New ... brooms!

[silverr]

It's an old saying: "A new broom sweeps clean."

I've found that this can apply to writing as well. I don't just mean changing your methods or approach (e.g., writing out of sequence if you're usually linear, or freewriting if you're usually a detailed planner), I mean actually trying a new writing tool--or even switching to trusty paper and pen. Sometimes it's just the jolt you need to get things flowing--or at least save you some hair pulling.

So, what tools do you use? What do you use them for? Why do you love them? What do you wish they did better?

Comments

[hickumu]

I use good ol' Microsoft word - if it's a longer piece. If I'm just knocking off a drabble for my hundred drabble challenge, I'll find a word count tool and just type it in there. If it's something I'm writing for a kink meme, I'll type it up in the comment specifically so I don't spend too much time on it.

I realized early on in my writing that I just needed to use a keyboard, solely so I could get my ideas typed up in a reasonable length of time, before I got bored of them. If I've plotted out a story extensively, the motivation to actually write it is low. I type very quickly - provided inspiration and time is there, it's a good system for me.

However, on occasion, I use paper and pencil to "seed" a scene - write out something I've been musing over there, and type it out later and build the necessary bits around it. Overall, I'm happier with what I write on paper than I am with what I type, maybe just because I associate more effort being involved right off the bat. It just takes me a few days to cover a few pages, as opposed to a few hours, since I'm usually writing in between classes either way. I don't think I'll ever finish a story on paper.

I've found it strangely meditative, though - kind of peaceful. It's good to get something hashed out, or get something started, or just a good way to pass the time before class starts.

[actionreaction]

I usually use Google Docs, but sometimes opening it up and seeing blank white (or alternately mounds of text from where I left off) is intimidating. I recently jump-started myself on something I was floundering on by switching to pen and paper, so I wholly support this!!

I've tried changing methods too and found that's often helped as well. But when it's not enough, a bigger change, like a writing tool switch, can really be that needed kick.

[peaceful_sands]

On the whole I type, either in Word or WriteWay, depending on how long I think a project's going to be - I sometimes get it wrong and work in Word when something would be better in WriteWay because it takes on a life of its own and grows a lot more than I thought it would.

I always have a pad and pen in my handbag for those times when I'm out and ideas strike or for when I'm stuck waiting for something and can use the time to work on a scene or short fic (the hairdressers is quite often a good place to get some time for filling short prompts!)

To get me going when I'm stuck on one thing, I'll quite often use something like a prompt from fic_promptly to get the words flowing before returning to whatever I should be working on. It's normally short enough that I don't get too sidetracked and end up creating something else that ends up sitting in a 'to be finished' pile.

I'm not sure if it classes as a tool but sometimes doing a 'writing dash' with a friend where I've got to admit at the end of the set time how much I've written and feeling accountable gets the words going, even if I end up editing it into submission later.

[silverr]

I've been writing for a long time, but it was only within the last few years that I realized that most of my longer stories grow by ... accretion. Snips of dialogue float up; sometimes I'll get a very vivid vision of a scene. Very non-linear, and what complicates it is that I often get ideas for story B (and C, D, E) while I'm working on Story A. I don't want to lose the momentum on the current story, but I don't want to lose the juicy bit either. Sometimes I just leave Notepad open and take "Running Notes [for title]" but this winds up being a nightmare wall o text quite quickly.

Now, I used to use MS Word's outline format to keep track of all the bits (and to move them around once they started to coalesce into a story), but a lack of cash meant I started using OpenOffice a few years ago. OO is very nice in some ways (and free), but I missed my old outliner.

And then I discovered Scrivener. Click here for Scrivener fangirling.

P.S. For short comment fills I too use use http://www.wordcounter.net/

[credoimprobus]

I tend to favour plain text editors, because they're minimal fuss and mess and won't sneak in any weird non-ascii characters that get mangled on posting. In particular, lately, I've been all over fullscreen text editors, and have hoarded multiple ones that I switch between; they're a great, easy way to transform my writing environment, and make it fresh enough to be inviting again when it's feeling stale. \o/ (I also use this online variant sometimes. Minimalistic writing interfaces FTW!)

I've recently taken to using yWriter to organise longer pieces, although more often than not I do the actual writing elsewhere and paste it in after. I mostly only type straight into the edit window when I get inspired enough that the writing environment's appearance doesn't matter. *snicker*

(I also have multiple devices to switch around between by this point -- my old all-purpose laptop, the new preemptive replacement laptop that I partly bought to act as my new writing machine, the barebones netbook that I used to use for travel and as my main writing machine, and a full-qwerty-keypad smartphone. Note: I don't even have a sim card in the smartphone; I just use it as an electronic notebook, haha.)

...in case it wasn't obvious, yeah, I have a problem with getting bored with using the same thing to write in/on for very long. XD;


PS: If anybody's curious for software links -- everything I use is freeware -- just hit me up! :)

[mistressofmuses]

I pretty much only ever use Word, plus occasional scraps of paper for when I don't have access to my computer, or a brief notation in my phone. The comments here are kind of a revelation... I had no idea there were so many options out there!

I have word files of my various plot bunnies, with notes on whether they're in progress or completed or yet to be started... they're numbered chronologically in the order the ideas occurred to me and were written down. This helps me assign numbers to the stories so that I can keep track of them.

I tend to just use a word file for each story itself, with individual chapters copy-pasted into documents of their own if they're getting posted. I also generally have another word doc open to write down notes that don't fit into the narrative yet. (Things like worldbuilding, names for other characters, ideas for future scenes...) Periodically I'll reorganize that document so that the notes are organized more by topic.

Sometimes I switch to pencil and paper if I want to organize things in a way that doesn't work on a line-by-line format. Webs or things circled or arrows from one idea to another... sometimes that kind of visual organization works better than a list, for me.

I also use my folders and subfolders so that I can organize the documents together; original fic and fanfic are separate, long stories get folders of their own, and each story has a number and an acronym that I start the filenames with so that I can find all the relevant files quickly.

This doesn't seem to be the most efficient way to organize things... everything is in one spot, but sometimes I'll make an edit to one file and forget to edit the others, having files with redundant information can be cluttered, etc.

It sounds like there are some really useful programs out there that streamline everything. I had no idea there were so many choices!

[zoamh]

I got in the habit of using Google Docs for nearly everything back when I spent a lot of time writing on campus and work computers. I'm not currently a student and work is too busy now, but the habit stuck. It's a fairly inoffensive text editor, and it's easy to just send the link when it needs a beta read.

I used to use Bean (Mac only) as my lightweight text editor with full-screen mode of choice, but now when I write directly on my hard drive I tend to use Scrivener, which I see someone already mentioned! It's too clunky for one-offs unless I want to keep them together as part of a series, but it's excellent for keeping longer works organized. I can also sync txt files from a project to a folder in my Dropbox and use Plaintext to access them on my phone, so I can jot down notes when I don't have my computer handy.

When I know I just need to write to get my thoughts down for a scene but don't really want to commit to having it in my draft, I tend to dump it in 750 Words. I can easily copy it over if it turns to have merit and if not, well, it's saved (and out of my way) just in case.

I also keep a notebook and a few pens in my purse at all times. Usually when writing I need to type to keep up with the pace of my thoughts, but if it's just not flowing then the slower pace of hand writing tends to give me more time to think, which frees up my writer's block tremendously. (I usually just end up doodling after a while though.)