1. SuperRedPanda

    SuperRedPanda New Member

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    What do you use for writing?

    Discussion in 'Writing Software and Hardware' started by SuperRedPanda, Jul 9, 2016.

    I'm looking for some ideas for software for writing stories so thought's I'd ask what you good people use.
    At the moment I use Google Docs and while it's a good program to use, it's not quite clicking with me. Before that I used Evernote.

    So, what do you guy's use?

    I'd love to hear some recommendations :)
     
  2. Brindy

    Brindy Senior Member

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    Hi, I use MS Word, but then copy it into Evernote, so I can pick it up elsewhere, if I need to. I am considering trying Google docs based on another thread on here, but have used MS Word so long now, I'm not sure whether I will find the change works for me or not. I do use Google+, so that may help me. It's a bit like when I tried changing my blogs from Blogger to Wordpress, I couldn't get my head around it, so continued with Blogger.
     
  3. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    Word. I keep everything on a USB stick (backing up elsewhere on a daily basis) for carrying my WIP to and from work. I also email a copy to myself each evening when I finish writing, so I can pick it up anywhere with an email connection. Hasn't failed me so far.
     
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  4. ChaosReigns

    ChaosReigns Ov The Left Hand Path Contributor

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    MS Word predominantly (written 3 manuscripts thus far without it failing me)

    Like @Tenderiser I back regularly on my hard drive, though I tend to do most of my work on my laptop anyway. Google Docs is there for me if I'm doing podcast scripts, as with those I can be anywhere, (Oddly my writing is more picky about where I am than my podcast is LOL, must be my muse)

    I do also have Aeon Timeline, which i dislike due to its layout/design. (as a computer science student, nothing is worse than bad design.... it's painful) that I'm reluctantly using because I need to plot several arcs/timelines/storylines at the same time. for the series. (and as a death counter too)
     
  5. Michael Pless

    Michael Pless Senior Member

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    For specific software other than a wordprocessor, there's many threads in this sub-forum, plus Resources plus some stickies at the top of the sub-forum. yWriter, oStorybook, WriteItNow, and WriteWay Pro are all excellent. The first two are free.
     
  6. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    MS Word is what I use, but I'd use LibreOffice if they'd do away with that silly all-in-one interface... and I could be sure it would read Word's Track Changes thingie.
     
  7. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

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    MS Word. Have used it for years. For me it is simple and straightforward, easy to use, and easily compatible with most publishers.
     
  8. Earp

    Earp Contributor Contributor

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    Wordpad, mostly. The stuff I write doesn't need any fancy formatting, though.
     
  9. Michael Pless

    Michael Pless Senior Member

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    Yes, the UI in LO is in sore need of change.

    I regularly send documents back-and-forth to my eldest daughter. I use LO's record changes and she has never had an issue. There was a post here a while back that raised just that issue, and I think it was resolved in favor of compatibility. If you'd like to test it out, you could always send me a document that I could fiddle with in LO and return, and you could do the same. That way you'd know for sure. My feeling is that the compatibility would not be an issue.
     
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  10. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    You'd have to fiddle quite a bit, for the experiment to be valid. I think it's a worthwhile thing to try, but you'll need to have a document of, say, 100K words, with maybe 100 comments, 200 in-text changes, in order to accurately simulate an editor's response.

    Again, I think it's totally worth trying and want to hear the results, just... make sure it's a fair replication of the work the processor will be required to do.
     
  11. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    And wouldn't someone also have to do a painstaking side-by-side comparison between what shows up in Word and what shows up in LibreOffice Write?

    Maybe I need to add a third caveat: I need to become unlazy so I can do the above. ;)
     
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  12. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I don't know that it would have to be EXACTLY the same as the Word version - just close enough to get the meaning across.

    But I'm with you on the laziness.
     
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  13. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    LO compatibility with Word is great for most purposes. I find the commenting doesn't work well between them, however. For writing a manuscript and submitting it there is no problem.
     
  14. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    True, true. I just wouldn't want to miss out on any scathing remarks from editors. ;)

    LOL. We'll start a club!

    Oh, wait... that would be work.
     
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  15. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    I'm a big Scrivener fan. When the going gets tough in terms of voice and tone, I work with a notebook and a fountain pen. I use the blackest ink I can find - Rudyard Kipling said he wrote with the blackest of inks, and I find him inspiring. :)

    I hate Word because it's so boring to use. Scrivener is fun! I look forward to sessions with Scrivener; I dread sessions with Word.
     
  16. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    Interesting how different writers find such different ways to approach this whole thing. I use Word because it forces me to make things interesting by diving deep into the imagery of the story. I don't even see the word processor unless it lags (which pops me out of my revery).
     
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  17. Sparrow Kuhn

    Sparrow Kuhn Member

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    I use Gmail a lot of the time. I know Google Docs is a real thing that I could totally use, but instead I write emails to myself and sort them into folders on gmail. I also use MS word, because I like being able to change the page color.
     
  18. laurasiren12

    laurasiren12 Member

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    Word but if I'm on the go I'll write on my iPhone (notes) and then e-mail it back to my laptop. I've tried templates/software and they just don't work for me.
     
  19. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Used MS Word, until I had to crash my computer to save it. Currently using Kingsoft Writer (similar to Word, uses same formats/files), and it has been good to me so far. :)
     

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