 words a day adds up. But I now know, I can write much faster. These days, I’m writing about 2,000 words an hour. Here's how...
By April Dávila3 years ago in Journal
Seven Tips for Getting Up Early to Write (Even if You’re a Night Owl)
For many years, while I was working full time, I got up early to write before my kids woke up and things got hectic. As a die-hard night owl, adjusting to that schedule was rough. I’m not gunna lie. It took me a about eighteen months to settle in, but that was because I went about it all wrong.
By April Dávila3 years ago in Motivation
