Every writer has different tastes when it comes to the tools they use to write. Book authors, article writers, writers of non fiction, poets all want different things from their computer. I would like to share with you the software I use, and why.
First of all, I'm cheap. I like freeware. I like open source software. Why pay for something if you can get it for free.
Second, I like my tools simple. If I'm going to whittle a piece of wood, I prefer a simple single-bladed knife, not a multi-tool Swiss Army knife that is fussy to open and awkward to hold. I want comfort and agility. Something that will get the job done. I don't care for bells and whistles, particularly if they get in the way of the workflow.
Third, I really like portable software. I work on several computers during the course of a month. Admittedly, they're all Windows machines, but that's true of most of the world these days. My primary machine at home, an elderly HP box. A laptop I use occasionally. A machine at work. And computers at various relatives' houses when I'm visiting. Portable software can be loaded on a memory stick, which can then be inserted into a USB port on any Windows computer, bypassing all compatibility issues. I can carry all the software tools I am used to -- plus my works in progress -- on a USB stick in my pocket.
The first (and really the only) software a writer needs is a word processor. Something that records your words as you type them on the keyboard. Traditionally, Microsoft Word is the writer's default word processor. It's on many Windows computers. A lot of us are familiar with it. But I don't like it. It's a massive piece of software. It embeds proprietary Microsoft formatting codes into your words, making each document larger than it has to be and unreadable by many other programs.
I prefer to save my compositions in a more standard format, either plain text (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf). Text format documents can be opened by virtually every word processor ever sold or given away, on Windows, Macintosh, Linux or any other platform. Rich text format documents are nearly as universal and add the ability to add formatting like bold and italic.
I use RoughDraft, a program written by a guy named Richard Salisbury. It can save in .rtf or .txt. Its small, portable, includes a built-in file browser, a word count feature, and even has automatic formatting for screenplays. A terrific piece of freeware.
When speed is of the essence, a tiny notepad-like program is quickest. I use Metapad. I like it better than notepad because I have more control over the display font. it works only in .txt format, but for writing words, that's all I need. It is faster than my fingers. In Word, I would sometimes type faster than the program could handle (admittedly, on an older computer). With Metapad, each character always appears on screen the moment I hit the key. That speed of response keeps my train of thought intact.
For arranging notes, I use a program called Mempad. It's sort of like an outlining program. The program window includes two panes. The left pane shows an outline composed of, say, chapter titles. You can create sub-chapters or sub-scenes under each entry. The end result looks like an outline of terms. Click on any term, and you can use the right pane to type in whatever you want. If I'm writing a book, I create a top level entry for each chapter, then sub entries for characters, setting, background, plot devices, etc. I can make notes to myself in all the sub entries. Then I write the actual text of the chapter in the top level entry. I can instantly refer to my notes, or copy-and-paste sections of notes into the chapter text. If something relates to another chapter, I can easily jump to that chapter and insert a note to remind myself of the connection. I also use Mempad to work on and keep track of short stories. One reason I settled on Mempad instead of one of the other outlining programs out there is its export feature. At any time, I can select any entry, or the entire collections of entries, and with a couple of clicks, export it to a text file; great for when its time to format the story for publication. Even better, backups of the entire contents of a file are as easy as copying the datafile; it is stored in text format that anything, including Notepad or Word, can open and make sense of. Mempad includes a search feature that allows you to find words anywhere in the file you currently have open. I create a different file for each book I'm working on, another for short stories, another for miscellaneous information.
When I really want to buckle down and concentrate, a little program like WestEdit or Q10 block out all computer-related distractions. Both these programs convert your entire screen into a blank canvas with only your words showing. They're both configurable as to color of background and text (my favorite is the default lime green text on black background). Both these programs work on virtually every Windows computer. Other similar programs I experimented with either required underlying software that didn't exist on all the machines I use, or were slow. Of the two, WestEdit is smallest, but I prefer Q10 because it is more configurable.
Like other scatterbrained people, I sometimes can't remember where on my computer I jotted a note or created a file. Sure, Windows has a search feature that can help find such misplaced snippets of information. But a freeware program called WildReplace does the job faster. You can set it up to search for text inside files, and/or to match entire or partial filenames. And it is fast!
Another program that helps my memory is Scrapbook 2, by Eric Nitzsche. This is a tiny freeform database program. It's set up along the lines of a pile of cards. You write soemthing on a card (in this case, a text window). You end up with a giant pile of cards. When you want to find something in the pile, you type a word in the search box, and you can cycle through only the cards that contain that word. Say you vaguely recall you jotted a note about a guy named Pendergastman, or maybe Pendergasmen. You search for "pender" and jump through any note that includes the string "pender." Scrapbook helps me keep track of notes that I'm not ready to insert into the more organized Mempad.
All of the programs mentioned above help me develop my writing ideas and put them into words. They all work on every Windows computer I've tried them on, including Windows 95, 98, 2000 and XP. They all save data in plain text format for universal compatibility.
That's my toolbox. A variety of text editors, an outliner, and a search utility. They all live on my USB memory stick. I can plug into any Windows computer anywhere and use the tools I'm familiar with, save my notes and writings, unplug, and drop all my work in my pocket. Portable, small, free, fast.
When the writing is done, or nearly done, I export my raw text into Microsoft Word or Quark Xpress and deal with formatting. But when I'm converting my thoughts into text, I want simple, plain text. At that stage of the game, formatting just gets in the way of the creative process. And anyway, most novels don't include much formatting - your publisher will most likely prefer unformatted text anyway.
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