Software useful for writers

[nadinbrzezinski]

(and a hell of a deal)

I just got this deal

http://www.powerstructure.com/?engine=adwords!1900&keyword=%2Apower+structure%2A&match_type=&gclid=CKW16uHyio4CFRdJggodAljYEw

And yes wanted to share

Folks this is a great oportunity to get two great pieces of sofware, actually three of them

Been working on my next novel this way, and I am sure I will have to use this to save quite a bit of the novel later on, and use grammmar checker later, but it is a great deal

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Is there other helpful software anyone recommends?

I didn't realize there was so much out there. Are the grammar programs helpful, significantly moreso than Word? ;-) What about the programs that format to the newer manuscript guidelines (e.g., one space after a period rather than two).

Thanks :hi:

[Why Syzygy]

2. What?

Are you serious? One space instead of two after periods? That's insane.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. Yeah, sadly I am...

Not only have grammar rules changed (or seemed to) since my high school/college days, but basic typing rules such as the two spaces after periods have as well. There is no way many of us over a certain age will ever adhere to changing that type of thing, but I am rather overwhelmed with little things such as that.

Some still want submissions in Courier (used to be the ONLY font allowed), now Times and Ariel are acceptable. There are no hard-and-fast rules any longer.

Digital typesetting seems to have prompted many space-saving rule changes. I don't know, my brain is fried as of today...lol.

On one hand, that's cool; on the other hand, it makes things very ambiguous and complicated for my brain. :cry: :7

BTW, after looking into it further, it doesn't look like any of those software programs would be very useful...not for me, at least.

Oy vey.....

[Orrex]

4. I get into weekly fist-fights over that sort of thing

The one that's earned me more than a few black eyes is the use of commas in lists, such as
"apples, oranges, and pears."

which just strikes me as more natural than

"apples, oranges and pears."

I know that it's just a matter of picking one accepted convention over another, but it really gets on my nerves.

I hadn't heard the one-space-after-period rule, but it wouldn't surprise me (even if it would annoy me).

[supernova]

8. The last comma in a series

just before the conjunction, is still quite required in technical and scientific writing.

It is usually not required in nonfiction such as news articles and current events, expository and fiction writing.

Of course, that could change at any minute. :-)

[Why Syzygy]

5. Guess I would have to self publish.

I can go with the comma convention, but never one space after a period. I've chatted online with folks that do that and my eye revolts. ugh

[Democrat 4 Ever]

6. Sorry but that is standard recognized typesetting rule. It took me forever

to teach myself not to space twice after a period. I was taught in my old high school typing class to always put two spaces after a period. That was even in the days of manual typewriters, etc. Typewriters used different spacing - remember spacing over five spaces instead of setting a tab to indent a paragraph? Remember going to the center of the page, counting letters in a title, dividing in half and then backspacing to center the heading? That was because on an old typewriter each letter used the same amount of space. A "W" used the same space as an "i" no matter what.

With today's word processing programs and computers proportional spacing is a different matter all together. That is why you can't space over five spaces at the beginning of a paragraph and expect everything to line up correctly. You will never be able to align columns without a tab in place. You can run yourself crazy trying to line up stuff thinking you can just add a space or two or subtract a space or two. Will never print correctly.

The two spaces after a period in a word processing, but especially in a typesetting or graphic layout program will create what is called "rivers of white" and makes it look unprofessional and harder to read.

It took me six months to re-learn the one space deal. Until you get the hang of it you can always do a search and replace .(space space) with a .(space) - if you want to polish your work up.

[OneGrassRoot]

7. Thanks. When I got to that point, I was going to look up how to

do the search and replace for the space thing. For my regular business letters and correspondence I will always do the two-space rule, but when manuscripts are to be submitted, I shall go back and do the search and replace for typesetting purposes.