Writing Tools that I Use
From the humble pen and paper to complex Wikis, it seems there are a limitless number of tools aimed at making writing easier. Being the sucker I am for productivity tools, I’ve tried loads of them – on PC, Mac and Linux.
I just wanted to write a bit about the two I actually use.
Papel – Windows only, free.
Somewhat controversially perhaps, Papel is my favourite writing tool for longer pieces like NaNoWriMo. I’ve used it for a few years now and it’s served me extremely well. The Papel environment looks like a blank desktop, on which you can create Papels (.txt files). Papels represent a kind of digital notecard. There are eight different types of Papel including ‘Chapter’, ‘Plot Outline’ and ‘Project Notes’, each an unique icon. You can move the Papels around on the environment’s desktop however you like, which is useful if, for example, you want to see how a plot would look if you moved some scenes around. It’s really simple, really smart and really free.
Note that Papel is no longer supported by its creator. If you want to download it from the link above, make sure you choose “SERVER 2: FreewareFiles U.S”.
For Mac users, it’s worth mentioning that Papel runs perfectly well under CrossOver, although CrossOver is only free for 30 days (Around £26 for a licence).
I have also installed it on my EEE pc 701 (running Ubuntu) under WINE with no problems.
Scrivener – Mac Only. Free for 30 days, $39,95 for the licence.
Now listen. Scrivener is bloody terrific. It’s a full-on project management system, for organising all your writing and research. It’s smart, slick and intuitive to use. Also, as a Mac user, it’s a blessing to have anything that provides a full screen mode. And Scrivener’s distraction-free display is as good as they get. If you’ve got a Mac and you like to write, you have to at least have tried this product.
Only two and a half hours to go now.
I’ll keep you posted…
Tags: NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, papel, scrivener, Writing aids, writing tools
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