Software, anyone?

[hyphenate]

For your writing, specifically, do you use any special programs? Anything from mapping mind thoughts, or formatting for a screenplay or other, to pulling all the difference elements together. What do you have for your writing tasks?

I have always found MS Word itself to be my favorite, but I like several script writing programs as well, my favorite is Sophocles. There are lots of others.

What do you use? And why that program? It will be interesting to see what other people have and use regularly.

[petgoat]

1. I found Power Structure very helpful for weaving the many

threads of a very complex novel into one powerful
narrative cable.

It doesn't really do anything you can't do on 3X5 cards
and a big giant bulletin board with 3X5 labels and
colored yarn (think "A Beautiful Mind") except that it
provides a receptive screen for your jottings that's
instantly available when you're tweaking these things,
and if your colored-yarn diagram gets complex, then
shifting things around can get so unwieldy that you
just might get lazy.



Demo available here: http://www.masterfreelancer.com/wsstore/ps001.html

[hiaasenrocks]

2. I use Word, and I do no outlining when working on my novel.

I take the Elmore Leonard approach to writing. I'm paraphrasing here, but he said something like: I don't want to know how it turns out before I finish; otherwise, why write it? :)

I like to have my characters surprise me. It's more fun for me that way, and if I'm surprised by what happens then there's no way the reader won't be.

The only thing I might do in the way of planning what I'm going to write that day is make quick notes if something strikes me when I'm out somewhere. I carry a pen and small pad for these ideas. Most of the time these things end up in the column I write for a small, local entertainment newspaper rather than in the novel.

[petgoat]

5. I do no outlining when DRAFTING my novel.

I then outline compulsively when shaping the draft material.

Once I've drafted the final scene I need outlines to compare
the many different possible schemes for arriving there.

What I'm working for is a work as perfect as my beloved--where
anything added or anything removed would diminish it.

I don't get very far into a book when I sense that the writer
is just sort of staggering around looking for the story.

I suspect that Elmore Leonard knows what the possibilities are
in any given setup, so that to him not knowing how it turns out
means he doesn't know which possible resolution he might choose,
or if he might invent a new possibility along the way, but doesn't
mean he has no clue or might invoke space aliens or time travelers
to solve his plot problems.

[sybylla]

3. My current projects are all done in Word, but

I have developed a system that works for me using just Word. However, I'm considering using yWriter for my next project. It's free and it looks like a good way to organize a writing project from start to finish. I'll probably still keep my research in Word documents. But I'm hoping yWriter will streamline the actual writing process.

If anyone is interested in looking it over, I believe you'll find more information and download instructions here:
http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter_Download.html

The only potential problem I see with it is that I do share some of my work with a writing group so attaching a document/excerpt to an e-mail may not be quite so convenient.


edited to add: I'm also using spacejock's BookDB to keep track of my library. Being a bibliophile, it's been a big help.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. trhere are three programs that I have found very useful

1.- Writer's Cafe from Anthenium http://www.writerscafe.co.uk/

These guys have a good outlining tool actually the best that I have found. and their note taking side of the hosue is extremely good

2.- Ywriter... nope you cannot go wrong for the price of this one (free)

http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter.html

3.- Keynote... free notetaking program

http://www.tranglos.com/free/keynote.html

Oh and I almost forgot

Story mind

http://storymind.com/?gclid=CIKOtdT7y4wCFRK1YgodfAs-tQ

As to power structure, yep good tool but the customer support ain't the best