Writers develop biases for how they capture the words in their minds and record them for others to read, hear, or see. We both like to use paper, pens, and pencils for notes to ourselves. Susan keeps a notebook on her desk for thoughts and I have several notebooks on…
Tag: software
Applications used by writers.
Admittedly, I dislike the stylistic rules of academic writing. Citations, I understand, but style rules should be limited to those rules that help ensure clarity. In science, I want the Oxford comma, for example, so groupings are clear within a list. I am not a stickler for citations, either, as…
Beat sheets, outlines, storyboard, and other tools help me organize my thoughts when writing. Too many writers stick with word processors as their sole “digital tools” when many other great applications exist — and “applications” for various applications, too. How can you use a spreadsheet to write? And why might…
One of my favorite writing tools is Word Counter 2.1, from Supermagnus Software. http://www.supermagnus.com/mac/Word_Counter/ The price? Free. The value? To quote a popular credit card company, “Priceless.” If you’re like most of my students, you’re asking yourself, “Doesn’t every word processor include a word count function? What’s the big deal?”…
Before I offer my views on Dramatica 4.1, especially in light of my Contour review, I want to express an important frustration sure to vex other Apple fanatics. I’ve been an Apple user since the IIe, and an OS X user since version 10.1 shipped. So, this is the complaint…
I have outlined two projects with Mariner Software’s Contour 1.2 and remain uncertain about the product for several reasons. The program is marred by sloppy spelling errors in manuscript templates and a rigid approach to story plotting that falls short when writing a complex story or screenplay. What you are…
I am a believer in outlining and planning before, during, and after the drafting process for most long forms of creative writing. Generally, I’m always searching for a way to better organize my thoughts. As a writer, this means I experiment with various outlining and “story plotting” tools. Two popular…
I love Scrivener, a writing application from Literature & Latte. How much do I love Scrivener? I wrote the following in Scrivener: My doctoral dissertation for the Dept. of Writing Studies at the Univ. of Minnesota, Drafts of three feature-length screenplays, one of which I started in another (“screenplay”) application…
In college, I wrote software documentation for mainframe users, which meant I had the opportunity to use text editors and word processors on a variety of computer platforms. I composed documentation on everything from glorified typewriters (DEC VT102 and IBM 3270 terminals) to slick WYSIWYG (“what you see is what…
Printers No design is complete until it is in print. There are several types of printer, but as an in-house designer, there are four basic types of printers you should consider. Each technology has its purpose – many designers own two or three printers. In the ideal design office, you…