We have just updated our tutorial video on Rhyme look up in Lilac Writer. The rhyming dictionary has been completely rewritten since the original video came out. In this tutorial, we quickly cover how to use the rhyming look-up features then go into how to use the results to improve your songwriting. We cover perfect rhyme and all the forms of near rhyme. Lilac Writer has unique features for finding near rhymes and displaying the result ordered by sonic connection. This allows you to pick the level of connectedness to match the emotion and meaning of your song.

Lilac Writer automatically finds the following types of rhyme:
- Perfect Rhyme
- Family Rhyme
- Additive Rhyme
- Subtractive Rhyme
- Consonance Rhyme
- Assonance Rhyme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xE3r4AJCCI

This new YouTube video highlights several enhancements to Lilac Writer that have been rolled out in recent months:

* Simplified lyric project creation
* Selecting a default tag for your lyric list
* Two new color themes
* Resources on the Lilac Writer website

We have covered these in blog posts but sometimes it is easier to just watch the demo.

(5 minutes view time)

As the end of 2009 approaches, we would like to thank all the users who have participated in the launch and on-going testing of Lilac Writer. The Lilac community has grown from two users at the beginning of the year to the hundreds of songwriters we have now just a few months later.

We have a couple of gifts for you this holiday season. Two new features that we hope you enjoy!

First the stocking stuffer. We have added two new color themes - Juicy and Tuxedo. One is bright and colorful the other is formal. They are both easy to find on the Settings screen.

The big gift is the new Thesaurus! This is the most requested feature since the Rhyming Dictionary. The Thesaurus look up has its own link on the Sidebar. This is an essential songwriting tool and we are pleased to bring this resource right into your lyric projects!

In 2009, hundreds of songwriters have started and written 1000's of new songs using Lilac Writer. We expect 2010 to be a big year for Lilac Writer. We hope to continue to help you write more and better songs.

Happy Holidays from the Lilac Writer Team

You can now manage the To-do list categories from the settings page.

As you use the To-do feature, you will create your favorite categories, but you will likely wind up with some categories that you don't use. You might also think of a better name for a category as your system evolves.

Now, you can easily rename or delete categories directly from the Settings page. The settings page is on click away from any screen in Lilac Writer at the top right of the page (right near the Help link).



You will find the link to "Manage My To-do Categories" right there on the settings page.

From there you can just click the Trash icon to delete or click the link to rename any of the To-do Categories.

If you haven't given the To-do lists a try, take a look! Some of us use the To-do lists to organize all kinds of projects not just lyrics. If you feel to distracted to write your lyrics, open a new lyric and put all your random To-do items in the To-do list section. You can use categories to organize them like Shopping List, Calls, Today, Someday, etc. Maybe after you get all the random thoughts out of your head, you can focus on your songwriting.

We hear from users that use Lilac Writer for all kinds of projects: GTD systems, home improvements, journals, interviews, school group projects and production coordination. If you use Lilac Writer in a cool way for something other than non-songwriting, please let us know!

You can now set a default tag for your main lyric list. Lilac Writer will then automatically select the default every time you log in.

One great way to use this feature is to Tag your active songwriting projects with "Active". Set Active as your default tag. Every time you log in, only your current, active lyric projects are listed. This can be really helpful as your catalog grows.

If you are working on your next CD release, you can tag all the songs for the CD with the title and then set the title as your default. When you log into Lilac, your lyric list is focused only on your current CD songs.

To set the default tag, click Settings at the top right:



Next, click "Manage My Tags" on the settings page:



Click the tag that you want to be your default:



Finally, click "Save" and your default tag is set!

Now, your lyrics list will be automatically set to the default tag view every time you log in!

Another subtle improvement makes setting tags easier. When you click the Tags tab in a lyric project, the tag editor is immediately in edit mode. Add tags or make changes then click "Update tags".



Tags are great way to organize your song catalog. If you have found a creative way to use tags, let us know, and we will pass it along in a future article!

Happy and inspired songwriting!