# Writing Software



## chall (Aug 3, 2012)

Hey guy's, does anyone use writing software? I've heard of something called story book? Anyone heard of it? It looks kinda cool yet, confusing? Any tips on recommended software would be really appreciated!! Thanks!


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## shadowwalker (Aug 3, 2012)

I use a basic word processing software - slightly above an electric typewriter. It does the work very well, even though I end up doing most of it.


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## Potty (Aug 3, 2012)

I use open office as my main word processor... free and just as good as word, if not better. Then I also use a prog called ywriter, which lets you break up your chapters and scenes... its a good way of keeping track of your story, laying it out and being able to easily go back to previous sections without having to open lots of files to find the bit you need.


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## Bloggsworth (Aug 3, 2012)

The joy of being a poet - Microsoft's WordPad (found in All Programs>Accessories) is quite adequate, though I do in fact use Word. I have tried both OpenOffice and AbiWord and found them both slow to load and inadequate as far as screen presentation goes, Word on screen is so much crisper.


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## garza (Aug 3, 2012)

All due respect, but the word processor in Open Office has not yet caught up with Word 98, and is light years behind Word 2007 or 2010. I check Open Office every couple of months to see if there is any progress, and I don't see any substantive improvement. What I do in Word 2010 to compose the Newsletter pages cannot be done in Open Office. It lacks the stability and flexibility of Word. With Word 2007 or Word 2010 composing the pages is easy. Used only for writing text and not for composing, it may be okay.

WordPad is an excellent basic word processor, and if you have Windows it's free. Personally I use Notepad, also free in Windows, for all my writing. If what I write needs formatting, I put it into Word.

I've tried the various writing programmes I've seen mentioned here (we've had this conversation before), and for me they only get in the way of writing. Text editors like Notepad and basic word processors like WordPad have nothing to get in the way.


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## Sam (Aug 3, 2012)

Word 2010. All a writer could ever need.


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## Baron (Aug 3, 2012)

garza said:


> All due respect, but the word processor in Open Office has not yet caught up with Word 98, and is light years behind Word 2007 or 2010. I check Open Office every couple of months to see if there is any progress, and I don't see any substantive improvement. What I do in Word 2010 to compose the Newsletter pages cannot be done in Open Office. It lacks the stability and flexibility of Word. With Word 2007 or Word 2010 composing the pages is easy. Used only for writing text and not for composing, it may be okay.
> 
> WordPad is an excellent basic word processor, and if you have Windows it's free. Personally I use Notepad, also free in Windows, for all my writing. If what I write needs formatting, I put it into Word.
> 
> I've tried the various writing programmes I've seen mentioned here (we've had this conversation before), and for me they only get in the way of writing. Text editors like Notepad and basic word processors like WordPad have nothing to get in the way.



I use both Word and Open Office and I have to disagree with your assessment.  There are areas where each is superior to the other but overall, when it comes to working on novels with a view to publishing, Open Office wins out.  To produce work for Kindle (Mobi) or Epub, it's necessary to make a lot of changes to the settings in Word.  The process is much easier in Open Office.  To that extent, the latter is far better geared to the needs of the modern author.  Format problems encountered in my early attempts at Epub, using Word, simply don't happen in Open Office.


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## Cat M. (Aug 3, 2012)

I just stick with Word. I don't think you need much more, as long as you're alright with the pages not looking up-to-size with actual book pages.


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## shadowwalker (Aug 3, 2012)

I have OpenOffice as well as Atlanta (which is the one I use 99% of the time) and I've gotten to loathe it. Mainly because I keep getting "Not Responding" or the font keeps switching back even after I save it. It just has too many ongoing problems.


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## chall (Aug 3, 2012)

I'm stating to use yWriter because it seems to help me break everything down and structure stuff for me since i am very new at this.


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## fwc577 (Aug 8, 2012)

I use two programs.

1-Scrivener - I love this program.  You can sort things into chapters, scenes, etc.  It has folders and you create text documents.  Then you compile it all and it will format it for you.  With that said, the formatting is superb and has a lot of ways to modify/customize it.  When you're actually writing it's similar to writing in word pad where you don't have all the flashy unneeded extras.  Finally, it comes with the MOST AMAZING name generator built in.  You select how many names you want at a time, you select style of first name and last name.  It contains hundreds of styles like Ancient Greek, American, Irish, Russian, Cambodian, Brazilian you name it chances are it has it.  Then it lets you select the number of names that appear each time.  I saved so much time trying to think of names for my current novel it is ridiculous.

2-Master Writer - This one is more for poetry/song writing people but built into it is a digital version of Rondale's "The Synonym Finder" which is the only resource book that every writer NEEDS to own.


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## Salem Edgerton (Aug 8, 2012)

I use Word primarily because of the ability to insert comments and use various highlights to distinguish things I want to revise or what I added to a current draft.  I also use good ol' fashion pencil and paper though there are limits to it since you have to give up some organization or use it for something that isn't organized.  A while back, I found a software that basically helped you design your characters though I can't for the life of me remember what it's called.


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## Jamie (Aug 8, 2012)

Sam W said:


> Word 2010. All a writer could ever need.



Very much this.


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## Iggy (Aug 9, 2012)

Sam W said:


> Word 2010. All a writer could ever need.



I used to think this, but then I got Scriviner and was amazed at how much it helped me.  I'm an organizing fiend, and this program fed that monster inside of me very well.  It makes it so much easier to find things you need and to maneuver through your manuscript.  It also helps me keep better track of my progress.  I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.  I even use it for essays and such for college.  It is a bit pricey, but I took part in NaNoWriMo, which gave me a discount.


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## fwc577 (Aug 9, 2012)

Iggy said:


> I used to think this, but then I got Scriviner and was amazed at how much it helped me.  I'm an organizing fiend, and this program fed that monster inside of me very well.  It makes it so much easier to find things you need and to maneuver through your manuscript.  It also helps me keep better track of my progress.  I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.  I even use it for essays and such for college.  It is a bit pricey, but I took part in NaNoWriMo, which gave me a discount.



Have you discovered the Name Generator yet?  It took me a couple months before I found it.  Tools > Writing Tools > Name Generator


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## Kyle R (Aug 9, 2012)

I've actually gone backwards recently, in terms of technology.

I now write exclusively with pen and paper. I do this for three reasons:

1) There is no internet, files, or computer games to distract me.

2) There is no backspace key, so I don't have the luxury of quick and constant editing. This forces me to focus more on forward progress rather than backwards altering.

3) It's portable and requires no electricity or battery charge.


Then I just type up what I've handwritten into a file, but at that point, any word processor will do fine. 

Oh and, between the two (StoryBook and YWriter5), I prefer YWriter5.


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## Juganhuy (Aug 10, 2012)

I use Word 2007. I have had Open Office in the past and worked great, but No idea for writing books. I have had to do many reformats of my current book in work to upload them to createspace, kindle, Lulu, iBook, nook, ect.

I want to try one of the other software packeages though. they sound interesting.


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## Terry D (Aug 10, 2012)

KyleColorado said:


> I've actually gone backwards recently, in terms of technology.
> 
> I now write exclusively with pen and paper. I do this for three reasons:
> 
> ...



Kyle's idea of self publishing;


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## chall (Aug 11, 2012)

Yeah I really like yWriter myself. Very easy to work with and keeps me organized haha.


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## QDOS (Aug 11, 2012)

Hi,

  I use mainly MS Word 2007, I may upgrade to 2010. Word has more to offer in identifying grammar and spell checking and adding your own. I use Speech to Text and Text to Speech, both facilities provided by MS windows. I also use a third party Dictionary with a thesaurus that I can use offline. Open office I find is easier and more accurate when creating PDF export files.

*QDOS *:read:


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## garza (Aug 11, 2012)

QDOS - Upgrading to 2010 is well worth it. Saving as a pdf is super simple with both 2007 and 2010, but you do need to pay attention to how you format your piece for it to stay as you want it. For example, never use the space bar or the tab key to indent when you are going to save as a pdf or in one of the ebook formats. Use 'paragraph', and pay close attention to outline level and before-after line spacing. 

Remember that docx files are compressed, and each element of the file has its own rules. Most will be saved as XML (eXtensible Markup Language) files which can be opened and edited with a browser. To see the discrete, compressed, elements that make up a docx file, change its extension to zip, then use whatever unzipper you have to open the file. The XML elements can be opened and edited with any browser. I like Firefox best for this. If you want to play around with the various elements, save a copy of the docx file before you change its extension. You can do some weird and wonderful things inside a docx file, and about 99 percent of what you do will give you results you will not want.

Edit - I forgot to mention that the grammar checker will be wrong much of the time, so turn it off. You should never lean on a spell checker. When in doubt, use a good dictionary. I keep my Oxford Concise and my Fowler's on a shelf next to my chair so questions about spelling, meaning, and usage can be answered reliably.

An online thesaurus is, in my way of thinking, a sinful misuse of server capacity and bandwidth. It's best to use a printed thesaurus of the kind that some well-meaning person, hearing I am a writer, gave me, thinking it to be the sort of book a writer needs. As it happened, I was at the time looking for a good door stop to hold open the door leading onto a narrow balcony and the thesaurus the person gave me is thick and hard-bound. It has served the purpose well. The thesaurus has been caught in several sudden, heavy, rain squalls of the kind we often get in the tropics and this has only improved its practical usability. All its pages are firmly stuck together, including the covers, so the thesaurus is a solid mass of paper ideally suited to use as a door stop. 

Read. Read. Read. You will see words used in different contexts. and you will come to own those words. You will understand how you can use them to express what you want to say. Looking up a supposed synonym in a thesaurus will give you a word that is almost, but not quite, right. There are no true synonyms. Otherwise there would be only the one word. A thesaurus will not give you any understanding of the nuances, the shades of meaning, of different words. You learn that by reading.


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## JosephB (Aug 11, 2012)

Spell checker and grammar checker are tools. They’re fine if you don’t use them as the last word, so to speak. It’s not great, but occasionally, grammar checker will highlight something you might not catch right away, so it can be a time-saver. Otherwise, you can ignore what’s highlighted. A tool has it's uses and limitations. These aren't an exception.


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## shadowwalker (Aug 11, 2012)

I use a thesaurus when the old brain cells fail to give me the word I _know_ - the little devils just refuse to find it for me. So I grab the T and look for a close relative - sometimes I spot it before the brain wakes up, sometimes the brain just needs a little nudge and races to outdo my finger-walking. Either way I have my word - but it is _my _word, not just something different to use.


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## JosephB (Aug 11, 2012)

I occasionally use a thesaurus for that purpose. The problem is when people assume that the synonyms provided are always interchangeable -- or they choose an overblown word when a simple one will do. Again, it's a tool -- and if you know how to use it, it can be of value. 

If you tell people outright not to use what's available, you're potentially depriving them of something that could be of value to _them._ Not everyone is the same. If they can't use it properly, that's their problem. They'll figure it out -- or not.


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## garza (Aug 11, 2012)

Joe - Looked at from that side, I see your point. But it does disturb me to see someone using a crutch they shouldn't need.

And perhaps having a good dictionary and good usage manual by my side whenever I'm writing is my crutch. I've had my present, ninth edition, Oxford Concise for about 15 years and it's starting to fall apart to the extent that I have to be careful when I pull it off the shelf. 

To quote my mother's oft-repeated statement: 'To each his own, said the little old lady as she kissed the cow.'


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## JosephB (Aug 11, 2012)

Well, I'd concede that a lot of people use the tools incorrectly or rely on them too much. Regardless, people will likely arrive at what works best for them, mostly by trial and error -- not based on what people have to say about it on forums.


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## shadowwalker (Aug 11, 2012)

JosephB said:


> I occasionally use a thesaurus for that purpose. The problem is when people assume that the synonyms provided are always interchangeable -- or they choose an overblown word when a simple one will do.



Synonyms are the very devil - they're 'similar' words, not just another word for the same thing. I've seen some really wild things in my beta-ing because of that very problem.


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## QDOS (Aug 12, 2012)

Hi, 
  Garza you’ll be please to know I have as well as my Apps tools, hardback copies of the New Oxford Advanced Dictionary, The Oxford Foreign Words and Phrases, Oxford Language tool kit, plus various books on the origins of words, word usage, Runes, Latin, Hieroglyphs etc. 

I make no excuse as to what or why, but here’s a quick summary of what I’ve delved into!


  [FONT=&Verdana]*My Ology* 
_For this set of verses I make no Apology,_[/FONT]
_It all began with my families Genealogy, _
_The structure of finds and their Biology,_
_Systematically filed in their Chronology,_

_In order to begin the subject of Mythology,_
_I logged online using computer Technology,_
_To start my quest I needed the Terminology, _
_Therefore I looked for a path in Astrology,_

_Then spent hours reading Anthropology,_
_Digging up, researching the Archaeology,_
_The fossilised finds, part of Palaeontology,_
_Each located in different rocks of Geology,_

_I consulted books to understand Sociology, _
_Attempting to discover facts on Theology, _
_Then some investigation into Psychology,_
_As to how it related to my own Neurology._

  QDOS :read:


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## garza (Aug 12, 2012)

QDOS - You are, as a police constable might say, 'going equipped'. That's a good list. I'm not familiar with the Oxford Advanced. How does it differ from the Concise?

Urology, I mean, your Ology, is quite impressive, so kudos to you.


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## QDOS (Aug 13, 2012)

Hi and Thanks Garza, 

  Not a lot between advanced and Concise (unless you have one of the latest versions 11/12[SUP]th[/SUP]).  Both stem from the tenth addition, which was based on the larger New Oxford Dictionary of English rather than the ninth Concise. One of the tenth editions failures was a lack of modern compound words (i.e. Roadside). Eleventh revisions were based on the Oxford Dictionary of English (second edition 2003). The twelfth has entries, which include cyberbullying, gastric band, jeggings retweet, sexting and woot.   

  Both have the most common words, Advanced has 80,000 references to British and American English. The Concise has something more like 450, 000. Advanced came with a CD-Rom, it provided an App which when you hovered over a word with the cursor opened a pop-up window displaying the word reference. Introduced with version ten Concise provides a similar App. I’ve also tried Babylon, but personally I use an app called WordWeb.

  QDOS


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## garza (Aug 13, 2012)

The ninth Concise is the dictionary I've used since its introduction almost 20 years ago. My copy is starting to fall apart, so it's time I shopped for a new one. What would you recommend?


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## Kaleidoscopic (Aug 13, 2012)

I agree with other posters who have suggested Scrivener. There is a free 30 day trial so you can give it a shot before you buy it (and at 40USD it's really not that pricey).

The main advantage that it offers over word processors is in terms of organization. Rather than scrolling between pages, you can look at the main events that happen throughout your story and rearrange as necessary. Some writers may not need this capability but I've found it invaluable when it comes to working out appropriate timelines and the orders in which chapters belong. In MS Word it turns into a mess of copy and pasting, it gives me a headache. :tongue2:

As others have said, the name generator and compiler are other awesome features.


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## QDOS (Aug 13, 2012)

Hi Garza, 

  What to recommend! 

  In contrast to MS Encarta Dictionary or Babylon, which requires online connection,  I use WordWeb. 

WordWeb: Free English thesaurus dictionary download
  WordWeb is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows that can look up words in almost any program. It works off-line, but can also look up words in web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopaedia. Features of the free version include: 
  Definitions and synonyms
Related words
5000 audio pronunciations
65 000 text pronunciations                           
  150 000 root words
120 000 synonym sets
Look up words in almost any program
  Options:  allow, International English and locals - American, Asian, British, Canada etc. 

WordWeb Pro -full audio + add Oxford and Chambers dictionaries. 

  Why not download and try WordWeb unless you prefer hardcopy. As a backup, I still use my Oxford Advanced hardback copy. I suppose The Oxford Concise twelfth edition (with CD-ROM) should be your choice for upgrading from edition nine. However, would you gain much that you can’t find in online dictionaries for free.  

  Review: (Not my own comments)
  The [/FONT]Easy to install [/FONT]CD-ROM version of the [FONT=&Verdana]Concise Oxford English Dictionary - 12th Edition[FONT=&Verdana] offers full-text search functionality, instant look-up from Windows® documents, including email and the internet. 

  Over 240,000 words, phrases, and definitions, covering technical and scientific vocabulary as well as English from around the world. Hundreds of new words and phrases, based on the latest research from the Oxford English Corpus. Over 50,000 spoken pronunciations. Fully customizable interface, plus automatic look-up from other applications. Compatible with Windows® and Mac operating systems, making it ideal for family use, as well as for home, work, and school. 

  A clever and educational feature is the Lost for Words - just click on it and a word and its definition appears you will be learning something new every day. 

  Downside:
  This dictionary does not have an icon at the bottom of the computer as other programmes have and no Thesaurus. One small niggle with the dictionary window on the screen. The software does not remember all the settings of the window. The left hand pane, which contains the list of words, is very narrow so you must widen it to show long words fully. When you close the window and reopen it later, you get the narrow version again. Everything else is remembered, e.g. contrast etc but not the pane width.

*QDOS* :read:


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## garza (Aug 13, 2012)

QDOS - Hard copy dictionaries and usage manuals only for me, and Oxford the only publisher. Narrow minded, I know, but it keeps me consistent. I want the Concise 12th, both hard copy and CD. Angelus Press in Belize City has them in stock, and I'll probably get one of each soon.

The lack of a thesaurus is no problem, as I have never owned nor used a thesaurus. (Wrong. I do have that very thick hardbound thesaurus that someone gave me. It continues to serve as a door stop on the balcony, though with the recent hard rains, especially with the passage last week of a hurricane, I'm not certain how much longer it will last.)

Kaleidoscopic - Believe it not, Windows Notepad will help you organise the most complex of writing. I use it for writing such things as policy papers for government ministries. Complex outlining, many topic sections, glossary, executive summary, all can be managed easily with Notepad with each section, right down to each paragraph, in its own file, and as many or as few of the files open at once as you need. 

I've started writing a novel and find the same technique works to keep track of characters, plot lines, timelines, settings, and all such. One file I keep open on the desktop all the time, whether for non-fiction or fiction, is the current outline. Often it's buried under other files, but all I have to do is make sure a corner is sticking out so I can bring it forward at any time. 

It's the 'current' outline because the form of any long writing is apt to change as ideas develop. Even a topic such as 'Small Scale Agricultural Resource Diversification and Integration to Ensure Sustainability' can take on a life of its own, the same as the plot lines and characters in fiction. One thing I've found, and this has surprised me, there is more similarity then difference in the writing of fiction and non-fiction. The tools that work for one work for the other.

When you've finished writing, plug all the Notepad files into Word, or whatever word processor you use, in the right order, format it, and send it to CabSec for Cabinet approval or to your publisher for printing.

Try it. If you have Windows, you have Notepad already.


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## QDOS (Aug 14, 2012)

Hi Kaleidascope,
  I think I have tried *Scrivener*, I would also recommend *ywriter* (as its fee). It also has a feature that allows you to use MS Word for writing each scene (giving the full scope of an advanced WP). 

  Has any of you tried One Note, I use its flexibility to collect notes, research material and create outlines to Chapters / Scenes, basically construct my synopsis.  

  Garza – don’t forget to give us your review of the Concise Oxford twelfth edition and how you get on with the CD installing/using the Dictionary App.


  QDOS  :read:


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## garza (Aug 14, 2012)

The more complex and feature-laden any writing programme is, the more constrictive it will become. 

The simpler the software used for writing, the more freedom and flexibility it gives the writer. 

Time spent managing the software is writing time lost forever.


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## JosephB (Aug 14, 2012)

Except that there are published authors who use and endorse programs like Scrinver. I'm betting there would be a lot more if so many people weren't locked into preconceived notions about what writers "need" to do the job. My take on it is -- don't knock it until you've tried it.


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## garza (Aug 14, 2012)

I've tried them all, and fair trials at that. Every software programme for writers that I've seen recommended, I've downloaded and tried. That's unless they cost more than I am willing to pay only to learn about a programme. My limit is 100 U.S. dollars so there may be some programmes I've not tried that I might like. 

With the freebies and the cheapies I try all their features, use everything they have, use them to write and organise a few thousand words, and it all comes back to eventually spending more time managing the software than it's worth, at least to me. At first each one appears to be helpful. Down the line they become less and less so, but by then so much time has been invested that courage is needed to dump the whole thing. I keep hoping one of them will work for me, but so far all have disappointed me.

No doubt there are many people who have used these programmes successfully and find them worthwhile, just as there are many people who write best using pencil and paper. I can write using pencil and paper, but I prefer a typewriter over pencil and paper, and I prefer a computer over a typewriter. To each his own.

Now allow me to turn 'don't knock it until you've tried it' around. Have you given text editors such as Notepad a fair trial? 

I like Notepad because with it I have absolute control over every element of the project, no matter how big and complex that project happens to be. If I need to look at the contents of a sub-sub heading in an outline, two mouse clicks and the file is open, ready for reference or for editing. 

I'm working on a novel now, and I can instantly call up my notes on any character, call up a description of any venue, call up any section of the narrative or any long block of dialogue for editing or review, all with a couple of mouse clicks. Everything is indexed and instantly available, and there are no one else's rules I need to remember to follow in creating each element and making it available. This is one of the areas where my non-fiction writing experience has proven to be useful in writing fiction. The same organising system I use for large non-fiction projects, average 30 to 60 thousand words though a few have been many times greater, is the system I'm using now to write a novel. The system has proven itself over and over again in the past, so if the novel is of no value the fault will lie with my writing and not with the system.

Notepad and other text editors never try to do anything for you, and they never get in your way. You are in complete control. You can have as many windows open at once as you want or need, or you can put all the files back in one folder and have one window open for straight writing or editing. There is no structure except the structure you build yourself.

If you run Linux I recommend Vim, a more user-friendly version of Vi.


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## JosephB (Aug 14, 2012)

garza said:


> No doubt there are many people who have used these programmes successfully and find them worthwhile, just as there are many people who write best using pencil and paper.



Agreed. So why are you telling people the following like it was gospel?



garza said:


> The more complex and feature-laden any writing programme is, the more constrictive it will become.
> 
> The simpler the software used for writing, the more freedom and flexibility it gives the writer.
> 
> Time spent managing the software is writing time lost forever.


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## garza (Aug 14, 2012)

These are not ideas I dreamed up out of nowhere. They express what I've learned in nearly 35 years using all sorts of software for writing on many kinds of computers. You may label them as opinions, but in my mind they are based on solid evidence, so bear with me for a bit.

My craft is writing. It's how I've made my way in life, and quite successfully, I might add. I want nothing in the way when I'm writing. All I want to do is put one word after another. The writing is everything. Later there will be time to assemble, format, do a line edit for SPaG errors and typos, but in the initial stage of composition I have no need for any worries about any of that. Thus a text editor works best, at least for me.

So far all the writing programmes I've tried get to a point of being more of a hindrance than a help. Beyond a few thousand words they feel clumsy. 

Here's an exercise I use often myself and have used in ESL classes whenever computers have been available. Write a high school style five paragraph essay using a text editor. You'll need six files, one for an outline and one each for the five paragraphs. It's best to number them with the outline saved as 01, the opening as 02, the arguments as 03, 04, 05, and the conclusion as 06. Write you thesis in the outline file and list summaries of the three arguments you plan to use. You can refine these summary sentences into topic sentences for the argument paragraphs. I use the outline file for any stray thoughts that occur to me as I'm working, so that file is usually open on another part of the screen from the file I'm working in. 

Bring 03 to the front. Write out your first argument in full, then bring 04 to the front and write the second argument, and 05 for the third. Go back through these three files. Make certain you have a topic sentence that is the short statement of the argument in each case. Do a line edit to clear out any errors or typos. When you are satisfied with the central structure, the three arguments, it's time to bring up file 06 and write the conclusion. You have your arguments clearly stated in front of you, you are familiar with the thesis, so writing the conclusion should be no problem. Finally it's time to bring file 02 to the front because now you know where you are going, you know how you are going to get there, and all you need is an opening statement with your thesis and a few introductory remarks regarding it. 

Your high school English teacher taught you to start with the thesis and write through to the conclusion, but she probably thought linearly - most teachers do. The computer allows you to break out of that box. 

The last step is to copy and paste files 02 through 06 in a word processor and format them so they look the way they should look. All six txt files and a copy of the formatted text can go into a folder for the archives. A folder for such an essay written today would be labelled 120814. Create a master folder for all such essays. Write one a day, label each with the day's date, and the computer will keep them in order.

I supplied daily commentaries to a local radio station for ten years using this method, and I have every folder containing every file. Each folder is labelled with the day's date in the format used above. Because the theses, arguments, and conclusion are all in separate files, I can edit, update, mix and match, and create an infinite number of commentaries on related subjects, adding new material as needed. 

If you want something that goes beyond a plain vanilla text editor, yet retains the advantages of the plain editor, there's TED Notepad. It has some cool tools. I'm giving it a try.


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## JosephB (Aug 14, 2012)

You can either believe some writers use applications like Scrivener “successfully and "find them worthwhile,” or you can believe they’re “constrictive” and time-wasters. You can’t have it both ways -- unless of course, if you chalk it all up to personal preference.


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## garza (Aug 14, 2012)

You're probably right.


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## Max (Sep 20, 2012)

I have a question about Scrivener.. I am wondering does it save pages from the web within the program and allow you to reopen them offline and still edit content from them?

Also, does it have features that help inexperienced writers with footnotes and citations or copyright issues etc?


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## felix (Sep 20, 2012)

Max said:


> I have a question about Scrivener.. I am wondering does it save pages from the web within the program and allow you to reopen them offline and still edit content from them?
> 
> Also, does it have features that help inexperienced writers with footnotes and citations or copyright issues etc?



You can import a web page, yes, and edit offline. 

As with footnotes and such, there are facilities that are automatically added to the side-panel of each document that serve as such. With regard to copyright issues, I'm not sure what you were referring to. 

I find that in terms of writing, you can't beat a pencil and paper, or good old notepad. But in terms of organisation, Scrivener is an outstandingly convenient program.


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## Max (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks for the response Felix.  From what I understand with fair use of copyrighted things like webpages and books that we might be quoting there are generic limits and rules.. I thought it might help in that way - have some guidelines built in.


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## Kryptex (Sep 20, 2012)

I use TextEdit on Mac. I prefer it over Microsoft Word (Of which I have the latest version) because of its beautiful simplicity.


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## garza (Sep 20, 2012)

TextEdit on a Mac is the same as Notepad in Windows. Both are basic text editors producing cross-platform files. That 'beautiful simplicity' means there's nothing to distract from the writing itself.


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## Max (Sep 20, 2012)

Has anyone here used Google Docs?  I am wondering how much better some of these programs are... if they are worth getting.  That Scrivener looks pretty good though.

Garza, I understand your point but I am working on an incredibly complex project that has volumes and volumes of data... it seems these programs could help me organize all this info and help plan this immense project.


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## felix (Sep 20, 2012)

Max said:


> Thanks for the response Felix.  From what I understand with fair use of copyrighted things like webpages and books that we might be quoting there are generic limits and rules.. I thought it might help in that way - have some guidelines built in.



Not in that sense; Scrivener is designed to facilitate the writing process and to help writers organise their work, not to instruct new writers on the craft. 

But I'd definitely go for it if, like me, you find yourself swimming in scattered files.


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## Max (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks again Felix.  This project I am working on is an almost impossible to navigate mountain of information requiring an immense complex story.. if this program is as good as it sounds from what you and others have said I think it could be my savior. Hope hope.


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## RichardScribe (Sep 20, 2012)

I just roll along with Word. Been using it too long to want to put forth the effort to try to deal with a new program and its quirks. Does anyone use Dragon? I'm not sure I could try to put together a paragraph much less a short story or novel by speaking what I wanted typed.


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## Kryptex (Sep 21, 2012)

garza said:


> TextEdit on a Mac is the same as Notepad in Windows. Both are basic text editors producing cross-platform files. That 'beautiful simplicity' means there's nothing to distract from the writing itself.



Pretty much yeah. But I don't like the way the text comes out on Notepad to be honest.


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