S is for Software
I went to college to study accounting. I’m good at it. I graduated Summa Cum Laude. Not because I’m particularly smart, although I’d like to think that might have played a small part, but because I’m an organizer. I like to keep things neat and tidy. My files are clean and labeled and backed up on three different flash drives (yes, really three). And organization is a large part of accounting.
But I don’t want to write about accounting. I want to write about writing. 🙂
Like I mentioned, I’m organized so one might assume I’m a plotter. Nope. Far from it. Other than doing some minor notes and character studies, I’m a pantser. But I still like to stay organized. So I keep multiple files for one project. Sometimes more than twenty. And it gets tedious wading through all those files. There has to be a better way.
Recently I stumbled across software developed for writers. One well known platform is Scrivener. There are many others. I’ve debated investing in a software package so I’ve been asking around and getting input from various writers on what they use, if anything, and what they like and dislike about it.
So here’s the question: Do you use a writing software package? If so, which one? Do you like it better than using a word processing program? What are the pros/cons? What should a writer know before plunking down money for one of the programs?
Okay, I guess that was more than one question, but inquiring minds
want to know. 🙂
Until “T,”
I went to college to study accounting. I’m good at it. I graduated Summa Cum Laude. Not because I’m particularly smart, although I’d like to think that might have played a small part, but because I’m an organizer. I like to keep things neat and tidy. My files are clean and labeled and backed up on three different flash drives (yes, really three). And organization is a large part of accounting.
But I don’t want to write about accounting. I want to write about writing. 🙂
Like I mentioned, I’m organized so one might assume I’m a plotter. Nope. Far from it. Other than doing some minor notes and character studies, I’m a pantser. But I still like to stay organized. So I keep multiple files for one project. Sometimes more than twenty. And it gets tedious wading through all those files. There has to be a better way.
Recently I stumbled across software developed for writers. One well known platform is Scrivener. There are many others. I’ve debated investing in a software package so I’ve been asking around and getting input from various writers on what they use, if anything, and what they like and dislike about it.
So here’s the question: Do you use a writing software package? If so, which one? Do you like it better than using a word processing program? What are the pros/cons? What should a writer know before plunking down money for one of the programs?
Okay, I guess that was more than one question, but inquiring minds
want to know. 🙂
Until “T,”
I'm an award-winning YA and NA author... but, really? I'm the wife of an amazing man, mom of four awesome kids, a reader of words, and writer of stories. I love candles and books, think garden gnomes are creepy and M&Ms are the perfect food (especially peanut butter). I live and write in Texas, but was raised in Flint, Michigan and will always think of the Great Lakes state as home.
Latest posts by Michelle (see all)
Sharing is caring...
Carrie-Anne
I'm very interested in picking up Scrivener after hearing so many good things about it and learning that it's very similar to the old word processing programs I wish were still around. I now have Pages re-installed on my computer, so I'm able to immediately open the AppleWorks files I belatedly had transferred from my old desktop a few months ago. (Converting and reformatting my even-older files requires jumping through more hoops.) Scrivener looks kind of similar to Pages, but also reminds me more of MacWriteII and ClarisWorks. It's nice to have everything in front of you instead of hunting through 20 different menus or sidebars.
Michellepickett
Do you use a Mac? If you get Scrivener let me know what you think.
Michelle 🙂