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Scrivener, yWriter, or other?

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Mark Moore

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I prefer Word Perfect, it's grammar checker makes sense, (90% of the time)(Words 10% of the time) It has a kick ass thesaurus right up in the tool bar that I don't have to right click for, it will diagram a sentence for me if I want, and the readability statistics can't be beat.

And reveal codes is a god send, not the show markings that Word has that can't help you figure out why something is not formatting correctly, it shows you everything that is going on in that document.

Plain old Word Perfect is my preferred program to write with, and my 4 x 8 white board, once the story is down I make notes on the white board and all I have to do is look up for a second if I need to while editing and doing rewrites, no leaving the story to find that detail.

Now, you've got me intrigued. I have a CD with Word Perfect somewhere in my desk, probably from my second computer from 2001. I guess I should look for it.

Also, who is that in your avatar?! :heart:
 

Bogna

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I used WriteWay for NaNo this year and I really liked it. I plan to buy a full version for at least one of my computers. It's a bit cheesy looking (It reminds me of windows '98) but the function is nice. I LOVE the world goal page and settings. The little pie chart that's in the bar at the top of the program is really inspiring to me.
 

fireluxlou

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I tried Scrivener this year. Really like it I only did nanowrimo to get my discount code (I won btw). When I get around to it I will buy it.
 

Silver-Midnight

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I would also guess that how helpful people find these programs is based on how you write--folders for all these different things? Why?

Are talking keeping the story itself in one document, or are you talking about the character, location, etc. folders? If it's the first, like I said, I writer out of order sometimes, and this helps me keep track of things better than changing colors or hitting "enter/return" a few times in Word. I can move the document(s) around and place them where I like them.

If you're talking about the folders, I don't use them all, but sometimes they are helpful. I know that you can get lost in character/location creation, but I also think it's helpful if you have a story with a big "cast". The picture feature yWriter offers can also help when it comes to describing character if you can't already see them in your head. But I haven't used all of the folder/creation tabs, like I said.

I haven't used Word Perfect though. I have heard about it though.
 

dbmcnicol

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I haven't tried Scrivener but did play around with WriteWay ($25), yWriter5 ($0) and WriteItNow. I settled on WriteItNow ($60) because it suited the level of organization that worked best for me.

I'm dabbling in fiction after spending quite a few years in non-fiction. I wanted to be able to store character information, outline chapters and yet easily move and change things. WriteItNow works well for that and so far I really like it.

It's been easy to develop characters, set up and view their relationships, use the storyboard to move scenes/chapters around and more. I just finished the first draft of chapter one in my romance novel. It lets me quickly see how many words/pages.

That said...wondering now if I should have downloaded and tried Scrivener...seems pretty popular.
 

robjvargas

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Just an FYI, folks. MS Word has a master-slave document capability so that character tables, outlines, etc, *can* be in child/slave documents while the main body of work is in the master.

This *is* more cumbersome than the novel writing software applications. I'm simply stating that this capability exists. And if you have MS Office, you can link documents (i.e word documents, Excel spreedsheets, even Powerpoint presentations) together as well. If you're willing to put the time into it, you can come fairly close to a Scrivener or YWriter.

Is it worth that time? I'm not even going to try that one. :D
 
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SRHowen

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Does anyone remember Binder in MS Office? Well they phased it out and it is a pain in the butt to get anything out of those files if you want to now that they don't have that anymore.

Now they have Briefcase, I won't use it for the above reason when they decide to toss it you may be SOL.

Just saying.
 

wampuscat

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Just an FYI, folks. MS Word has a master-slave document capability so that character tables, outlines, etc, *can* be in child/slave documents while the main body of work is in the master.

This *is* more cumbersome than the novel writing software applications. I'm simply stating that this capability exists. And if you have MS Office, you can link documents (i.e word documents, Excel spreedsheets, even Powerpoint presentations) together as well. If you're willing to put the time into it, you can come fairly close to a Scrivener or YWriter.

Is it worth that time? I'm not even going to try that one. :D

I use Word at work. Sometimes to do these very things. Now the sight of Word sometimes makes me twitchy. I have zero interest in using it for writing, except perhaps to format documents in the end stages.

Someone noted that Scrievner formats documents correctly for submission, etc. StoryBook has an export feature, but I had to go in and correct some formatting things when I was testing it.
 

Jamesaritchie

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I really haven't found anything that so-called writing software can do that I can't do just as easily with MS Office. I usually do it easier and faster, as well.

Some writers add OneNote to Office, and I have it, but I don't need even it.
 

SRHowen

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I really haven't found anything that so-called writing software can do that I can't do just as easily with MS Office. I usually do it easier and faster, as well.

Some writers add OneNote to Office, and I have it, but I don't need even it.

I don't trust one note either, better hang on to the version of word that has it because if they phase it out, it is a pain in the arse to get the stuff if you ever want it.

Shawn who switched to Word then back to WP.
 

Vemy Paw

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I fall in love with Scrivener!
I've been wondering before how can I write scene to scene without having to jump from document to document when I want to look at the other scene. Scrivener is perfect for that!

I think I'll buy it when the trial runs out (If I can find out how, since I can't pay in USD or any other currency they provide in their page).
 
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Turndog-Millionaire

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I've started using Scrivener recently and i wish i had it the entire time during my novel. I love the full screen function and the ability to totally black out the background if you wish. This is great for wondering eyes :)

I don't think i've delved deeply into it though and expect i'll a lot more functions that will become great next time round. It's already helped a lot with my editing (the different colours and comments etc). All in all very nice and not bad at all for £25

Matt (Turndog Millionaire)
 

These Mean Streets

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I would also guess that how helpful people find these programs is based on how you write--folders for all these different things? Why?
I guess it depends on how you write and what you write.

I find it extremely helpful because, while writing anything in my WIP, I often also have asides, notes and thoughts on all kinds of things: plot, characters, etc.

With Word, I would also have numerous versions of the same document (saving to a new appended doc every time I made substantial changes) and would have a little trouble finding an earlier version if I wanted to check something or extract something. (A common problem with Word is that the preview feature is broken so I would inevitably have to open numerous documents and check each one.)

But anyway, back to your question: I find the use of folders invaluable. I have folders for each section of the story, broken down into scenes and some scenes are broken down further into notes for the scene as well as relevant thoughts.

I have a folder for research (that includes links and photos) and a folder for characters, broken down into documents for each character and subdocuments for anything else like interviews, photos, characteristics, dialogue snippets etc.

I get a lot of WIP specific ideas not pertinent to the specific scene I'm writing (future plot points, possible conflicts, possible characters, unattributed dialogue snippets, possible endings, possible beginnings, observations, etc.) and have relevant folders I can quickly jot them into.

I also get ideas while I'm writing (or musing) about blurbs, synopses, elevator pitches, etc that I jot into the relevant folder when they strike.

It's handy as hell to have all that there, easily visible and accessible - as opposed to how it used to be when I used Word and these snippets and thoughts were scattered throughout my writing folder (and sometimes throughout my hard drive!)

So, for me, the folders are an invaluable and necessary organizational tool.
 

Mark Moore

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If I have any ideas that I'm afraid of forgetting, I just add it to my "series bible" (a plain text document that I view/write in Notepad). All ideas (characters, setting, plot ideas, etc.) in one place.
 

dbmcnicol

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Even though I had already bought WriteItNow, I decided to download the 30 day trial for Scrivener based upon all the good reviews here. So far I am really liking it.

It has less prompts for building characters, but other than that it's similar to WriteItNow. I love the corkboard although I still haven't quite figured out why my new chapters are automatically marked as First Draft (it takes me two steps to do that). I suspect it's a setting or just plain lack of knowledge.

Anyway, I'll use it for another couple of weeks and then see which one I want to keep.
 

JWNelson

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I have looked at and used many writing tools. Writers Blocks, yWriter, Writers Cafe (a favorite), Action Outline, PersonalBrain (a super organizing and research association tool), AzzCardfile, etc. etc. Another is John Truby's "Blockbuster" software. It's great, particularly if you are schooled in his concepts (I am), but it didn't give me the corkboard or index card flexibility I need when brainstorming, free associating, etc.
Now that I've been playing around with a short story in Scrivener (primarily to evaluate its compile/export to e-book formats), I am impressed. I dislike user guides, so an intuitive product stands out for me. Understanding the terminology and structure is taking some time, but I was able to generate a nicely formatted .mobi file for the short story (based upon my days driving a limo in LA) after just an afternoon of trial & error efforts (and, yes, reading the very complete user guide). Hope to push myself past a few more questions today and will report back if I have something else to contribute to this discussion.
 

robjvargas

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I really haven't found anything that so-called writing software can do that I can't do just as easily with MS Office. I usually do it easier and faster, as well.

Some writers add OneNote to Office, and I have it, but I don't need even it.

OneNote has the capability to "Dock" to the right-hand side of the screen and therefore to act as a kind of corkboard. I like what I've seen from it, but am also hesitant to rely on it for reasons already stated.
 

JWNelson

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I really haven't found anything that so-called writing software can do that I can't do just as easily with MS Office. I usually do it easier and faster, as well.

Some writers add OneNote to Office, and I have it, but I don't need even it.
Wow, James, I envy your talent. But working on historical fiction that will eventually cover 100+ years with hundreds of characters, some real, some fictional, I need ways to keep track of a great deal of disparate information and story ideas. To each his/her own!
(Forgot to add, I just imported a collection of short stories into Scrivener that I'd been wrestling with in Word and Mobi PocketCreator and cranked out a .mobi file that looks perfect in Kindle Previewer.)
 
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uncommonspirit

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

I have to give a +1 to Scrivener. I started using it for NaNoWriMo 2010 and then worked my butt off so that I could earn the coupon to buy it at half price. I am sure that I'm not using all the features available to the best of my ability, but as time goes on, I keep finding more aspects of it to love. For me, it is worlds better than using MS Word.

One difference with me as apposed with what I'm reading in this thread, I don't use Scrivener for drafting. Instead, I prefer to draft on my alphasmart Neo. I print an outline and character sketches and take them in a binder, but these printouts all come directly from Scrivener where I originally created them. I like to keep my roving writing kit as electric free as possible and this combination allows me to write anywhere I wish.

When I'm done writing, I load up the draft into various files that I create depending on the scene I'm working on via the Neo send button. Scrivener's writing environment is ideal for editing and organizing. I haven't done much printing with Scrivener as yet, but so far it has served my article and blog needs wonderfully. I'm sure when it is time to create an ebook, it will perform well.

Paired with the Neo, Scrivener has been a real godsend to me.
 

LindaJeanne

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Wow, James, I envy your talent. But working on historical fiction that will eventually cover 100+ years with hundreds of characters, some real, some fictional, I need ways to keep track of a great deal of disparate information and story ideas. To each his/her own!
Yeah, likewise. My series covers about 50 years worth of (eventful) history in a fictional world -- and the history prior to that is relevant to the story. And I have three fictitious languages that I needed to keep track of. Plus the research on the historical-this and historical-that to use in my own world. And the fictitious cultures, countries, religions... and multiple point-of-view characters (plus all the secondary characters). No way am I going to attempt to keep track of everything in "Word". :)
 

JWNelson

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Yeah, likewise. My series covers about 50 years worth of (eventful) history in a fictional world -- and the history prior to that is relevant to the story. And I have three fictitious languages that I needed to keep track of. Plus the research on the historical-this and historical-that to use in my own world. And the fictitious cultures, countries, religions... and multiple point-of-view characters (plus all the secondary characters). No way am I going to attempt to keep track of everything in "Word". :)
I'm looking forward to seeing just how powerful and useful Scrivener's research-tracking features are. I have tried index systems as well as hierarchy based outlines and, for my first crime novel, turned to a product called PersonalBrain, which has very powerful associative and linking capabilities.
 

julzperri

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I have to add that scrivener has been a godsend!

I'd previously been writing in My Writing Spot, which is an online program, which is great because I can work on my novel from any computer with an internet connection, and it allows for easy download to backup on a hardrive.

This said, I usually do all my writing in scrivener because I can't write chronologically, I need to skip forward and backwards and the corkboard allows me to plan each chapter, write a bit about each and then go from there. That way, if I get bored or stuck on the current chapter I can skip to a random one that seems more interesting and start writing that out... I work best when I don't have to nut it out from beginning to end.

It also has a great 'export to manuscript' option, where it will compile your completed work into a pdf :) I absolutely love it and I have the pc version.

I still upload work onto My Writing Spot, but I just copy and paste from Scrivener - usually my last work so that I can continue it from another computer, I also use MWS for short stories etc. that I can work on, on the go.
 

JWNelson

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When it comes to producing a clean .mobi file for Amazon, my experiences with Scrivener tell me that I have found a powerful tool. It compiled my short stories, which I then loaded onto my Kindle and everything looked great. (I will probably use Smashwords for the non-Amazon formats, but Scrivener also produces those files as well as doc, txt, pdf.)
Since I am also a keen "story board" kind of writer who uses outlines and/or index cards, Scrivener definitely answers my needs there. I have not made much use of its research-tracking capabilities, but I intend to in the near future.
For the price, I consider it an excellent writing tool. (And I have tried and used quite a few! ;))
 

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Are there any other free creative writing programs besides yWrter that are really good? I really want to get Scrivener, but I don't know when I'll be able to get it. So, I wanted to use something else in the mean time. Did anyone have any success with anything?
 
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