Thinking of buying NewNovelist 2.0. However, it lacks a word counter and grammar checker. Anyone have any suggestions for good alternatives?
How about microsoft word? It at least has a word count, and it does grammar for that matter (kind of.) I've never looked at novel writing software, but can it really be that much different than any word program? If that program is missing something as well used as a word count what else is it going to not have?
You don't need crappy 'Novel-Writing' softwares. Don't mean to be rude, but you'll be wasting money buying softwares like that. A manuscript can be formatted perfectly in MS-Word.
writing software Good afternoon NEO ... If you log on to google or even amazon, type writing software in their seachbar and they can give you an alternative list of programs that will be more suitable to your needs.
I am married to a software addict. Most of the "novel writing" software out there that I have seen is a clumsy, cumbersome fusion of database software and word processing software. With a minimum of file management, MS Office or even Open Office could be made to do the same things.
I'd just stick with Microsoft Word. It's the industry standard, and what most publishers would prefer for electronic submissions. Once you learn to use its various features, it will be your indispansable partner. Or if you rabidly detest Microsoft, perhaps OpenOffice. I haven't used it, but it seems to be the most popular choice among the IHateBillGatesers.
Maybe we don't give a flying flip about Bill Gates either way and just like OpenOffice because it's free. By the way, with OO you can save in .doc format and no one ever knows what word processor you use.
Oops - good point, Rose. I pretty much have to have Microsoft Office anyway, for reasons that have nothing to do with my writing hobby, so that point slipped by me. But I hear so much from the anti-Microsoft croud that that aspect is burned into my brain.
This question may be a little off the topic, but: What would be the purpose or benefit or advantage to a writer who purchases and uses novel-writing software? Terry
Uhm, I use JDarkRoom simply because I can't stand the overly complicated UI of Word and Writer (from open-office). They are quite distracting for me, so I use this amazingly simple text editor (And it is always on fullscreen ). The downside is that it doesn't have a spell/grammar checker, and can only save to txt. I use it to write, and I proofread on Writer. http://www.codealchemists.com/jdarkroom/sc_1.png
That would be my basic question as well. I also wonder about these programs that are supposed to be like plot creation-engine doohikies... What is that about? How is a program going to create a plot better than the human mind?
Plots are easy, as are storylines. There aren't that many of them. But a developed story and rich, lively characters - just try to automate that!
Acglaphotis, Why not use Microsoft Word or OpenOffice and simply remove the toolbars? I tried doing it with Word and all that was left was the page and the scroll bars. I imagine OpenOffice could be manipulated in the same manner. Word count, grammar and spell check, and a host of formatting options would still be available.
I'm disappointed. I saw the subject line "Novel-writing software" and was hoping I wouldn't have to do all the work anymore. Just type in names for your characters, push a couple buttons setting the plot, story pace and target reader profile...VOILA...440 pages of finished story, already formatted for the printer! LOL! Oh well, guess some thing in life are just too good to be true....(deep sigh)
i can see bumperstickers reading: not referring to just word processing bases like ms word, or oo, natcherly...
I also like the black background, green letters, and the fact that it uses a low amount of resources. I just like simplicity .
This is off topic, but I just had a flashback to a story-writing "game" I used to play on the computer when I was little. It generated story starters, and when you were finished writing, it had awesome graphics to create illustrations with. *sigh* I actually kind of wish I still had it ...
Not to be rude, but if you actually need a computer program to teach you grammar, you should probably give up on writing. For everything else, such as proper format, that can be set up in any word processor without any trouble. Novel writing software was designed solely to trick people into buying it.
I believe that is an arrogant statement, especially to proclaim they should give up entirely. How would learning through a computer program be any different than being educated through a book? As long as it is learned correctly, the medium should not matter.
Oh, that's a bit harsh, Mythurien. If someone is willing to learn better grammar, by whatever means, there's no need to tell them to give up on writing. Still, I have no use for novel writing software other than a good word processor, unless it helps me manage revisions more effectively (retaining previous versions so I can easily revert if a set of changes turns out to be a bad idea), or helps me better organize chapters saved as separate documents into a complete manuscript. I'm not saying I need tools that do that, but I could see a possible benefit in them.
I realize that I sounded arrogant, and perhaps I could have phrased it better, but I stand by my statement: computer programs do not have grammar checking software sophisticated enough to be reliable, and if you are expecting software to correct your improperly formatted sentences every time, then you are in for a rude awakening. It takes an intuitive understanding of language to write it well. Obviously it must be learned somewhere, but there is a difference between learning from a book (or a computer program) and really knowing it, and this is what separates the lay person from the writer. I'm not saying that the original poster doesn't have this knowledge (I don't know him, and thus would never make that assumption). I am merely stating that a program won't help you write, and it certainly won't help you write better, and if you are expecting it to then you ought to reconsider your choice (assuming this is a potential career choice -- if it's just a hobby, then go nuts).
I don't fully understand the feature, but MW has something like that. Although I couldn't tell you how to use it, but I know its there.
I wouldn't invest my time, nor money, in Novel Writing Software. For me, Microsoft Word does job just fine. Aside from that the only other tools I use to write is a pen and paper. I don't see why you'd need anything else really.
