Technically speaking, you can sit down and write on Notepad and all will be fine.
Practically speaking, it’s easier if you use tools. And you’ll be more motivated to work if you use a spiffy work environment, too. Let’s take a look at what I use!
Writing tools
At this point, I feel like a Scrivener commercial. Still, this software is a writer’s dream come true. In the next few days I’ll post a full article explaining my work process, so we’ll see in detail just how useful this tool can be to set up the skeleton of a story, to keep research always on hand, to keep track of your characters…
For now, let’s just say you’ll get your money’s worth. Standing at 40$ (and usually discounted if you take part in NaNoWriMo events, and even more discounted if you actually win), this software will come in handy for all types of writers. If you want to write the traditional way (sitting down and typing away), you can do it in a distraction-free environment thanks to the full-screen mode. If you want to address a project that needs more organization, it’ll allow you to keep all your notes tidy and easy to find. If you hate planning and are a “pantser”, it’ll let you take notes and cross-reference events as you go so that you can effectively go plot-hole hunting after the first draft is complete.
The worst enemy of an author always sometimes is the Procrastination Monster. You know what you’re doing, you know where you want to go, but typing it down is boring and tiring and oh look, Twitter! Enter Write or Die.
Inform the software of how much time you want to spend writing, set the number of words you need to have done before that time is up (thus setting up a neat word-per-minute ratio) and you’re good to go. There are a number of other options you can fine-tune, such as exactly what will happen if you fail, but the core idea is that you set a goal… and it’ll be unpleasant if you don’t make it. Auwful noises, taking away your favorite playlist, eating up the words you had painstakingly written before slacking on the job… Your choice. Can we say motivation?
The desktop edition costs 20$, but the best part is that you can also use it for free online, and it’ll let you save your work on .TXT format afterwards.
If you make your livelihood on anything remotely digital, you’ll swear by this single commandment:
BACK IT UP!
Dropbox offers a desktop widget that works as a normal folder: you just have to copy-paste your documents and voilà! You’ve got your backup files stored in the cloud. This is quite possible one of the things that makes Dropbox the go-to cloud storage service.
The service is free for up to 2Gb of storage space, and you can try to do a series of tasks to get mor free space or upgrade to a paid version.
Evernote can be used from the web, but there’s a fancy Desktop version that’ll save you the trouble of loggin in each time you need to access something you saved while on the go. Another neat extra feature is that it’ll hook into your Outlook, to make your life even easier.
The service is free for up to 60Mb of data transfer each month, and you can upgrade to premium at any time–which will give you access to 1Gb of data transfer each month.
Wait! What is a social media management tool doing in this list?
Well, life can’t be all work and no fun, right? Besides, writing is a lonely business. Sometimes, poking out your head and screaming your frustrations or your triumphs at Twitter is a sanity check. And if you want to handle your social presence with low stress and high enjoyment, then Hootsuite is for you: all you’ll ever need in one place, easy to navigate and pretty to look at. It integrates Twitter accounts, Facebook profiles, Facebook pages, Google+ pages, Youtube, LinkedIn, Instagram, WordPress, Mailchimp… You name it, it’s there. Except for Pinterest, because Pinterest is keeping a tight lid on their API and there’s no 3rd party development yet, but everything else is right there.
Hootsuite has a free account and a premium one that’s geared toward companies that need several people handling each profile and coordinated team efforts.
What do you need to install in your PC before you can sit down to write?
