Did you know that, apparently, simply using Microsoft Word to write you novel is right up there next to worshiping the devil? ...what almighty self-elevated god handed down that edict?... And so I am curious, what is your favorite writing and/or organizational software? Mine is Scrivener, though I may or many not have obtained it in a slightly less than legal fashion . . . ...for all but screenwriting, mine is nothing but my 'little grey cells' abetted by ms word, to make my words last forever... ...i use 'final draft' [the lingua franca of the movie biz] for formatting scripts... ...btw, what the bleep happened to the quote icon in the options bar?... am i going crazy, or is it really missing?... if so, anyone know why?
I've only just started using Scrivener and it's taken some time to understand it (setting up the three panes was a 'pane' in the ass, if I'm honest). I also use Pages on the iPad but for first drafts I will almost always use Word (which I agree with most, is just fine for writing books - why wouldn't it be; it's a frickin word processor, isn't it?) and Evernote for research, which works just brilliantly anyway!
It's simply moved and is part of a larger subset of options now available with the update that took place last night. It's in the icon to the right of the little filmstrips icon:
I'm making the switch to Scrivener, but it's written for Mac and it shows in some of the frustratingly stupid interface decisions. Like: Why can't I hit the delete key to delete a file? I'm a big boy, and if I make a mistake there's always crtl+z. Except there isn't. Fucking Scrivener.
I use Scrivener. Work through the tutorial - it helps. After Scrivener, I'm never touching Word again. Sure, people who've never used Scrivener say Word does everything they need, and it does, but it's a pain in the ass to use. Scrivener keeps all my scenes, chapters, notes, research, etc. all in one project file and handles its own backups transparently. Bliss, for me! And I can type on screen in any format I want, and when Scrivener compiles my stuff to a manuscript for submission, it does all the Shunn-style formatting automatically and very quickly. More bliss! And Scrivener has a ton of other cool features, but it doesn't force you to use them. You can use it any way you like. I love Scrivener. It's the writing software I'd have written myself, if I'd bothered.
Has anyone tried Storybook? I got it a week ago and it's really useful. You can create different pages and folders in the same document. It also lets you create strands for each plotline, with their multiple scenes. Each of those scenes in a defined location with the characters you choose. And, of course, you can add, modify or rearrange any of this whenever you like, and one thing I really liked is that it lets you convert scenes into chapters. It really helps you to visualice the story a little better, at least for me it surely does. And, most important, it's free!
Libre Office and Zim Desktop Wiki. My research documents are usually huge, including videos, tons of images, all sorts of document formats, maps, and copies of entire html pages, so I doubt that I would want them lumped in a single file.
I've been having trouble finding a copy of Microsoft Word and am disappointed that it didn't come pre-installed on my Windows 8 laptop. However, I've been using Kingsoft Word. Although it's a bit shoddy and glitchy at times, it provides ease of use and has a word and page count at the bottom left hand corner of the window, so I can't really complain. Well, except that the margins and stuff with certain templates don't show up correctly. Argh.
I haven't used much writing software, but two I have used are ywriter and focus. I came across ywriter about 5 years ago, and it's improved a lot since then. It allows you to make notes on scenes and characters which makes keeping track of things really easy. Focus writer is as simple as it gets. It's a blank screen with words on, nothing else, no distractions. I use this the most, I set the background as black and the text as green - seems to work well. One great feature of Focus is you can set a daily word count target.
I've only ever used Word but Scrivener has intrigued me. I think I'll be doing Camp NaNoWriM0 and they're offering 50% off its price to those who complete their word goal and 20% off for all participants...I might pick it up then and give it a go. ETA - I have Evernote on my tablet as well but that's more for quick notes and brainstorming.
I might have missed it, but is there a writing technology sub-forum here, something where Scrivener newbies or other alternative writing software stalwarts can give advice or get it? I know we've got a forum on the mechanics of writing, but it would be helpful to have something about how to get the best out of the software we need to get the words down. You could probably incorporate self-publishing software too if you wanted. Just a thought?
The other day I got a program called Write or Die. You set a time limit and words limit, and a few options. I set mine to consequence mode so every 5-10 seconds that I don't type the screen goes red, horrible noises and pictures come out of it. Then there's also kamikaze mode. When you stop typing for about the same period it starts deleting words! And you can set it so you can't backspace, delete, or use the arrow keys, so you just type and no revision. I also use Cold Turkey. This allows me to set a specific time block each day (mine's 10-10.30) where the program will block any applications and websites you choose. In terms of writing programs I am on the lookout for one. Something that can do stuff like timelines, where if you type a character's name it automatically links to that persons timeline or character card.
@Magnatolia that sounds perfectly sadistic As far as software goes, I have a Scrivener installation (cracked, of course ) somewhere, but I never got into it... Might give it a try sometime ... till then, I'm using MSWord, with an occasional Notepad (.txt) - yes, the lityle blue notepad nobody ever clicks anymore the beauty of .txt is that it's simple text - no page marks, no formatting of any kind, just plain Courier New
@Magnatolia - I remember Write or Die from a few years ago, when I was just a little fledgling writer. But what you said shows that there have been some changes since I last used it, namely being able to not use backspace or the arrow keys, and the cold turkey is new, too. I'll have to check it out again, thanks.
MSWord. It's easy, has everything you would need to format an entire book (including cover, footnotes, hyperlinks, for the Kindle, etc..), it's fast and reliable. When you upload to Kindle or Amazon, they want it in any .docx format so...
@Thomas Kitchen Sorry Cold Turkey is a different tool. So it's beneficial for more than just writing. I also use Rescue Time, another tool but it's not for writing. It shows you how you spend your computer time, every site and application is assigned a category and productive rate. You can edit every page and application to customize whether its productive or not. I plan to take note of any applications that distract me and add these to the Cold Turkey tool. @JetBlackGT I thought Kindle converted .docx formats to their format (.mobi?). Pretty sure there's formatting problems with some MS Word features such as bullet points, although that's more an issue in non-fiction.
since the quote and strike-through are needed much more often than list and indent options, can you please switch the rarely used icons [e.g. listing and indent choices] to the drop-down and put the oft-used icons back in the tool bar?
When writing fiction my favourite program is definitely Scrivener. While I have not yet really needed most of its functions I am so deeply in love with the full screen function. With the click on a button everything is shut out, leaving only me and the text. Perfect. Scrivener also supports a lot of features found in e.g. Word, like text formats, lists, indents, comments, highlighting, etc. May I ask where the multi-quote option has gone? Pressing "reply" and then having to scroll back up to find the next post to quote is not ideal, especially if you intend to quote 3+ posts. It was so much easier when I could just press "Quote" on all posts and then "Load Quotes" in the reply window.
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Old version of Pages for Mac is all I need. The new version is horrific, it removed the essential outline function so it's useless for a writer, but I have the install disc for the old version, and even though I tried Scrivener, it didn't offer anything I don't already have.
Unfortunately, I could only Like this once. As writers, we should all be actively respectful of intellectual property.
