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  1. jlady

    jlady New Member

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    Do you use writing app/software?

    Discussion in 'Writing Software and Hardware' started by jlady, Nov 13, 2017.

    Curious if there is any writing apps/software out there that could help organize?

    It would be great if there is a writing app/software that works on and syncs with desktop/cellphone/android tablet?
     
  2. graveleye

    graveleye Senior Member

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    For what it's worth, I use Scrivener. I back up my work to Dropbox, so I can then work with it on my iPad.
    Since my main computer is a PC, I had to buy another copy for my iPad, since there is a separate program for Mac or PC products.
    Worth it though. I can carry my work around with me.

    Honestly, though, Scrivener is pretty complicated and I haven't even scratched the surface yet.
     
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  3. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Scrivener on Mac/iPhone/iPad.

    Learn from my just-escaped-big-data-loss experience that sync isn't backup if you sync the badness! So do lots of regular backups. (There's a setting for the maximum number of automated backups, and by default it's disturbingly small.)
     
  4. archer88i

    archer88i Banned Contributor

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    My workflow involves the following:
    Git and Github provide me with backup and sync, along with mitigation for @ChickenFreak's point that "sync isn't backup if you sync the badness." :)
     
  5. Coffee Vampire

    Coffee Vampire New Member

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    Hey!

    I'm another one that swears by Scrivener as my main software for editing. As Graveleye pointed out, it is quite complicated as there are sooo many functions. On the plus side, there's loads of FAQ's on the Scrivener site and they also have a youtube channel that goes through some of the functions - they're also really good at responding to you on Twitter (not sure about the Facebook side as I'm not on that.)

    I also use Evernote when I'm just doing the first draft as you can work on one device and it'll immediately be on anything else.
    Slightly different, though still synchs across devices is Tablo which you can write and edit on, though it's set up a bit more like a social media for writers who can share their work online.

    Hope any of that helps you out =^.^=
     
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  6. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    The advantage is that you can totally ignore almost all of them--they're not painfully tangled together. I'm discovering new features as I actually need them--you don't need to absorb all that functionality at once.
     
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  7. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    That's what I do, though I back it up on my Pages app, which is connected to my iCloud account.
     
  8. jlady

    jlady New Member

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    Can you talk into Scrivener, that would be ideal. I know there is Dragon speaking naturally where you can talk into it and it writes it out.
     
  9. archer88i

    archer88i Banned Contributor

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    macOS has its own build-in dictation features. Have you tried those?
     
  10. jlady

    jlady New Member

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    I don't have a mac.
     
  11. archer88i

    archer88i Banned Contributor

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    Oh! For some reason I thought that was mac software. My mistake.

    Oddly enough, I know more about Windows. :)

    Windows also supports dictation like that. According to this, the quick shortcut for it is Windows + H on the keyboard, but I'm using a mac at work and can't test that.
     
  12. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    I...don’t think you can, no. :[ Sorry.
     
  13. Martin Beerbom

    Martin Beerbom Senior Member

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    The way dictation works on a Mac, you can talk into Scrivener (both with the – less reliable – OS version, and with the better 3rd party Dragon). I played once with a trial version of Dragon, and it works system-wide on a Mac. But I don't need it.

    On Windows, it is a lot more complicated, I am told. You would have to ask on Literature&Latte's (Scrivener's makers) forums, or their (very nice) support.

    ETA: I just glanced over at their forums, and the first impression is, in general, Yes, it works, but it is not awfully nice. On Windows, it is said to be leaving a lot to be desired. I have no idea if, or how much, it works better on a Mac.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2017
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  14. Shenanigator

    Shenanigator Has the Vocabulary of a Well-Educated Sailor. Contributor

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    I use a combo of Word and Evernote...no dedicated writing programs. There are people who love Scrivener, but after a lot of investigating, most of them are using features I'm not interested in. For me it would just function a lot like the most current version of Word, which I already had, so it would be silly for me to pay for another program. Everybody's process is different, though.

    Most of my notes are either screen shots from websites (which are perfect for Evernote) or are pen and paper, so I don't need an extensive built-in system for project management. So it depends on what you need to organize. If notes, Evernote has tons of features. If writing, Scriv might be more what you need.

    I also have Word on my phone and do a lot of minor edits on the fly as I'm reading what I did the day before on my phone.

    ETA: The hilarious thing is, I was convinced I needed and would love Scrivener until I took an online Scrivener class / webinar. As we were going through the tutorial, for me it was more like, "Don't need that, next! Don't need that, next!..." :)
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2017
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  15. InsaneXade

    InsaneXade Active Member

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    I love Scrivener. I can write my way, not the word processor's way. If I want to go chapter by chapter or scene by scene I can have separate documents within the same program. If I need to split the screen to examine either a previous scene or check out a character sheet I can. It supports tables for organizing scene/character sheets, a little awkwardly but I've grown used to it. I can also put my research in it if I so desire, which I haven't done yet because I use two monitors.

    Best of all it is on my iPad, which I bought exclusively for Scrivener. The iOS version is so awesome I can't see straight. I love the extra customizable, popup keyboard row. I barely scratched the surface of all it can do and all I use but I think back on the time before Scrivner and wonder what I ever did without it. If you look around the net you can find a coupon that will take $6 or so off the price. To me, Scrivner is worth every penny I paid for both windows and iOS.

    BTW I use dropbox to sync my work. Any major changes I make a new Scrivner project for.
     
  16. O.M. Hillside

    O.M. Hillside Senior Member

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    Depends what I'm writing. For prose, I use google docs. Nothing special, but that does allow you to edit your work anywhere with any device. For script writing, I use celtx.
     
  17. Anthrax Fartwhistle

    Anthrax Fartwhistle New Member

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    Dragon can function in most windows where you can type, word, email prog, open office, forms in browser, you could try starting Dragon then Scrivener and trying it.
    Failing that, if you're thinking of dictating large chunks, do it your normal word processor and copy and paste into scrivener.
    A relative of mine is a writer and has poor eyesight, he uses Dragon a lot and I've been quite surprised how versatile it can be, should be worth playing with.

    **Edit.
    Older versions of Dragon are pretty cheap, anything from version 11 and up will produce very good quality results.
     

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