Microsoft Word – The Productive Indie Fiction Writer

Is Microsoft Using Your Words to Train AI? Here’s What Writers Need to Know (and Do)

January 31, 2025 / INDIE PUBLISHING, Technology, Tools & AI / 2 minutes of reading / Leave a Comment

Let’s talk about a topic that’s been making the rounds lately: the idea that Microsoft is using your Word documents to train its AI models. Recently, concerns have been raised about Microsoft potentially collecting data from Word and Excel to enhance their AI algorithms. However, Microsoft has clarified that they do not use customer data […]

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How I Use Microsoft Publisher To Create Print Editions

March 15, 2019 / Distribution, Technology, Tools & AI / 1 minute of reading

I recently received an email from an author who picked up on a passing reference of mine, and asked me to explain how I copy and paste my Word files into Publisher to produce print editions. I’ve created a video that walks you through the basic process: Resources mentioned: Microsoft Publisher Microsoft Office Suite

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How To Formalize And Speed Up Your Plotting And Outlining, So You’re Finishing Novels At Top Speed – Part Two

November 9, 2018 / Technology, Tools & AI / 9 minutes of reading

In the last part of this post we covered the brainstorming part of plotting, where you capture everything you know, then fill in the blanks, amalgamate, then drop all that information into your favourite story structure. This post, we sort that amorphous blob of information into a well-developed story outline that will speed your writing

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How to Maximize Microsoft Word – Hacks to Write Your Novels Faster

November 2, 2018 / Technology, Tools & AI / 1 minute of reading

I’m halfway through a series on plotting that I will finish next week. In the meantime, I have spent some time trying to explain to a pair of authors who wanted to know more, exactly, how I use Microsoft Word and why I am such a fan of it (as opposed to Scrivener, et al). It

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How To Formalize And Speed Up Your Plotting And Outlining, So You’re Finishing Novels At Top Speed

October 26, 2018 / Technology, Tools & AI / 12 minutes of reading

Back in July, Rob asked me in comments: The place I currently get hung up when it comes to being more prolific is the plotting/planning stage. I can write fairly quickly and cleanly, but it takes me a while to plot out a new book, especially if it’s the first in a new series. All

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