National Library, New WashingtonThe Writer's Guild Links
Windows
Yes, I am a recent convert to the Mac Platform and before I left Windows behind (thanks to Vista) I used some software as well. In that platform there are two shining stars. One of them is free... believe you me, free is nice, especially if you are a starving writer, and who isn't? The other is not free, but it is quite possible the best piece of software I have ever used as a working writer.
This is quite possibly the best organization tool you can have as a writer. Hell, every so often I download it hoping it will run WELL under emulation. In fact, when I buy Win XP to I am sure I will install it on my other machine and buy a new licence. I gave my older copy to my brother in law, who absolutely loves it. Bear in mind he is a hard core Word user, so him using this was amazing.
What can you do with this program? You can outline your project, and trust me, it is not for novels only. You could easily outline a school project, just like Scriverner (review is bellow). You could also outline any kind of writing project you have. It is also quite flexible.
What is best is, you can download the program and see if it works for you. And since it is constantly updated, a feature you might be missing today, might be present tomorrow.
So you are on a budget, and I mean a severe budget... and cannot afford any of these fancy programs... well here is a solution for you. YWriter is free, and keeps improving with each version.
It will allow you to get your characters, scenes and all that jazz organized, as well as outlining your novel. In many ways this is a dream for many a struggling writer on the Windows platform. And if you like the program and can afford to, buy some of his books. That's the least you can do to support a writer that has given all of us such a great tool.
MAC
Jers just keeps getting better and better every day of the week, or rather with each incarnation of the program. The program is "free" if you want to use it forever and not pay for it. I am betting though that many of you will pay for it once you start using it.
What is available on it?
It has a pretty descent word processor that has no use layout. That is what you do with your actual fancy word processor. (I personally recommend Neo Office for that). It also has an extensive database program that you can add from the text, as well as adding categories as you need them.
The gem of the program, at least for me, is the full screen feature in this program. It is fully editable to your needs. I use a light blue background with gray letters, and it works beautifully for me. It also has the best implementation of margin notes I have ever seen, and can be exported to PDF easily.
The best is, you can use it for free. Me, I paid for it, and recently this is the program I am using to write the War of the Gods, as well as Voodoo Pad, but that is another story, and another review.
Storyist
Well folks, if you want a tool that will almost do all... this is it. This program is quite solid and will allow you to get your project going. You can take notes as extensively as you want to, or not. You can also add sections to character, location and other sheets, which allows you to make this project work for you as best as you can.
Like most MAC software (as well as the Windows above) they do lack bookmarks and tracking changes, but I believe in time that will come. (And I do hope so)
Story Mill
Story Mill by Mariner software is the successor to Avenir. It is a good solid program to write fiction. It also has a fairly usable time line tool. This timeline can be essential for the writer that needs a visual tool. Could the time line be better? Yes, but that is the truth with any program out there. That said, it is the first program with an integral time line in the mix for the MAC.
I got a copy of the program after I learned it had that timeline tool. I used Avernir for a while and found it to be lacking in some things, why I switched to Scrivener. The timeline is useful and if you are updating from Avenir, the upgrade will not break the bank. In fact, I have found the timeline to be worth the upgrade price, and will use it in the plotting of my novel, after finding how to use it in a short story.
If you are a writer looking for a FICTION writing program, Story Mill may be what you are looking for. If you are looking for a program that will do more than just fiction, then you may find it lacking. Oh and just like Scrivener, I still need to export text in order to work on my editing, and neo office is my friend.
Another problem I found with Avenir is the creation of templates. Creating my Hero template does not look as easy, though I may still find a way to do it. Should you use it? It is vastly superior for the fiction writer to Word or any other dedicated word processor. You can still keep all your research notes inside your work, as well as mark your text as you go along with Notations. (The only problem is they will be gone if you copy and paste your edited work.) And when editing time comes you can export to a multitude of formats, including Word and RTF.
Scrivener
Useful programs are hard to find for the working writer. Yes, I know, we all have used Word, or other word processors. Yet, they are not all that could be. Maintaining files and working on different subjects is at times difficult. In this section of the website you will find links to programs, both in the Windows and MAC platforms that I have found helpful over the years. Suffice it to say, I am a recent “convert” to the MAC platform, and know of a few programs though. I needed to replace some of my WIN programs that I used regularly.
The first link is to Scrivener. What is Scrivener? It is a word processor, it is an outliner, it is a writing studio. In fact, is is the software I used to write the content for this website. When I switched platforms I was looking for an easy to use MAC program, that I could use to organize my writing. Ever since I downloaded Scrivener, that is all I use.
The program is robust, and easy to use. It also allows me to work on different types of work, They range from a novel (about which I will have more to say in the Blog), to this website, and material for the Future Nexus world. The program allows you to create templates, which is very useful, as you can create your template for short articles, short fiction, books, websites… you mention it.
Now, that does not mean it does not miss a couple things a dedicated word processor has. For example, I love my text marking abilities. Well, when the time comes to revise I just copy and paste to neo-office and then copy and paste the revised material. So I found a work-around that one. It also is missing the ability to create a timeline, but with some creativity you can actually do that, as you can mark your snippets of text in different colors. As is, I am still discovering new things every day, and I must say, this is probably the best program I have used in a while.