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Scrivener, yWriter, or other?

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Sarcasm and witticism aside, honestly, I am always bemused/a bit mystified by this kind of question, which arises here as regularly as dandelions in the lawn.

The underlying implication of such questions is broader: Is there some software that will help me be a better writer?

That question does arise regularly, but this thread is not about that: there's a subtle difference in the OP's question:

What's your favorite writers' word processor and why?

It's a lot like this FAQ question.

It's a question about tools, not about shortcuts.

It's a question about using tools effectively and efficiently.

These are digital attempts to not just mimic the facility offered by a yellow pad and index cards, or stacks of paper, or post-its on the wall, but to make it easier to find that scribbled note about motivation.

And I note that working in technology support for writers at a university, and writing books myself about using technology, has made me realize that this conversation about tools is important, and helpful for lots of writers of different kinds.

Another writer and I have been engaging on Twitter about resources for research management--specifically, using tools like the research tools in Scrivener; I use Evernote a lot, for instance, and I've been asked to write about using Zotero for research/bibliographic management.

It's tools.
 
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atombaby

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As long as there's a method to the madness, and that method works, then it's all good, right?

Taking that hairy-handed gent's point into consideration, people (or at least I) definitely do like my writing that comes out via long-hand much more than what I type into a computer. The computer's good for when the ideas are flowing fast and you know you're going to lose that action, and writing long-hand makes me think about what I'm writing. Good for reflection.

But in any case, everyone's mind works differently, and it's nice to be aware of all the options that are out there.
 

SRHowen

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Outside of WP I use index cards, a white board and a notebook, makes it more hands on for me, I need to feel each characters card, spread them out in front of me to "see" where they are at and the sketches I have of each of them.
 

TheIT

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Does anyone have any recommendations for tools that can handle timelines? I'm also looking for something to record genealogies of whole families rather than single individuals.
 

Sunnyside

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I don't think this is one of those "what program will make me a better writer" kind of questions at ALL! In fact, I kinda like these discussions, in the same way that I like to see pictures of people's work spaces. I enjoy knowing what tools everyone uses.

I write in Mac Pages. It's as intuitive as Word (which I used for 15 years), and I can easily save the file as a .doc if I need to share it with Word users. I don't use an electronic filing system -- I'm strictly a notebook and binder kinda guy -- but I know other writers who swear by Scrivener. Use what works for you.
 

OnlyStones

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And yet, I'm a better writer because of my tools. Including my tech-based tools.

I've become better at plot organization and pacing since I got Scrivener. It's not going to work that way for everyone, but it does for me. I got much better at editing when I moved from working in a notebook to working on a computer. I got more writing done overall when I got a laptop and could move to different environments to do my writing. Hell, on the topic of Useful Writing Tools, getting online to be able to speak with more writers, and not being dependent on a few writing books from the library, has helped me learn more about writing.

Technology has helped me enormously in my growth as a writer in several different ways. I'm here speaking with other writers because of it. A computer lets me write faster than I am physically able, and compensates for memory and organization issues I wouldn't be able to handle on paper.

Maybe in a perfect world we could all compose novels without writing down anything at all, and recite them like Homer did the Iliad. It's not a perfect world. I need technology. I'm glad I was born into a place and time where I have access to that technology, because I'd be a worse writer otherwise.

Well, all I need are my bootstraps . . . and this lamp. ;)
 

Deleted member 42

Does anyone have any recommendations for tools that can handle timelines? I'm also looking for something to record genealogies of whole families rather than single individuals.

A lot of people use Excel or another spreadsheet for timelines.

I know authors who, for short periods of years or months use actual calendars (these can be easily generated with a spreadsheet or online using things like Google Calendar. You can also use old printed calendars, if you match your fictive year to a calendar so that the dates and days of the week match.

Google Calendar will let you go "back in time" to create a calendar. Outlook used to.

And there are specific sites about creating timelines, using Excel or free Web sites, as well as commercial timeline software, or project management software
 

OnlyStones

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A lot of people use Excel or another spreadsheet for timelines.

I know authors who, for short periods of years or months use actual calendars (these can be easily generated with a spreadsheet or online using things like Google Calendar. You can also use old printed calendars, if you match your fictive year to a calendar so that the dates and days of the week match.

Google Calendar will let you go "back in time" to create a calendar. Outlook used to.

And there are specific sites about creating timelines, using Excel or free Web sites, as well as commercial timeline software, or project management software

Okay, okay. My bootstraps, this lamp and this website,

http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/how-to/Pages/creating-timeline.aspx

but that's all!
 

fadeaccompli

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Well, all I need are my bootstraps . . . and this lamp. ;)

Bah, we all know that a Real Writer doesn't need a lamp; a Real Writer will write by moonlight cunningly reflected through a series of mirrors! Which the Real Writer built personally from personally gathered sand and quicksilver!
 

atombaby

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Does anyone have any recommendations for tools that can handle timelines? I'm also looking for something to record genealogies of whole families rather than single individuals.

I wish a knew a timeline maker but after thinking about it, I think the ability to write really really small on a legal pad (or one of those long column pads, I forget what they're called) and multiple colored highlighters would be the most uninhibited tool to use. Or just taping together lots and lots of paper. Sure, I love the neatness of type but ah, excel won't exactly let me add bubbles and arrows and notes next to important events.
 

Shadow_Ferret

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What's your favorite writers' word processor and why?

My favorite was Word Perfect 4.2. The entire program could fit on a 5-1/2 inch floppy and run off of any computer. It was fast, simple, efficient unlike any of the bloatware made today.

So what do I use today since "advances" in computers have made WP4.2 obsolete? Paper and a fountain pen. Then transcribe using Open Office or Google Docs.
 

Callista Melaney

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I've been using Notepad and Word ever since I learned how to type because I had no idea anything else existed up until recently. Last year I used the online version of Write or Die during for my nanowrimo project, but other than forcing me to keep typing, it was basically the same as Notepad. I basically write beginning to end and write notes on the side in spiral notebooks (which are beginning to pile up). I think I'll try yWriter since it's free and all.

Forgive me for tacking another question onto this thread...to the writers who are using the alternative programs, do you think it makes the novel-writing process any easier (in terms of quality of work, productivity, and hours spent; would you go back to using Notepad or Word)?
 
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sammyjwebb

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Bah, we all know that a Real Writer doesn't need a lamp; a Real Writer will write by moonlight cunningly reflected through a series of mirrors! Which the Real Writer built personally from personally gathered sand and quicksilver!

My kid admitted to using the following last night: flashlight, mp3 player display, clock display. She gave up when batteries died on all 3.
 

mephet

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You can customize the background, how? I like Scriverner's potential and man, people who love it, love it! But honestly, if I could change the entire layout of the program, I would :)

Well, the customizing options are limited, but going to Tools -> Options -> Corkboard allows you to pick from premade backgrounds or upload your own, in addition to tweaking the index cards (shadows, corner shape, label indication...). Also, you can change the colour of pretty much everything in the Appearance tab.
I, too, ended up changing the look of the corkboard: a wonderful wood texture from DeviantArt (made seamless by me) + blue-grey index cards + custom label and stamp colours = <3
 

The Lonely One

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Bah, we all know that a Real Writer doesn't need a lamp; a Real Writer will write by moonlight cunningly reflected through a series of mirrors! Which the Real Writer built personally from personally gathered sand and quicksilver!

I thought that was how you opened the secret passageway in Quest for Glory 2.
 

Lunatique

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Currently I do my planning in Writer's Cafe, and write in Word. But I'm maybe going to start writing in Scrivener instead (but still plan in Writer's Cafe), since it's more flexible.
 

Anne Lyle

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More love for Scrivener here! I've been using it since 2007 - being able to drag'n'drop scenes around, tag them with colours for PoV etc makes managing a big, complex novel so much easier than a single word-processor file.

The only time I work in Word is when I get the finished MS back from my editor, as we use Track Changes for the copyedits.

Does anyone have any recommendations for tools that can handle timelines? I'm also looking for something to record genealogies of whole families rather than single individuals.

I use Aeon Timeline, but it's Mac only.
 

zornhau

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Scrivener for Windows

I used to use a customised MS Word template with all sorts of outlining features. The last VBA code I wrote for it was to convert my WIP into something easily convertable to Scrivener for Windows.

Once you get the hang of Scrivener, you don't have to think about tools or formatting for submission.
 

ViolettaVane

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I bought Scrivener but I've only ever really used it a few times in the final formatting stage.

Since I co-write, Google Docs is a must. I use Excel or Google Spreadsheet pretty heavily for planning. It's also great for calculating word count targets for editing down, if you know how to use formulas.

For our novel research, we set up an entire private website to share research links and photo references. When we wrote a complicated-to-choreograph scene involving two people trying to rescue a captive from forty Vikings, we used a free RPG game tool to position all of them (plus horses) on a grid so we could describe the action without making mistakes or inconsistencies.
 

Lunatique

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More love for Scrivener here! I've been using it since 2007 - being able to drag'n'drop scenes around, tag them with colours for PoV etc makes managing a big, complex novel so much easier than a single word-processor file.

Writer's Cafe is even better for that particular use. It actually allows multiple lanes of storylines to be managed at once visually, so let's say you are writing in third-person omniscient view and need to keep track of every character's subplot--it is perfect for that. Scrivener doesn't have multiple lanes, so it's not nearly as useful for managing multiple storylines in a book.
 

Anne Lyle

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I tried Writer's Cafe, but didn't like the interface. The latest version of Scrivener for Mac allows freeform card arrangement, though I haven't tried it yet for timelining.

For me, the real power of Scrivener is on the output side. I can produce anything from standard manuscript format to a professional-looking ebook without touching the actual draft :)
 
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