McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Who uses novel writing software?

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13x13:
I use Scrivener for Mac.  I like it so far, helps with outlining.  It costs around $35, but I think it is worth it.

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.html

redneckwitch18:
I used to have that "good old Word", but after a serious virus, I had to format my computer. Let's just say I got my microsoft word stuff for free and leave it at that. Now, I have to use that Open Office crap that likes to freeze up on my slightly reatarded computer so I use "ye old Legal Pad and pencil" (and my blog  :) I can't wait until I save up nough money for the new version of a different brand of something-of-the-other Office that can be converted to Microsoft Word documents whenever

Suilan:
I use the good old gray matter to keep track of plot and characters. If things get to complicated for my own brain to keep track of, they are probably to complicated for the reader too.

For notes and the manuscript, I still use the same old word processor I used for my papers back at Uni. If I had to use Microsoft Word, I'd be going nuts within a week.

Other than that, the most important thing to use is a USB stick where you keep different versions of the text and all the notes. I carry the stick in my pocket whenever I leave the house (in case it burns down while I'm away) or on my bedside table at night, in case the house burns down at night and I have to grab the stick and jump out the window. After each finished Chapter, I copy the lot onto a CD, and whenever I am visiting my parents or in-laws, I deposit the newest CD at their place in case some other unforeseen catastrophe happens at my place.

Did I mention my husband works as IT storage consultant and has been drilling me for years that anybody who loses important data has only himself to blame for?  :D

Oh, and of course a thesaurus, and -- since I am not writing in my native language -- a dictionary of collocations and a German-English dictionary. The collocations dictionary is a real book, the others online and on my computer.


P.S. Don't waste too much time on gadgets, just write the novel!

the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:

--- Quote from: redneckwitch18 on November 14, 2007, 01:38:12 AM ---I used to have that "good old Word", but after a serious virus, I had to format my computer. Let's just say I got my microsoft word stuff for free and leave it at that. Now, I have to use that Open Office crap that likes to freeze up on my slightly reatarded computer so I use "ye old Legal Pad and pencil" (and my blog  :)

--- End quote ---

*shudder*

I have to use Microsoft Word at work sometimes, and it's torture.  I type faster than I talk, and I wouldn't consider using anything other than emacs for writing novels, unless the people who made Protext for DOS were distributing a Linux version.

One of the very minor good points to having to hire a replacement for one of my programming team recently was being able to write in the ad "Resumes in plain text only; no Word documents" and then reject anyone who sent me a Word document straight away, because it meant they weren't actually reading the ad.

redneckwitch18:
I'm sort of electronically challenged, so what's so bad about Micrsoft word? I have to use it for school (double-spacing and all that jazz-when really it should be about what's in the paper not its font or paragraph format)

Why do people hate Microsoft word?  ???

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